Looks Can Be Deceiving

Chapter Sixteen

The lights were off, the room was pitch black and she couldn't see him but she saw a small mount on the bed. As soon as he heard her voice, his arm leaped to the lamp and turned it on.

"Stella?" he asked. He rubbed his eyes and his vision became clear. Stella stood in front of him. "Stella, what's going on?" Richard was very confused.

"Chris told me the truth." She puts it simply.

"Okay?"

"So I thought we could talk." She looks down fiddling with her fingers.

"Stella," he sighs moving out of the bed and sitting up, "if you don't feel the same and you want to let me down easily, can you do it when I'm not so tired?" his head is in his hand shielding his eyes from the light he turned on.

"Who said I didn't feel the same?" She speaks softly.

Richard's head snaps up. "What?"

"Who said I didn't feel the same?" she walks closer and sits next to him on the bed.

"You like me?" his tone changes from sad to cocky. Stella looks down blushing. "Erick wasn't lying, was he?"

"What did Erick say?" Stella asks, surprised.

"Back in the La Banda days, he told me you had feelings for me but I thought it was all bullshit. He has told me for years and I just ignored him."

"He wasn't lying."

Richard can see how shy Stella is about the whole conversation. She was hiding her face behind her hair and she was playing with her fingers nervously. Richard smirks at her and places on hand under her chin. "Come here." He comments pulling her face up towards him and kissing her softly.

Stella's hands find their way into his hair and she tugs gently, her fingers entwining in his hair. His hands hold her face afraid to let go. When they do separate, Stella giggles excited.

"We have to be up early, I should leave." She smiles up at Richard and stands up ready to go back into her room. "We can talk more tomorrow."

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" he calls to her, grabbing her hand. She looks down at him. "Stay with me. You can sneak out in the morning."

Stella smiles and heads to her side of the bed laying down next to him. Both of them are able to sleep off their anger and frustration. Stella sneaks back into her room before the boys wake up and Richard's heart almost breaks when he wakes up alone. Then he sees his t-shirt neatly folded at the end of his bed and his heart swells as the sweetness of his best friend's little sister.

—

"We only have a few shows left of the tour, should we try to change it up? Maybe add another song to the set list or something? Keep it fresh?" Zabdiel comments.

"I think the fans love when we have Stella on stage. Maybe we can do a cover with Stella?" Joel responds looking to Stella for approval.

"How are we going to learn a new cover by tonight?" Stella questions.

She looks around the room for Richard. It was still early in the morning and she didn't expect him to be out of bed yet but she wanted him to come out. They had shared their first kiss and she couldn't wait to see him. She wanted to tell Erick everything that had happened but Richard and her hadn't discussed if they would tell anyone.

She looks at the door to Richard's room and just as Chris is about to join the conversation, Richard's bedroom door swings open. Stella turns her head quickly. She didn't want him to know how excited she was to see him. She knew that he would use it against her.

"Why don't we just do the cover at the last show? That way we have time to learn it?" Chris asks.

"I know one we can do. One that we all already know." Stella doesn't meet his gaze as he leans against his doorframe.

"Which one Papi?" Chris settles himself next to Stella with an arm around her. He knew she was still mad but he was hoping she wouldn't push him away.

"You and Me, Lifehouse." Stella turns to him after what feels like an eternity and smiles. They share a moment, staring at each other's memories of last night flooding their minds.

Erick stands in front of Stella blocking her gaze. "Way to be obvious." He whispers.

"Hmm?" she asks.

"If you keep looking at Richard like that, Chris is going to know something's up."

Stella laughs. "Shut up." She grumbles pushing Erick playfully.

Richard takes a seat across from Stella while they spend the rest of the day brainstorming ideas for the rest of the tour. They spend the day staring at each other when everyone else isn't paying attention and Stella even pretends she needs fresh air when Richard goes to the lobby supermarket to grab snacks so that they can spend time together.

"We don't need this many snacks!" she scolds, as Richard puts more and more packets of chips, lollies and chocolates into a small basket.

"Yes we do!" he laughs. "Come on. Take a night off!" he holds his pinky out reminding her of the night they shared their first kiss. Rolling her eyes, she takes a chocolate bar off the shelf and places it in the basket signaling she was prepared to take the night off. "That's my girl."

"We should talk tonight about the logistics of us."

"Logistics?" Stella wants to talk about what is really going on with them. Will they go on dates? Are they going to stay in each other's beds every night? Are they going to confront Chris together? She doesn't want to embarrass herself and she's still worried that this doesn't mean as much to Richard as it does to her so she stays silent. "Oh you mean like, the 'are we dating casually or exclusive' chat?" Stella's face turns red.

"Not just that! Are we going to tell Chris?" They stroll through the small supermarket.

"Do you want to tell Chris?"

"Not yet." She looks down hoping that Richard won't be hurt or upset.

"I think that's a good idea. Maybe we can just keep it our little secret for now?" he looks around and pushes Stella into the corner of the small store making sure no one can see him or her. He shields her head with his arm leaning against a wall. "I kinda think it's pretty hot." He smirks. Their faces are so close; their lips are almost touching.

"Hey you two!" Erick interrupts them and Richard bounces away from her as quickly as he can. Erick laughs at their shocked faces, "you want to keep this a secret? You're pretty bad at it."

"What are you doing down here?" Richard asks, changing the conversation.

"Chris wanted to remind you to get those weird licorice things he likes. I thought I should come down instead of him, in case this," he puts his finger between the two of them, "was happening."

"We were just finished." Stella takes the basket, grabbing the snack Chris wanted and heads to the register. She's flustered and mortified that Erick caught them.

"Seriously though, if you two are going to be together and don't want Chris to find out. You need to be careful."

"Bro, don't worry about it!" Richard tries to calm his friend.

"Richard, Bro. You know I'm right."

Erick was being protective over his best friend. Both of them, not just Stella. Erick continued to plead with them to be careful all the way back to the room. Stella agreed and Richard brushed off the conversation. He didn't want to be caught but he knew that later tonight, him and Stella would figure it out together.