Page 92 of Crash & Burn

I can’t help but laugh at the two of them, so perfect in so many ways, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of tonight, celebrating them.

Not only that, as Mateo thanks the crowd as they finish their last song, my eyes fall to the drummer who occupies my mind in ways unimaginable, and I am grateful I got the chance to talk to Drew tonight.

Eddie and I are friends.

But I’m ready for us to bemore.

Lenny’s has cleared out, so it is just Drew, Emmett, Luke, Annie, Eddie, and me. Mateo went home, and Theo and Silas were meeting up with some friends. I got the chance to meet Tyler and Lacey before they left, and Calvin, Drew’s brother, and his girlfriend, Emma. It makes sense for someone like Drew to have such warm, kind people in her life.

The six of us have been spending more and more time together these past few months, especially because four out of the six of us work at the bar.

“Great show,” Luke says to Eddie. We are seated at the bar with Luke and Emmett behind the bar. Eddie is to my left, Annie is to my right, and Drew is next to her.

“Thanks,” Eddie says, taking a sip of his beer. “And congrats to you two,” he holds his bottle up in Drew and Emmett’s direction. “The guys and I were honored to play here on your special night.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cross My Heart is amazing. We’re so happy for you two. Now, can we talk about the wedding?”

Drew laughs as Emmett answers, “We just got engaged tonight, Ann.”

“When are you thinking?” Annie asks Drew, ignoring Emmett.

“I would love an October wedding, small, just close friends and my brother. I don’t really want anything big.”

“Would your parents come up?” Luke asks Emmett.

Emmett shrugs his shoulders, and I think back to one of the first times I met Annie and Drew, and they told me how this crew doesn’t do too well with parents.

“I doubt it. They’ll already be in Florida by October, and they don’t like to fly more than they need to,” Emmett explains. I’ve gathered that Emmett isn’t too close with his parents ever since his sister died, and they are only in Wisconsin for the summer months, or so they say. Drew told me they haven’t come home for the past few years.

“Parents complicate things anyway,” Annie announces. “Who needs them?”

Luke, Drew, and I can’t help but laugh, and Eddie, and even Emmett, crack a smile.

“I could do the photography,” I offer.

“Really?” Drew asks. “That would be amazing.”

“Of course,” I reply. “I would be happy to.”

“You got your live music too,” Annie adds, gesturing to Eddie who is just following the conversation from the background.

All eyes go to him, and he smiles and nods. “If you want us, we’re there,” he answers for himself and the rest of Cross My Heart. I know if my brother was here, he would absolutely agree.

“You got your open bar too,” Luke says, slapping a hand on Emmett’s shoulder. Emmett slowly turns to look at Luke’s hand still resting there, and Luke takes his hand off as if Emmett’s glare set it on fire.

Annie claps her hands together. “See? It is all coming together!”

Drew looks at Emmett. “What do you think?”

“Whatever you want, sweetheart. I’d marry you right here, right now if I could,” Emmett answers. I internally swoon as Annie rolls her eyes.

“You know,” Drew begins, looking back towards Annie and me, “we could do this October before Eddie and Mia have to sail off on tour for the year. That is, if you two are willing to use your last summer of freedom to help me plan a whole-ass wedding.”

Drew has the summer off, and Annie is starting school to become a veterinarian in the fall. I go on tour with the guys around the same time, so we really do have an open summer. Annie was planning on working the bar as much as she could, but we all spend so much of our time here anyway. I have a few gigs to attend for some of the bands I am working with, but, other than that, I wasn’t too sure how I was going to spend my time now that Cross My Heart has a band manager to help with all the administrative stuff I started doing last year.

Annie and I look at each other and shrug.

“I’m in,” she says, turning back to Drew.

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