“Well duh,” I roll my eyes at him, making grabby hands at the guitar. “That’s why I’m going to play it. This just turned into a two-man show.” His eyes widened but thankfully doesn’t question me anymore. He hands the guitar over, and I take a few seconds to get comfortable with it. I haven’t played in almost a year, but it’s like riding a bike, right?
“Okay, Ollie, remember I’m right here if you feel nervous. Just look at me when it gets overwhelming.”
The crowd, bless their hearts, start shouting out words of encouragement and I can’t help feeling happy that there are still good people out there. I wait for Oliver to give me the go-ahead, and I gently pluck the first chords, the opening lyrics spilling out. My heart flutters with a bittersweet mix of nostalgia and hope, each note bringing forth a memory I have tried so hard to lock away.
Not the time, Savvy, this isn’t about you. This is for Oliver.
I know that’s nonsense but now is not the time to fixate on it. I glance over at Oliver, who is staring at me in shock, and I use my eyes to gesture him towards the mic. I hold my breath when the part comes up where he has to join in on vocals, and when his voice blends with the guitar sounds, it’s my turn to look at him in disbelief.
Holy hell. The crowd goes silent as his smooth, gravelly voice fills the space before chaos erupts. Everyone goes wild hearing my dominant voice, and any doubt about my being an omega vanishes when all I can think about is begging Oliver to bite me.
I hear a “whoop” and a “fuck yeah” from somewhere behind me and glance over my shoulder just in time to see a cute guy with wavy brown hair launch himself behind the drum set on stage. He catches me looking and shoots me a wink before he starts pounding his sticks into the drums,
Okay, I guess we’re a three-man show then.
The part of the song where the second artist joins in on vocals is coming up. I’m so lost in the moment that I don’t even think when I step up to the mic and start singing their part. My heart pounds as I belt out the first few lines.
Oliver takes a small step back, looking at me in awe. He gestures to the guitar, and I hand it over before gripping the mic and continuing with the song. It takes Oliver only a couple of seconds to join in with the guitar, and when we reach the part where both artists sing, our voices sync up in perfect harmony.
The crowd starts joining in on the singing, and Oliver starts commanding the stage like a true rock star. Someone throws their bra onto the stage, and I swallow down the urge to go punch her.
I step back, allowing Oliver to finish the song on his own. When he finishes, the crowd goes wild with some begging him for another song. I begin to back away, wanting to give him his moment, but his eyes catch my movement. He shakes his head, and the next thing I know, he has me in his arms, lifting me so we’re face to face. I stare down at him with what I’m sure are hearts in my eyes before my entireworld tilts when he slams his lips into mine. I can’t help but let out a small groan when his tongue dives into my mouth, my foot doing that little pop thing you see in romance movies. We only break apart when we are both out of breath.
“Savvy,” he stares down at me, his husky voice doing weird things to my insides. “Is it too soon to tell you I love you?” He pecks another kiss to my lips. “Thank you Little Ember, you turned this into the best fucking night of my life. I would never have been able to do this on my own, but you sweet girl, meeting you, that is the highlight.”
He carries me off stage, and I bury my face in his neck, sucking in his scent. He’s sweaty from being on stage, so he smells extra delicious, and all my horny brain can think about is getting him somewhere alone.
The noise of the crowd gets fainter when we make it backstage, and he carries me over to an L-shaped couch before sitting down with me in his lap. He leans in to kiss me again, but the moment is interrupted when the guy who was pointing at his watch earlier, rushes towards us.
“Oliver! Holy fuck, kid, you’re insane. That was the best performance I’ve seen here in years.” He is pacing in front of us, pulling at his hair. “Why didn’t you sign up together?” He gestures to the two of us and shoots Oliver a glare. “Was that all an act out there? It was cute, but you would have gotten the same reaction by just starting together.”
I shock the hell out of myself when I let out a growl, before jumping to my feet and poking the guy in the chest. “Nothing was an act, idiot. Implying someone was faking a panic attack is all kinds of fucked up, and you should apologize to Oliver.” I drop back down onto Oliver’slap before continuing. “I only met Oliver on the bus a few hours ago, so there was no way for him to have signed us both up. I’m very happy I was here to help him, but this isn’t about me, it’s about him. He was amazing.”
The guy squats next to us, his eyes wide. I bet no one has ever told him off before. “Damn, I’m sorry, Kitten,” He smirks at me, and I give him my best death glare. “It’s good to meet you, names Nash.” He turns to face Oliver. I’m sorry, kid; I should not have implied any of that. If you're up for the company, the guys want to talk to both of you.”
I shake my head, turning to Ollie. “You go; I need a few minutes by myself to calm down after all that.”
“Are you sure?” He frowns down at me. “I really don’t want to leave you on your own. They can wait.” I scoot off his lap, getting to my feet and doing a horrible job at pulling him to his. He laughs but humors me by getting up. “Go, I’ll be here waiting.”
“I’ll keep your girl company.” Nash offers. I don’t get any bad vibes from him so I nod my head in agreement.
“I won’t be long,” Oliver whispers when he pulls me into a hug, then takes off to talk to the guys.
I sit back down, and Nash takes a seat across from me. I can’t help but notice how attractive he is - for an older guy. He has long black hair that’s pulled back in a man bun, a look I usually find off putting, but it works for him, and amber eyes stood out in the low lighting. If I had to guess, he was a little taller than Oliver, but not by much.
“So, who are these guys Oliver is talking to?” I ask like I don’t really care, but in all honesty, I’m dying to know.
“Members of a recently signed band,” he leans back in his seat, crossing his arms. “The three of them are amazing together, but something is missing. I asked them to come check out your guy tonight; I’m confident they'll invite him to join.”
I wanted to scream, jump up, and do a little happy dance. I was so happy for Oliver; getting in with a signed band would be huge for him. It’s what anyone performing at one of these events wants, and he was by far the best tonight. I might be biased, but that’s also true. I’ll fight anyone who disagrees.
“I’m also confident that when they’re done chatting with him, they will be over here asking the same of you. Jesus Kitten, I don’t know where the two of you have been hiding, but I haven’t heard anything like that in ages. At least not from someone who isn’t signed.”
The room narrows around me as my heart thunders in my ears, my eyes darting across the space, looking for an escape. I spot a sign that says Exit' on it, but I’m frozen in place, staring at Nash with my mouth hanging open. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to focus on my breathing as panic washes over me.
I’m only seventeen, which means I would need my guardian to sign off on something like this. A little over a year ago, this would have been a dream come true, now it’s my biggest nightmare. If he ever found out I was here tonight, I would be punished for not following the rules. The last time I broke a rule, it left me broken for days.
“Never question my rules again, Savannah,” I get shoved to the ground, and someone grabs a fist full of my hair. “You live under my roof now, and you will do exactly as I say.”
