Fractured Trust by L. M. Dalgleish

Chapter 9

By the time Friday eventually rolled around, anticipation coiled hotly in Summer’s belly. She didn’t know if it was excitement at finally getting a chance to have a night out with friends, or if some masochistic part of her was looking forward to seeing Noah play again. And frankly, she didn’t want to know. All she wanted was to go out, relax, and listen to great music.

When Summer left work that evening, she went home and showered, changing into black skinny jeans, ankle boots, and a clingy turquoise tank top. She curled her hair, brushed mascara on her lashes, and swiped on some lipstick. Gazing at her reflection, she twisted in front of the mirror, wondering if what she was wearing was okay. If she looked casual enough to not appear to have made too much of an effort, while still looking good. After all, if she had to see her ex-boyfriend killing it up on stage while women threw their panties at him, she wanted to look hot doing it.

Her phone beeped with a message from Eden, and Summer took one last look in the mirror, noting her flushed cheeks and too-bright eyes. She snagged her purse at the door, which she closed and locked behind her, then rushed downstairs. As she left the building, she slowed for a second when she realized Eden wasn’t driving her own car but was sitting in the back of a black chauffeured sedan. As she approached, the very large driver got out and came around to open her door for her. Summer smiled and thanked him before sliding in next to Eden, who looked gorgeous as always in a short, sparkly shift dress and knee-high boots.

“I thought you were planning to drive,” Summer said as the driver climbed back in, put the car in gear, and took off smoothly.

Eden laughed. “Tex worries too much. If I’m not riding with him, it makes him feel better to have someone with me.” She nodded at the front of the car. “Will is his favorite bodyguard.”

The big man in front met Summer’s eyes in the rear view mirror and gave her a nod.

Summer smiled and gave him a self-conscious wave. This whole famous rock star thing was completely foreign to her since Fractured had only just started to hit it big when she’d ended things with Noah. But she loved hearing about the relationship between Tex and Eden. The big, tattooed guitarist was obviously head over heels in love and wasn’t afraid to show it, which was super sweet. Their relationship was still new enough that she often caught Eden blushing when she spoke about her boyfriend. Like now, for example, when her cheeks tinted pink at talking about how protective Tex was.

But it also sent a pang through her because she couldn’t help but wonder what that would feel like, to be so happy. For something to feel so right. She’d thought she’d had that once, but she’d been mistaken. And then she’d made the mistake of tying herself to a man she wasn’t in love with—at least not initially anyway—and for all the wrong reasons. Familiar guilt wound its way through her chest, but she shoved it away. She’d taken steps to fix her mistakes. She only hoped eventually the regret would fade, and that Deacon would realize she’d done the right thing—for both of them.

And maybe, one day, if she were lucky, she’d meet someone who loved her as much as Tex loved Eden. Someone who she would love as much as she used to love Noah. Although having a failed marriage already at age twenty-nine didn’t help with her confidence. Neither did knowing she’d still have to contend with her insecurities.

God, now she was depressing herself. Summer gave herself an internal scolding. She was getting her life back on track, and she was going to face what fate had in store for her head on and try to have fun doing it.

When they got to the venue, Will drove them around to the back entrance, past the line of fans out the front, plenty of skimpily dressed women among the jeans and t-shirt-clad ones making her stomach cartwheel slowly with remembered anxiety. She reminded herself that it wasn’t something she had to worry about anymore.

When they got out of the car, a security guard opened the door for them, and they walked inside. An attractive blond-haired man who looked to be in his mid-thirties noticed their entrance and strolled over, smiling warmly at Eden, then holding his hand out to Summer. “Hi, you must be Summer. I’m Drew, Fractured’s manager.”

Giving his extended hand a shake, Summer smiled at him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

His eyes lingered on her with obvious curiosity, and Summer wondered if he knew her history with Fractured. Someone else had managed the band when she’d been with Noah, and she didn’t know how long ago Drew had replaced him.

