Page 40 of Enjoying the Band in Lockdown

“Thank you,” I whispered, snuggling into my man. “For not stealing my share of the chips!”

Luckily for me, Xavier accepted my thanks without pushing me for more information than I was willing to share. Truly, he was the perfect boyfriend, ever.

“So, have you thought about tonight?” Xavier asked as we walked back to the pub, laden with more fish and chips to appease our guilt for sneaking away, and because they were so damn good.

“Do you know whether Trent’s in or out?” Personally, I didn’t know how to think about Trent outside a friendship. Without the same flirting or the banter or the innuendo I had with the other guys, it was going to feel awkward going from friends to fucking.

Trent had become my safe place, putting no pressure on me to be anything other than, me.

“How about I pull Trent aside when we get back, find out,” Xavier offered.

“Thanks. I just can’t get a read on him.”

“Simple really,” Xavier explained. “He hooks up occasionally but keeps his women on a need to know basis—and we don’t.”

“Oh.”

“But if you think Chase and I can write a love song you should see what Trent does when his heart’s being smashed. Great for the band. Bad for his liver.”

“He drinks? Haven’t seen much of that back at the pub. He’s like the most sober one of us!” I laughed before Xavier shook his head.

“Sydney, when he’s hurting, he’ll drink his body weight before breakfast. Hell, food becomes an optional extra. The man drinks and writes.”

“Anything good?”

“We’ve tried to turn his words into a kickass song, but he usually beats us to it. Burns the pages and buries the ashes. His way of coping.”

“Oh, so it’s not personal. Him not being interested in me.”

“Sydney, you have four men craving you. Allow one man not to want to get burnt.”

Shadows of jealousy threatened our walk, so I quickly changed the subject. “So if tonight is you or Jax, what do you want to do?”

“Tell me what you want.”

“You. Always you. But this has to be your choice.”

“Jax is gonna go all out,” Xavier spat. “He’s still kissing you.”

“Only if we’re in the same room.”

“I’ve noticed that you avoid him.”

It had been subconscious. Leaving the room before the hour chimed. I hadn’t expected Xavier to notice, but he had. Xavier Galis was an enigma. A rockstar living a rockstar’s life but underneath the body of a God, he had a soul of a poet.

“Jax is Jax.”

“Look, Sydney, I wish I could tell you he’s not always an asshole. But to be truthful you’ve seen the best of him.”

“That’s his best?” I thought back to Jax and the cave. Telling me he’d avoided going further than kisses because he wouldn’t want to stop. Wouldn’t want to share me with Xavier. He’d want me for himself.

“We’ve never seen him get this hung up over a woman before.”

“Well, I feel sorry for the rest of the female population.”

“You should.”

We rounded the corner and Xavier’s hand moved from the small of my back to hold my hand. Fingers intertwined. Impossible to break. Like lovers.

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