Page 33 of Muse (Fighting Fate)

Kaeli squeezed my hand and gave me a reassuring smile. “You can do this, babe. They’re just kids laughing and having fun.”

I exhaled and nodded, holding her words and repeating them inside my head as my mantra as I walked towards their table. I was halfway there when Aiden looked up and saw me. The panic that came to his

eyes warmed me and spurred me on. He shot out of his seat and strode straight over to me, earning me quite a few hateful glares from the girls that had been surrounding him.

“Mia, are you okay?”

I gave him a nervous smile. His questioning gaze flew to Kaeli then back again. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just thought I’d come say hi.”

Surprise flickered across his face. “You wanted to come say hi?”

I nodded, focusing on my breathing. “Yep. I thought it was time I came out of my shell a little. Can Kaeli and I sit with you for a bit?”

He blinked. “Of course. You don’t need to ask, baby girl. Come over here.”

“You don’t have to stop what you were doing. I know how much you like your little groupies,” I said quietly, a smirk touching my lips.

He burst out laughing and threw his arm over my shoulder, leading me towards the other end of the table. A few people looked up at his loud chortle, Jace being one of them, and when he saw me, his eyes widened.

Aiden stopped right beside Jace and nudged him with his elbow. “Shove over guys. Make room for Mia and Kaeli.”

I was surprised when everyone jumped to his command, shuffling along to make a gap for us. I knew I should probably stay away from Jace for my own sanity, but I slid in next to him anyway. I was as nervous as hell, and I knew being close to him would keep me calm.

The awkwardness I thought would be between us didn’t come. Surprisingly, it just felt…right. I glanced up at him with a tiny smile and saw him watching me intently. “Hi,” I said softly.

His jaw clenched strangely before he spoke. “Hey. How are you?”

The intensity in his eyes was disarming. For some reason, I didn’t want to lie to him anymore. “In general, or in other terms?”

Understanding flickered in his eyes. He knew I was giving him a look inside. “Both.”

I bit my lip, rubbing the palms of my hands on my jeans under the table. “In general, I’m as nervous as hell. I think my heart rate is off the charts.”

I took a slow, deep breath and exhaled, then Jace’s fingers gently wrapped around my wrist. I looked at him questioningly, but when I saw his eyes widen a little, I realized he was feeling my pulse. “Shit,” he whispered.

“It’s okay. It’s slowing down. I don’t feel so panicked being next to you.” The words were out my mouth before I could stop them, but once they were, I was glad I said them.

I watched him draw in a slow, steady breath. “So, in other terms?” he asked.

It took me a few seconds to comprehend what he was asking, but when I did, I blushed. “In other terms…I’m not so sure…”

Jace looked down at the table. He looked a little frustrated, like he had some sort of internal battle going on. I wanted to ask him what it was about, but I felt Aiden’s eyes on me from the other side of the table. I looked across at him and gave him a reassuring smile. The happiness in his eyes made it all worthwhile.

“So, Jace,” the girl sitting on the other side of him said suddenly. She put her hand on his arm and looked at me pointedly. “Do you think you’ll be able to make it?”

Jace turned, somehow managing to dislodge her hand without seeming rude. “Ah…I’m not sure. We’re kind of practicing a lot these days, so we can’t really make any promises.”

He turned back to face me and the look I got from the chick was pure venom. Holy shit. Jace reached out under the table and found my wrist again. He smiled a little when he found my heart rate almost normal. “So, wanna tell me why you’re here?” he said softly, so only I could hear.

I shrugged a little. “I just thought it was time to stop hiding.”

He looked down at the table again. I could tell he was trying not to look at me – to not draw attention to the fact that we knew each other more than anyone thought. I could also tell he wanted to say something, but he either couldn’t because of where we were, or he wasn’t sure if he should.

“Hey, Jace,” Matt called from down the end. “Is it the twenty-fifth that we’re at Frank’s?”

I turned to see how Kaeli was doing while they talked gigs. Her eyes were sparkling a little. She’d been talking to a guy I’d seen in my Biology class – I think his name was Sean, and she’d obviously been enjoying herself. “How are you holding up?” she asked. “Are you okay, or do you want to get out of here?”

I pursed my lips together. “I’m actually good, but I think I’ve had enough.”

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