Ultimate Game Changer

  I laugh, shielding my eyes from the sun as I glance up at the Austin skyscrapers. “Yeah, do you think your parents would let you miss some work at the store to come out for a couple of days?”

  “Um, duh, they don’t even have a choice! This is amazing; I’ve never been to California before. I’m going to look for tickets right now. Tell me the dates, chop-chop!”

  After going through all the details with her multiple times to make sure she had them correctly written down, I manage to get her off the line. It is a gorgeous day in July, and I know it’s going to get to over a hundred degrees today. I toss my phone into my backpack, and then grab some sunscreen and generously apply it all over my body. That’s one thing Cade and I absolutely hate, the paleness of our skin and how quickly we burn under direct sunlight. It’s not a pretty sight.

  Cade walks up to me, eyeing my sunscreen operation. “Can you help me?”

  Of course, even though he’s older than me by a couple of minutes, he still relies on me for the motherly aspects. Mischa helped him with a few things, but for the most part, he’s always felt more of a connection with me. I don’t blame him, it’s the twin thing. Not many people can relate. One time when Cade got a concussion in high school, I ended up with a bloody nose the same exact time. Another time, I was in a minor car accident with Mischa, and Cade was in a different part of the world but knew something was wrong.

  After helping him rub in the sunscreen lotion, he smiles back at me. “We’re going to grab a bite to eat. You want to come?”

  I glance around once more at how beautiful Austin is and the array of characters I’ve already seen just on the city streets and shake my head no.

  “No?” he asks, surprised.

  “No. I think I’m going to take my camera for a stroll around town.”

  Cade breaks out into a grin. If there is one thing he approves, it’s me putting my time and effort into a passion of mine. He has music, so when he found out I liked photography, he pushed me toward that goal. Honestly, I think he feels guilty for having music, something that brings him endless amounts of joy. I think he wants me to fall in love with something just as much so that I fill the void he is leaving in my life. What he doesn’t understand is that I’m just happy for him. I’m not jealous or envious of what he has or the life he lives, I am just thankful that he gets to do what he wants.

  “Alright, Picasso,” he says teasing me, “we’ll see you at the show later.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Picasso was a painter, not a photographer.”

  “He was still an artist, no?” Cade asks smartly.

  I shake my head at him. “Have a good breakfast.” After admiring the view a little longer, I finally rummage through my belongings in the van to pull out the Cannon camera I had stored away. I’m beginning to walk away from the venue when I hear heavy footsteps behind me. “Hey, Emerson, wait up!”

  It’s Aiden. He’s wearing dark blue jeans with rips in the knee and a white band tank top. It’s got the logo of a grenade on it, and it reads N*ARCHY. It’s supposed to read as anarchy. Don’t ask me what the asterisk is doing there. I can’t explain it.

  “Where you headed with that thing?” Aiden asks motioning with his head toward the camera I have slung around my neck. His black hair falls into his eyes, and he tucks it behind his ear.

  “Oh, I just thought I’d do a little exploring today. I figured today is as good a day as any to hone my craft.”

  He breaks out into a smile. “Do you mind if I tag along?”

  His question makes my stomach do little sickening flops. “Only if you promise to be my model.” I’ve never been good at flirting, but I think I get my point across with my statement.

  Aiden’s eyebrows raise and he looks back at me amused. “Let me grab my leather jacket.”

  I giggle. “It’s like a hundred degrees outside, are you really going to need it?”

  He looks back at me like I’m dense. “If you want any good pictures, I will.”

  I don’t give him any more shit about it; I’m just excited to spend a little more time with Aiden. Besides his bad boy clothing and demeanor, and his musical talent, I know next to nothing about him. I consider this a fact-finding mission. Who is Aiden Shephard? What is he really like?

  Cade would have a conniption fit if he were here, so I’m glad he’s not around. I don’t even know where Braxton is, probably still passed out with the slut he brought back after the show last night. Finally, I don’t have people breathing down my back.

  When Aiden returns, we leave on foot, unsure of where we’re headed. There is just so much rich culture, and I am taking pictures every couple of feet. Most of the first pictures I take are simply buildings and the scenery, but then I decide to utilize Aiden like I promised. He’s a much better sport than I imagined, putting up with my requests of multiple different poses with not too many location changes.

  After a little time, I realize Aiden is really a goofball at heart. We spend most of the time laughing and goofing off. I manage to capture a couple of really good images that most girls would drool over, so I count that as a successful day of pictures.

  At one point, Aiden turns the camera on me, and no amount of hiding my face stops his relentless pursuit. “Why don’t you like getting your picture taken?” he asks as he snaps photo after photo of me.

  I wave my hands at the camera. “Go. Just go away. I don’t need to see pictures of myself. I know what I look like, thank you very much.”

  Aiden stops snapping photos. “Oh, shit, you’re right. Looking at Cade every day must be exhausting. It’s almost like looking in a mirror, isn’t it?”

