Sutton flips her off while laughing.
Birdie waves her off. “Girl it wasn’t long ago that I face-planted in the snow, shattered my guitar case and got swept off my feet by an O’Ryan.”
Sutton scoffs, “You’re rewriting history.” I can see that they’re the best of friends, being close to the same age, and married to brothers only two years apart.
“Oh am I?” Birdie shoots back, smacking her lips.
“J.D. said you blew him off,” Sutton challenges as she stuffs a chip into her mouth.
Birdie smirks, “Yeah in the hotel.”
The table erupts and for a second I feel normal. I forget everything else. The notes. The fear. The past pressing at the edges of my life. For the first time since I came to America, I feel like I’ve found my people. To be included in their jokes and to laugh so hard that I can’t catch my breath feels like I’ve been injected with happy morphine.
“Speaking of bedhead. Oops I mean the boyfriend,” Jenna mumbles.
I turn and there he is. Parker. Standing just inside the door like he owns the room without even trying.
Jeans.
Property of Texas sweatshirt.
That stupid, effortless confidence that makes people turn without realizing they’re doing it. It’s obvious he just ran his fingers through his hair. Just how I like it, a little messy.
Noelle leans in. “I told you. He wants to be with you all the time. He’s a hopeless romantic.”
Parker overhears as he’s moving towards us, “Maybe, but this is about keeping our girls safe.”
Our girls.
That one phrase settling in my chest. Somewhere deep.
Then the doors open again.
Greyson, Matt, J.D. Even Witt.
Of course, they’re all here. They’re a tight knit family and it makes me long for one of my own.
“Hope we’re not crashing. The kids are all at Dad’s and Paulina’s helping him,” Greyson says, grabbing a chair to sit at the end.
“Well you are, but sit anyway,” Sutton’s reply is dry, but she kisses him.
The guys all pull up chairs except J.D., who picks upBirdie, steals her seat and perches her onto his lap. “Hey babe. How was your last recording session?”
“Last?” I ask. “Are you retiring?”
“I’m taking off after this next album and tour. Now I just want to sing karaoke. Now who’s going first? Witt, what about you and Jenna?”
Witt scoffs. “Not happening. No offense... I’m not making a fool of myself.” But Birdie shoots him a look right as Jenna grabs his arms and pulls him up.
“Everyone’s having fun tonight and that goes for us too.”
I swear Witt smiles. Maybe I imagined it, but they get on stage and Witt can sing. He’s not getting into it but he’s in tune and on time with the lyrics.
And just like that, Parker’s gaze locks on me.
The noise fades. “You ready?” Parker asks.
“For what?”
