I gazed up at him, not wanting to stop seeing him. I wanted him in my vision forever. He looked at me too. The intensity nearly killed me, but in a good way, a way that said he really didn’t think of me as a little sister.
Then he left me. And even with everything in me screaming for him to stay, I had to deal with him going to Damo’s room. This thing between us wasn’t just about me. I couldn’t keep acting like a selfish kid.
I curled up in bed, but I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was think about Crow and how amazing things would be forever. He liked me, and no matter what Polly or anyone else said, nothing would change that.
Chapter 16
IT WAS FINE FOR CROW to say he’d be the one to speak to Polly, but I was the one who had to go back to Brussels to face her. The entire train trip home, I anticipated her reaction. She’d be angry. That much was certain. I played out all the scenarios in my head. As much as I said she had no right to try to control me, I understood now that she was justified. She’d been worried and freaked out.
When I got to my room, I called her. There was no point putting off the inevitable. It might be harder to be proactive about this, but that was what I needed to do.
About thirty seconds after I called, she came to my room.
“I’m sorry, Polly,” I said. “I’m really sorry. I know I did the wrong thing and I’ve been a pain in the butt to you.”
She put her hands on her hips and stared at me. “It’s easy to apologize when you got your own way,” she said. “That was a really stupid thing to do. I’m not sure if I want to take responsibility for you anymore.”
I rushed to her and wrapped my arms around her waist. “Yes, you do, Polly. You really do. I’ve learned the error of my ways now. I’ve grown as a person. I’ll never do anything stupid again.”
She snorted. “That’s unlikely.”
“I promise. I’ll be hardworking and diligent and never do anything impulsive. Polly, I saw the crowd at that festival. We need to be better than the Freaks. We need to be bigger than them, too. I want to play to crowds like that.”
I stepped back from her and shot her a timid smile.
“You say that now, but what about next time you get a fool idea in your head?”
Before I could answer, Jax came into my room to join us. “Is shit hitting the fan here?” he asked. “Because if Fay’s being kicked out of the band or any of that, I need to know.”
He sat down on one of the chairs. I sat opposite him.
“I’m not kicking her out of the band,” Polly said.
“Yay! Thank you. You’re the best,” I said.
She put her hand up to stop me. “But I’m not putting up with your shit, either. This is the last warning. Even if we have to pull out of this tour, I’m not going to be the one to call your mother and tell her you’ve been found buried in a shallow grave in some backwoods.”
“Yeah, or thrown in a river somewhere,” Jax added.
“I’m not going to be,” I said. “But I am dating Crow.”
“No!” Polly’s mouth drew into a firm line.
“Yes,” I responded. “He’s going to talk to you when we hit Paris. I know you have your doubts about this relationship, but we’re serious. Isn’t it better to have everything out in the open?”
She didn’t say yes, but she didn’t say no, either. She just gave me a strange look.
I’d work on her. I’d work hard. By the time we got to Paris, she’d be ready to agree.
“Come on. Surely, you don’t want to spend all your time watching over me when you could be with Damo. It must suck for him. No dude wants to play second fiddle to their girlfriend’s cousin. They want the hot sex.” That might not have been the best thing to say to get Polly onboard. “And the other stuff. The sweet talk and the snuggling and spending time together not having sex...”
“I’m with Fay,” Jax said. “It’s ridiculous to be so protective of her. Crow might have faults, but he’s no worse than Damo.”
The look on Polly’s face was priceless. She glared at him so hard, she must’ve strained her eye muscles.