“Thanks.”
“That’s what best friends are for.”
I nod. Yes, that’s true. But my doubts haven’t really gone away yet.
Chapter 43
Rayne
Stay—Gracie Abrams
“This is so crazy.” Mae scrolls through one video after another, a look of awe on her face. Glancing at her phone, I see another edit of the music video replaying the kiss in slow motion, and I fall back onto my bed with a groan.
“Mae, stop watching that.”
“But the fan edits are really great. Do you know how many people have already used the song as their audio? Thousands. Seriously, it’s crazy.”
“I know.”
“Why aren’t you happy?”
“I am,” I say. “It’s just... I didn’t think it through properly before.”
Mae gives me an uncomprehending glance. “What do you mean?”
I sigh. “I wanted the video to do well. I just didn’t think that people would read so much into it about Easton and me. It feels...”I stop, shaking my head. “I can’t really explain it right now. It’s just strange.”
“Okay.” Mae puts down her phone and looks at me apologetically. “If it’s strange for you, I’ll stop watching the videos of you two.”
“Thank you.” I reach for her hand and give it a short squeeze.
We’re hanging out in my room after dinner. Zoe and Jase are at the theater tonight seeingThe Sleeping Beauty. Jase got tickets, since it’s Zoe’s favorite ballet, which is why Mae and I are here by ourselves. I’m happy for the distraction, because I’ve already spent half the day waiting to hear from Easton.
We saw each other in class like we always do, but we didn’t have time to talk properly. It’s been a hectic day. So I wrote to him later asking if we could get together. But he hasn’t answered yet, and something about that makes my stomach tighten uncomfortably.
“What happens next?” Mae asks after a while, when only Gracie Abrams’ soft voice is filling the silence in my room. Mae has her chin resting on her hands, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“What do you mean?”
“You know. With the band.”
“I don’t know. I think they’ll keep going until some label says they want them. Or they’ll try it without a label, if that doesn’t happen.”
Her gaze becomes more intense. “What about you? What doyouwant to do?”
I freeze. “Nothing?” It comes out sounding too much like a question.
Mae’s finely arched eyebrows rise skeptically. “Come on, Rayne. You can tell me.”
My mouth opens, but I can’t get a sound out. I don’t know what to say.
Mae looks at me expectantly, and I’m saved by a gentle knock on my door. I get off the bed to open it and suddenly find myself face-to-face with Easton.
My heart leaps. We saw each other this morning, but right now it feels like weeks have passed, not just a few hours.
“Hey,” I say, a little surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“Sorry, I know I didn’t tell you I was coming, but... can we talk?” he asks, smiling uncertainly. The uneasy feeling in my stomach is back. He seems tired. There are dark circles under his eyes, his hair is even messier than usual, and he looks a little pale.
