Page 15 of Centre Stage

Chapter Nine

Declan

caressedhim like she was singing just for him and him alone. Declan had a quote written on the wall in his studio that read:“Music shouldn't be just a tune, it should be a touch.”

And that’s what Andi was doing, her husky tone like fingers grazing his skin, and damn he was awestruck. He remembered the first time he had gone to see a band live, felt the spike of a adrenaline as the crowd cheered, the lights went down and there was this hush of silence before the music started and the band began their set, and Declan was addicted.

Now, Andi was centre stage, stealing the limelight and he was one hundred percent behind it.

How had he never known? How had she kept this big a secret from him on nights they had written lyrics together, sorted out melodies, and when Andi hummed along, never singing the words, he should have known that Andi could sing even better than he could.

Declan was aware that Charlie was watching him watch Andi, as she concluded the final bars of the song, her fingers gracefully plucking at the strings of the guitar. Then Andi opened her eyes, and Declan still hadn’t managed to take a breath as everyone clapped and cheered for Andi.

Handing Declan back his guitar, Andi didn’t even bother to look at him as she muttered what he thought was thanks before she looked at Charlie. But Charlie was distracted by the fact that Noah had gotten to his feet and stormed out, the door to the bar banging shut as his friend made a noisy exit.

Rhys had fallen asleep in the corner of the room and Jameson was dragging him to his feet and told Declan he would make sure he got home okay. Luna went to fix Luke a coffee so her brother could help her tidy up.

Declan wasn’t able to take his eyes off of Andi, realized he was frowning at her as Charlie turned and asked Andi if she was ready to leave. Before he knew it, the girls were heading toward the door and he couldn’t just leave her walk away after that.

“Andi, wait.”

Andi froze at the sound of his voice, nodding her head when Charlie asked her if she would be okay. Andi inclined her head and Declan followed out after her as Andi shivered in the cold night air and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and warm her up.

“What do you want, Declan? It’s cold and my feet hurt.”

Declan ran his hands through his hair. “Why did you never tell me you could sing?”

Andi shrugged and Declan saw a sliver of the Andi he had fallen for as a teenager, the hesitance and lack of confidence. “I couldn’t sing in front of you back then. Every time I tried, my throat just closed up and I panicked.”

“You didn’t have to be nervous with me, Andi.”

Andi frowned and shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

Declan folded his arms across his chest. “Then tell me so I understand. We used to tell each other everything. What changed, Andi?”

Rubbing her arms absently, Andi looked uncomfortable as she mumbled. “It doesn’t matter now. It really doesn’t matter.”

“It fucking matters to me, Andi. How did we get here to where you can’t stand to look at me or stand to be in the same room as me without looking like I’m the antichrist?” He asked, no demanded from Andi.

Maybe it was his tone, maybe it was the demand in it but it snapped something in Andi. “You happened. I had my entire life planned out and you went and tossed a grenade on my life. Did you use me to boost your ego, Dec? Was it fun to have me trail after you like a puppy when you didn’t feel anything for me? Did you all have a good laugh at my expense?”

Where the hell was this all coming from? How could Andi think that he would use her like that? Surely he couldn’t have imagined the electricity between them when their fingers brushed against one another’s when passing instruments or drinks to one another. Surely he had seen the same need in her eyes as he had in his own when their eyes clashed.

“I have no clue what you are talking about, Andi?”

Andi threw her hands up in the air. “That’s the point, Declan...You have no clue what you’ve done because it wasn’t a big deal to you. Rhys might have been your best friend, but you were mine! But then you just... and I ... And I ...I ...”

Clamping her mouth shut, like she hadn’t intended to say all she had and then Andi shook her head, her loose caramel curls bouncing with the movement. Dread filled his stomach as he looked at her face, the sadness in her eyes as if he was the root cause of it all.

But she was the one who had left him standing alone in the rain like a lemon. She was the one who ghosted him and then left the goddamn country without offering any explanation and now she was standing there with those big eyes of hers, acting like the injured party.

“You stood me up, remember?” He snarled, the hurt feelings resurfacing. “You left me waiting for you to come and you never showed. You wouldn’t even speak to me and I never knew why. I called you a million times wanting to know what I did wrong and you just took off to another country and forgot about me. What did I do that was so wrong? Why the fuck did you ghost me?”

Then Andi laughed, incensing him even more as he took a step toward her.

“Don’t you fucking laugh at me, Andi. Don’t.”

“Or what?” she tossed back at him, but she glanced at the door as if she was scared of him and he couldn’t blame her. “You’ll make my life hell? You’ll shun me so no one talks to me anymore You’ll date a girl I hated just to get back at me? Do your worst, Declan. Do your worst because you already broke my heart once and I’ll be damned if I’ll let you do it again. Go fuck yourself.”

---