Bristol resented Top Shelf for taking away her passion. For a blip of a moment, Annie gave her back the passion, but they were on different paths, and she knew the difference would be too much to bear. Even though they had a spark, Bristol couldn’t pursue it after this very public display on her screen with such a terrible person.

“What are people saying about the concert?”

Lizzy could respect when Bristol wanted to change the subject, so she pulled up reviews. “Bristol Baines Is Still Banging.”

“Shut up. You’re making that up.”

Lizzy snorted. “They’re all good. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Good.” Bristol couldn’t get the photos out of her head. She was disappointed in herself. She’d missed her opportunity with Annie even though she’d been trying to convince herself that it wasn’t the right thing for either of them.

“Bristol?”

She looked up at Lizzy. “What?”

“I asked how your night was? Did you get to see your mom?”

Bristol’s heart filled with warmth. “She greeted me with Primo’s coffee and doughnuts this morning. I had a half hour with her before Reece showed up. Get this. He barbecued my mother’s Porsche over the summer.”

“What? And here I thought he was straightening up. Isn’t he touring colleges?”

“Yes, but he’s hesitant to make a decision. I think he’s waiting to find out where Lucy’s going to school.”

“Aw. Young love,” Lizzy said. She put her finger in her mouth as though gagging. It made Bristol laugh, which was exactly what she needed. Release. She was drowning in too many emotions—this close to the end of the tour and this close to home.

“It’s the only time he’s not being an ass.”

“I can’t wait to see him. It’s been a long time.”

“You’ll be surprised,” Bristol said. She dragged herself up and looked at the time. “I need to get ready.”

“Annie takes the stage in forty-five minutes. You have about an hour before we need you up there.”

“I’ll be out in a few. Get the team together.” She watched as Lizzy slipped on the headset and flipped into manager mode.

Chapter Seventeen

“Is Bristol in? I really want to talk to her.” Once Annie saw the photos of her and Sterling on several websites, she knew she had to talk to Bristol. It looked bad, but nothing had happened, and it was important that Bristol knew the truth. They’d had a special moment in Vegas, and Annie didn’t want to lose that fragile connection over a misunderstanding. She’d texted, but the messages went unread.

“She’s busy but will see you onstage shortly,” Lizzy said. She folded her arms, letting Annie know she wasn’t getting past her.

“It’ll just take a moment. I promise.”

“I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to wait.”