Page 67 of Of Heartbreak and Harmony
“Make a wish, old man.” Mabel gestures to the cake.
I grin and walk toward her. “I’m not old.”
“Older than all of us.”
“Except Red,” Sav chimes in. “But he doesn’t count.”
I shake my head, flicking my eyes back to Callie briefly. She looks gorgeous but uncomfortable as hell standing in the back of the room. I haven’t seen her since we got to the hotel yesterday, and even then, it was just a brief staged check-in for the tabloids. My fingers curl into a fist at the memory of her hand in mine, and I have to force myself to look away and back at the cake.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOR is written in blue icing with little black music notes piped around the words and twenty-nine candles dripping blue wax along a white-iced border. It’s a small, simple cake, and it’s perfect. It’s just the reminder I needed that this band is better than any family I could have been born into. My mom? My brother? I don’t need them as long as I have Sav, Mabel, and Jo.
“Blow ‘em out before we catch the hotel on fire,” Sav teases, and I narrow my eyes playfully at her before letting them fall shut and blowing. The candles extinguish immediately, and everyone claps. “What did you wish for?”
I glance at Sav and shrug. “None of your business.”
She rolls her eyes, and it feels good. It feels like how it could be. How it might be soon if things continue in the direction they’ve been. Healing and growth aren’t usually linear, though, so I won’t get my hopes up.
Mabel steps up and starts cutting the cake, and I once again let my eyes stray to Callie. This time, she looks far less uncomfortable than shedid moments earlier. This time, she’s talking with Jonah, and from the smile on her face, she’s enjoying it. Without overthinking it, I snatch two plates of cake from the table and head toward her. When I’m within arm’s reach, Callie’s attention turns to me while Jo’s stays on her.
I hand Callie a plate of cake and fix my eyes on my guitarist.
“You hitting on my girlfriend? On my birthday?”
I attempt to say it jokingly, but there’s still an underlying bite that can’t be missed. Jonah doesn’t even look at me when he responds.
“Fakegirlfriend.”
Callie’s eyebrows shoot up, and I force a smile.
“It’s got to look real,Jo.”
Jonah glances sideways at me, eyes glassy but clear, and arches a brow. “I’d think it would make itmorerealistic.”
I grit my teeth. “Jonah.”
I can feel Callie’s attention on me, but I keep mine on Jonah. Glaring at him. Warning him to keep his fucking mouth shut. He holds my eye contact for one breath, then two, and then he looks at Callie and fucking grins.
“Think about it,” he says to her.
My fury spikes further as he takes his finger and swipes it through the icing on her cake, then sucks his finger clean before giving her another grin.
“You’ve got my number.” When he looks back at me, the grin is still fixed on his face. “Happy birthday, Tor.”
I don’t bother watching him leave the suite. I don’t ask where the fuck he’s going like I normally would. Right now, I don’t care.
“What did he mean?” Callie and I say at the same time.
I shake my head and plow forward. “What does he want you to think about?”
Her eyebrows slant downward while a pink flush tints her cheeks.
“He invited me to hang out tonight.”
“To do what?”
“I don’t know.Hang out.”
“Jonah doesn’thang outwith women, Callie. He fucks them.”