Drew handed them both an Access All Areas pass, which Summer hung around her neck, then ushered them down a couple of corridors, finally leading them out to the secured area between the pit and the stage. Nodding to the security guards, he swung the gate open and waited for them to go through, then gestured to a petite, dark-haired woman standing to the side with a camera held up to her face. “Lexie’s over there. Have fun guys, I’ll see you after the show.” He gave them a grin, and Summer returned it before trailing after Eden.

Lexie lowered her camera as they approached, and noticing them, she turned, a radiant smile spreading across her pretty face.

“Hi Eden,” she said, giving Noah’s sister a hug. Then, still smiling, she turned to Summer. “You must be Summer. It’s so nice to meet you finally.”

“It’s great to meet you too. I’ve been admiring your photos in our office for the last two weeks.”

“Oh, thank you. Those are some of my absolute favorites of the guys. We couldn’t have any old pictures gracing the walls of Eden’s workplace.” She gave Eden a wink, then gestured back at the stage. “The opening band’s about to come on, so you guys got here just in time.”

Lexie turned her big gray eyes back on Summer. “Is this the first time you’ll have seen the guys play for a while?”

Suddenly self-conscious, knowing for sure that Lexie knew her backstory, Summer tucked some loose hair behind her ear. “Um, yeah, it’s been… a long time.”

“I never get tired of watching them. They’re electric when they’re all together.” There was no judgment in Lexie’s gaze, and Summer’s tight muscles loosened. She liked Lexie already. And while she wasn’t sure whether it would work out, considering Lexie was Connor’s wife and Eden was Noah’s sister and dating Tex, Summer hoped that maybe she could be friends with both women. Even with things not being great between her and Noah.

Eden had been rummaging around in her purse, and finally, with a triumphant look, pulled out a flask. After glancing surreptitiously around, she unscrewed the lid and grinned at Summer and Lexie. “Want something to drink?”

A smile twitched at Summer’s lips at the impish expression on Eden’s face. She took the flask, smelling the potent waft of alcohol, and quirked a brow at the blonde woman.

“Just a little something to get us warmed up.” Eden’s smile broadened.

Laughing, Summer took a small swallow, wondering if she was going to burn her throat. But the drink was surprisingly smooth.

She handed the bottle to Lexie, who took a sip, then passed it back to Eden. “Tex has been getting me into whiskey,” she said after having some too. “He’s starting me off easy with Jameson, but when he’s not around, I sneak in some soda.” She took another drink, then whispered, “Don’t tell him.”

Summer laughed. “Cross my heart.” Already she was having fun. And while a part of her wished they were there to see any band other than her ex’s, another part, a larger part than she wanted to admit, was looking forward to seeing them play again. To seeing him play again.

Before she knew it, the lights dimmed, and the opening act came onstage. They were good, and Summer stood listening to the heavy beat of the music with the two other women, sharing the flask between them, warmth from the alcohol radiating through her as they all got increasingly giggly. It had been far too long since Summer had hung out with girlfriends.

She was having so much fun that when the opening band finished up and left the stage, she didn’t feel any apprehension at all. When the lights went out again, she was filled with nothing but excitement. And when the big video screen at the back of the stage lit up with jagged, blue lines, adrenaline surged through her at the earsplitting roar from the fans.

Summer’s heart flip-flopped as four silhouettes appeared in front of the screen. The screams and whistles built in volume, a wave of sound crashing through her. When the lights flashed back on, the four men everyone had been waiting to see were right there in front of her.

She kept her eyes fixed on the three she hadn’t seen since she was eighteen. Tex was instantly recognizable with his size, long sun-streaked brown hair, and tattoos; dark-haired Connor, his green eyes, far more vivid than her own, immediately flashing toward Lexie as he gave his wife a heart-stopping smile; and Zac, his darkly handsome face serious as his eyes panned out over the crowd.

It was so strange seeing them like this—men, not the teenagers that still lived in her memory. Huge stars, not the hopeful boys she’d once known. A dull ache throbbed in her chest as she realized how much she’d missed out on over the last decade. But determined to have fun, not get caught up in painful memories, Summer simply stole the flask of whiskey off Eden with a grin and took another sip. Then she turned her attention back up to the stage.

