Forbidden Billionaire Rockstar (Raising Havoc Bandmates #4)

15. Mallory

15

Mallory

Hilary’s name flashes on my phone for the second time in five minutes. Each ring is a sharp reminder of my failure.

Jace’s hand around my wrist should be comforting, but it only amplifies the conflict raging inside me. This wasn’t part of our deal - this warmth, this connection. It’s making it harder to remember why I need to walk away when the tour ends.

“Sweetheart,” Jace says, and just that term of endearment alone melts away the sadness swimming within me.

“You’re right,” I blurt, tears blurring my vision. “I’m not okay.”

“So, talk to me.”

I shift my attention to the door and frown. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

He shrugs. “They can wait on me for a few more minutes. I’m more worried about you.”

Somehow, that only makes the tears fill my eyes more, and a few roll down my cheeks. “I’m failing,” I whisper before swiping at the tears, desperately hoping they would vanish so I don’t appear vulnerable in front of him.

Jace rises from the bed, walks over, and comes to a stop in front of me. “Hey,” he says, his finger pressing against the tip of my chin as he tilts my head back enough that he’s looking into my eyes. “Why on earth would you think that?”

The genuine concern in his voice catches me off guard. There’s more to our relationship now than physical attraction, and that scares me more than any professional setback ever could.

“They have another interview today,” I manage to say, and then I shake my head. “I was supposed to meet them there thirty minutes ago, but I never woke up to my alarm.”

This was my chance to prove that I could do this, that I had changed my ways and could be taken seriously, yet I've screwed up most of the time.

Jace brushes the pad of his thumb over my cheek, his touch achingly gentle. He leans down, pressing his forehead against mine, his eyes locked on mine. The intimacy of the moment steals my breath. This isn't the Jace I'm used to - the cocky rockstar, the passionate lover. This is someone new, someone vulnerable and caring. I'm stunned by the overwhelming urge to melt into this version of him.

"Mallory," he whispers, my name a caress on his lips, "you're more than just this job. You're brilliant, resilient. I've seen how hard you work, how much you care. One setback doesn't change that."

His words wrap around me like a warm embrace, soothing the panic that's been threatening to overwhelm me. But they also stir something deeper, something I'm not ready to face. Because if Jace sees me this way, as someone worthy and capable, what does that mean for us? For this arrangement we've so carefully constructed?

“Why are you so hard on yourself?”

“You’re beautiful, amazing, and you can do anything you put your mind to. There’s no reason for you to be doubting yourself right now, especially when I’m the one to blame.”

That statement has me snapping my eyes open, and I frown. “You?”

He shrugs. “If I hadn’t kept you up talking or craved touches, maybe you would’ve woken up on time. That’s on me, and I’m sorry.”

“I’m a big girl, Brooks. I could’ve said no and walked out last night. It’s on me, and now I’m going to pay the price.”

As if getting into my thoughts, Hilary calls yet again, and I groan before sliding my finger across the screen. “Hilary, I’m about to be on my way. Is everything okay?”

“You said you would be here,” she snaps. “I don’t appreciate being kept waiting.”

“Did something happen?”

No, but the radio host wasn't pleased. They've rescheduled for this afternoon, but they're threatening to bump us to a less popular time slot. This could cost Sweet Surrender significant exposure."

The weight of her words settles in my stomach like lead. This isn't just about one missed interview. It's about my credibility, my future in this industry.

If I lose this job, it won't just be Sweet Surrender I'm letting down. It'll be every contact I've made, every opportunity I've fought for. I'll be right back where I started, the party girl who couldn't get her act together.

“But that doesn’t change anything. We’re going to have a conversation about this. I expect to see you standing in front of me in the next twenty minutes.”

Before I can respond, she’s hanging up and a wave of dread fills my stomach. There’s no way they’re going to keep me on their team after all this, and I’ll once again show everyone that Mallory Dominic can’t get her life on track.

“Uh uh,” Jace says in front of me. “Don’t do that. You’re already thinking the worst and that’s only going to make you feel more terrible. Trust that you got this, sweetheart, because I believe in you.”

“What if they fire me?”

He smiles and cups a hand over my cheek. “Then you’ll still be the amazing, beautiful, smart, and determined woman standing in front of me right now. Your worth will never change in my eyes, no matter what happens.”

His words lift me up, and I know they shouldn’t.

Does he mean them, or is it a way for him to make sure I’ll keep opening my door for him at night?

I sigh and nod, deciding to believe the words he’s saying to me. “I have to go.”

Before I pull away, he leans forward and presses his lips gently against mine – a far cry from the usual kisses we share daily – in a way that has my heart stuttering in response.

This kiss is gentle, comforting, and feels like something more… It’s not just my career I’m risking anymore. It’s my heart.

That’s not good.

I pull away, give him a small smile, and then make my way out the door and stop in the hallway to take a deep breath. I’m about to start my trek to the elevator, intending on getting to my room so I can get ready, but Brent’s hotel door swings open and I’m frozen in place.

This is it. We’re busted.

Instead of Brent stepping out of the room, though, Julia’s bright smile greets me and she eyes me curiously. She’s taking in the t-shirt that’s too big for my frame, the way my hair’s likely sticking up everywhere, and she casts her gaze over my shoulder toward the room I’m standing in front of me.

She’s supposed to be home.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

Julia’s presence is like a bucket of cold water, shocking me back to reality. Her knowing smile is both a relief and a new source of panic. How much has she figured out? And more importantly, how long can I keep this secret from my brother?

Julia narrows her eyes. “Oh, no you don’t. I’ll be the one asking questions this time around.”

“Sorry, late for work. Gotta go!”

