Page 43 of Wild Stars

This tour, this whole rockstar thing...it’s fucking messing with my head.

On the plus side, outside of myHeart Killercostumes and makeup, I mostly look like a washed up Umbrella Academy student with a cake addiction, so thankfully, no one reallynoticesme.Especially, with the long hair and sweatpants.

When I enter the Starbucks, I make my way toward the counter to place my order, since the stupid app wasn’t working at the damn studio.The line isn’t too terrible, about three or four people in front of me, but when I hear a familiar voice cursingbehindme, I can’t help but almost jump out of my skin.

I turn around to see Matty standing there, jaw tight, eyes ablaze.

“Should I get a restraining on your ass?”I tease, feeling a familiar blaze of fire key up in my stomach, in my fucking balls.

Matty’s eyebrow twitches and I feel a sense of accomplishment.

And maybe a little better in general.

“Last I checked, it’s you who cannot seem to stay away from me,” he purrs, his silky voice making my brain turn to mush again.

“Yet here we are.”I flash him a smirk and he rolls his eyes.

“The world does not revolve around you, Dare,” he grumbles.“My sister, it seems, is in need of caffeine.”

I move up, and he does, too.Two people to go.

“And what about you, old man?What do you require?The blood of your haters?”

I watch as his shoulders tighten, and I notice he holds himself rather stiffly.

He’s uncomfortable.

Of course, probably because he remembers you making an ass of yourself.

“Nothing that Starbucks can deliver, that’s for sure,” he mutters on a growl.

Something about his words feel important, and though they sound harsh, I have a feeling it’s just his bite.

Beneath it, lies something else, something I can’t quite place.

“Richie’s dying for some extra kick, too.Then Ines and Spike were like, oh wait, don’t forget about me, and then Penny was like?—”

I realize I am rambling, so I stop, trying to collect myself and to look like a normal person for once.One person left.

We move up again in the line.

“Can I...can I buy you a drink?”I ask cautiously.I don’t miss the way his eyebrows knit together as he contemplates my offer.

“Yes, because that worked so well the last time,” he nips.

I know his words should offend me, but they don’t.

Not in the slightest.In fact, it’s the opposite.They are like a challenge.

“Well, I don’t think Starbucks has any whiskey to spike your drink, so I think you’re safe.”I flash him with a grin.

Matty’s eyebrow twitches as he grinds his jaw.

“It’s the least I can do, man.You...”I swallow harshly as the words fall out of my mouth without warning.“You took care of my stupid ass, and you didn’t have to,” I declare, stealing a glance at his steely gray eyes.“More than once.”

Matty huffs out a breath.“It is becoming quite a bad habit, I agree,” he murmurs, as he nods.“You’re up.”

I pause for a moment, glancing between him and the barista, and settle on putting my order in.“All right, I need a venti mocha with two shots of espresso,” I state as the barista raises an eyebrow.

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