She finally let her eyes seek out Noah as he settled himself behind his kit on the drum riser. The alcohol in her system even allowed her to keep watching him when she otherwise would have forced her gaze away.

When he tossed his sticks up in the air and caught them, twirling them around his fingers, she even smiled as she remembered him practicing that trick when he was a teenager. He glanced over in her direction and caught her eyes on him. She blinked, her first instinct to look away, but she stopped herself. She thought he might frown, annoyed to see her there, especially after their last interaction. But to her surprise, he held her gaze for a few seconds before nodding at her and turning back to the crowd.

A small, relieved smile turned up the corners of her lips. It only grew wider as Tex’s fingers flashed over the strings of his guitar; as the low tones of Zac’s bass resonated in the delicate bones of her middle ear; as Noah’s kick drum started the driving beat; and as Connor’s deep, lyrical voice wove its way through her senses.

Summer had long ago stopped following Fractured’s music, except for what she inadvertently heard on the radio. But hearing them now reminded her of just how good they were. The air around her vibrated with an electricity that hadn’t been there during the opening act, and without conscious thought, her body responded, moving in time to the pulsing rhythm.

The first song ended to a deafening roar of appreciation from the crowd. Noah immediately launched into the next one with a brief introductory tom roll before Tex jumped in with the song’s signature riff, instantly recognizable, even to Summer since it had gotten so much air play over the last few months. The fans went wild in response, and swept up in the excitement, Summer cheered along with them. When Connor started the first verse, his voice as smooth and dark as black velvet, Summer found herself singing along with everyone else.

Several songs later, in between numbers, Noah reached behind him, gripped his shirt, and pulled it off over his head. The sweat gleaming on his skin emphasized his hard muscles, and the shrieks and catcalls from the crowd told Summer exactly how much they approved of what they saw.

Her smile faded. Who could ever compete with that kind of adulation? With the fans and the groupies? She glanced over at Eden, who was staring at Tex with her whole heart glowing in her eyes, and she wondered how she did it. And Lexie, her camera turned toward the crowd as she snapped photos of the fans, many of whom she must know would love to spend a night with her husband. How did she do it? How did either of them handle knowing that there were so many women out there who would happily throw themselves at their men?

Summer’s breath hitched as a memory clawed at her.

“He didn’t even care enough to be careful, Meg. There’s no coming back from that.”

Her mom’s hushed, angry words caused Summer’s head to swivel away from the TV toward the kitchen where her mother was talking to her Aunt Meg. Summer turned the sound down slightly and strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

Her dad had moved out a week ago and as much as her mom tried to keep up a brave face, she hadn’t been able to hide her red-rimmed eyes. Summer thought maybe her mom was crying herself to sleep every night the same way she was.

Aunt Meg tutted. “You should never have trusted him, Tina. As soon as he hired that pretty, young thing, you should have known it was going to end this way.”

There was silence from the kitchen. Summer was about to turn back to the TV, to lose herself again in the beautiful movie she was watching—the one where the prince stayed forever and never left the princess behind—when her mom spoke again. “What do I tell Summer? How do you explain to a little girl why her father isn’t coming back? How do you tell her that the man who was supposed to love and protect her is gone; all because he managed to impregnate the twenty-two-year-old floozy he was screwing on the side.”

Summer’s heartbeat faltered. Impregnate? Didn’t that mean having a baby? No, it couldn’t. She was her dad’s only baby. He wouldn’t replace her… would he? She scrunched herself into a little ball on the couch as tears welled up and overflowed again.

She just didn’t know anymore.

Her aunt spoke. “I know it’s hard. But Summer needs to learn the realities of life. That’s what men are like. They want novelty. They can’t resist when it’s thrown in their face. Why do you think I never tried to remarry after Bob? Men are just heartbreak waiting to happen.”

“I feel so stupid.” Summer’s mom’s voice was choked. “I trusted him. I never thought he’d hurt me like this. I thought I was enough for him. But I wasn’t. I wasn’t enough.”

The muffled sobs from the kitchen made Summer’s own come harder, and she put a hand over her mouth to stifle them. She turned the television back up even louder than before, trying to drown out the sound of both of their tears.

