“Another one?” Ezra offered.
“Sure,” I agreed, deciding it could only help. As he turned his back to me and walked to the cooler, I nibbled on my bottom lip.
I wanted to talk to Ezra about their offer and my unorthodox relationship with him, Cole, and Silas. They had to have discussed it. If I agreed to join the band, did they think we’d keep going or stop? Shouldn’t we lay all of our cards on the table at this point? If any issues came up as a result, me joining the band could never work.
“We need to talk,” I told Ezra as he came back with my second beer. Face twisting in concern, he nodded and clasped my hand in his. We weaved through the small crowd of roadies until we were out of everyone’s earshot. The other guys didn’t seem to notice us leave. Their attention focused on the performance.
He watched me as I took a deep breath, working on finally spitting out what I should have told him days ago.
“I’ve been sleeping with Silas since last weekend. I know it’s probably a moot point by now. Silas said all of you know what’s been happening, but I still wanted to say it. Ezra, I’ve never done this before.” I squeezed his hand to emphasize my point. “I don’t know if this relationship between us should be a pro or a con for me joining the band,” I admitted. “It feels so messy. So complicated. Thinking about it makes my head hurt, but I know that when I’m with the three of you, I feel… God, I can’t even describe it.”
His expression softened, and he leaned in and wrapped his arms around me. I let my head fall to his chest.
“You feel alive.” His lips moved against my hair. “You feel like you can take anything that the world throws at you. You feel like you have people that will always have your back.”
I swallowed. “Yeah. Something like that.”
He pressed his forehead against mine. “None of us wanted to pressure you into a conversation you weren’t ready to have.”
“I’m ready now. I have to be. How can I possibly join Bleeding Moonlight if we’re not on the same page about all of this? I know we should probably all talk together, but I feel like I’d be going into a conversation like that blind. I have so many questions.”
“You can ask me anything,” he said, dragging his palm over my cheek. Without a thought, I leaned into his touch.
“How can you not mind that I’m with all of you?”
He placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Adeline, we all have feelings for you, and so we understand how the others feel. You came into our lives and changed everything. We’ve never done this before, either, never even imagined that something like this could work. Maybe because it only works with you. We want this, whatever this is, exactly as it is.”
His words send a shiver down my spine. “I’m not like you,” I told him. “I can’t share you with other women. If we’re going to do this, I need to know I’m the only one.”
“There’s no one else,” he said, looking me directly in the eye. “For all of us, it’s only you.”
The relief I felt at his words was palpable. “What about the media? What if it gets out? And what about Abel? He must have strong feelings about it.”
“I don’t have all the answers,” Ezra confessed. “Frankly, I don’t think anyone does at this point. But I do have faith in our ability to figure it out together. And Abel… I think you should talk to him. I think that’s a story that’s still being written.” He cradled my face with his hands, his sky-blue eyes singing promises I could only hope he’d keep. “This isn’t something frivolous. You must know that by now. This is real. And I can’t speak for the rest, but I know exactly what I feel when I look at you. When we play music together. When we talk and I don’t hesitate to tell you things that normally choke in my throat.”
His words made my heart skip a beat.
“I’m in love with you, Adeline.” His fingers landed on my lips. “And you don’t need to say it back to me for it to be true. It is an indisputable fact, and I want you to know it.”
His confession traveled through my bloodstream and into my head like a strong glass of wine.
“Ezra…” I clasped his forearm, the solid feel of him beneath my hand anchoring me down. “I—”
Loud applause interrupted the moment, and we both turned to look at the stage. The opening band was done with their set. Their clothing drenched with sweat, yet their faces were ecstatic. They stopped to greet Cole, Silas, and Abel when they recognized who they were.
Knowing we were running out of time, I pulled on Ezra’s arm, drawing him back to me. “I’m still figuring this out, but…it’s real. It’s real for me, too.”
His smile said that he understood, and it lingered on his face even as Cole jogged up to us.
“Want to go down to the pit for Mastery?” the bassist asked, his curls bouncing around his face.
“Yes,” I answered. My whole body was buzzing with adrenaline and tension as Abel and Silas appeared by Cole’s side. We rushed down the stairs leading into the pit, me surrounded by my men on all sides, their hands brushing against mine and sending sparks across my skin. We grinned at each other as we became enveloped by the packed crowd.
Abel clasped my hand in his, surprising me for the thousandth time this night. “Don’t get lost,” he said against my ear.
I was lost, though. And now I had to decide if I was ready to be found.
ABEL
