Wilde by Abby Brooks

Chapter Fifteen

Leo

Ten minutes into our drive to Denver and Amy looks ready to burst. “All right, we’re officially on our way to the show, will you finally tell me who we’re going to see?”

“Sizzling-hot pop star isn’t enough?” I glance over at her. “You really don’t like surprises, do you?”

Amy groans. “Fine. Whatever. Tell me where we’re eating, at least?”

“Sorry, that I actually couldn’t do right now, even if I wanted to.” I smile and return my focus to the interstate. “My brother, Frank, used to live in Denver so I texted him to ask about a good place to eat. He shot me some information and I made a reservation. Couldn’t tell you the name of it now to save my life. But…we grew up with the same mother’s cooking so if he says it’s good, it’s worth a shot.”

“Are you close with your family?”

“Some more than others,” I answer as I navigate around a Cadillac the size of a small European country. “But as a general rule, a text every now and then goes a long way.”

“What’s that even mean?”

I shrug and open my mouth to crack a joke, but immediately close it again. I meant what I said on her porch last night. I’m gonna work on opening up. I choke out a nugget of honesty. “My family and I aren’t exactly close.”

“What happened between you?”

I sneak a peek her way. She’s so fucking beautiful. How did I not realize it the second she walked into my life? A different version of me would have walked away after she called me on my bullshit the other day. Lord knows I’ve walked away from most of my family for less. I’m not sure what the difference is, but it’s there. Amy matters. “It’s a decent drive to Denver,” I say, “but I doubt it’s long enough for that whole sordid story.”

“Oh no, Wilde. That’s not gonna fly. After what you pulled yesterday, you owe me more than one measly sentence.”

“How many redemption points will I earn for opening up and revealing the horrible scars of my past?”

“You’re transactionalizing my forgiveness? If that’s even a word…” She shakes her head. “I told you my story without a points system and you’re the one with the apologizing to do.”

“Right. But I’m just trying to get a feel for how far that kiss on porch got me towards being forgiven.” The kiss that had me so hot and bothered I fell into bed with a hard on that would dent steel.

Amy gives me a wicked smile. “That kiss barely got you out of the hole, Wilde. Hot as it was.”

“So let’s say I need fifty points to reach full redemption—”

“Fifty?” Amy huffs. “More like a hundred.”

“Okay. One hundred points it is.”

“All right.” She clicks her tongue against her teeth as she reconsiders. “Your biography will get you twenty-five redemption points,” she says with an affirmative bob of her head. “But you better make it good.”

“Deal.” I take a hand off the wheel and extend it, which she firmly grips and shakes.

“Deal.”

Clearing my throat, I run a hand through my hair as I decide where to begin. “There’s six of us Wilde boys, have I told you that?”

Amy shakes her head.

“Well, I’m number six. Last of the Wilde Dynasty. Lucky me. I was never interested in the same things as my brothers. Horses, hunting, raising cattle—no thank you. I preferred to climb a tree with a sketchpad and draw the mountains, or the clouds in the sky, and they just didn’t get that. My dad encouraged me to explore my talent. He actually did what I’ve been doing for you, giving me prompts and asking questions about why I drew what I did. It helped me understand my style so much earlier than a lot of artists. After he died…everything changed.”

“I didn’t know your dad died.” Amy’s eyes search my face. “I’m sorry you lost him.”

I dip my head, acknowledging our shared scar. “I was barely thirteen when it all happened. When everything went sideways. Mom sat me down to inform me that my oldest brother, Chet, hadn’t just come home for the funeral. He was gonna run the ranch.” I clear my throat and stare out the window. “My brother’s fifteen years older than me. He’d moved on and started a life of his own but growing up, he was always Dad’s right hand. Which apparently meant he was the only one who could step in and keep us from losing everything. That made sense to me. But when our mom thought it was a good idea for him to be a sort of surrogate father? That made no sense at all. Especially when he started to do everything in his power to change me. He didn’t like me drawing when I was supposed to be working. I’d get so sucked in, I’d lose the entire day and forget to do my chores. Dad always knew how to redirect me. Chet just yelled. I rebelled, of course. Some of my brothers took my side. Some took his. But after years of never feeling like anyone understood me, or even wanted to try, I gave up.”

Amy gives me a soft smile. “Have you and your brothers ever talked about it?”

“I’ve tried to talk about it, but all they ever do is tell me to grow up and call me a child. They only see my mistakes. Never their own. It got so bad, I started having anxiety attacks before a family gathering. Sometimes I’d drink too much just to dull the nerves, which never turned out well.”

I tell Amy about the time I came to Chet’s engagement party with a chick whose name I didn’t even know because I met her at a bar the night before.

How I showed up so drunk at his wedding that I grabbed his wife’s ass as she walked down the aisle.

How my brother Gabe hasn’t spoken to me since.