  Now he’s just being silly, and he knows it. I reach for my camera, only this time he allows me to take it. “I like looking through this lens at the world around me. I don’t like using it to view myself; what fun is that?”

  Aiden’s expression softens. “Look, I don’t know what kind of nonsense bullcrap Cade and Braxton put into your head, but you are beautiful, Emerson. Just because you’re a little boyish, that doesn’t turn guys off. Your bodyguards do.”

  My cheeks heat up instantly, and I shift my eyes away from his gaze. I feel Aiden’s fingers lift my chin so that I am staring into his eyes. “We don’t have to tell anyone. This can be our little secret.”

  Something about his suggestion feels dangerous, wrong, and oh so right. I want nothing more than to be his little secret and have the best of both worlds. My brother and Braxton would be none the wiser and stay off my back, and I can make out with Aiden as much as I want.

  His lips touch mine and the kiss is aggressive, more so than I thought it would be. His mouth is taking charge, and I feel like he is telling me with one kiss that I am his. His secret. It’s powerful and exhilarating, and when we part, no one is attacking him… so that’s a plus.

  “Emerson,” he moans my name in between kisses, sending wetness to pool in between my legs.

  Oh, boy.

  His hands are roaming all over my body, over the top of my clothes, but I can feel the urgency in his kisses; he wants me out of my clothes. I pull away quickly, catching my breath.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks, concern raking his face.

  I stare back at him. “We can’t do this. I know you think we can keep this on the down-low, but Cade is not stupid, and he always finds out. He’ll never forgive either of us.”

  Aiden smirks back at me, pulling me tighter into him and kissing my neck. “Let me take care of your brother,” he whispers in my ear, sending chills down my spine.

  I honestly don’t know what I’m doing. The only thing I’m sure about is that I’m having fun for once, and I’m not going to let my brother or his friends ruin it.

  Chapter Eight:

  Braxton

  We’ve been on tour now for close to three weeks. We’re more than halfway done, with only Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington left. Tonight, we are playing Phoenix, one of my favorite cities. I love it because I have a lot of chi
ldhood memories in Phoenix for family vacations. I haven’t been here in damn near ten years, but I’m excited to see if it still looks minorly similar to the last time I was in town.

  However, Phoenix is not so favorable for our tour as we have sold out most of the shows, with the exception of Phoenix, Denver, and one other I can’t remember off the top of my head. I’m hoping we can still put on a good show for the people that will show up tonight.

  Once we finish our sound check, I notice Aiden in the corner of the room eerily close to Emerson, whispering in her ear. I understand having to lean in to say something because it’s loud, but his lips are pursed in a way that tells me he is sharing something intimate with her that is for her ears only. She blushes, pushes him lightly in the chest, and looks right at me. Her eyes bulge for a moment when she realizes I am returning her gaze, and then she grabs Aiden’s hand and pulls him out of the room with her.

  Oh, hell no. He got to her. She took the bait. Cade is never going to allow it. My eyes dart around the room in search of Cade, but he’s nowhere to be found. Inside I feel conflicted. On one hand, it’s my best friend and I know any other day of the week, I would be honest with him and tell him what I saw. However, I also care about Emerson; she’s like a damn sister to me, and I know how much it will anger her if I take her choices away. But Aiden, really?

  I’ve been managing to stay the fuck away from Tiffany this entire tour, even with her nonstop advances. Surely, Emerson can do the same. I never told her what Tiffany told me, so I’m curious if she even knows about their little arrangement. I wonder what she will think of it.

  I see Tiffany pass me, and a thought comes to the back of my mind. She’s wearing bright hot pink baby shorts and a white lace bra. She swivels her head around, her eyes locking in on me. The corners of her lips move up as a smile creeps its way upon them. “Hi,” she says in a sultry tone that would make any guy hard.

  “Hey,” I say licking my lips. “How have you been?”

  She runs her fingers through her hair seductively. “I’ve been good. You know, I’ve been around… waiting.”

  “Okay, that’s not creepy at all,” I joke.

  “You want to get out of here?” she asks. It’s even easier than I thought; she’s doing all the work for me.

  I nod. “Yeah, I don’t have to be back for a few hours.”

  I follow her out of the venue and back to the tour bus for Glass Houses. “You want to come in?” Tiffany asks, batting her fake, long lashes at me.

  “Yeah, why not,” I reply, knowing more than likely Emerson will be here with Aiden, and if she is, then I am going to put on the performance of my life.

  I can hear noise coming from the back of the bus, but as we enter it’s dark and empty in the front. She pulls me behind her, holding my hand ever so delicately. As we pass the first row of bunks, my eyes search for anything that would indicate Emerson to be on the bus. The first group of bunks is empty, leaving my stomach anxious as we pass to the next ones.

  I can hear voices nearing as we push through the bus, toward the back. “Aiden, is that you?” Tiffany calls toward the back of the bus. I still don’t have sight of anything, but again, she is doing all the work for me.

