Page 132 of Cadence
“Jesus fuck!” Eli cries out, shoving open the door with all the finesse and perfect timing of a baby elephant crashing through a forest. “What the he—Paige? Maddox?”
I leap off his lap, throwing myself to the other side of the couch, my lips kiss-swollen, and I know without a doubt my skin must be the brightest shade of red.
Maddox shifts on the spot, trying to cover the erection straining in his pants as Beau walks in behind him.
“Are you… Does this… What…” Eli splutters, unable to finish a single thought, his blue eyes bouncing between the pair of us. “You two…?”
He doesn’t wait for a reply, not that either of us could answer his unfinished line of questioning, before he’s flinging himself onto the couch, crushing Maddox under his weight and leaning over to grab me and pull me in too.
“I’m so excited,” he says, awkwardly throwing an arm around my neck and hugging me, the new position setting him right on Maddox’s… He drags himself back, his gaze lowering to his friend’s crotch, his eyebrows wiggling up and down. “Oh, hello. Looks like I’m not the only one.”
“Get off.” Maddox shoves at him hard, causing him to topple, his laughter loud as he lands on the floor.
“I think you were about to,” he teases, scrambling away when Maddox stands, taking a step toward him.
Turning, he offers a hand, pulling me to my feet and wrapping an arm around my waist, bringing me into his side.
Our bandmates stare at each other, this weird face-off happening in the middle of the studio, and I look at Beau first, his face unreadable but not entirely disapproving.
“Beau?” Maddox’s fingers curl against me as he stares at one of his best friends. “I love you, man, I just…” He glances down at me briefly, before meeting his eyes again. “I love her, too.”
“I know, but…” He turns to me, lips pulling tight. “What about you? How do you feel?”
I lean into Maddox, tilting my head upward to look at him.
“Maddox Knox might be a lot of things, and yeah, we might argue about lyrics or chord sequences or whatever.” A soft smile pulls at my lips, my voice lowering as I say, “But I love him, faults and all.”
I’ll never get tired of saying those words, ones I said when we were hauled up in his house.
“Aww, you guys,” Eli says, throwing an arm around Beau’s shoulder, resting his head against it. “Don’t you love it when Mom and Dad stop fighting?”
Beau shrugs him away, moving toward his guitar. “I thought you liked it when they fought?”
“Fighting? Fucking? I don’t mind which, as long as I get to see it—”
“I really need to watch when I walk into a room when Eli’s here,” Thea says, shaking her head as she steps into the studio. “That way, it wouldn’t sound like one of my band members isn’t into some kink that, knowing him, could get him in a lot of trouble with the PR department.”
“PR department? We have a PR department?” he asks, his face paling slightly.
“You’ll have one when you sign this goddamn contract.” She brandishes a crisp document from under her arm. Setting it on the table, she spreads her arms wide, coming over and wrapping me in a hug. “I’m so glad to see you. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” Thea pulls back, levelling me with a look. “I promise.”
“I was so worried, and when I didn’t hear from you, I thought…”
“I know, and I’m sorry,” I cut in, stepping out of her hold. “I had a lot to process.”
Sympathy coats Thea’s face as she nods, her gaze lowering to where Maddox’s hand rests back on my waist, her brows raising in question.
“Uh-huh, I can see.” She nods toward the door. “Maddox, Paige, a word?”
Glancing at him, I follow her, the whole thing strangely reminiscent of the last time our manager did this. Like before, she pushes her way into the control room, dismissing our sound guy. Maddox walks in first, head lowered, hiding a smirk.
Because, unlike last time, we’re good,reallygood.
“Do you have something to tell me?” she asks, loosely folding her arms over her chest and leaning against the desk, her lips twitching as she glances between us. “Last time I had to warn you to sort out your shit before the start of the tour. And now you’re what? Fooling around? Dating? I don’t care which, I just care if it could blow up in our faces.”
“It won’t,” Maddox says, taking a step toward me like he’s trying to show a united front.
