Page 46 of Ballads of Lines Blurred

Stunning.

Soulful.

Riveting.

No matter how many words I thought to describe the band, especially Slater, they didn’t seem to do justice to what I’d witnessed tonight. Even before meeting them in person, I had known who Ruined & Relinquished was. Their songs had been played so many times, I knew them by heart. Getting this close to them while they played, hearing their music, and knowing the intimate details of them, meant much more.

The lines Reed sang during one of the songs were about Slater, Milo, and me. They weren’t supposed to be in that melody, yet when Reed sang them, the hairs on my arms stood up. He sang Slater’s words for us.

I’d never been as enthusiastic about the band as JJ or Val. I didn’t go full fanboy when I saw them. What I did was fall deeper for Slater. As I looked at Milo, I knew he did too.

The moment the song ended, I was on my feet, clapping with the others. Milo turned and smiled, his lip ring catching the light, pulling me in to taste the happiness coming from him.

My mouth met his as my hands went to his cheeks. I kissed the hell out of him. Milo sank against me, his fingers digging into my waist. I wanted to deepen it, but this wasn’t the place. When I pulled back, I was met with his hooded eyes.

“You’re gorgeous, you know that?” I asked.

“I like it when you tell me.”

“Then I’ll say it all the time.”

“Are you sure you want me?” he asked, vulnerability swimming in his gaze. “Slater’s the rock star. I’m just a deejay.”

“You’re not just anything. You’re sweet and kind and so damn sexy. Milo, you’re who I want. You and Slater.”

He nodded, though I didn’t think it had fully sunk in that I could want him like I did Slater. My feelings for Slater started growing long before I realized who Milo could be to me. The stirring in my chest told me Milo was gaining ground.

We hung back while the diners got up to meet the band. They had their phones out and were taking pictures. Milo and I stood with Elic and Tristan.

Elic chuckled, though there was an edge of nervousness to it. He wasn’t fond of bigger men and there were quite a few in front of us greeting the band. “Maybe we should sit back down. This could take a while.” He wore a pair of black slacks and a white shirt. Elic bused tables at the restaurant and helped with whatever they needed. It didn’t matter to him how much money his partners made, he wanted to pull his weight and contribute. When Casper and Reed went public with him, so many had negative things to say. How Elic was using them for their money. How they fell into his trap, whatever the hell that was. It was easier to spread lies than follow the truth. Elic, Reed, and Casper were in love. It didn’t matter that Elic lived on the streets before he met them. Or that Reed and Casper were stepbrothers. Their love was what counted, how they felt for each other.

Milo’s arm slid around my waist as we waited on the sidelines for Slater to slip away from the crowd. He eventually did and came to us with a smile so big, I wanted to see it on him all the time. So much of him was tortured by his anxiety. Like this, he was relaxed and happy. His eyes flicked to my lips, then over to Milo.

“You can kiss me, Slay,” I told him. “Anytime, anywhere you want.”

“Me too,” Milo added. “I don’t care where we are or who’s watching. A little exhibition is fine with me.”

“A kiss is all the exhibition you’ll be getting,” Slater grumbled.

Slater cupped Milo’s cheek. His mouth descended on Milo’s. I couldn’t resist the pull to them and crowded closer, Milo’s arm tightening on my waist. The moment Slater lifted his head from Milo, those lips shiny with their combined passion met mine. Kissing someone had never been as all-consuming as it was with these two. Like the world stopped turning, and everyone stopped breathing, so we could live in this moment.

When we came up for air, my eyes connected with Reed’s over Slater’s shoulder, who gave me a smile and a nod. Dash slapped me on the back. “Get ready for the spotlight.”

Milo cracked his knuckles. “I was born for this.”

Slater laughed, pulling us both to him so we could hear him say, “Thank you for being who you are. You make me happy.”

“I’ll make you even happier tonight, rock star.” Milo waggled his eyebrows.

Before Slater could respond, Cadence pushed into our little group and told us if we wanted to leave to do it now while Peyton and Greer were clearing a path. People weren’t rude as we walked by. They didn’t try to shove into our space. Of course, the size of the Lynx brothers might have had something to do with it. Peyton and Greer were big, bigger than Xaiden, and intimidating.

We finally broke free of the noise and bodies, exiting the rear of the restaurant into the night where Milo’s car waited. I got in the back, giving Slater more leg room up front. He had to be tired from performing, although I wondered if it energized him more than wore him out.

Slater directed Milo along the grass until he reached Cadence’s driveway. It was a way to bypass the people standing outside the restaurant and those inside who were waiting to leave. Then we were on our way to Slater’s.

The roads were quiet; the streetlights giving off a glow every so often. Slater’s house sat dark when we arrived. He unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm, locking us in again when we were inside. He kept the lights dimmed low and used the remote to give us privacy.

“Drink?” he asked. We followed him to the kitchen, each taking a glass of water. Slater’s hair was a little slick with sweat. Would his skin taste salty if I licked it? What really got me was how light and happy he was, still riding the high from performing.

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