  “Back here,” I hear Aiden’s deep voice grunt out and then I am being pulled to the very back room of the tour bus. There is a long sectional couch that Aiden and Emerson are sitting on, only she is using him as a seat. For some reason this makes my blood boil. I grab Tiffany’s hips and pull her into my groin, as close as I can get. Two can play this game, and I’m going to win.

  I thread my fingers through Tiffany’s long, brown hair and pull her head back so I can plant a few kisses on her neck. “Oh, hey Aiden,” I say after a few moments, acting as if I didn’t notice him.

  He stops being attentive to Emerson immediately, focusing solely on his wife and me. He maneuvers her off him in a second. “Tiffany,” he says stiffly, “what are you doing?”

  Tiffany giggles. “Aiden, Aiden, Aiden. I’m doing exactly what you’re doing, my dear. Exactly what we always do.”

  I knew deep down inside it would kill Aiden to see Tiffany with me. I knew because I am the only person who has ever turned her down. I knew because since we’ve been on tour, Aiden and I have been having a somewhat unspoken competition to see who could bring home the most girls. Tiffany is hands-down a goddess and Aiden is stupid for wanting anything else. If I had anyone even remotely close to Tiffany, I’d never let her go.

  I run my hands up and down Tiffany’s body, but notice when Emerson’s eyes follow them. What is she thinking? Does she have a clue yet what is going on?

  “Aiden?” she says softly, her innocence showing. “What’s going on? Who is this?”

  Aiden looks like a deer in headlights. For someone in an open relationship, I’m surprised he looks so guilty. “Emerson, this is Tiffany, my—”

  “Wife,” Tiffany cuts him off.

  “Wife?” Emerson says in a shocked tone, jumping up from beside Aiden.

  “Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. Aiden and I, we have an arrangement,” Tiffany says.

  Emerson’s eyes are still wide, and I can tell she is not taking this well at all. “Aiden?” she says again in such a vulnerable tone it makes me want to punch him in the face for hurting her.

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t know you thought this was more than it was.” Aiden points between himself and Emerson. “My wife is always going to be my number one.”

  “Oh, babe!” Tiffany coos and then rushes into his arms.

  Emerson shakes her head. “I don’t even know what the fuck just happened, and I’m not even sure I want to know. Stay the fuck away from me for the rest of the tour!” She rushes past me, and I can see tears brimming in her eyes.

  I chase after her, but not before I hear disgusting face-sucking sounds I will never be able to erase from my memory. Aiden and Tiffany are two weirdos who belong together. “Emerson!” I call out behind her back.

  We make it off the bus, and she stops walking abruptly but keeps her back to me. “You happy now?”

  “What?” I ask, stepping closer to her.

  “You got what you wanted. I’m going to be single just like you and Cade want.”

  “What?” I say again. “This isn’t my fault.”

  She turns around, her tear-streaked cheeks the only thing I can focus on. “You guys can’t ever take responsibility for something you do. You’re not innocent in all of this. You did that to get back at Aiden, but you didn’t think about me or how your actions may affect me.”

  I sigh, my shoulders heaving up and down. “How was I supposed to have known? It’s not like you’ve told Cade or me anything in the last couple of weeks.”

  Emerson wipes the tears from below her eyes with her finger. “Why would I tell either of you anything? Anytime I feel a shred of happiness, it’s always ripped away by one of you. Just when I thought I might have something good in my life, you come tearing through my life like a tornado.”

  Her words are not kind, in fact, they hurt a little, but I can’t just sit idly by. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Em, I just know what kind of a guy Aiden is, and I wanted you to be able to see it for yourself too.”

  She shakes her head, her shoulders shuddering. “No. You wanted to make the decision for me. Congratulations, you did. I’m not going to be with Aiden, or anyone else, for the rest of the tour, and when I make it home, I’m moving out.”

  “Em,” I say softly. It’s not like I even live in her house, but I know she is referencing it so I will run off and tell Cade.

  “I’m done,” she says, throwing her hands up in the air. “I’m done trying to be happy. It’s evident now that I don’t get that privilege. So, congratulations, you can tell Cade you are the winners.”

  I scoff. “Come on, you’re being ridiculous.”

  “Am I though?” she asks, her voice gaining volume. “I’m twenty-two years old, Brax, and I’m a virgin. How many girls do you know who can say that???
?

  Emerson is a virgin? My eyes widen as she unloads the bombshell of a confession on me. I’m racking my brain for a response when she notices and fills the silence.

  “Thought so. Worse yet, I’ve never even had a serious boyfriend, so I don’t know how to act around the opposite sex. I’m going to die a very old, very senile, cat lady.”

  I picture her description in my head and bust up laughing.

  “You think it’s funny,” she says. “I just think it’s sad.”

  I stop laughing, gaining control of myself. “Seriously though, have you made it to third base?”

  She shakes her head. “I don’t know those baseball analogies. I’ve been kissed, and that’s about it.”