Dare Me (Rock Gods #2) (7 page)

             
Then he reached past her and turned the light off.

             
"Goodnight Jess."

             
"Goodnight Kendall."             

**********

             
Kendall rolled over and stared at the light filtering through the floor to ceiling windows. The shades were partially drawn but he could tell it was late already- around noon.

             
He stretched, feeling a strange sense of contentment. That's when he realized the warm soft body he'd been holding all night was gone.

             
He turned just in time to see Jessica buttoning the top of her jeans. He sat up abruptly.

             
"Hey."

             
Her head snapped up to stare at him. She looked embarrassed and… furtive in a way. And somehow even more beautiful with her face still soft from sleep.

             
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

             
She'd been about to sneak out on him.

             
"Hey."

             
"What are you doing?"

             
She smiled apologetically as she stuffed her top into the shopping bag. He noticed that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

             
"I have to go."

             
"What? I thought we were having a good time."

             
"We are. I just - I have to get to work. I already called in sick for today. Sunday is always busy at the clinic."

             
He ran his hands through his hair.

             
"Okay. Can I call you?"

             
Her big blue eyes blinked at him in surprise. Did she really think he wouldn't want to call her after this?

             
"Um. Do you do that?"

             
He cocked his head. He was trying not to get annoyed. One thought kept rotating through his mind.

             
God dammit, she'd actually been about to sneak out on him!

             
Without saying goodbye.

             
He didn't like that. He didn't like it at all.

             
Kendall sat up and crossed his arms over his chest.

             
"Do I know how to use a phone?"

             
She frowned and looked away.

             
"That's not what I meant. Maybe it's better to just- leave it."

             
He rolled to his feet.

             
"Jess. I'd like to see you again."

             
She shook her head.

             
"That's not going to happen and we both know it."

             
He stared at her. She was going to just leave. He'd never see her again. He missed her already and she was standing right there!

             
"Listen, I have only got a few more shows on this leg and then I'll be back in LA in eight days. Can we do something then?"              She frowned and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

             
"You're just saying that to be nice. I know how this works. You don't have to pretend for me."

             
"I'm not being nice.

             
She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. Clearly she did not believe him.

             
"I really do have to go now Kendall."

             
He followed her out into the hallway.

             
"How are you getting back?"

             
She gave him a winsome smile that gave him a twisty feeling in his chest.

             
"There's a bus. It's only fifty bucks!"

             
"That's silly- let me-"

             
"No, it's fine. But- do you mind if I keep this?"

             
She tugged on the button down shirt she was wearing. His shirt from last night. He shook his head.

             
"Yeah, of course."

             
He felt horrible. Like he was losing something precious. She didn't want him to call her though. What the hell was he supposed to do?

             
He trailed her down the stairs to the front door of the suite. The place was empty thankfully.

             
"Can I kiss you?"

             
Her eyes lifted to his and she nodded. Once.

             
He walked over to her and pulled her towards him. This time he kissed her with every trick he'd learned over the years. He wanted her to remember this.

             
A few minutes later he realized she was gently pushing against his chest. He stared down at her tiny hands against his shirt and realized she was trying to step away from him. He dropped his arms. She smiled at him. Then he watched her walk out of the suite.

             
It was only when he got back upstairs that he realized she'd left all the gifts he'd bought her behind.

             
Even the necklace.

             
He picked it up and stared at the ruby heart in his hand.

             
Then he made a fist around it.

9

              Jess stared out the window into the desert. The bus got in at 6 PM. Then she'd have to have someone come and get her. The bus stop was absurdly far from her home in Los Feliz. She fished out her phone and stared at it.

             
She had 47 messages. She opened her FB. 115 alerts. Her email. 77 unread. Not to mention the missed calls.

             
What the hell?

             
She stared at her page in horror. Her phone had checked her in all over Las Vegas. The rides at the Stratosphere had TAKEN PICTURES of her on the rides.

             
Pictures of them.

             
Oh my god.

