Page 54 of Muse (Fighting Fate)

“You ready, man?” Dean asked from beside me.

I was more than ready to get away from this crowd. I nodded. “Yep. Let’s do it.”

***

Lunch seemed to be the only objective in my day. Everything I did was with a purpose that would bring me a step closer to that time. I didn’t even bother trying to convince myself that it had to do with anything other than Mia.

I timed my approach carefully, watching for the exact moment she would start heading out to the green, before striding out and taking a seat on a vacant bench. Much to my satisfaction, Mia arrived a few seconds after me and slid down beside me, with Kaeli taking the seat beside her.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual. Yeah, I was a dick.

“Hi.”

Her answer was soft and shy, but there was a little teasing shine in her eyes. It made me want to grab her and tickle her so I could hear the little giggle I knew would be just under the surface. “Have you had a good morning?”

She bit her lip, making me want to do the same. “It’s been…long…” she said cryptically.

“Mmm…I think I know what you mean.”

“Hey, Jace…”

I turned to see Melissa sitting across the table from me and raised my eyebrows in question. She’d been annoying the fuck out of me all morning. I don’t know why she had to be in so many of my god damned classes.

“Are you guys playing this weekend? I’d love to come and see you.”

I bit back a rude reply and nodded. “Yep. Friday night. At the GV.”

“Awesome. Maybe we can catch up after.” She narrowed her eyes and lowered her head. I guessed it was supposed to be a seductive look or something. It wasn’t.

Turning back to Mia, I pressed my lips into a weary smile. “Have you ever been to one of our shows?”

She shook her head softly. “No. The crowds are a bit too much for me.”

I watched her carefully, trying to pick up on any clue that might give me some answers. “Why do crowds bother you so much?”

I was watching her so intently, I didn’t notice Aiden had turned his attention on our conversation. “They just do, okay?”

My gaze jumped over Mia’s shoulder to find Aiden glaring at me from the other side of Kaeli. That look, combined with the warning tone in his voice, had me instantly confused. I looked back at Mia to see she’d gone a little pale. Holy shit. What did I say? “I’m sorry. I didn’t…”

She smiled sadly and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”

I glanced over at Aiden again, hoping he could shed a bit of fucking light, but he’d resumed his interest in the swarming girls like nothing had happened. The fuck? Unease grew in my stomach. I had a feeling this wasn’t just some silly little phobia that could be fixed with a bit of gentle encouragement. This was big.

Kaeli whispered something in Mia’s ear and she shook her head, whispering something in return. Her whole body language had changed. I could feel the tension rolling off her in waves. I wanted to fix it, but what the fuck could I do with everyone watching? I didn’t think I’d been more frustrated in my life.

“Hey, man,” Matt said from further down the table. “How many tickets did Lenny give us?”

What the fuck did I care how many tickets he gave us? I shrugged. “I don’t know. Six?”

“You mind if I take a couple?”

Jesus, he could take them all if he’d fucking stop talking to me. “Nah, man. Take as many as you want.”

“You’re not bringing anyone?” He sounded surprised.

Mia pushed to her feet beside me and I looked up with alarm. Shit, was she shitty with me? “Are you okay?” I asked so only she could hear.

She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, I’ve just had enough for today.”

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