There was no way to respond to that. Plus, he was joking. I mean, he was joking, right? Instead of taking the risk of saying something I’d regret later, I reached forward and attempted to flick him in the forehead, but he caught my hand. I tried to yank it back, but almost punched myself in the face instead. I scowled.

"What's your favorite thing to listen to?" I asked, figuring that since we were on a roll getting to know each other a bit more, I might as well take advantage.

"You know, I don't have anything specific I like," he answered, pursing his lips. What a typical musician answer. "I like and hate everything. I can listen to anything as long as it's good. What about you? Kidz Bop?"

I threw my head back and laughed. "Oh yeah, I’m so glad you told me about how catchy it was.”

Sacha smiled and made a gentle, amused noise in his throat that sounded faintly like a snort as he fluttered those thick, long eyelashes in my direction. "I'll send you the rest of my collection when I get home," he teased me. When I grinned at him, his expression softened and his eyes flickered down to my hands. "You haven't been with anyone since you and Brandon broke up?" he asked abruptly.

The question sort of threw me for a loop since I wasn't expecting it at all. But that void that I felt for my ex was numbed and so insignificant I couldn't bother to remember anything about him that used to mean something to me. "No," I told him simply. "I thought my heart was broken for about a little bit. Then I was too pissed and depressed with life to bother with anything besides school for a while. Now, I’m just minding my own business, enjoying the tour, taking advantage of being the captain of my destiny for a little bit.”

And having a huge, massive crush on you that defies all sense, I thought.

He nodded thoughtfully. “No regrets, then?”

“None.” That was the truth. “Everything happens for a reason, and I know that things wouldn’t have worked out between us in the long run anyway, you know what I mean?”

"Yeah," he replied in a soft voice. "My last girlfriend, Liz—you met her in San Francisco, remember?" How could I forget? I nodded and threw up in my mouth at the same time but luckily his attention was on his hands instead of the faces I was making. "She broke up with me because she hated me being gone all the time. She wanted me to choose her over my music, but," those pale gray eyes looked into mine, "I don't know. It didn't seem like the right thing to do. I didn't want to do it. She knew before we started dating what I did for a living; it wasn’t a surprise. I haven't wanted to date anyone since her, because I don't want to get stuck in that type of relationship again, I guess."

The idea that someone, specifically Ronalda, would ask Sacha to quit on his dream and his incredible talent to fight off her loneliness, made my heart churn. His gift didn't deserve to fade away, and those selfish reasons made me burn. "I think someone who really loves you wouldn't ask you to give up what you love, what you were meant to do," I told him in such an even voice it shocked me.

He smiled at me and nodded. "I think the same thing, Princess."

* * *

"I'll meet you in twenty," Sacha whispered into my ear as we were getting off the van after a very late dinner in Geelong.

It was a mutual decision that both of us would shower before he came over to my room every night, even though I would have gladly let him shower in my room. With me.

Not that I would ever make the offer out loud but there was nothing wrong with simply thinking about it. That night in Perth, where he'd stayed until close to five in the morning, had just been the beginning. What followed were five consecutive nights of sitting in my room with a handsome, showered and delicious-smelling man.