Graduation and Gifts (Untouchable Book 8) Heather Long (reading tree .TXT) 📖

before soundcheck and I was starving, a fact I felt almost guilty about, especially when we found a little place that smelled sumptuously of bacon, sausages, eggs, and baked goods.

Even more, I felt guilty about the food we ordered. Coop studied me a beat and then said, “Exhaustion and stress do wild things to a person. You eating isn’t going to make it better or worse for them. You’re doing what you can by being her friend. By being all their friends.”

“But she looks so damn tired.”

“They’ve been touring nonstop, Baby Girl,” Jake said, nudging my plate. “Eat. They know how bad it is, or I don’t think they’d be taking a break from all of it.”

“Agreed,” Archie said. “And I agree with Jake, you and Bubba are never going to tour until you turn into a ghost of yourselves. I’ve seen you get worn away by stress. Hard pass.”

It was Ian who summed it up when he said, “I’d never let them do this to her. Trust me on that.”

I swore, one by one, the others relaxed, and Archie nodded firmly. “Good. Now, do we want to try and do some sightseeing before the soundcheck, or do you want to go back to the hotel and get laid?” The last he directed at me, and Coop burst out laughing.

“It’s always good to have options.”

We did go back to the hotel, and while I didn’t get laid per se, the guys were very cuddly. Ian and I practiced our songs, and the guys heckled playfully. A huge lunch was waiting for me after my shower, and I stuffed my face happily, even if I was still worried about KC and the girls. Before long, we were at the venue and it was huge. From the outside, it looked large, from the inside, it was an arena. They could probably fit twenty-five thousand people in there.

More.

Terror bubbled in my stomach.

Maybe performing wasn’t the best idea.

As if reading my thoughts, Ian threaded his fingers through mine and he leaned down to whisper, “You just look at me when it’s time to go out there.”

The simple note of command in his voice settled some of the nerves. KC let out a playful squeal when security guided us back to where she and the others were drinking hot tea. Apparently, it was good for their vocal cords.

There was food on one of the back tables, but none of the girls were eating. I considered scolding, then bit my tongue. KC shot me a grateful smile, and despite disliking not saying anything, it was the right choice. They were dressed up, cosmetics in place, jewelry gleaming, and KC’s blue hair fell in a straight waterfall over one shoulder from where it had been tied up in a single ponytail on top of her head.

Grabbing my hand, she led us toward the stage. “Come on, it’s freaky when you first get out there with or without people, so let’s get that freaking out of the way.”

My heart hammered triple speed the minute we walked out on that stage. It was empty, save for the backup band and others who were working and cleaning, and sound carried. The hollow arena didn’t make it any less intimidating though. If anything, it was a thousand percent worse.

All the moisture in my mouth fled, and I stared around with wide eyes.

“It’s scary,” KC said from right next to me. “But when the lights come on and the music starts playing, it’s the energy from the crowd that brings everything to life. For a few hours, on this stage, you become your pure self. No problems. No past. No future. No bullshit business contracts. No family drama. Just you and the music.”

“Hey,” Yvette said as she bumped KC on her way past.

“And your besties,” she told me. “It’s us against the world, but this right here—this is our world, and we own it. So, let the fear make you tingle and don’t be afraid of the chill racing up your spine because when those lights turn on, ice becomes fire and fear becomes power.”

I was still turning those words over in my head when they started their soundcheck. They wanted me and Ian out on the stage with them, and we both got wired up with mics that weren’t on while the guys waited for us just off stage.

Coop and Jake both had their phones out, snapping photos of us and filming it. When one of the grips complained, Aubrey told him to get fucked and leave us alone.

I still wasn’t ready when Ian and I had to do our soundcheck, and my voice cracked on the first lyric. Until Ian turned my chin up so I was staring up at him, and then KC was right about one thing—everything else fell away.

Despite the soundcheck, we weren’t performing that night. KC tried to talk me into it, and I may or may not have ended up in the bathroom throwing up. They let me off the hook and guilt assailed me at the freakout. Still, she said, I was doing the last show if she had to drag me out there and just serenade me.

Rachel appeared at our hotel the next day, and we went out for a day of pampering, hair, nails, and the works. That night, Jake and Coop spent hours making sure I didn’t think about anything but them.

The next morning, Ian and I were alone in our hotel suite while the guys went to do some shopping. I spent hours in ropes, teased and edged until I thought I would die, and when Ian finally let me come, he only did it after I’d managed to hum a few bars of the song. I was boneless all afternoon, and he soaked me in a hot bath before we got ready to head for the venue.

Even with the noise of the crowd seeming to make the floor vibrate and the energy surging backstage with