Page 53 of I Just Want to be Yours

It’s showtime.

30

margot

I’ll never understandhow Mya usually does this on her own. We’ve been nonstop since the doors opened, and even with the two of us, there’s still always someone waiting in line. The place is packed, the excitement in the air palpable, and even though American Thieves haven’t performed yet, we’re completely sold out of Mya’s new floral design and the other products are starting to dwindle.

I’ve only gone to a few concerts, but I’ve never purchased merchandise for the opening band. I thought maybe Mya would get a few salesaftertheir performance if new fans wanted to get a keepsake. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The band is due to go on any minute now, but there’s been a constant flow of customers who already know exactly who American Thieves are.

I even overheard one girl ask Mya if it’s true the band sometimes hangs out with fans after they perform, and it nearly stopped me in my tracks.

Then her friend said she adores Dave Lutz and wouldscreamif she met him.

Then the first girl said she likes Dave, but she wouldliterally drop deadif she saw Jackson Phillips.

Thatdidmake me stop in my tracks.

I couldn’t move. I just stared at the girl, assuming maybe I’d heard her wrong. She was talking about Jackson?

MyJackson?

Mya had to subtly bump me with her hip to snap me out of it. “Yup, Jackson’s a cutie,” she said to the girl as she handed over a band T-shirt and sent her on her way.

Being here is a lot like I expected it to be, butmore.More fans. More fawning girls. This venue is bigger than anywhere he played back home. Everything has escalated.

Which is good.

So,so,good.

I only get to see Jackson behind the scenes, but if the rest of the guys in the band work as hard as he does, they deserve all the success in the world.

There’s a deafening roar from the crowd, and I look up to find the guys taking the stage. Jackson smiles at Dave and the guys as he gets into his usual spot, and Dave grins at the crowd the way he always does.

“I know you’re here to see Crooner Sins,” he says into the mic. “But we’re American Thieves, and we’re going to hang with you guys for a little while!”

The crowd cheers, and I can’t help smiling. It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve seen Dave greet the crowd.

Or Marty clapping him on the shoulder as he walks by to plug in his guitar.

Or Brady gently tapping his drumsticks in preparation for the big solo he’ll jump into as soon as Dave is done with his speech.

Or Jackson. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Jackson doing what he loves—being a part of something bigger than himself.

How could I have missed so much? They may not havegone from street corners to stadiums, but this still feels like a huge step.

A huge step I haven’t been a part of.

The song starts, and I blink back to the present. My spiraling thoughts dissipate as soon as Jackson starts to play. His fingers expertly move along the strings as he gets lost in the music, and the sight brings a smile to my lips the same way it always does.

“They’re really great!” Mya yells over the music as she sits in one of the folding chairs behind the table and gestures for me to do the same.

I nod enthusiastically, my eyes jumping from the chair back to the stage. I’m not sure I want to sit. I don’t want to miss this. If this is the only time I’ll see Jackson while he’s on tour, I want to watch every second of the set. I want to be in the crowd and feel everyone sing along to the songs I know by heart.

But Mya has been wonderful, and it’s great having someone to spend time with while he’s up on that stage. I can sit for a little while.

“So, what do you think of all this?” Mya asks when I take a seat next to her.

“Um.” I raise my eyebrows as I take in the scene in front of me. From the back of the room, I may not be a part of things, but being a spectator has its perks too. From here, I can see the full impact the band has oneveryone,not just me. “It’s a lot,” I finally answer with a laugh.

---