“This is nice,” Wroth said, taking a sip of the red wine he had ordered to go with our pasta. Espresso eyes darkened to nearly onyx, his face twisting in pain. “I’ve missed you, Mari. Nothing feels right when you aren’t around. The farm doesn’t even feel like home anymore.”

My teeth sank into my bottom lip, his words washing over me like a trembling caress. “I’ve missed you, too,” I confessed in a voice that was practically a whisper.

“If I explained about that chick, if I told you that what you had seen wasn’t as bad as you think, would you listen, sweetheart?” His eyes were almost pleading as he watched me closely.

“Maybe. I don’t know. But not now. I…” I blew out a long, tear-filled breath and shook my head. “I can’t yet, Wroth.”

His strong jaw clenched. “Okay, but one day soon we need to talk about it. I want us to start over, to put the past behind us and build a future together.” He reached across the table and grasped both my hands, linking our fingers together as he leaned forward. His naturally rough voice was full of husky gravel when he spoke again. “You are the most important person in my life, Marissa. No one else, nothing else matters to me but you. I want you to be happy, but I greedily want you to be happy with me.”

Tears burned my eyes and I blinked rapidly to keep them at bay, but one wayward drop landed on my cheek. If he had said those words to me a year ago I would have fallen into his arms and given him everything. The only thing holding me back right at that moment was one small memory. A memory that had haunted me every night since it had happened…

--

I wasn’t sure why, but I thought Wroth might have been avoiding me. He’d been more busy than usual the last few days and it felt like we barely had any time to ourselves. It wasn’t anything unusual for him though. When he was stressed he always pulled away from people, avoiding them until he could get his emotions in check better. Over the last two months we had gotten incredibly close, more so than we had ever been. I knew that his feelings for me were growing stronger and that that was why he was pulling away right now.

That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, but I had waited this long for him to confess he loved me. I could wait a little longer and even give him the space he obviously needed.

Tonight’s concert was over and the guys were all seated at their own tables backstage, doing one of their rare meet and greets. The majority of the band hated these things, feeling more like a piece of meat for the fans to gnaw on rather than someone they respected. Zander and Devlin were probably the exception to the rule though. They both enjoyed meeting all the fans, proof of which was in Devlin’s eyes as he talked animatedly with some guy. Even Zander seemed happy chatting with the husband and wife duo that were standing in front of his table laughing together while Zander signed the wife’s back so that she could have it inked in later that night.

Liam looked bored, however, as he signed a poster and a T-shirt for the very busty chick in front of him. It was more than obvious to me that my brother was missing Gabriella, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why he wouldn’t just call her and make up with her. She’d been by his side throughout his time in a coma, only leaving when he woke up and screamed at her to get out. I didn’t have anything against Gabriella, she had always been kind to me after all. I even understood why she had ended things with Liam last October. He had needed to get his act together, an act that had put her nephew in danger without her even knowing it.

Axton, who had been looking like he was going to fall asleep any minute suddenly looked more alert as he chatted with a smaller girl standing in front of him. After a few minutes he glanced over at where I was sitting with Dallas. Dallas raised a brow at her boyfriend, a silent communication passing between them before she stood and walked over to them. I didn’t watch to see what happened at Axton’s table next because my gaze was suddenly drawn to Wroth’s table right beside of Axton’s.

I’d seen the girl with the very impressive chest when she had first stopped at Axton’s table. She was dressed much like the other women that I’d seen pass from table to table for the last few hours. Tight jeans, barely there shirt without a bra—not that she needed one. Her boobs had been bought and paid for and from the size and perfect shape of them, they had cost a pretty penny. At the moment those big beauties were bouncing inches from Wroth’s face.

Jealousy suddenly made my stomach churn and my heart hurt. When Wroth’s eyes darkened with what looked like interest, I turned away, unable to watch as he signed her breasts.

After that I avoided looking at Wroth’s table. When Dallas came back to sit with me, she had the younger girl that Axton had introduced her to. I focused all my attention on Kenzie, liking the girl instantly. She was sweet, intelligent, and very excited to have gotten to meet all the members of OtherWorld.

It wasn’t long afterwards that the meet and greet was over, and I quickly made my excuses to go back to the hotel. I didn’t want to have to deal with anything else tonight and planned on going straight to bed once I got back.

“You wanna come with us?” Axton offered. “Wroth said he had to make sure his Fenders were stored safely. Knowing him and his love for his guitars, he might be a little while.”

I forced a laugh and shook my head. “No thanks. I’m going to head back to the hotel and order some room service. I have a craving for pancakes and sausage.” It was a lie of course, because after seeing Wroth and Miss Bouncy Boobs, I’d been fighting nausea ever since. I said my goodbyes and headed out to hail a cab.

It was only as the driver was stopping in front of me that I realized that Wroth had our suite key since he’d picked up both when we left for the venue that evening. It was late and I didn’t want to have to deal with the moody receptionist that had been on duty when we left by asking for a new key. With a muttered curse, I waved the driver on and went in search of Wroth.

Axton said Wroth wanted to check on his Fenders so I knew exactly where to find him. The roadies always knew to take extra care of Wroth’s guitars and always kept them locked up on their bus. By now most of the roadies were out grabbing something to eat or at some club downtown, but I knew where their bus was.

As I neared it, I heard a curse, realizing it was Wroth just as I walked around the side of the bus. At first I thought maybe he had cursed because something had happened to one of his precious Fenders; he loved those things more than anything in the world. But when I saw what was really going on, I froze. Pain poured over me like a bucket of ice as I took in Miss Bouncy Boobs from earlier. She was on her knees in front of Wroth who was leaning against the side of the bus, his jeans unbuttoned, and I knew—I fucking knew!—what was going on.