Ryan stood and left the office, too, ready to prepare his band for a set change.
* * *
Five minutes to eight—nobody would complain if they started playing early. It would keep him from having to see her and Dex face-to-face when they came in together. If he were already on stage, he could just wave at a distance and avoid them for now. That’s if they came in at all. They were probably still in bed. His stomach bottomed out at the thought, and he wanted to puke.
“You okay, man?” The drummer, Justin, had just walked on stage. “You look sick.”
“I’m fine. Where’s Ben?”
“Right here,” Ben said, stepping on stage and picking up his bass. “What’s the hurry?”
“I’m ready to play,” Ryan said, strapping on his guitar.
He approached the microphone and waved his hand at the crowd, hoping to quiet them down. “How are you all doing on this fabulous Friday night?” His smile spread when the cheering hit a maximum level. With a nod, he said, “I know you’re ready for some great music. I hope you’ll bear with me while I indulge myself a little. I have a new song for you tonight, but it’ll come a little later in the set. But I’m also in the mood for some covers—some of my favorites I haven’t played in a while.” The sound in the club pitched again, so he waited a moment. “I’m going to start the night off a little low key. This song is important to me on many levels, and I’m feeling the need to share it with you tonight—but I promise to pick up the pace later.”
Just as the lights dimmed, Bailey walked through the door. She was alone, and that surprised the hell out of Ryan, but it didn’t change his plans. He was spilling his guts to Bailey tonight, Dex or no Dex. He closed his eyes for a second, strumming the intro to “Sideways” by Citizen Cope. When he opened his eyes, Bailey was standing amidst the crowd, staring at him.
He’d done it. He’d gotten her attention.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Bailey entered the club prepared to face Ryan. She had no choice after the way he hugged her earlier. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d said goodbye for the last time. It was weird, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on the feeling that had been gnawing at her since she’d arrived home. It was doomsdayish…very dark, and she felt on the verge of tears most of the afternoon because of it. The only thing that would put her more at ease was to talk to Ryan. Or force him to talk to her. Maybe if she opened up first, told him she had real feelings for him, he’d do the same. As much as she’d fought against this sort of change in their relationship, she could no longer hold up the pretense. She sensed Ryan was also struggling for the same reason. She didn’t want to lose him, that was a fact, but she was beginning to believe that holding back their feelings was doing more harm than good.
She never planned on this happening. She didn’t plan to fall for him or plot to make it happen. It just did. Yeah, she’d always loved him as a friend, but she never fully admitted to wanting more. Instead, she chose to ignore the urges she had and lie about her deepest thoughts and feelings. What had changed in the last forty-eight hours, she wasn’t sure, but Ryan’s embrace earlier told her more than enough. It was time to stop screwing around and be honest about what was happening. After the near-death experience they’d shared in that car, she knew she needed to put an end to the charade. Life was too short to spend it denying their feelings.
Bailey was through the door and headed toward the bar when the solo guitar intro to “Sideways” started playing. Her mind went directly to the night on his boat. She turned and looked up on stage to find Ryan staring at her as he played.
Bailey didn’t avert her eyes. She couldn’t even blink at the expression on his face when he sang the first verse. The crowd grew quiet, listening intently as he put his heart and soul into the song. His eyes were deeply intense as he sang directly to her.
Bailey took a moment to get lost in the song—lost in the memory—trying like hell to block everything else from her mind. God, how she wanted that moment back…to experience it sober this time, with sharp senses. She wanted to feel every moment with Ryan again. The thought brought a tear to her eye. Did he wish to have that moment back, too? Is that why he was singing this song to her? When the guitar solo ended, and the band joined in, she had to fight back tears.
He gave her a sad, crooked grin, and she wondered what he was thinking. What were his thoughts when he saw her walk in?
“Bailey, hey!” Someone shouted into her right ear.
She jumped and turned to find Dex grinning at her.
“You okay?” he asked, concern in his expression.
“I’m fine. What are you doing here?”
“Have a drink with me? I want to talk to you.”
“There is nothing to talk about, Dex.” She wasn’t trying to be mean to him, but his interrupting the song, and her thoughts, had put her on edge. He was not the person she wanted to see tonight.
“I talked to Mae. She told me you were in Wisconsin and about the accident. Are you okay?” He gestured to the tiny cuts on her face.
“Yeah, I’m fine now.”
He jerked his head toward the back of the club. “Come on, let’s grab a table.”
She reluctantly followed him, but as soon as they were seated, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I came here to apologize. I was hoping you’d talk to me. I don’t want to
