He jiggled the keys in his hand. “Want to go hide out in my truck for a few minutes?”
My eyes widened, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it.
He cupped my face and planted his body against mine. “We’ve proven to be pretty fast. No one will notice we’re gone.”
“Hey, you two lovebirds.” Nina opened the door before he could pull away fast enough, proving him wrong. “We ordered a round of drinks. Get your asses in here!”
Liam’s whole body went rigid.
The door slowly closed behind her, leaving us with the quiet hum of the music inside once more.
“She knows?”
“I told her on the way here. She won’t say anything; don’t worry.”
A muscle in his jaw danced. “How do you know?”
I frowned. “Because she’s my best friend. She knows secrets about me far worse than this.”
His eyes snapped to mine, like he couldn’t believe I had a past worth hiding.
“Let’s just go inside and try to have fun. As long as I go up on that stage tonight, our secret will be safe with Nina.”
Liam’s hand trailed down my back to my ass, and then he pinched. Hard.
“Hey!” I swatted.
A wide grin stretched his cheeks. “That was for good luck.”
Then, he took both sides of my face and pressed his lips to mine.
“And that?” I blinked, desperately trying not to do it again.
“That was for me.”
25
Liam
Avery opened her mouth to sing, and I forgot how to breathe. Not in the romantic-gesture kind of way. She didn’t literally take my breath away with her voice. Her cue came in, and she didn’t make a sound at all.
I could see the fear taking over her like ice climbing its way up from her feet, to her legs, and then her hands holding the microphone. I froze with her, hoping the confident girl I’d seen her become would make an appearance.
The moment I heard the first person booing her offstage, I was out of my seat, charging through the crowd. I thought I was trying to find the idiot stupid enough to boo the most beautiful girl here and beat him to a pulp, but instead, I ended up right beside Avery onstage.
Her big gray doe eyes flickered up to me, and her panic immediately began to subside. An ache formed in my chest when I knew that my presence was enough to comfort her.
The music was cut off, and the patrons started to get louder. Some complained. Some shouted in excitement when they recognized me. I looked over their heads and waved to Matt at the bar, and then I took the microphone from Avery.
“We’re going to do this one together, okay?” I said, tilting my head down so she could hear me.
Matt arrived right before Nina, both waiting for instructions.
I narrowed my eyes at them. “I don’t know who picked Tina fucking Turner for Avery to sing—”
Nina crossed her arms tightly in front of her and scowled.
“But she’s not singing that shit. Can I get a guitar and another mic, Matt?” I leaned in towards him and lowered my voice so Avery couldn’t hear. “We’re doing ‘Vienna.’”
