Page 3 of I Just Want to be Yours

Rae calls back to him. “She would know. Her boyfriend is a real rock star.”

My stomach flutters in excited anticipation at the sound of her words. She’s right. Jackson isn’t just some guy in a band anymore. American Thieves might not have headlined yet, but they’re on track for it. With the tour they just finished in the spring, and now the other tour that starts at the end of summer, people are going to know American Thieves.

And Jackson thinks it all started with my blog.

That article has become my favorite thing I’ve written. It’s pinned at the top of my site, and I still get hits on it every day. I haven’t written about the band since then. My nerves were too all over the place to write about the Chicago show, but maybe today will give me new inspiration.

They couldn’t have picked a more perfect day for a music festival. The sun warms my skin, but the heat isn’t overbearing. The air moves with an unusual breeze for this time of year, and the sky is the brightest blue with scattered white clouds. Everything about the scene in front of me feels picturesque, like when you’re remembering the past through rose-tinted glasses, but I’ve never felt more present.

Three stages make up the festival—a main stage and two smaller ones. As we walk through the rows of vendors selling everything from snacks to light-up bracelets, Rae and I have our arms linked while the guys follow.

Jackson said they’re the second band to play at one of the smaller stages, and from here, it looks like the first band doesn’t have much of an audience. It’s mostly people cutting through, or groups of friends collected in front of the show randomly. A small group of people stand at the very front of the stage,singing along to every word as the band wraps up their set. The sight makes me smile.

“There he is,” Rae says in my ear as she leans in close.

I stop scanning the scene to search near the side of the stage where Jackson casually leans against the bottom, and even though I just saw him this morning, a grin blossoms across my face. Sometimes I wonder if he knows how good he looks. Maybe that’s part of the appeal—how effortless it is for him. His jeans and black T-shirt are probably something I’ve seen him wear countless times, but it doesn’t matter. My boyfriend is really fucking hot.

I beam at him, and his smile widens. Letting go of Rae, I run up to him, and he laughs as he catches me in his arms.

“Excited for the show?” he asks as he smooths my hair back, letting his hand linger against my cheek.

“That must be it.”

Letting out a breath of laughter, he presses a kiss to my forehead before turning to our friends. “I’m glad the tickets worked.”

Matt cocks an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth turning upward. “Was there a chance they wouldn’t?”

Jackson shrugs. “I don’t know. The guy looked offended when I asked for them. We’re one of the smallest bands here—he had definitely never heard of American Thieves.”

Matt shakes his head disapprovingly. “He’s never heard of you? And he calls himself a professional?”

Jackson stares at his friend with a halfcocked smirk. He shakes his head and mutters, “Fuck off.”

Clapping a hand on Jackson’s shoulder, Matt grins.

Rae’s eyes skip to the stage in front of us before falling back on Jackson. “So, can we meet the band?” she asks with a pleading smile. “This is so cool,” she adds with a laugh.

Jackson stares at her for a moment like he’s trying to figure out if she’s joking.

“She’s serious,” I say as Dave catches sight of me. His shoulder-length blond hair is tied up in a bun today, and he has a little more of a beard than the last time I saw him. He points excitedly and drops what he was doing to hop down from the stage.

“Look who it is!” he says as he pulls me from Jackson to wrap me in a bear hug. “You brought my favorite redhead!”

“Meet the band, Rae,” I say with a laugh.

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jackson

By the timeDave stops hugging Margot, the other guys have made their way over, everyone shaking hands and introducing themselves. I don’t think I even realized my friends had never formally met the band. They’ve only been to one other show. Maybe I should have introduced them after? I don’t think I thought about it. I was too hyped and hung up on wanting to kiss Margot outside the men’s room after my first gig.

But as I stand here, watching my two worlds merge, it feels weird that it’s taken this long.

The guys immediately strike up a conversation with Matt and Braden, thanking them for coming out, and Margot and Rae are all smiles. Margot laughs when Rae says something only loud enough for her to hear.

Her eyes meet mine. “What?” I ask.

Margot shakes her head, her cheeks flushing. “Nothing.”

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