Page 17 of Goodbye Note

“If they see what I see, you’re gonna shoot past the moon after Warped.” Arik lifted his eyes from his drink. Green with flecks of gold, like someone had made this guy in a goddamn lab.

“Is everything celestial for you?”

“Only when I like it.”

A smile stretched across my face, hurting my cheeks. “Didn’t you post last night you went to your parents’ house for spring break? How did you get here so fast?” It just occurred to me there was no way he was here for media.

“I drove all night.”

“Did you sleep?”

“What’s sleep? Guys in bands don’t get to sleep.” Even other people in the scene were just doing this for fun on the side and hedging until they made it big. I could already tell Arik and I saw it differently.

We were in this for life.

“You’ve got to be beat.” My next question sat at the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t dare ask.

“I napped in my car for a few hours.”

“You’re not planning on driving back tonight…are you?” I hedged, not fully asking what I wanted.

“I’ll sleep for a few more hours in my car or something. I spent most of my cash to get here. I can’t blow the rest on a hotel.” He pulled a face. “Didn’t think that one fully through.”

“You can crash with Val and me. It’s nothing special since we live with our grandparents when we aren’t touring, but they gave us their basement so we have our own space.” It wasn’t exactly finished or heated, but we weren’t here that much.

“That’s really cool of them. I know you said they aren’t that supportive.”

“They are, and they aren’t. Better than them dragging me onto Jerry Springer for out-of-control teens or some shit.” I laughed because I’m sure they wanted to do worse throughout Val’s and my adolescence.

He fought a smile, biting his bottom lip, but his dimples showed, and I fucking liked them. “This is why I stayed so straight-laced looking to my parents with good grades. I’m still worried they’ll have me committed for dropping out of law school.”

“Did you tell them?” I asked, remembering he’d been afraid.

“I did. My mom didn’t take it well, but my dad did.”

“Maybe they’ll come around.”

He lifted his shoulders and tapped his empty drink cup on the bar. “Do you have to go pack up? Want some help?”

I raised a brow, wetting my lips with my tongue. “If you’re going to hang out for the night…” I said like I could bribe him.

“As long as I’m not keeping you from something. I don’t have to be back tonight…”

“Tonight, huh? You saying I got all night?”

He searched my face. “Got big plans for me?”

I laughed. “You have no idea, star boy.”

I was surprised when he followed me to the back. Mostly that I hadn’t scared him off yet.

FIVE

ARIK

I couldn’t stop smiling. Was this even real life?

Driving all night to catch the sights

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