I wish I could see her bite her lip in person like she’s doing in this photo.
I turn the phone around to show Zeb, and he sucks air through his teeth.
“Damn. You found a hot, nerdy goth? You know that’s my type,” he says.
A laugh leaves me. “Too bad you’re not hers.”
“Ah, shots fired.” He jokingly clutches his chest. “So, you’ve been bored?”
I toss my phone defeatedly onto the counter. “So bored,” I groan, head falling back. Even as hot as she is, I can’t do anything except put on a mask over video chat and tell her where to touch herself—something that has yet to happen.
I’m fucking miserable.
“I miss sex—goodsex. I miss touching and kissing and handling andall the things,” I admit.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone to play with after the show. Or maybe at the Masked Mayhem party tomorrow night. It’s DeathFest. Best weekend of the year,” Zeb says.
I wipe my face and pause to massage my jaw as I suddenly realize I’ve been clenching it. “I think I’ve been too nervous about today to think about anything else.” Though that isn’t the only reason I’ve avoided going alone into the masses this weekend. I slump back in the chair and grin at him. “We’re fucking headlining, dude.”
“Yeah, we are.” He takes another drag from his vape. “Have you talked to James? He’s bringing in the new crew today, right?”
The statement makes my ears heat. I tap on the counter with my drumsticks, hoping to hide my nerves. “Yeah, I think that’s what he said.”
Zeb leans down, trying to catch my gaze, and I swat him with a stick at the smirk on his face.
I know why he’s being an ass. It’s because the new security lead is someone I knew in high school—who I secretly crushed on for years, though I was too scared to say anything at the time.
“Shut the fuck up. She probably doesn’t even remember me,” I tell him.
“We have a bet about that, actually. I’m betting she’s been stalking your socials as much as you have hers. Reed thinks she’ll put it together when she sees you.”
“And how are you two going to tell which it is?” I ask.
He points to his own eyes. “It’s all in the gaze.” Zeb’s attention shifts to the door, and he jerks his chin that way.
I start to swivel in my chair but pause as my phone vibrates again.
UNKNOWN
Can’t wait to see you onstage, rockstar.
I’ve missed watching you perform.
The hair on the back of my neck stands.
She’s here…
Fuck. I can’t think about this right now.
“Hey, heads up,” Mads says, and I abandon my phone to peer his way.
He pulls his skull-face gaiter mask down and smirks between Zeb and I, yet even the smile on his face isn’t enough to make me forget the texts.
“James and the new lead are on the way back here,” Mads says. He kicks Reed’s bent knee, making the tall singer jump slightly and straighten from his butterfly pose position.
Reed pulls his earphones out and grins at his best friend. “That time?”
“Yeah, man. James and Gemma are on the way,” Mads repeats.
