Page 46 of Fame & Rhythm

Ella barely holds back another laugh.

I tear my eyes away from Aston and walk back to my desk, sitting down and opening my laptop, trying to act like everything is completely normal.

But my heart is still racing.

That… wasn’t normal.

It felt like my body took over and decided that being near him was the only thing that mattered. I’ve felt that pull before, but never this strong.

And that’s a problem.

Because if this keeps getting stronger, I don’t know how I’m supposed to handle it.

So for today, I’m keeping my guard up.

I can’t let him think I want anything more.

Because I don’t.

I can’t.

***

I’ve done a pretty good job of keeping Aston at a distance today, but I know it’s only going to get harder once we head into the music room for rehearsal.

Dinner is… busy.

Aston’s parents are here. Chad and his parents are here. It feels like the entire extended family has decided to show up, and I can’t quite figure out why.

“What time is Caleb getting here?” I ask, shoving a forkful of pasta into my mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Annie,” Dad says automatically. “Caleb, Hux, and Mace should be here soon.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Why are all the parents here?” Ella asks around a mouthful of food. “No offense, parentals. Just curious.”

“I’ll tell you when Caleb gets here,” Dad replies, exchanging a look with Mum, who’s smiling like she knows something we don’t.

I glance at Ella. She shrugs and keeps eating.

Something is definitely going on.

Across the table, Aston is deliberately not looking at me.

And yeah… I deserve that.

I went from practically launching myself at him this morning to barely saying two words to him all day—no wonder he’s pulling back. I need to sort myself out before I push him away completely.

I can’t lose my best friend.

We finish dinner, and the parents drift into conversation about the upcoming tour for 12GAUGE-Slayed. It’s not for a while yet, which is probably a good thing.

The front door opens not long after, and Caleb arrives with Uncle Hux and Macy. We all move into the music room, the space filling quickly. The mums settle onto the white couch, while the dads spread out, talking with their kids.

Dad chats with Ella.

Johnny leans in toward Aston.