Keepingmy eyes closed, I sighed. “Yeah?”
“So,let’s say you can’t actually get your legs to fold like that and you keepfalling over. What should you do instead?”
“Justdo the best you can,” I encouraged him.
SinceChad was gone, Sebastian had taken it upon himself to become my buddy—or maybeit was that he’d become my bodyguard. Either way, he hung around me all thetime, and even did yoga with Tess, Kylie, and me in the mornings. He wasn’t anygood, but he made it more entertaining, to say the least, and within the pastweek, he had gotten Greyson on board too. Thezenhadbeen sucked right out of our yoga mornings with their addition, but I couldn’tdeny that I was loving my new-found group of friends.
Anotherfumble, and Tess whined, “Come on, Sebastian!”
Iglanced over my shoulder to find him tying his hair back. He caught my eye.“The bun came undone,” he explained, and then laughed. “Hey, I rhymed!”
“Verygood,” I replied, unable to fight my own chuckle. Facing forward again, Icoached, “Okay, guys. We’regonnauntangle ourselvesand move right into chair pose. Remember to breathe …”
“Oh,shit, yes. I can do this one.”
“Soglad for you,” Kylie muttered sarcastically, and I could only laugh.
Therewas no hope for peace. I was too jittery and excited to be relaxed, and it hadabsolutely nothing to do with the show tonight. Although playing my home statefor the first time on the tour waspretty damnexciting, what had my body in a fit of giddiness was knowing I was going to seeChad tonight for the first time in three weeks. Three weeks. God, I’d been awayfrom him foryears, but we’d changedsince then. This was different. Our friendship had moved beyond those amicableboundaries, and we both knew it. Although neither of us had made the verbalconfirmation, we weren’t exactly making it a secret either.
Whatwould happen the moment I saw him again? Would I launch myself into his armsand hold on for dear life? Would he kiss me?
God,I hoped he would kiss me.
“Ky?”Devin called out the window of their bus, his voice accompanied by the cry of asmall child.
Kyliesighed with the exhaustion of a mother who hadn’t had a good night’s sleep inmonths. “What, dear?”
“Lennyis crying.”
“So,take care of her.” Her voice was strung tight and agitated.
“Idon’t know what she wants.”
“Oh,my God,” Kylie groaned, unceremoniously pulling out of chair pose. She turnedto Tess and me, and said, “You’d think I was raising these kids all by myselfsometimes. He goes completely stupid when he has to be a father for more thanten minutes.”
Tesslaughed. “I lucked out with Jon. He’s great with the girls.”
“Thatdoesn’t even count,” Kylie retorted. “He was a dad before you met him. It wasalready built in. Dev, though? Great husband,anda great father, butonly when I’m there to supervise.”
“God,baby, you know I canhearyou!” Devincalled back, and I stifled my giggle.
“Good!”Kylie shouted back as she stomped her way toward the bus. She lifted a hand ina limp wave. “See you later, Molly. It’s been fun.”
Idecided to call the yoga session. After a long enough interruption, it wasalways difficult to find my flow again. We went about our separate business:Greyson and Ty played a game of cards in the bus while Sebastian made pancakes.Tess went back to help Jon get their three young daughters showered and readyfor the day. And I went to my room to rifle through my clothes and desperatelytry to find something to wear.
Itdidn’t matter how many times I told myself that this was just Chad. The boy whogot into my mama’s makeup when he was three. The kid who gave me his hamsandwich every day in the third grade, during a time when Mama was depressedand couldn’t remember to give me lunch money. Rightnowthough, that kid felt so far away, so distant to this man from my recentmemories.
Andthat man made me nervous.
***
“Damn,girlfriend,” Sebastian breathed as Ty whistled. “What’s the occasion?”
“Uh,Chad’sgonnabe there tonight,” Greyson muttered,rolling his eyes. “Duh.”
Sebastiangroaned and shoved gently against his son’s shoulder. “Iknow that. God …” He shook his head and smiledsweetly,his eyes warm with sincerity. “You look very pretty, Molly.”
“Thankyou,” I replied, suddenly shy. I worried my fingers through the long, darklengths of my hair. “Should I dosomethin’ with it? Iwasn’t sure …”
