Page 5 of I Just Want to be Yours

The crowd likes it. They cheer louder than they did when we first hit the stage.

Everyone’s still cheering when I look up and spot Margot in the very front. Rae and Matt beam at Dave, clapping and cheering, but Margot’s eyes are on me, a soft smile pulling at her lips. She blows me a kiss, and I have to look down at my guitar to hide my grin.

Because nothing beats having her at our shows.

Nothing.

4

margot

The familiar drumbeat of the first song starts, the vibration from the speakers reverberating in my chest. It’s one of their biggest hits, and the crowd isn’t disappointed. A roar erupts from the opening drums alone, and Dave pulls back from the mic to look at Marty with wide eyes. I catch the words “Fuck yeah!” on his lips, making me laugh.

Matt stands behind Rae with his arms around her as she and I sing along to the words we now know by heart. Braden stands next to Matt, bobbing his head along to the music. His dark blond hair looks incredibly neat given the current environment. Nothing about Braden saysrock and roll—making him fit in about as much as Matt does. The two guys are probably the most clean-cut here.

Leaning in toward Rae, I yell over the sound of the music. “I think Braden needs a girlfriend!”

She throws her head back with a laugh. “Why?”

I shrug. “So, he’s not a fifth wheel?”

She looks over at Braden as she considers what I’ve said. “Maybe.” When she looks back at the stage, she leans in closeand adds, “Yeah. I guess he’d probably have more fun with us if he were dating someone.”

I nod.

Rae twists out of Matt’s arms to invade Braden’s personal space, and I rest my arms on the metal barricade in front of me. Jackson has his head down, lost in the music as always. He’s focused, and precise, and it’s sexy as hell.

I look over, surprised to find Braden looking at me as he leans in to listen to whatever Rae says in his ear. As soon as our eyes meet, he drops his gaze and focuses on hearing her over the music. She’s on the tips of her toes, and when he pulls back to answer, his eyes jump to me again before he says something with a shake of his head.

I frown. The way he just looked at me felt heavy, like more than a brief glance in my direction. Trying to shake the feeling, I focus on the show again until Rae works her way back to me, and I lean toward her. “What did you ask him?”

“What his type is!” she yells over the music.

I let out a laugh, but it’s forced. Why was he looking at me then? “And?”

She shrugs. “He says he doesn’t have one.” Before I can say anything else, she cups both hands around her mouth and cheers with the rest of the crowd at the end of the song.

And it takes everything in me not to glance over my shoulder at Braden again.

“There he is!” Matt cheers when Jackson and the rest of the band meet up with us after the show.

Jackson shakes his head at Matt but can’t hide the subtle upturn of his lips. I know he loves this. He loves having us here.

Brady has his arm around a stunning brunette who quicklygets introduced to us as his girlfriend, Kasey. I somehow make it through pleasantries, but after watching Jackson on stage for the last hour, he’s all I can think about. He may have put on a fresh shirt, but sweat still glistens on his skin and the hair at the base of his neck is curled and flipped in the best way. Sometimes him being in the band feels like the biggest hurdle in our relationship, and other times—like right now—it feels like it’s the sexiest thing about him.

His eyes land on me, and a slight crease between his brows form. I must look like I’m still drooling over him. Blinking back to reality, I quickly say, “You guys put on a great show.”

Braden nods. “The crowd seemed to grow the longer you played, so I’d say that’s a good sign.”

Jackson tears his eyes away from me just long enough to throw Braden a “Thanks,” but it only lasts a second. He’s more interested in trying to read my thoughts.

Biting my bottom lip, I try to fight my grin. “A great sign,” I agree.

Jackson laughs, his eyes never leaving mine. He knows I’m turned on. We still have the rest of the festival to enjoy, but all I want to do is take him home and have my way with him. I was worried that him going back on tour would make me withdraw and shut down, but ever since he told me he’s leaving, all I want to do is jump him every chance I get.

“Which band should we see next?” Rae asks, and it helps to bring me back to the current moment.

I need to get a grip.

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