Summer closed her eyes and exhaled jaggedly, doing her best to dismiss the memory. She couldn’t ask Eden or Lexie how they handled it, as much as she might love to know the answer. There was no sense opening that can of worms. Nor did she want to answer the questions she might get in return. And what would be the point, anyway? She wasn’t in a relationship with Noah anymore. She’d been burned once; she wasn’t interested in throwing herself into the fire again. Not that she had that option… Which was good, obviously, because that was the last thing she wanted.

Summer tried her best to put it out of her mind, instead concentrating on enjoying the rest of the concert. The three of them finished off the flask and Summer was able to relax again. She swayed to the rhythm, her hips moving to the relentless kick of Noah’s drums that felt almost like a second heartbeat pulsing in her chest. More than once she’d caught him glancing over in their direction, but she didn’t know if that was normal for him when his sister was in the audience, or if having her there was bothering him. After a while, though, she stopped caring.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or that she was having fun with two new friends, or maybe it was the incredible music mellowing her out, but Summer decided it was about time she and Noah called a truce. Dwelling on the hurts of the past wasn’t doing her any favors; she needed to focus on moving forward. And what better way to do that than to forgive him and become, if not friends, then amicable acquaintances? It seemed like such a good idea that she even gave him a tentative smile the next time he glanced over in her direction.

He stared intently for a second, his hands never missing a beat, before flashing her an unexpected smile in return that made her heart stutter in her chest.

Okay, well, that was probably because she hadn’t seen him smile much recently, and definitely not at her—she just wasn’t used to it. And he’d always had the sexiest smile. Summer’s mind drifted to memories of Noah, smiling down at her as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, right before he kissed her; the crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he was laughing at something she’d said; the intimate curve of his lips after they’d made love; the wicked grin he’d give her from between her legs after he’d made her come…

Like a flash fire, Summer’s body heated instantly, and she mentally slapped herself. That was not what she needed to be thinking about. She wanted to be friendly with Noah, even if they’d never be close friends, but she definitely didn’t want to get swept up in her memories of the good times.

Trying to distract herself, Summer turned to Eden, who still wore a dreamy expression on her face as she watched Tex onstage. “They’re amazing,” she said.

Eden looked over at her and beamed. “I know, they’re brilliant. And I’m not saying that because my brother and my boyfriend are in the band. I swear, every album just gets better and better. And I love where they went with this one. It has a far more personal feel. Each song has so much emotion in it.”

She leaned closer to Summer, her eyes darting toward Lexie, who appeared absorbed in photographing the men onstage. “Don’t tell the guys I said so,” she whispered, “but I think it mostly had to do with Connor being in love when he and Tex wrote the music.”

“Just Connor?” Summer teased.

Eden’s cheeks reddened. “Well, they’d already written most of the songs when Tex and I… um, started seeing each other. But there might be a little inspiration from him mixed in there.”

Summer laughed at the younger woman’s modesty, but another surge of melancholy hit her. Oh, to be in love like that again.

All too soon, the concert came to a close. The last song ended with a blur of Noah’s hands over the toms and an explosive crash of the cymbals that rang in Summer’s ears for a split-second before it was drowned out by the clamoring of the crowd. The men on stage were all smiles for the fans as they shrieked their approval. Eden grabbed Summer’s hand and the three of them walked back toward the gate, one of the security guards opening it and ushering them through.

Lexie led them backstage, but as the warmth from the alcohol faded, and the excitement from the music dissipated, apprehension curdled in Summer’s stomach. For all her happy, tipsy thoughts during the concert, she wasn’t really feeling up to another meeting with Noah so soon after what had happened last time.

They stopped at the side of the stage to wait for the four men, who had turned away from thanking the screaming, chanting crowd, and were heading in their direction. A flash of bright blue eyes spiked her pulse, and she touched Eden’s arm. “Do you know if the car’s available to take me home? I’m assuming you and Lexie are going to stay to hang out with the guys, and then you’ll want to go home with Tex after that.”

