Page 42 of Songbird: Black Kite
“Whatever.” She flounced down the stairs, her long hair catching in the icy wind when she stood beside him. “I’ll talk to you when you’re not totally fucked up.” She walked away from him and headed my way, pausing when she reached me. “You don’t matter to him,” she hissed in my ear so that only I could hear her. “None of you matter. Tomorrow, he’ll be in another town, with another stupid bitch on his bus and in his bed, and he won’t even remember your name.”
Her words struck me like a punch to the gut, but the joke was on her; Hawk hadn’t evenaskedme my name, so he wouldn’t even have the opportunity to forget it.
She watched me, her eyes holding a vicious glint as she waited for her words to take effect. Little did she know that I was a master at hiding my emotions; it had become a habit for me over the last few years.
“He’s gonna break your heart, you silly little girl. It’s all he knows how to do.”
With that, she stalked over to the other bus, pushing past Charlie and storming inside.
I stood there, shivering in the cold night air, considering her words.
She wasn’t wrong, but the thing she didn’t realize was that I had no expectations for how this would go. All I had wanted to do was see my favorite band play live, and I’d done that. Meeting Hawk had been an impossible dream, so the fact that I was standing here, staring at him as he held out one hand for me to join him?
That was something I’d never in a million years have expected for my life, and there was no way I’d ever get an opportunity like this again.
Did she think I was here to fuck Hawk? Absolutely, she did.
But that had never been my goal.
Looking at him now, though, his hair blowing across his face as he waited for me to make my decision, I knew that might be his expectation. But something about our interaction so far felt different. I’d been hit on by guys before; I could tell when they really only had one goal in mind, and this felt like something more.
Glancing over my shoulder, I caught Charlie’s gaze and gave a soft smile and a nod. He looked from me to Hawk and back again before he nodded in return and went back onto his own bus.
Then I stepped forward, and took Hawk’s hand, lacing my fingers with his.
“Show me.”
Chapter twenty-six
Hawk
Fifteen Years Ago
“Sithere,”Isaid,directing her to the couch. She plopped down in the center, her knees bouncing as she looked at me expectantly. What was it about her wide eyes that grabbed me by the balls? She was pretty, sure, but it was more than that. This girl seemed to see beyond the flash and the stage. She looked at me and it felt like she was actually seeing me. Hawk. The kid from south L.A. who was still trying to wash the stench of poverty off his skin.
I wasn’t sure I liked that sensation, if I was being honest, but I didn’t hate it enough to make her leave, either.
When she’d walked off the bus, my heart had lodged itself in my throat. The thought of never seeing her again was physically painful, and I had no fucking idea why.
Reaching into my jeans, I pulled out the bag of Molly, shaking out another one of the little green pills.
“Fuckin’ Tori is such a buzzkill,” I muttered, causing her to whip her head to me. “You want?” I held out my hand, offering her the pill like a fuckin’ gentleman.
“What is it?” she asked hesitantly.
“Vitamin E,” I said, smiling.
“Oh. Um, no thanks.”
Shrugging, I popped the pill and headed to the bar, grabbing a bottle of Grey Goose and twisting off the cap before taking a long swig. Leaning back against the counter, I looked at her, really taking her in. She was young, that was for sure, but I was almost certain she was legal. Those big eyes were watching me, the hazel color looking like gold in the dim light of the bus. Her legs were slender, and I smirked at her cute sneakers, the black high-top Chuck Taylors so not going with the rest of her outfit, but this chick didn’t seem to give a shit about anything.
Moving to sit next to her, I felt her stiffen as I leaned in close, sweeping her hair off her shoulder and giving me access to her neck. Her flesh was creamy and unmarked and...covered in goosebumps?
“Shit, are you cold?” I asked urgently, feeling like shit that I hadn’t noticed before.
“A little,” she replied, her teeth chattering lightly when she spoke.
“Fuck. I’m such a dick. Hang on.”
