Page 81 of Knot My Band: Part One
As Aiden’s breaths deepen into sleep, I let my eyes drift closed, the weight of his arm around me anchoring me to this moment, to him.
Oli
PACK ‘EM UP GOSSIP COLUMN
FANS SPECULATE A ROMANCE BETWEEN OLI HART AND THE EDGE
May 23rd
The four guys are gathered, waiting for me when I come out of my nest. There are at least ten wrapped presents around them.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Aiden’s smile is bright, Chase looks excited, Jack is content, and Dax’s face is blank.
“We got you some courting presents,” Jack explains.
I squeal and sit down on the couch.
“What can I open first?” I’m bouncing up and down in my seat.
I decide to ignore the elephant in the room, not wanting to put any pressure on Dax. Letting him decide how involved he wants to be.
Aiden hands me something covered in pink wrapping paper. I rip it open, and a pair of sparkly pink slippers tumble out.
They’re perfect and so soft.
“I love them, thank you.”
I keep opening more and more to find soft, sweet, and cute gifts.
The next present Jack hands to me. It’s a stuffed polar bear that goes with all the others he’s gotten me. My collection is almost growing bigger than my nest can fit. I have one from each city we stop in.
“There’s one more,” Jack says, pulling out a smaller box.
I’m nervous to open it. Their excited energy has shifted into more nervousness.
Inside is a gold necklace that says, ‘The Edge’ in cursive writing.
I gasp. “It’s gorgeous. You want me to wear your name?”
“We do. It’s a small claiming if you’re willing?” Jack asks.
I turn around and pull my hair to the side. “I would love to.”
Chase presses a kiss to the spot where my scent is strongest before putting the necklace on me.
It feels like the moment might get steamy, but a knock on the door of the bus interrupts me.
“You’re late!” Riley shouts through the door.
I thank them one more time before we rush to get ready for the show.
* * *
The stage thrums with energy, a pulsating beat that syncs with the rhythm of my heart. I’m alive in the spotlight, every strum of Jack’s guitar an extension of my essence as I belt out lyrics that resonate with raw emotion. My bangs whip around my face, sticking to the sheen of sweat on my forehead. I catch the eye of someone in the front row, giving them a wink and a devilish grin.
But then, a sharp twinge in my belly—unexpected, fierce—cuts through the ecstasy. My breath hitches mid-chorus, and I falter, just for a second.
