Sinful Serenade

Chapter 21

Danielle

The walls are closing in. Or maybe it's just me. I can't breath, can't think with the way Roxy and Deedee are looking at me, waiting for me to say something. My chest tightens, and it feels like I'm drowning, every breath harder to take.

"W-Why would you think that?" My voice breaks, betraying the panic clawing at my insides.

Fuck. I never imagined how it would look to people outside out of us. Of course, they would come to the conclusion that Kenneth's hurting me. They don't seem to trust him not to...as if he's done it before.

Roxy narrows her eyes. "You're always wearing long-sleeves, even when it's hot as hell out. And that mark? It looks like he was trying to take a chunk out of you." My face flames at that, but she continues, "I know my boys, and Kenny has some f****d-up kinks-"

"It wasn't him," I cut her off, desperate to stop her from thinking worse of him. "I've been wearing long-sleeves for years. Way before I met him."

"Why, sweetie?" Deedee asks, her face softening with a concern that makes a sob rise in my throat.

"I-I..." The words stick in my throat, tangled with the panic that threatens to f*****g consume me. I wish Kenneth would walk in right now, save me from having to reveal my darkest secret, but at the same time, I know they won't believe me unless I show them.

Then, they'll know how f****d up I am.

My hands tremble as I take a deep breath, steeling myself. I pull up one of my sleeves of my bathing suit, exposing the bandages wrapped tightly around my arm. I can't bring myself to meet their eyes as I slowly unravel the layers, revealing my hideously f****d-up arm underneath.

A sharp gasp resounds in my ears, and I know without looking up that pity is written all over their faces. Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them away before they can fall.

"Oh, Danny," Roxy whispers, and before I can react, she's wrapping her arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. I want to pull away, tell her to stop suffocating me with her concern, but I can't. I can't do anything but let her hold me as the dam breaks, and I sob into her chest, loud and ugly and so f*****g pathetic.

I never imagined how it would feel when someone other than Kenneth and my mom found out, but this...it's so overwhelming that I can't take it. Right now, I just want to shrivel up and disappear into nothing.

"What the f**k is going on?" Kenneth's voice cuts through the room like a blade, low and dangerous.

Without warning, I'm yanked out of Roxy's arms, and Kenneth is standing in front of me, shielding me from their stares. His entire body is taut with barely restrained anger, his eyes hard as he glares at them.

"Kenneth, it's okay," I say quietly, reaching for his hand without thinking, needing something—anything—to ground me. He doesn't pull away; instead, he squeezes my hand, his touch warm and steady.

"No, it's not," he says between clenched teeth. "You weren't ready."

"Sorry, Kenny. We wanted to make sure you were both being safe," Roxy says, the word "safe" hesitant on her lips. "You know how out of control you can get when girls just let you do whatever you want to them."

"That's none of your goddamn business," he snarls.

"It is when last time-"

"She is not Jade," he interrupts, his voice a low growl.

Jade. The name hangs in the air like a curse. Who the hell is Jade? And what does she have to do with me? Honestly, this conversation feels like Deja-vu...a similar conversation he had with Gage and Nolan when I first arrived.

What happened with her?

Before I can ask, I hear another gasp behind me. I recognize it immediately.

Maeve.

I feel my stomach drop. This is exactly what I didn't want. I glance over Kenneth's shoulder and see Maeve standing there, her face twisted in horror. And behind her are Gage and Nolan, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion.

Shit. Now everyone knows.

I feel the weight of their stares, their concern, the pity. There's no way to cover this up, or make it look like something else. My mind is swirling with too many emotions to process, Ieaving me numb and speechless. All I can do is cling to Kenneth's hand as more tears spill down my cheeks.

Roxy folds her arm across her chest, her voice firm. "Kenneth, we need to talk about this. You knew that she was doing this, and you still thought it was a good idea to bring her on tour? You should've gotten her help."

I f*****g hate the fact that they're talking about me like I'm not even here.

"I've got it handled," Kenneth growls. "And stop talking about her like she can't speak for herself. She is no danger to us and no longer a danger to herself."

"How can you be sure of that?" Roxy asks.

"Because she has me now. I won't let her hurt herself anymore."

She presses her lips together, shaking her head. "I don't know what you're thinking, Kenneth, but she's not a f*****g project. For Christ's sake, you're not even mentally stable enough to fix yourself."

When I glance at Maeve, she's still staring at me, her eyes filled with guilt and anguish. It's so intense that I have to look away. I know what she's thinking—that she should've known, that she should've gotten me help.

But I never wanted her to find out. Especially not like this.

Instead of enjoying her summer, she's going to be worried about me. They all will, and nothing will ever be the same. I need to leave. At least Maeve will be able to enjoy the rest of the tour, even without me.

Another sob rises in my throat, and Kenneth spins around, pulling me into his chest. "Come on, baby. Let's get you back to the bus," he murmurs, his voice a soothing balm against the chaos in my head.

I don't argue. I just follow him, feeling utterly numb and lost. When we get back on the bus, I've decided that I'm going to unblock my mom and beg her to take me back.

Because I can't do this anymore.

I can't be their burden.