As I’m rushing down the hall, she says, “We’ll talk later when you can’t run away.” just loud enough for me to hear before I turn the corner and disappear from her sights.

***

“Is this really necessary?” Trevor asks, his voice a mix of frustration and defense.

Hilary’s eyes narrow, her words sharp as knives. “Of course, it’s necessary. She was an hour late to an interview she scheduled. How is that not a problem?”

I want to disappear, to shrink into nothingness. But a small part of me, the part that’s been growing stronger since I started this thing with Jace, wants to fight back.

Trevor nods. “Right, and I’m not saying that’s not a problem. Just that she sent over everything we would need for a said interview — including possible questions, guided answers, and best times to smile at the camera.”

“Am I the only one who sees the damage she’s doing to the band?” Hilary asks, then arches a brow. “When will enough be enough?”

As much as Trevor wants to be on my side with this, I can tell it’s out of his hands right now, and I also sense when he agrees with her words. He wouldn’t be wrong to agree. I’ve been all over the place since jumping on the tour with Sweet Surrender, and I wouldn’t blame him or anyone else if they thought their best decision was to fire me.

I’ve already succumbed to that fate, anyway.

Ledger clears his throat and proceeds to raise his hand as if we’re still in middle school, glancing from me to Hilary with a grim expression. “How about we make a deal?”

Hilary’s harsh features soften when she looks into Ledger’s eyes, and she sighs heavily. “What kind of deal, Ledger?”

He nods toward me. “She has one more chance to screw up before we cut her loose. Although there have been a few mishaps, you can’t deny that she’s been doing great things for us as a band.”

If it weren’t for me getting that partnership for him, I doubt Ledger would be singing my praises right now — I will not complain, as long as whatever he’s doing keeps me employed.

“That’s it?” Hilary asks, eyebrow arched. “One more time, then she’s gone?”

Ledger nods and leans back in the leather chair sitting in the middle of the lobby. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

Hilary glances at me, that soft look disappearing, and she rolls her eyes. “Fine. You better get your crap together, Miss Dominic.”

Then she’s strutting away from our group and taking careful steps into the waiting elevator.

Ledger rises from his place on the chair, wiping his hands on the worn-out jeans he’s sporting, and I place a hand on his arm before he can walk away. He looks at my hand, then my face, and I hurriedly drop the limb from his skin before throwing a small smile in his direction.

“Thanks. I know I didn’t deserve what you did.”

He shrugs. “You may have been late, but, like I told Hilary, you’ve done a lot to gain traction with our music, and that doesn’t deserve to be ignored, no matter how late you were today. Let’s try not to make it a habit.”

The rest of the guys file past us, nodding in my direction as they do, and I finally take a deep breath as Ledger follows their trail to the elevators.

One conversation down. Now I’ve just got to get through another one with Julia.

***

Julia is standing outside my hotel room door when I step out of the elevator, her shoulder pressed against the wall while a free hand rubs gently over her growing stomach. The corridor is bathed in soft, warm light from ornate sconces lining the walls. She glances up even though the carpet muffles my footsteps, and I give her a bright smile with my arms spread wide open.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d be here tonight?”

She doesn’t answer, and there’s a stern frown on her face when I pull away to look into her eyes. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, babe.”

I roll my eyes at her tone, knowing she’s only doing it to rattle me, and scan my keycard over the black box before pushing the door open. She follows me inside, quietly inching further into the room while I drop my purse onto a small table, and I spin around with hands on my hips.

“Well, let me hear it.”

“Hear what?”

You knew from a mile away how much of an idiot I am, and Brent will be devastated if he ever found out.

She cocks her head to the side. “Why would I do that?” For a moment, I think I’m out of the woods — until she grins at me. “Although I did see this coming from the beginning.”

“It just happened, you know?”

Julia shakes her head. “Spill it, and I want to hear every dirty detail, babe.” She sinks onto the couch in front of me, which looks uncomfortable for her changing body, and pats the space next to her.

“Come on, you can tell me all about it. Starting from the beginning.”

Which is exactly what I do. I didn’t even realize I needed to let all of this out until she opened her mouth, and it’s like a verbal flood for the next forty-five minutes until I take deep breaths while she stares at me.

“Well, are you going to say anything?”

She blinks, then her lips break into a bright smile that makes me dread what she’s going to say next. “You like him, Mallory.”

I scoff. “Yeah, right? It’s all fun and games, nothing serious at all.”

Julia hums in response but says nothing else, and a thought runs rampant in my mind as she does.

Julia’s words echo in my mind: “You like him.” It’s such a juvenile way to put it, but it hits home harder than any adult phrasing could. Do I like Jace? The thought sends a wave of panic through me. Liking him wasn’t part of the plan. It complicates everything.

But as I replay our moments together - the late-night talks, the gentle touches, the way he looked at me this morning - I realize it might be too late. I might have already fallen for Jace Brooks, and I don’t know what to do about it.

I feel more content when I’m surrounded by Jace’s spicy scent, safer as he wraps his arms around me, and more grounded when his touch coasts along my skin.

Suddenly, I realize the words I just uttered to my best friend might be a lie after all. This isn't fun and games anymore. It hasn't been for a while. I'm standing on the edge of something profound, something that could change everything. Jace is much more than a distraction or a way to blow off steam. He's become a constant, a comfort, a challenge - everything I never knew I wanted.

Rising, I take a few steps creating some distance from Julia. As I stare at my reflection in the window, I see a woman at a crossroads. Professional Mallory, the one who’s fought so hard to prove herself, is urging caution. But the Mallory who’s known Jace’s touch, who’s seen the warmth in his eyes - she’s ready to throw caution to the wind.

The question is, which Mallory will win out?