“You don’t see me going to the barber shop and bugging you all the time.”
“Oh, please. You love seeing my handsome face.” Beau takes out his hand and wraps an arm around Hailey, tugging her body into him.
She rolls her eyes and takes a swig of her drink. I hide my smile when I look at James, giving him a look that says,can your brother be more obvious?James shrugs and lets out a quiet chuckle.
The band starts to play, and Hailey grabs my arm, her eyes lighting up as she looks at me. The first chords ofTeenage Dirtbagby Wheatus starts to play, and excitement thrums through my body.
“I love this song,” Hailey yells out in excitement and starts to sing.
We serenade each other while dancing obnoxiously around the crowd. My arm accidentally bumps into James, his hand holding his beer up.
“Alright, alright, calm down.” James wipes off his drink from his shirt.
I wince. “Sorry.”
“Hi, guys!” Addie yells, running toward us. “I was just up front with Riley, and she’sglaringat the drummer.”
“That checks out,” August says from behind, scaring the shit out of me.
“Where the hell did you come from?” I ask.
He looks at me, pinching his index finger and thumb together, mimicking smoking. I lift my chin up and then nod without saying a word. That simple gesture tells me Rowan was with him, but I don’t see him anywhere.
An hour later, I can feel the sweat accumulating on my body from jumping, singing, and dancing with my friends. Another song ends, and the lead singer bends down to pick up his drink, quickly taking a swig before putting it back down. He says something to his band and turns toward the mic.
“This cover is a little slower, but it’s a good one.”
He starts to play the intro forSailor Songby Gigi Perez.
My arms and legs start to feel warm and fuzzy inside from the drinks I’ve had all night. I sway back and forth while singing with the band, closing my eyes as my arms sway with me, and once the chorus hits, I start to sing with them.
Letting my thoughts get lost in the music that vibrates through the crowd, I stop thinking about work, Charlie, and feeling alone. The memories of all the times I felt my body start to panic when I would wake up in the morning and think about all the dishes that needed to be done.
Someone warm and solid presses themselves against my back, and I think nothing of it. It’s gotten more crowded since we’ve been here, so I expect people to lose self-awareness when it comes to personal space. But then I feel a hand on my shoulder and immediately look up.
Dark blue eyes framed by thick lashes stare back at me, along with a smirk that showcases a dimple I’m all too familiar with. I smile up at Rowan and look back toward the band, trying to steady my breathing. I go back to what I was doing, swaying to the music, as I feel his hand slide from my shoulder and down to my arm. Stroking my skin.
For a moment, I let myself get lost in his touch. The way it soothes me and helps ground me. The simple act of his touch lets me know that he’s here. That it’s going to be okay.
The song ends, and the crowd erupts with shouting and clapping. The band announces they will be playing one last song for the night. I immediately notice the melody of the music, and I can’t contain my excitement asAdore Youby Harry Styles blares from the stage.
My eyes find Rowan again, and I grab his hand, dragging him through the thrum of people and toward the stage.
“What are you doing?” he asks, laughing.
His tall frame helps separate people so we can get through. When we get as close as possible to the band, I turn around, still gripping his hands to steady myself from the spins. My hair whips around this way and that, and my smile beams across my face. Rowan spins me around once and then pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me.
I don’t let go of his hold, mainly because the spin still has me dizzy because I’m drunk. I crane my neck up and start to sing toward Rowan, serenading him until I’m blue in the face.
His smile is beautiful and alluring when he looks down at me. I feel his grip on me tighten, pulling me as close as possible. The heat on my cheeks feels like they’re going to burst into flames from the touch of him. My mouth curves into a smile, and I take in the warmth of his body onto mine.
A feeling of happiness spreads through me, and I make sure to hold on to that feeling while I dance with my best friend to one of my favorite songs. I lock this moment into my memory as we spin in each other’s arms.
fourteen
ROWAN
“Good morning, sunshine.”
