“I still have more quarters, do you want me to play a song for you on the jukebox?” Jordan asks, smiling at her.
I roll my eyes. What a fucking loser. The jukebox? I could serenade her with my real voice. Can he do that? I think not.
“Yes! Play something upbeat, I feel like dancing.”
My muscles tense. Shit.
Jordan grins wider and rushes off. The other dude slips his arm behind her, talking so low I can’t hear what he’s saying.
When I inch closer, Penn elbows me. “What are you doing?”
“What? Nothing. What areyoudoing?”
“Trying to have a conversation with you, but you won’t stop staring at Ellie,” he says loud enough for only me.
I scoff. “Am not. I don’t trust those guys. She doesn’t even know them.”
“Ellie’s a big girl.”
“I’m watching out for her, that’s all.”
“Right, well, I’m leaving. I want to talk to Olivia before she goes to bed.”
“You mean you want to fuck your hand to a screen while she does the same?” I arch a brow and his eyes narrow, practically shooting flames at me. I throw my hands up. “My bad.”
“I’m out of here, want to go back with me?”
“No, I should stay.”
“Don’t do anything stupid,” he warns as he climbs out of the booth.
“You’re leaving already?” Liam asks him.
Penn nods and Tanner and Liam both start moving.
“Hey, what the hell?” I throw my hands up. “I thought we were celebrating. It’s only been an hour.”
Tanner and Penn ignore me. I know why they’re leaving. Even though Tanner should’ve dropped his girl by now, he hasn’t, but Liam used to be my wingman anytime. He’s beenacting dodgy as fuck, though, like he’s afraid of females all of a sudden. “Dude?” I stare at him, and he shifts awkwardly. I know if I push him hard enough, he’ll give in. His shoulders sink as he drops his ass back into the booth. “Thanks, buddy.” I pat his shoulder.
After Penn and Tanner leave, I order myself and Liam a shot. Honestly, this has been a lame as fuck celebration. As I tip my glass to his, an awful sound blasts through the room. I freeze, bass vibrating my ass. Ellie gasps. My head slowly spins around just in time to find her scurrying out of the booth with that Josh clown on her heels.
Ellie has fantastic taste in music—normally. Something I found incredibly hot when I first met her. She knows her shit, not just radio and media-enforced shit, either. Real underground artist shit. The only caveat is, she also likes to shake her ass to awful club music.
I throw the shot back, watching through narrowed eyes as she rushes off to the middle of the floor, finding an open spot to dance. There’s not one single person here dancing, but she doesn’t care. She’s not shy or ashamed of anything. Something else I loved about her, but now it’s pissing me the hell off.
“Why are you staring at Ellie like that?” Liam asks, suspicion lacing his normally unsuspicious tone.
I take another drink of my beer before dragging my eyes off Ellie—who is currently sandwiched between those dickwads, moving her body like the goddam goddess she is. “Like what?”
His eyes bounce to her and then to me. I keep my face blank. “Like you’re jea?—”
I point a finger at him. “Don’t even fucking say it,” I warn. Was he about to suggest I’mjealous? Pffttt. I don’t get jealous. Did I not share a little bit of her with him not that long ago? Sure, that’s different. He’s my pal, and these guys are losers. But I’m not jealous. It’s not in me. I’ve tried to feel it. I’m not physically capable of it. I caught my ex in bed withanother dude and simply walked out. I wasn’t rageful, I didn’t want to break his face or scream at her. I left and didn’t look back.
Sure, it was painful and she ran after me, blowing up my phone, begging and apologizing and all those things, but I was already numb to it. After that, I realized how much time I wasted with her—on her. Why put all my energy into one chick when I could have multiple? Fuck, the variety of girls lining up for a piece of me now is unreal. And my heart isn’t in any danger.
“I’m just saying, your face was doing something weird. Never seen it like that.” Liam interrupts my spiraling train of thought.
“I was thinking about how lame this shit is. We sold out a legit venue. Three thousand peoplepaidto see us play, and we’re doing what? Sitting here drinking a beer? Half of our band is already back on the bus. Fucking pathetic,” I say, disgusted.
