MARRYING THE ROCKSTAR (#3 ROCKSTAR SERIES)

♪ seven ♪

I lingered by the door, grateful the boys hadn't been cautious enough to properly close it. I tried to peer inside, but wherever they were standing, it wasn't within my range of vision. But they were near enough for me to be able to listen to them despite the background music in the main room.

I'd have to settle for eavesdropping without a visual.

"...yeah, I'm bitter, why wouldn't I be?" It was Cameron's voice; taut like a wire, less restrained than I'd ever noticed it before. Of course, he was talking to Leo; he was always unfiltered with him. They'd known each other for too long and could call each other out on their bullshit.

I wasn't sure who was calling out who, this time. I'd seen Leo dragging Cameron in here, but who'd actually initiated the conversation?

"I hoped you'd be past this," said Leo, much calmer, to my surprise. "That you'd have moved on."

"Well, I'm not, and I haven't." I imagined Cameron frowning, looking like a pissed-off child about to throw a tantrum.

"Why not? Why are you so upset?" Leo himself sounded upset now.

"Oh, I have many reasons to be upset. But I'm mainly upset that I didn't hear the joyous news directly from either of you. You and Emma definitely could have given me a heads' up, Leo. Instead, I had to see it on social media, and Sapphire confirmed it."

"You could have called me," said Leo, and I could tell he was sulking, keeping his chin lowered to not have to connect his gaze to Cameron's. Cameron's eyes could be sharp, deadly when he was angry; and from the way this conversation was going, he wasn't happy in the least.

"I didn't want to talk to you," said Cameron, again sounding like a hissy-fit kid. "Is that not allowed? Am I obligated to talk to you?"

I worried about leaving the two of them alone in there. With their immature bickering, it may very well turn into the fistfight I'd been freaking out over. But if I entered that room, I didn't know what'd happen, how they'd react to me eavesdropping.

And I didn't want anyone to see me sneaking off, too. It was suspicious enough that Leo had.

"You're being childish," Leo said, a pinch of anger in his tone. "Seriously? Avoiding my calls? Did you block my number or something? I thought we were going to get past this."

"We can't." I heard a thud; something strangely akin to someone pounding a fist on a table, a wall. "I can't. How dare you even think that? By being silent, I thought I'd made that obvious. Yet you had to go and get in my face tonight, huh?"

"It's the only way to talk to you! And oh, you were silent, all right. Message received, loud and clear." Leo scoffed. "Working for Sapphire, of all people? Really? That action was much louder than you thought it was. If anything, I'm the one with the reasons to avoid you. That was a low blow."

"You think I was taunting you?" Cameron snorted. "I didn't do it on purpose. After what happened with you, I still needed a job, you know? But, well, at least she's a better employer."

I cringed, waiting for the recognizable sound of a punch being thrown, of a fist slamming into a nose, a mouth. I waited for the growl, the shoving, the furniture falling apart as they threw each other and pummeled themselves beyond recognition.

Nothing happened. They must have been both standing there, glowering at one another, hands tight at their sides.

"I did everything I could for you, Cam." Leo's voice was softer, though I doubted he'd calmed down. I had to get my head a little closer to the doorframe, my ear near the opening to better hear him. "I gave you a job, I praised you, put you above everyone else."