Page 33 of Never To Suffer

“How’s everyone back…home?” Their face scrunches at the word.

“So much has changed since you left. Like Xan and I are the only things that are the same. Coop’s brother moved in with him and went pro. Jamie got married, and oh my god, you’d absolutely love Alexis, she’s perfect for him and they’re stupidly in love. Laurie got married twice—to the same guy. Once on a cruise ship for shits and giggles and once back home for everyone else. And Steve—oh shit!”

I slam my hands over my mouth so hard it stings.

“Got married? I heard. So, he’s happy?”

“He is. Ethan’s the sweetest guy. Steve went on his soul-searching doom spiral and learned his soul was, in fact, not in some stranger’s pants. Ethan helped him find his old spark, but we all still miss you.”

“I miss you, too. But I’m glad Steve moved on. I still worry about the dumbass.” Their smile reaches their eyes, which makes me smile back. So much has changed, but so much hasn’t. Like me, they’ve earned a few more scars, added a few new lines to their face, and the look in their eye tells me things haven’t been easy since they left. I’m not surprised since the last time I saw them their hand was so bad they had trouble holding the guitar let alone playing it. The depression kept them from writing music or poetry. They lost hope when giant chunks of their life were stripped away forever. Skylar has cried on my shoulders as many times as I’ve cried on theirs, but after the accident, the tears became sobs, gut wrenching and painful to hear. And the nightmares?

A shiver runs up my spine remembering those long nights and the way they’d scream out.

I get on my tiptoes and brush the hair out of their face, but the breeze keeps blowing it back. Before I can move my hand away, they’ve reached up and taken it, holding it there against the stubble and warm skin. The longer they stare at me, the closer we get to crossing a line that’s ready to be run over, trampled, and lit on fire. What if the reason Xander nailed it the other night? We’re searching for our third when they’ve been part of our lives already.

“Skylar, I?—”

“Dani!” Connor’s screech cuts me off from across the parking lot. It might be a blessing in disguise, but it still annoys me. “Are you coming or what?”

If you hadn’t interrupted!

“Hey, break a leg up there, yeah? I’ll make sure everyone in this bar has your back, Beetle.”

“DANI! Come on, woman!”

“Shit, I gotta go. Stay here!” I say in a panic, making them laugh at the request. “I mean, stick around the bar, not stay inthe parking lot! We can go out after and grab a stupidly early breakfast or something.”

“Sure.”

I narrow my eyes, but before I can say I don’t believe them, they slide their jacket off and slip it over my shoulders. I pull it closed and breathe them in. We’re playing with fire, making promises we shouldn’t make to one another, but we’re doing it, anyway. I pull them down to me and kiss their cheek before I take off running across the parking lot, holding the jacket close. I don’t care that it’s huge on me, I’m not taking this thing off until Skylar strips it off me.

After the show, I push my way to the back and shove open the door to the parking lot. Relief floods through me when I find them leaning against a light pole next to a familiar motorcycle.

“You stayed?” I move toward them, trying my best to come across as sexy, but I’m pretty sure I only manage stage drunk. “What did you think?”

“You’ve got my jacket.” They wink and I hope they can’t see the heat rising in my cheeks. “Same thing I’ve always thought. Stunning, electrifying, transcendent, but mostly, mind numbingly gorgeous.”

“Okay, enough about Connor,” I joke. My entire body screams for me to jump into their arms again and beg them to never let go. Instead, I shove my hands in the pockets of the jacket, running my fingers over a set of keys I didn’t realize I had. Either they still trust me and wanted to prove they wouldn’t leave tonight, or they forgot their keys were in the pocket and they can’t leave but don’t want to make this awkward.

“Does Connor play drums or bass?” they ask, shoving their hands in their pockets.

“Drums.”

“Ah, yeah, he’s cute,” Skylar says with a sky smile. “And he can play. I can’t say as much about your bassist. Especially when his nose ring fell out.” They take a step closer. “But he’s got a solid band around him and a siren like you singing the sailors to their deaths in the pit.”

“He’s temporary. I, uhm, caught the last bassist screwing my girlfriend in the bathroom.” I close the remaining gap between us, the toes of my sneakers bumping against the toes of their boots. My platforms shoes don’t make a dent in the foot worth of difference in our heights. “If she’d been a better bassist, like someone I used to know, I’d have kept her in the band. Instead, I’m stuck with Todd.”

“Terrible name for a bassist.”

Somewhere behind me, I can hear the band packing up the van and getting ready to head out. “They’re almost done packing up. I should let you get back to the band.”

I take their hands in mine, my heart racing. I don’t want them to leave again. “Come with us. We’re grabbing dinner at one of those late-night grease traps.”

They stare down at me, their face unreadable except for the tiniest twitch in the corner of their eyes. I’m sure they’re about to say no, about to tell me this was fun, but we’re never going to get that second chance, so why bother stringing this out?

“How about I give you a ride to the diner? We’ll talk about what happens next after greasy food and shitty coffee.”

“YES!” I can’t hide my excitement as I jump up and scream. “I mean, mm, my favorite.”

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