6
After hours of practice, we left to go drinking. We were able to get into a club with special VIP access because I knew some people.
To say I had connections in the industry would be an odd way of putting it. I had a friend who was in a band that hit it big. Morris and I had been friends since we were kids, way back when Harper and I had first met.
I paused.
I'd actually said Harper's name out loud.
Or more like, I'd thought half his name. He always went by his last name, even though his first name was Jason. He'd been named after his deadbeat dad and wanted nothing to do with him. So even with me, he had always just been Harper.
And I'd thought his name. That was one of the first times in a long time I'd been able to make myself say his name to myself like that.
A sharp stab of pain, so familiar to me, shot through my chest.
"Hey. You okay?" Liam murmured quietly.
We were all piled into a cab on our way to the club. I was sitting next to Liam. I tried to maneuver myself to the far end of the vehicle, but Liam somehow slipped past the others to settle himself by my side.
The tips of his fingers brushed against the back of my hand as they rested on the leather seat. He looked to me with concerned eyes.
I made my lips curl upward, the closest to a smile I could force myself to make.
"I'm fine," I murmured back. I turned my head to stare out the window without another word.
Great, I was imitating Julian now.
"So what's with this VIP thing?" Liam asked the others, seeming content to let me keep to myself.
"We've got some hotshot friends," Gael said. "It gets us access to a special lounge on the second floor. We'll have privacy and space for just ourselves."
"We won't have to worry about hordes of fangirls flocking to us," Seth added.
"Since when do fangirls flock to you?" Nathan joked.
Seth made a face at him. "I get just as many girls as you, asshole."
Being the youngest, Seth often protested he was just as much of a sex god as the others. He had that kind of earnest enthusiasm that made you just want to ruffle his hair.
"You can stay in the lounge," Nathan told Gael. "I'm going to be on the dance floor with all those chicks you're not allowed to touch anymore."
When we arrived at the club, we took the back entrance that allowed us to reach the second floor directly, skipping the line and crowds.
Liam looked impressed when the bodyguard nodded and waved us through without more than a second glance. This was our usual place and he knew us by sight.
The private lounge had glass walls, so we could see the rest of the club, including the dance floor and small stage. The club was often booked for live performances. We'd performed here ourselves a few times, even.
"This is pretty swanky," Liam said.
"Your band must've played here a few times," I said.
"We never got special access to the private lounge like you guys." He nodded his head approvingly. "You really have hit the big leagues."
"Hell yeah we have," Gael said with a smug grin. "And you know what a private lounge comes with? Private servers." He gestured to the lounge entrance with his chin. One of the bartenders was there, ready to take our drink orders.
The guys each ordered rounds of beer. I thought about ordering a drink, but I wanted to stay clearheaded tonight, especially with the way Liam was staring at me.
"Just a seltzer water with lime for now," I said.
