Jayce had shown up first. He'd looked me over, heat in his eyes. That had been the first real moment between us, the beginning of our liaison. So much had changed since that first day.

I hoped Deena gave Jayce my message as soon as possible. Although I knew he'd need a few minutes to himself, I'd asked her to tell him to meet me in the tour bus as soon as the concert was over. I'd told her I needed to speak to him about important work stuff. I'd kept it vague, feeling bad about lying to her, but I needed to have this conversation as soon as possible while I still had the courage.

I'd also sent a message to Neil, saying I'd like to talk with him. I hadn't told him too many details, not wanting to get pulled into a conversation through text. Some conversations were better had in person.

Especially a conversation like the one I was planning to have with the both of them.

I'd simply said that maybe I'd been too hasty and that we needed to talk things over. His response had been immediate and predictable.

What about Jayce?

That's part of what I want to talk to you about.

He'd inquired more, but I hadn't responded.

I went over the speech I'd prepared in my head. How the hell did you begin that type of conversation?

Hi Neil, we're better off as friends, but I know we're still hot for each other, so do you want to have goodbye sex with my other lover?

I'd have to think of something better to say than that.

Footsteps sounded on the pavement outside and I sat up straight, taking a deep breath in. Who was going to be first?

An unfamiliar face walked through the tour bus door, a fresh-faced young girl with long blond hair. She didn't look like a member of the crew. In fact, I couldn't recall ever seeing her before. I glanced down at the staff badge hanging from her neck. Perhaps she was new and needed help.

She looked around the tour bus in wonder, taking in the leather sofas, the big screen TV, the snacks laid out on the table.

"Can I help you?"

She finally narrowed her focus on me, glaring at me, not speaking.

"I'm sorry, but you really shouldn't be here. This is the band's tour bus."

The girl sneered. "Then why the hell are you here?"

"I work with the band," I said, taken aback. Not like I owed her an explanation.

"I knew it," her eyes narrowed. "You're the goddamn whore who's been following them around."

Whoa. Who the hell was this girl?

"I think you need to leave now," I said, making my voice firm and hard.

"No, I don't think I do. I think you're the one who's going to leave. You're going to walk out of this bus and leave Jayce alone."

"Excuse me?" I said, astonished at her words and her tone.

"You heard me."

"If you don't leave I'm going to call security."

"I don't think you will."

The girl reached into her purse and pulled out a gun.

Chapter Twenty-Two.

I jumped back, heart pounding loudly in my ears. I half expected the girl to shoot me then and there. She had a loose grip on the gun, but her finger was on the trigger.

"Who are you?" I tried to sound calm and demanding, but all I managed was a faint whisper. My body broke out in a cold sweat.

"The question is, who are you? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"I-" I stopped, not knowing what she was asking, why she was asking it.

"You must have somehow tricked your way into this job." She looked me up and down, sneering. "There's no way someone like you is good enough for Feral Silence."

"I don't know what you think I do here, but I just post things on the internet." I managed to keep my voice from shaking, but the rest of my body quivered.

"Oh, is that all? You don't get to follow the band around and hear all their private conversations? You don't get to take pictures of them behind the scenes? You don't get to be with them twenty-four-seven?" Her voice rose in pitch with each word. "Who did you fuck to get this job?"

The words were familiar. I'd received a message just like that before. I thought it had been a jealous fan, or perhaps somebody who had applied for the internship as well and lost out to me.

It turned out I was right.

"I applied for the internship, just like everyone else."

"You're not anyone else. You're Audio Ailey, isn't that right?" She glared at me. "Why would they choose someone like you? You're not smart, you're not witty. You're just a stupid fangirl," she growled under her breath.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to put sincerity behind my words, trying to calm her down. "I'm sure you were just as qualified."

"I am!" she cried. "I've got just as many followers as you! Why didn't they choose me?"

I stayed silent, not wanting to enrage her even further.

"And then," she continued, snarling "not only do you get to follow the band around like a pet, you go and start fucking Jayce." The girl's hand trembled in anger, the gun shaking along with it. I tensed up, afraid she would accidentally twitch her finger and fire. I hoped to god Jayce or Neil showed up before she lost control and shot me. I would have to stall her. I just had to keep her talking.

"You must have tricked him somehow," she said, nodding her head to herself. "Jayce would never fall for a stupid whore like you. If he had the chance, he would never choose someone like you over someone like me."

How had she known? How had she found out? This girl must have been following our every move. How had I not seen her lurking around before?

"There's nothing between me and Jayce."

"I heard you talking to their manager. You wanted to meet Jayce in the tour bus tonight."

"I-I just wanted to talk to him about work stuff."

The girl scoffed. "Don't lie to me. I know exactly why you want to speak with him." The more she spoke, the angrier she got and the harder she gripped her gun. If she lost the slightest bit of control, her finger would twitch on the trigger and I'd be dead.

