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“Maybe you should be the one who gets some rest,” I say softly.
Carmen ignores what I’m saying and smiles brightly at the rest of the guys. “We need to make sure this goes without a hitch.”
“Sure thing,” Brent says before making his way across the stage and into his position.
The rest of us follow him up there quietly, picking up our respective instruments, and I strum my fingers over the chords of my guitar for a few moments to make sure it’s tuned correctly for our first song.
There’s a flash of blue that I take note of from the corner of my eye, which immediately has me turning my head, and I find Mallory standing there with her eyes on us. Today, she’s wearing a dark blue dress that hugs her curves beautifully and her hair pulled into a tight ponytail.
I wish she would wear it down, much like she had the night we spent together.
The memory of her hair splayed across my pillow haunts me, a ghost of possibilities lost. I shake my head, trying to dislodge the thought. I’m here to make music, not moon over what can never be.
As soon as I’m about to look away, Trevor saunters up next to her and looks her up and down with a bright gaze that has me clenching the neck of my guitar tight enough that I’m sure it’s going to crack. He leans against the wall, pushing his arm over his head while smiling down at her. And my blood boils with jealousy.
She throws her head back laughing at something he says, only increasing the jealousy since it’s something I can’t seem to do with her, and a throat clears next to me. Evan is standing there, looking from me to Mallory, then he shakes his head with a knowing smirk. “We’re starting.”
That’s all he says. Clearly he can tell there’s something going on, yet he’s not trying to get in the middle of it — that’s a relief, I guess. I nod curtly, then steal one last glance over at Trevor andMallory before looking forward and focusing on what we came here to do.
I’m strumming the chords as needed for the song, really getting into it, when an image of Mallory smiling at Trevor pops into my head.
“Hold it, hold it!” Carmen shouts before scurrying across the stage toward me, a frown on her face. She comes to a stop and blows out a rough breath. “You’ve gotta get your head in the performance, Jace.”
I nod. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry, must be a little tired.”
She gives me a small smile and nods. “Let’s get through this, then you’ll be able to rest. We can’t get through it quick if you mess up.”
“Right,” I mutter, then close my eyes and plead for the images of Mallory to go away.
There’s no reason I should be upset that she’s talking to a guy who’s clearly into her — she’s not mine. I take a deep breath, then wait until the image fades away before nodding at my other bandmates that I’m ready to go again.
This time, we get through the rehearsal without a hitch, which is a relief for me, and it isn’t long before Carmen is escorting us backstage toward the back exit. I’m surprised to find Sweet Surrender still lounging in the back, Mallory sitting on one of theplush couches with them, and each member looks up at us with a smile.
Trevor is the first one to stand up, and he shakes his head. “It still doesn’t get old watching you guys play. You’re awesome!”
I’m about to open my mouth and tell him that we don’t need his praise, but Brent gets to it first. “Thanks, man, appreciate it. You guys have been doing really well, too, it won’t be long before you’re headlining your own tour.”
“That’s the dream,” Trevor says softly.
Mallory is watching our interaction, but as soon as my eyes lock with her, she darts her gaze to the floor and away from me.
She clears her throat and rises from her place on the couch, smiling at the members individually. “Well, I’ve got some planning to do before the concert later tonight. I’ll see you guys later and make sure you’re prepared for a radio host interview.”
The guys nod at her instruction, and I watch Trevor watch her walk away, following the sway of her hips along the way. I growl low in my throat. Everyone turns to look at me, eyebrows raised, and I cough into my hand. “Sorry, something in my throat.”
When I look at Evan, he’s grinning at me like a fool, and I simply roll my eyes before sauntering away from the group. I’m near the back exit when a hand wraps around my elbow, stopping me from making any further movements.
“Hey,” Trevor says while running a hand through his hair. “Mind if I ask you some advice?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
He chuckles. “Uh, you’re around Mallory a lot, with her being Brent’s sister, right?”
Play it cool, I tell myself. “Yeah, kinda, why?”
Trevor’s cheeks heat, and he shrugs. “I was thinking of asking Mallory out. Any advice?”
The words hit me like a physical blow. I force a casual tone. “Mallory? She’s... complicated. Probably best to keep things professional, you know?”
