Page 22 of Addicted to You
His new fiancée made her way back to her seat, and Silas and his bandmates congratulated their friend before continuing with the concert. For the remaining songs, I found myself watching Silas more than anyone else. The way he played was impressive. Hell, it was more than impressive. It was captivating.
When Surrender finished their last song, they received a huge ovation, but no one was louder than Britt, who was on her feet, clapping and hollering like a proud older sister.
“That was incredible!” she exclaimed, her face lit up excitedly. “Wasn’t that amazing?”
My gaze lingered on Silas as he waved to the crowd before disappearing off stage with the rest of the band. “It really was.”
Britt grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the exit. “Come on, we’ve got to get backstage.”
I followed along, but my thoughts were still on Silas. He wasn’t just talented. He was the kind of performer who commanded attention. And tonight, he’d had mine.
The after-party was alreadyin full swing when Britt and I entered the private lounge. We scanned the area and quickly spotted Silas, still shirtless, laughing with a group of people near the bar.
“Silas!” Britt called, waving to get his attention.
He turned, his expression lighting up when he saw us. “Britt! Cash!” He motioned us over.
Britt could barely contain her excitement as she threw her arms around his neck. “You were amazing! The whole show was!”
“Thanks.” Silas beamed as he hugged her back. “It felt good to get the first one out of the way finally.”
“I think that’s one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended,” I admitted. “You were on another level.”
His smile faltered slightly like he hadn’t expected me to complimenthim. “Appreciate that, man. Really.” The bartender approached, and Silas ordered shots for the three of us. When they arrived, he raised his glass. “Thanks for being here tonight.”
We clinked our glasses together.
“Are you guys going to stay for a while?” Silas asked after we downed our shots.
“We’re heading back to the hotel. I promised this guy”—she wrapped an arm around my waist—“some quality time.”
“Say no more.” He laughed, hugged his sister, and then looked at me. “Thanks again for coming. It really meant a lot to me.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” I replied, meeting his gaze.
“Oh!” Britt stopped as we started to walk away. “Will you tell Jesse congratulations for me? I would tell him myself, but I don’t think they’re getting a break from the other well-wishers any time soon.”
He nodded. “Will do.”
“Catch you when you play in Boston, little bro.” She gave a final wave.
Britt and I hadn’t made any plans to go to that concert yet, but I’d love to see Surrender perform again.
9
Silas
One MonthLater
The bus bouncedand swayed as it cruised down the highway, which didn’t help the headache I had from the party the night before. It hadn’t been anything too wild, just enough to leave me regretting those last few tequila shots.
I rolled over in my bunk and squinted at the stream of light filtering through the crack in the curtain. The smell of coffee filled the air, and I could hear voices coming from the front lounge. It was likely Jesse and Olivia since they were the early risers of our group. Pulling a pillow over my head, I closed my eyes, hoping to get a bit more sleep before we rolled into Vancouver, our last stop in Canada before heading back to the US.
Eventually, we slowed down, and I peeked out the window in time to see the bus turn into the parking lot of the venue where we would be playing later that night. The others began shuffling around, but I wasn’tin any rush to join them. Instead, I stretched out, trying to shake off the remnants of my hangover. I’d managed to stay mostly focused on the tour, but that didn’t mean I’d given up partying entirely. I’d just toned it down enough to keep Elliott and the others from giving me too much shit.
Still, the past month on the road had been a blur of late nights, early mornings, and performances that left me buzzing. I loved being on stage, but tour life wasn’t all fun and games, and I was looking forward to returning to LA in a couple of weeks, so I could enjoy a couple of days in my own apartment.
“Lunch will be ready soon,” Jasper called out from the front of the bus.
