Page 51 of Goodbye Note

After twenty-four hours of unfettered access, it was getting harder and harder to keep my distance.

Where was the line between our genuine friendship and the crush I’d developed somewhere along the way?

He smiled when his gaze found mine. It warmed me through. Sparking parts of me I thought had died. How could one person enact such a profound change?

After his forty-five-minute set, we drank until our call time.

Arik followed me to the side stage, where Dylan did last-minute checks after the set switch.

“Did someone get Ser a mic?” Vallen asked, plugging in his guitar when our tech handed it to him.

“We got his set up,” Dylan replied in a hushed tone.

Playing a festival of this size with such quick turns on stages and only forty-five-minute sets was a thing. It was a wonder we got through it every night with the amount of equipment each band had. Thankfully, Warped did most of the heavy lifting with sound, but it still was a lot to unpack and repack daily, four shows a week.

“I can’t believe you’re really doing this,” Arik said to both Ser and the rest of us.

“How did you get out of doing it?” Ser laughed, curling a finger at Dylan. “Give him his guitar.”

“You rat bastard.” Arik backed up, but I blocked his retreat, his back slamming into my chest.

“Sorry, star boy. You’re coming with us.”

“Fuck, no. I’ve already played with them.” Arik took the guitar Dylan handed him. It was the one he’d played before and plugged in, ready to go. Dylan helped him with the strap over his head.

“So then you should be good to go.” Ser smirked like he’d fucking caught Arik in a trap.

I was sure he and my brother worked this out together.

Arik turned around to face me, like that would get him anywhere. “Were you in on this?”

I barely contained my glee. “No, but I’m in on it now. No shot, I’m letting you walk away.”

Arik hooked a thumb under the strap of his guitar like he’d take it off. “What are you going to do, block me onstage?”

Vallen stepped next to me to block the stairs.

“You fucking bet we are.” Fox joined us, pulling his shirt off, with Bronx on his heels.

“This feels like a fucking mutiny, and it’s not even my band.” Arik shook his head. “What the fuck even is your set list? I only played the damn encore before.”

Dylan was ready with that, too. Bro had played this so cool. I told myself to thank him later.

“I thought we had a thing, Dylan, and you’re betraying me.” Arik confronted Dylan, and I almost believed him.

“What can I say? You give good head, but Vallen does it better.” Dylan winked at Arik.

Arik’s mouth dropped open, and so did mine.

“Excuse me?” I waited for an explanation.

“Like you thought you could seduce Dylan away from me!” Val put a fist in the air triumphantly. “He’s mine, bitches.”

“I can’t believe you’re sleeping with Dylan and betraying our love affair.” Ser clutched his chest, feigning hurt.

Vallen wheezed, laughing so hard.

I blinked, glancing between them. “No one told me you were all gay?”

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