“But when Chet was in the hospital? I was there. I came. It was in the middle of the night and the only person who saw me was Hank, but I showed. And when Jack got married? I was there, too. Does anyone remember that? Nope. All they see is what I did wrong. I’m not proud of my actions, but have they stopped to ask why I need to drink myself into a stupor before family gatherings?” I shake my head as the familiar bite of bitterness rears its head.

“If they don’t understand why you did those things, maybe they feel justified in keeping you on the outside.”

I whip my head to her, jaw dropped.

Amy hurries on. “I’m not saying they are justified, just that if they’ve never heard your point of view…” She shakes her head. “You’re talented. And driven. And you stuck up for me with Avery before you had a chance to learn if I deserved it. You weren’t looking for the kind of complicated I brought to your life, but you’re sticking it out anyway. If your family saw that side of you, they’d have to change their opinion.”

“I’m not sure it works that way.”

Quiet settles over the car as the Denver skyline comes into view. With the evening sun dipping in the distance, the sky glows with warmth and color. For the next few minutes, neither of us says a word.

“Hey…” Amy places her hand on mine. “I’m sorry if my advice doesn’t work in this situation. I just can’t stand the thought of them not seeing the real you.”

I smile. “How many redemption points will I get for accepting your apology?”

Amy glares. “Two, but only if you take the deal right now.”

“Done,” I say as I merge onto the exit ramp leading into downtown. “Every point counts.”

* * *

Dinner is great. The restaurant is nice—a definite do again if I’m ever in town—but not so good that the name sticks. Before the last whisps of twilight fade to night, we’re standing in line at the ticket office outside Empower Field.

“Oh my gosh. Is that who we’re going to see?” Amy asks, pointing at the posters along the wall.

“Mmhmm.”

“You seriously know him?”

“We don’t text each other about our day or anything, but…I’ve done work on him before, yeah.” When she squeezes in to hug me, I catch the scent of her hair—coconut. I can’t help myself, I pull her in for a kiss right then and there. She tastes like candy and feels like acceptance and damn if I’ve finally found someone who might actually understand me.

We pick up our passes and slink through the throngs of people herding into the venue until we reach the area labeled restricted—a.k.a., backstage.

“I can’t freaking believe this. Do you think…no.” Amy looks away, embarrassed.

“Are you asking if you’ll get to meet him?”

She blushes.

“Yeah. He may want privacy while I work, depending on what he wants and where he wants it. But before or after should be no problem. He’ll probably be curious to see who was important enough for me to ask for the other pass anyway.” We turn the corner and, as if I’d planned the whole thing myself, I spot his red hair. I bump Amy with my arm. “Get ready.”

She looks at me confused, then follows my eyes as I point with my chin and call his name.

“Hey, Collin!”

From the end of the hall, he looks up and squints, then smiles and waves us down.

Amy’s mostly hidden behind me when we reach him, her face as red as his mop of hair.

“Wilde! Great to see you man! I’ve got some ideas to go over with you.” His eyes drift to the blonde peeking around my arm. He raises a brow and grins, then reaches for her hand. “Who’s this pretty lady?”

Amy blushes harder but still says nothing, which only serves to make Collin double down, raising her hand to his mouth and kissing the top.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. What’s your name?”

Amy stammers. “My name…? Collin…uh, Mr. West.”

Collin’s smile widens. “I think that’s my name.”

I step aside and nudge her forward, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and squeezing. “Amy, remember? Your name starts with Amy.”

She nods and apologizes. “Yes. Amy. Of course it’s not Collin…West,” she says with a nervous laugh.

“Right.” I cough. “Well, we’ll leave you to get ready for the show. I’ll come find you after.”

“Sounds good.”

“Break a leg.” With my arm still around her shoulder, I guide Amy back down the hall. “Why don’t I show you around before the show starts.”

As we walk away, she wraps her arm around my waist and tucks her head into my chest. “Oh. My. God. I’m so freaking embarrassed.”

“Really?” I chuckle. “What for? I thought that went well.”

“Come on,” she says with a smack on my side. “Tell me it wasn’t as bad as I think it was.”

“Oh…you want me to lie.” I don’t know how many redemption points it costs me, but the look of horror on her face is worth it.

The show is pretty incredible, and Amy completely redeems herself on her second run in with Collin. She compliments details of his performance and genuinely seems to win him over. So much that he doesn’t mind her staying while I work. She sits quietly in the corner, curiously studying every detail as I carefully lay down a custom scene with a shooting star fleeting across the night sky.

It’s after midnight when we step into the cool night air. I’m not ready for the evening to be over. For my time with her to be over. “I know we’ve got a drive ahead, but do you feel up to walking a while before we go?”

Amy’s eyes light up at the offer. “That’d be nice.”

Nice.

Yeah.

Nice doesn’t cover it. Being with her? It’s better than Collin West knowing my name.