Page 54 of Cadence
And opening for Reign Cooper is…exhilarating. A rush I could get addicted to. We’re approaching the end of week one since we hit the road, already playing four shows with him, and the adrenaline hasn’t let up. Not once.
My ears continuously ring from the crowd, and every time I blink, there’s a flash of the stage, the lights…Maddox.
Always Maddox.
His chorded forearm braced as he plays, the way his dark hair sticks to the back of his neck by the fifth song. I don’t even need to count anymore; I just know. Sometimes he tosses his head back to breathe between songs, and I have to look away, becausethat throat, those veins, that sweat-soaked shirt clinging to his chest…
How am I meant to last another eleven weeks being trapped on this bus?
Beingthisclose to Maddox and having to act normal…it’s killing me in a way that’s driving me mad and the only person I can confide in is too busy sending me eggplant emojis and suggestive gifs to take any of this seriously. Olive clearly finds my situation much more entertaining than I do.
Glancing around the bus, I soak it all in, not wanting to forget a single second. Eli’s sprawled on the couch, while Beau’s on the floor, the two of them locked in aCall of Dutymatch loud enough to crack eardrums and Eli’s trash talk is…garbage.
“Here.”
Jerking my eyes away from the guys, I stare up at Maddox, then at the mug with steam wafting from the top, the rich, nutty aroma flooding my senses.
“You made me coffee?” I ask, almost skeptically, because that’s…kind of sweet.
He shrugs, setting it on the table in front of me. “You’d made one earlier and left it on the counter. I just made you a fresh one.”
Shoot. I totally forgot I did that.
“Thanks,” I say as I slide it toward me and inhale. “I appreciate it.”
“It’s fine,” he mutters.
He doesn’t leave right away, just stands there, like he’s waiting for something. Lifting the mug to my lips, my eyes flutter closed as I take my first sip, savoring the flavor as it hits my tongue. A low groan reverberates in front of me, causing my eyes to snap open, finding Maddox’s gaze narrowed in on my mouth.
“Do you need anything?” I ask, swallowing thickly, my blood heating as he watches me set the mug down.
A muscle in his neck pulses before he jerks his chin toward my tablet on my knee. “What are you working on?”
Seriously, this guy. First, he’s picking fights over sleeping arrangements, and now, he’s making coffee and asking about my videos.
“I’m editing content for BehindTheSnare.” I tap the screen and spin it around, showing him the most recent one I’m working on. It starts to play, the volume so low it’s almost inaudible.
Maddox studies it quietly, lips pinched in a line. “You going to be able to post while we’re on tour?”
I bite my lower lip, fighting a laugh. Try as he might not to sound interested, there’s an unwanted hint of intrigue in his tone.
“I recorded a couple before we left. Got a stockpile of drafts I haven’t used yet, too.”
Though at this rate, it won’t last long and eventually I’m going to run out of things to post.
“If I’m honest, I’m not even sure I want to keep it going,” I mutter to myself.
This tour is demanding, and it’s only been a week. The travel, the soundchecks, the actual shows, it’s exhausting. Agoodexhausting. But part of me wonders if it’s time to step away from the account completely.
“Why?” His question cuts through my thoughts.
Glancing up, I frown. “What?”
He doesn’t look away. “Why would you give it up?”
Heat creeps up my neck.Shit,did I say that out loud?
I hesitate, trying to put everything into words. “I guess that’s who I was before all this”—I gesture around us—“made it easier to pretend I didn’t want more because the account was successful, y’know?” I shift in my seat, gaze lowering to my hands wrapped around my mug, steam curling up between us.“But now we’re here, a small part of me wonders if keeping the account is like I’m still half-hiding.”
