Page 142 of Secondhand Smoke
The door opened, and Nell walked in.
She barely had a chance to take in the room before she was swept into a crushing hug that knocked the wind out of her.
He smelled exactly the same.
The cheap cologne, cigarettes, and sweat after performing on stage.
He felt exactly the same.
His arms wrapped around her, his hair, a little longer than before, brushing against her cheek as he buried his face into her neck.
She’d already been overwhelmed just seeing him perform again. But holding him took her over the edge, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She closed them, trying to keep herself steady, as she leaned on his shoulder.
“Scott,” was the first word that came to mind.
“I’m so glad you came,” he murmured into her neck.
His arms were so familiar, so comfortable. Like being at home.
She would be content to stand there forever.
“Wow, okay, you gonna hog her the whole time or what?” A snarky voice spoke up closer than Nell was expecting, and she jumped.
Barrett pulled away and let go of her slowly, though his eyes almost stung with how intensely they watched her. She didn’t want to look away either, taking in the parts she’d only seen in photographs in the newspaper every now and then.
Toni, with dark makeup smudged under his eyes and curly hair as long as Nell’s now, pushed Barrett aside and broke their gazes. “Well, hello to you too, Duncan.”
Nell laughed and met him halfway in a hug. “You were amazing. You’re always amazing.”
“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? Caught us off guard,” Toni said, his voice in her ear.
“I could’ve saved you a spot up front,” another voice piped up.
Nell pulled away from the hug to see Paulie waiting his turn patiently on the side.
She laughed and pulled him in. “I didn’t even know I was coming until yesterday,” she said. “And I doubt there’d be any room for me in the front row. Those girls were waiting hours for you.”
Dennis, waiting next in line, hugged her as soon as Paulie let go. “It’s good to see you, Duncan. Been a while.”
“Yes, it has.” Nell’s face hurt from smiling too much as she finally finished her greetings and stepped back to take in the guys who had become a second family to her, now clad in their signature black leather and ripped denim cut-off-sleeve tank tops. “Wow. You all look so . . .”
“Amazing?”
“Mature?”
“Like bad-ass rockstars?”
“Yes.” Nell laughed. “All of the above, but especially like bad-ass rockstars.”
“You’re one to talk.” Dennis gestured to her. “You look great.”
“I like your hair.”
“I agree, Paulie,” Toni said. “It’s very chic. Your natural color really brings out your complexion.”
Nell threw her head back and laughed.
The others stared at him with twisted faces.