I had an idea, but I had no idea if it would work. "Jayce and I are just friends. In fact, I could introduce you. I'm sure Jayce would like to meet one of his fans. Would you like that? I could introduce you to the whole band."

She took a sharp gasp of breath and her attention wandered off for a moment, eyes going hazy, no doubt imagining her wildest dreams coming true. Then her face hardened.

"I don't need any help from you. Once you're out of the way, I know they'll pick me to replace you. I'm just as good as you. Better, even."

"You can't just kill me. Do you think they'll hire a murderer?"

"No one will find out."

"And how you do think you'll get away with this?"

The girl seemed confused, as if she hadn't thought that part of her plan through. I doubted someone so insane had planned anything beyond a confrontation.

"It doesn't matter," she said, dismissing my concerns. "Once you're out of the way, Jayce will see how much better I am than you."

My heart clenched. Jayce had been right this whole time. There were crazy fans everywhere. If the two of us weren't together, would this girl be here trying to kill me? Losing out on an internship couldn't possibly be enough to cause a psychotic break. Finding out your idol was with another woman, though? I could imagine a hundred different scenarios where that could push someone over the edge. Obsessions could be dangerous, and even more so when love and emotions were involved.

Maybe Jayce had been right to try resisting our attraction in the first place. I should have listened to him back then. I shouldn't have tried to push the issue. Look at the situation I had gotten myself into. If only I had believed him when he told me the fans would be upset.

A flicker of motion out of the corner of my eye brought my attention to the front of the bus. The top of a dark head was approaching.

Jayce.

He had no idea what was going on in here. What if he startled this girl and she shot him by accident? I wanted to shout and warn him, but the bus door opened before I could and Jayce walked up.

"Ailey, are you okay? Why did you need to see-"

"Jayce!" the girl cried.

He froze as he walked up the steps and saw a strange girl with a gun in her hand.

"Who are you?" he said slowly. "What's going on?" He enunciated each word carefully, not making any sudden movement.

"I was hoping I'd get to meet you." The girl broke out into a grin and lowered the gun an inch. I darted forward, trying to tackle her, but she was too fast, or I was too slow, and she brought her gun back up, pointing it at my head.

"I don't think so. You just stay there."

"What are you doing with that gun?" Jayce asked, still speaking in a low, soothing voice.

"I'm just taking care of a small piece of business," she said.

"Why don't you hand that over to me before someone gets hurt?"

"But I want someone to get hurt." Her voice was almost gleeful.

"Ailey, are you all right?" Jayce's eyes flicked to me for a split second before returning to the girl, not wanting to take his eyes off her.

"I-I'm okay." I couldn't hide the tremor in my voice.

The girl's face twisted into a horrible expression of hatred and disgust.

"Why do you even care about her?" she growled. "She's just some stupid fangirl. I'm just as good as her."

"She's right. She's better than me. She's even got more followers," I said, trying to sound encouraging, hoping I could stay on her good side.

"Really?" Jayce aimed the question at the girl with the gun, giving her his full attention "What's your name? Maybe I've heard of you." He narrowed his eyes in that cocky way of his, giving the girl a full blast of the rock star god he played on stage. I'd fallen prey to it many times. This girl didn't stand a chance. She loosened her grip on the gun even further, letting it rest at her side.

"I'm Melissa. Online, I'm Melissa Melody Reviews." Her voice was breathless.

Jayce hummed in interest. "I've seen your stuff before. You're good, a very talented writer."

"Really?" She looked at him with hope in her eyes.

Jayce nodded, keeping that gaze trained on her. I saw him tense his muscles, getting ready to move.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that. I love your music, Jayce, I really do. Do you think you could-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Jayce lunged forward and grabbed at the gun, trying to wrestle it from the girl's hands. She moved faster than him and ducked, whirling her hand up and around before aiming the gun at his chest.

"Why would you do that?" she cried. "I'm just trying to help! Once that girl is out of the way we can be together!"

"Give me the gun," he ordered, not sounding the least bit afraid of having a bullet tear through his body.

"No!" she shouted. "You go stand over there. Next to her."

Jayce slowly backed up until he stood next to me at the far end of the bus, as far from the doors, as far from escape as we could be. The girl, Melissa, stood between us and freedom.

"What do you think you're going to accomplish?" Jayce asked, voice hard, no longer trying to trap her with his seduction.

"Once that girl is out of the way, I'll be the one to work with you. I'll get the internship and we can be together."

This girl was absolutely crazy.

My phone buzzed in my hand. I was still gripping it hard, knuckles turning white. I froze. Had she heard?

It didn't seem so. She was still ranting about how she and Jayce belonged together, too involved in her own ranting monologue to pay attention to me.

Jayce bumped against me lightly, and I knew he'd heard it.

"There's no reason you have to do this, Melissa." Jayce kept his voice loud and clear. A distraction. I snuck a quick glance at the screen.