             
She stared at the picture of Kendall and her on the Insanity. He looked a little scared actually. She couldn't help but smile. They looked like they were having a blast.

             
No, it was worse than that.

             
They looked like a couple.

             
She shut her phone and covered her face with her hands. Why hadn't she given him her number at least? Left it up to him? He really liked her. She knew it. There was no doubt in her mind.

             
Well he did until this morning.

             
There was no way he liked her anymore. Not after what she'd done. She wouldn't blame him if he even hated her a little bit.

             
She'd run out on him, plain and simple. There was no use denying it.

             
And now she would never see him again.

             
Coward.

             
First she downloaded and deleted the pictures off FB. Then she went through her texts and emails, answering the most urgent ones. The whole time, she was fighting off tears.

             
Lisa texted saying she'd be happy to meet at the train station. Jess shoved her phone back in her bag. She leaned against the glass, pulling his shirt up to her nose and inhaling deeply.

             
She stared out the window, wondering how the hell she'd made such a mess of everything.

**********

             
Kendall had his eyes closed, ignoring everyone around him. In Tempo was doing publicity at Sirius Satellite Radio in New York City, plugging the concert happening at Madison Square Garden in couple of nights. The guys were in their element, joking around with the DJ's. Davie was a big fan of Howard Stern but he was already gone for the day.

             
"Red bull?"

             
Kendall shook his head. Gerald threw his arm around him.

             
"Come on puddin'! Cheer up already."

             
"What's wrong with you anyway?"

             
Tom sat on his other side, staring at him like he was a bug. Gerald started playing with his hair.

             
"You know Tom. It's that girl."

             
He shrugged them off.

             
"Lay off guys."

             
"Jeez so touchy. Why don't you just call her?"

             
"I can't. I don't have her number."

             
"Hell is that what's bothering you? Perry, come here man."

             
Their manager had been staring at the mini bar in the waiting room. He shuffled over to them.

             
"What's up?"

             
"That girl- the one from Vegas with the big-"

             
"Shut up!"

             
"Yeah I remember. Cute as a button."

             
Kendall glared at them.

             
"Yeah that's her. Kendall here has the hots for her. Didn't nail her apparently."

             
"Awww… Does Kendy Wendy have a crushy wushy? Be a man and go get her!"

             
"I would if I could. I don't even know her last name."

             
Perry grinned at him, popping the top off a diet soda.

             
"I do. I needed it for the flight register."

             
"You do?"

             
"I do."

             
Perry toasted him with the can.

             
"Please tell me it's not Smith."

             
Perry laughed.

             
"No, it's something else. Sheckler I think. I got it in my folder back at the hotel."

             
Kendall pulled out his phone and opened the FB app. He hardly ever checked it anymore but it was a good way to keep in touch with family and friends from back home. A lot of them were having babies already. He'd started calling it 'Baby Book.'

             
He typed in Jessica Sheckler.

             
Holy shit.

             
There she was.

             
It was that easy. Her big blue eyes were hidden by a pair of oversized sunglasses. She obviously didn't really want anyone to get too good a look at her. Her wall was covered in comments that read like a tabloid though.

             
'What are you doing in Vegas you bad girl?'

             
'Kendall Jackson? DO TELL!'

             
He cringed and scrolled down. All the comments were new. She'd been deleting them every couple of hours apparently. He spent some time poking through her pictures. Her privacy settings must be off. He'd have to tell her how to fix that asap. He was looking at an adorable picture of her from college, wearing a baseball cap and face paint at a sporting event when his screen froze. Then the whole page disappeared. He searched for her again but she was gone. She'd just deactivated her account.

             
It didn't matter. He knew her name and he knew she worked at an animal hospital in Beverly Hills. He could find her now. No problem.

             
Kendall stood up and walked out of the room. Perry chased him out to the elevator bay.

             
"Where are you going man?"

             
"To the hotel."

             
"Why?"

             
Kendall turned and held his hands up.

             
"Because I'm flying back to LA."

             
"But we have a concert in three days!"

             
"Don't worry Perry. I'll be there."