Free Cry For You (Fallen Star #2) by Candy J Starr

said with a nod. "Today, we're here to party."
    I smiled again as the moment passed. I would survive this party at least.

Chapter 9             Ruby
    "What the hell am I going to wear tonight?" I had no concept of what people wore to see a band.
    "You've got the band shirt I gave you. Wear that."
    "I wore that to the festival."
    "You can wear it again. It doesn't matter. It's not like anyone will be looking at you. I'm the one on stage."
    "Bastard," I muttered, although I much preferred things that way. I hated being looked at. People could look at him all they liked so long as they didn't touch. Touching was for me only.
    Even the thought of being in the crowd had me as anxious as hell. That’s why I’d changed my outfit twelve times already and couldn’t keep still. Tex was totally useless. He thought everything I put on looked good.
    I pulled the shirt on. It was a bit small and tight.
    "It's too tight. I can't wear it."
    Tex leered at me. He really leered. I crossed my arms on my chest.
    "What?"
    "It's not too tight, Ruby."
    "It makes me look fat."
    "It squashes your boobs out really nice. I really like the way it does that. You should wear that shirt all the time."
    He came at me with his gropey fingers wiggling. I laughed and brushed him away. To be honest, I kind of enjoyed that leering look.
    "As much as I want your hands on me, we will be late if you don't get ready now."
    Tex went to the shower and I looked at myself in the mirror. Did my boobs look good? I never really thought about them that much. I was much more focused on the rolls over the top of my jeans. Short t-shirt, tight jeans – what was I thinking? But, if I got changed, Tex would give me shit. He had no understanding of things like body issues and that was because he had no issues with my body. I threw a denim jacket over the top. That way I covered up the worst of my problem areas.
    My friend, CJ, said there was no such thing as problem areas. There were just areas. Every concept of an "area" being a problem was a social construct. But I didn't want to look like a jelly roll.
    Tex came in from the shower with his towel wrapped around his waist. Talk about body issues. My biggest issue seeing him like that was keeping my hands off his body. That little dip at the bottom of his back, I wanted to touch it. I had to turn away so I could resist him. God, that man had woken a sleeping dragon in me and that was the dragon of animal lust.
    "Look at you. Leaving the house to socialise twice in one month. That must be a record."
    "You can talk. You aren't exactly Mr Sociable either. Well, you weren’t…"
    Tex laughed but I wasn't joking. It was one of the doubts that wore at my mind. He was definitely changing, becoming much more outgoing and wanting human contact. It was like he was coming out of hibernation. Sure, for now, his plans were contained and as low-key as playing to a massive crowd of people could be but he was becoming more and more open to the life he used to lead.
    This was my test, my way of proving to Tex that I could function like a normal human being. I’d watch him play and I’d enjoy it. Even though he’d given me no indication that he wanted me to change, I needed to prove this to him – and to myself.
    According to the architect, it'd only be less than three months before we could start moving in to the new house. Even less than that and the bathroom would be operational.
    Since he’d said that, I’d known I had to have a serious talk with Tex but I kept putting it off because talking about "our future" made me break out in hives. That was a scary talk. It was making a commitment and having plans. You can bet your butt that I felt like at any moment Tex would come to his senses and kick me out. I wasn't right for his lifestyle.
    Even more important, I needed to clarify my role as his housekeeper. That's what I'd been to start with and that's what I still was. Only now I'd become more. Housekeeper with "benefits"