My stomach sank.
He looked good that night. Objectively, of course. His sleeves were rolled up, tie slightly loose around his neck, hair slightly tousled. I tugged at my own red tie, suddenly hyper-aware of how it sat against my black dress shirt.
“Poor bastard,” Tony muttered. “She’ll drop him after graduation. They always do. Nothing real survives college.”
I didn’t answer. I just watched as Nathaniel swayed with her, his eyes locked on hers like she was the sun.
It made me sick.
“Alright, let’s kick this off!” Jason called from the drums.
I shook the thoughts from my head, planted my feet, and focused.
Time to play.
We started with our most popular cover—Måneskin’sBeggin’—and we were off.
***
Our set? Killer. Hot, loud, electric. The crowd was into it, just like I knew they would be. Hands in the air, voices singing the lyrics with us, exactly how I liked it.
After the set was done, I leapt off the stage. At some point my shirt went missing in action somewhere during the third song. All I had left was my red tie, hanging loose across my collarbones. Not that I minded. I worked hard to stay in shape. Let them look.
I cut through the crowd to grab a water bottle, my throat raw from belting. Eyes trailed me as I passed some girls, a few guys. The post-show glow was addicting. I lived for this feeling.
I reached the refreshment table, scanning for something sweet. My sweet tooth kicked in after every performance. If only they had carrot cake muffins here. Now that would be a perfect night.
Then I felt it.
Someone watching me.
I glanced up and saw her. Blue eyes locked on mine.
Sarah Lockwood.
Of course.
I took a swig of water. I ran my hand through my hair, pushing it back from my face.
“Enjoy the show?” I asked, voice casual.
She smiled softly. “You guys were great. Not that you need me to tell you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I like being told.”
Okay, so maybe flirting with my ex-best friends girl wasn’t the coolest thing for me to do but something in me wanted to guage her reaction.
And I was right. Just as I thought, she didn’t even flinch. Instead, her hands went behind her back, chest forward. Of course I noticed.
My eyes narrowed slightly. I wondered where Nathaniel was.
I always said she had a thing for me. If Nathaniel wasn’t going to believe me, maybe it was time I proved it to him.
I stepped closer, brushing past her as I reached for a sugar cookie.
“You lose your shirt or just trying to show off?” She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, fingers delicate.
I smirked before biting into the baked dessert. “A little of both. Wanna help me find it?” I nodded toward the exit, casually. She nodded her head and I began to guide the way.