Surprise widened Eden’s eyes for only a moment before she wiped it away. Lexie shot Summer a sympathetic smile, but it was Eden that answered her, albeit a little reluctantly. “Well, yes. I mean, the car will be waiting in the same spot it dropped us off. And we were planning to hang out at the after party. But don’t you want to stay too? We can have a couple more drinks.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Summer glanced over to where the four men were striding toward them, and despite her resolve not too long ago, nerves still skittered over her skin. She wasn’t sure she was quite at the point of hanging out with Noah just yet.

Baby steps.

She looked back at the two women. “I’m actually kind of tired. I’m not used to these late nights, you know?” She smiled, but it must not have been as convincing as she’d thought, because Eden’s gaze slid to where Noah and the others were almost upon them, then back to her.

She returned Summer’s smile, but there was a hint of sadness there, too. “Of course, I understand. I’ll walk you out to the car.”

“No, that’s okay. Honestly, I know where it is. And I think someone wants to see you.” She nodded over at where Tex was bearing down on them. His whiskey-colored eyes fixed on Eden.

“Oh, okay, are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m absolutely sure. Thanks for inviting me, I had a great time.” She gave Eden a quick hug, then turned to Lexie. “It was nice meeting you.”

Lexie smiled warmly. “It was lovely to meet you, Summer. I hope we’ll get a chance to hang out again soon.”

“I’d really like that,” she said, then turned to Eden. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

Before Eden could say anything else, Tex swooped in and grabbed her. His mouth descended on hers and whatever she might have been planning to say was lost as she wound her arms around his neck. Connor wasn’t far behind, heading straight for Lexie.

Darting a nervous look at the tall blond man following behind Tex and Connor, Summer risked a brief, casual wave before turning and making her way quickly toward where she remembered the car had dropped them off.

She’d almost reached the rear entrance when a large hand wrapped around her upper arm. She jumped and turned, her heart jackhammering in her throat, and was met by Noah’s glittering blue gaze.

“Why are you leaving?” he said, voice rough.

Summer’s eyes drifted to his shirtless chest, a sheen of sweat still coating the smooth, tanned skin, his muscles hard and prominent after hitting the drums for the last hour and a half.

Dragging her eyes back up to meet his, she tried to collect herself. She didn’t want to give him the impression she was still mooning over him.

“I was just, um, tired. I thought I’d head home.”

Noah’s gaze searched hers, but he only nodded, not saying anything, but not stepping back either. She felt compelled to fill the silence. “You were great, by the way. The band, I mean. It was a great concert.”

He tipped his chin, acknowledging her words but still saying nothing. Warmth radiated from where his hand wrapped around her arm, his fingers gently flexing against her skin. Summer’s breathing quickened, her pulse fluttering in response to his proximity.

He’d always had that effect on her. Even now, after everything, his presence still made her breathless.

Even when she didn’t want it to.

Awareness tightened her muscles when she realized how close they were standing. How his body heat was enveloping her in a way that sent a far-too-familiar need spiking through her. Fighting the urge to sway toward him, Summer took a shaky breath. “I should go,” she said.

Noah’s gaze dropped to her mouth, his pupils flaring when Summer’s tongue darted out to wet suddenly dry lips. His grip loosened, but instead of letting her go, he skimmed his fingers slowly down her arm, sending goose bumps rippling across her skin. He curled his hand around her wrist.

“Noah,” she whispered.

Eyes still fastened on her mouth, he tugged her forward, his head dipping.

Summer’s lips tingled, a shiver of anticipation running through her. “Noah.” This time it came out even more breathlessly. “What are you doing?”

The determined look in his eyes faltered, and turmoil flickered like a shadow across his face. He exhaled harshly, pulling his hand away from her wrist and stepping back.

“Noah?” her voice was barely a breath.

He looked away from her, his eyes sliding shut for just a second. When he met her gaze again, he was completely composed. “You’re right. You should go. You do look tired.” His tone was so casual, it was as if the last few minutes had never happened.

Summer’s body cooled, and her heart rate slowed.

This time, it was her turn to nod. Then, saying nothing, she spun around and slipped out the door.