Derek’s eyes met mine now. “Did he ever do anything to you?”

I hated that someone I had once considered one of my closest friends and my boyfriend didn’t get along. Derek had always been jealous of the friendship I had developed with E when Derek and I had first split up. Two weeks after the tour ended, Derek and I had gotten into a huge fight because E had texted me in the middle of the night after having another melt-down, and since then Derek had forced me to cut off communication with E entirely. But that was just how E and I worked. He listened to me and let me talk him off a ledge when no one else could get through to him. Then I would ramble for hours about my own problems, and he would just listen until his breathing would even out and I knew he was back to sleep. It didn’t mean we were sleeping together, it just meant we got each other, something that Derek had never been able to understand. Or maybe he just couldn’t help but feel threatened by E, by the thought of our connecting in some way. Either way, Derek just couldn’t seem to deal with it, not even now, after weeks of silence between E and me.

“No. He’s just a friend.”

“I see the way he looks at you. That guy’s been eye-fucking you since we joined the tour. I still don’t buy the ‘just friends’ garbage.”

I sighed as I struggled to not let my frustration get the best of me. I had given up a great friendship for Derek, but he still wouldn’t let it go. I knew his own infidelity in the past caused him to be concerned, but it was wasted emotion. I had never cheated on Derek, even in our darkest moments.

“It’s never been like that with E.”

“I trust you, Sarah. It’s him that I don’t trust.” Derek ran his hand over his shoulder-length, black hair as he relaxed in his seat.

“Then you have nothing to worry about because I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promised me.”

I could only nod. I knew it would be impossible to maintain a friendship with E when he and my boyfriend hated each other. The door in the back of the room opened again and Dorris walked out, limping slightly. Tucker’s face lit up and he ran to meet her at the end of the aisle. My eyes found Eric’s and he was staring at me, his face hard. The intensity of his gaze made it impossible to look away. I was surprised to feel a fluttering in my stomach. Was he making me nervous?

He wasn’t the angry asshole most thought he was. He had a deeper side to him that few got to see. Donna came out of the little room and made her way to E, saying something quietly to him. She wrapped her arms around his and led him back to the back of the church.

“I always thought he was tapping that.” Derek laughed.

I rolled my eyes. The thought of E and Donna was laughable. He had told me a hundred times that he wouldn’t risk their friendship—or her sometimes precarious position as the band’s manager—for a one-night stand. If Derek only knew him the way I did, he’d know E just didn’t chase hot women for the sake of getting laid. And he wouldn’t ever hit on me, either.

Dorris, Damaged’s former manager, took a seat on the other side of the church pews, and Tucker made his way back to the front to stand by the preacher. Soon after, Donna was sitting by Dorris’s side, and the wedding was ready to begin. Music began to swell, signaling the bride’s entrance. For a rocker couple’s wedding, I was surprised that they’d gone with the traditional “Wedding March.”

Cass looked stunning in her simple silk dress, with crisscross backing. As usual, she didn’t need to cover herself in jewelry and makeup. She was naturally beautiful. She kept it simple with a small necklace and a little bit of makeup to play up her features. The rest of the band walked by her side as she slowly made her way to Tucker, like magnets drawn to each other. The “Wedding March” continued to play quietly in the background, and Tucker’s eyes grew wide and his lips quirked in a loving smile.

The love they had for each other radiated off them. I wondered if anyone ever looked at Derek and me and felt that way.

The ceremony was simple but perfect. Tucker and Cass didn’t write their own vows beforehand, but spoke honestly from their hearts about their love for each other. I cried as they spoke, and Derek gave my hand a little squeeze. I smiled over at him. His face softened and his eyes filled with warmth. The hardness that usually defined his expression seemed to slip away, just for a moment, revealing that the old Derek who had stolen my heart all that time ago was still in there, even after all we had been through. Trying to maintain a committed relationship while living the rock-and-roll lifestyle is nearly impossible, but we had survived thus far.

“I can’t wait until we are up there,” I whispered, trying to gauge whether seeing Tucker and Cass making such a moving commitment to each other was having an impact on Derek’s rocker bravado.

But Derek just looked over at me and rolled his eyes as he shook his head. “Sarah . . .”

“What? You can’t blame me for trying,” I grumbled. Derek had told me from day one he never planned to get married, but I still hoped he would change his mind, especially now that things had gotten so serious with us.

“We don’t need a stupid piece of paper to show that we love each other. It’s not important.”

“It’s not important to you, and if it is so stupid, why not just humor me?”

“You’re killing me, woman.”

After the ceremony everyone stood and made their way to the center of the room to congratulate the newlyweds. I hugged Cass and we both cried. Derek’s arm went over my shoulders and he pulled me against his side, my hand falling to his chest.

“When are we hitting the strip club?” Derek asked, and my heart sank.

I looked up at E, whose gaze was locked on mine, causing me to squirm. I didn’t remember his being so . . . intense.

“Come on, man. I want to spend tonight with my bride.” Tucker laughed as he pulled Cass into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. “How long you in LA for?”

“We’ll be here for two weeks.”

My eyes danced around the plain church as memories of my past began to wash over me.

“Why do you have to marry him?” I asked my mother as she finished braiding my hair and securing a tie around the end.

“He’s not a bad guy, Sarah Bear. He’s good to me and to you kids.”

“He’s creepy.” I folded my arms over my chest and my mother just laughed. I had no real reason to hate Phil. But sometimes his eyes lingered on me for just a second too long and his hugs seemed to be just a little too tight. I could feel it in my gut—something just wasn’t right.

“I don’t expect you to understand what love is. You’re only eleven, but one day you will know what he means to me and maybe then you can be happy for me,” she snapped, and I felt like the world’s biggest jerk. Now I had upset Mom on her big day.

“You’ve only been with him for four months. Why can’t you just date him like a normal person?” I huffed.

She laughed as her hands smoothed over her cream-colored silk gown that stopped just below her knees. “Normal people get married.”

“Yeah, well, he is a jerk, and he is always yelling at me like he’s my dad or something.” I wanted to tell her how uncomfortable he made me, but I knew she would just think I was trying to get them to break up. I wasn’t exactly accepting of him from the first moment he walked into our lives. He moved in only three weeks after Mom introduced us to him. What if Dad came back? Our family would never be back together if Mom was with this guy.

“You’re right, Sarah. He’s not your dad. Your dad couldn’t handle being a father and ran off with the neighbor.”

“Maybe lightning will strike twice.”

“You stop that right now!” Her voice was a low whisper and she was practically growling. “Your sister is only seven and she isn’t acting like a brat. Why are you? You should be thankful someone even wants to join this family. It’s not often a guy will take on someone else’s kids.”