Page 81 of I Just Want to be Yours

My eyes widen.

“We’re headlining?” Brady asks, his eyes looking almost as big as mine must be.

Brian nods. “That’s right. It’s been in the works for a while now, but I’ve just finalized everything. Six weeks, twenty stops, and we’re getting a fucking bus.”

Whoops and hollers erupt from the table. The guys are grabbing and shaking my shoulders, but all I can do is replay Brian’s words in my head. Is this really happening? Am I actually going to play guitar for a headlining band? On stage multiple nights a week with a tour bus to call home?

The grin that takes over my face is infectious. I can feel it spreading throughout my entire body. In a matter of seconds, I’m laughing and cheering along with them.

“When is this happening?” Marty asks, but he’s bouncing in his seat. I have a feeling Brian could tell him tomorrow, and he’d be ready.

Brian grimaces, but it’s brief. “You may have to tell your families the holidays will be quick this year. Instead of being home for a couple of weeks, you’ve got a couple of days.”

Brady leans forward on the table. “Our current tour will finish up in the Midwest, right? Where’s the next one start?”

“California.”

Brady blinks. “Shit. It may not be worth going home at all. What’s six more weeks?”

Marty crosses his arms. “Hell, my family isn’t on speaking terms with me anyway. I’ll stay and help prep.”

“Look, I know this is last minute. I had most of these cities set for a few weeks now, but the last few were giving me a headache trying to book them. I ended up having to tack them on to the beginning of the tour instead of the end, but the important thing is that we got them on the books.”

All the guys agree the short break will be worth it, and I do, too. It wouldn’t matter when the tour was scheduled. I’d be there. There’s only one sobering thought in the back of my mind, and it’s that I know this will disappoint Margot. Hell, it disappoints me—the timing of it, anyway. But I can handle letting myself down a lot better than I can handle letting her down. We’ve been looking forward to spending the holidays together for months, and now all that time we thought we had has dwindled to a couple of days?

She’ll understand.

She always understands.

But that doesn’t mean she won’t be disappointed. That doesn’t mean she won’t be at the apartment alone for part of her winter break because I was supposed to be the one there with her. That doesn’t mean I’m not letting her down.

“How are we supposed to do a toast when you don’t evenhave a fucking drink?” Brian points to the empty spot on the table in front of me. “Someone, get this man a drink!” he yells to no one in particular.

“Yeah, I left it at the bar.” I look over my shoulder, but my drink is gone. Well, not gone exactly. I find it a moment later in Tarah’s hand. She looks like she might forget she’s holding it soon, though. Her free hand is deep into Mya’s hair while the two make out.

Good for Mya.

Turning back to the guys, I point over my shoulder with my thumb. “I’m pretty sure that’s it.”

Dave leans back to get a better look and chuckles. “We’ll get you a new one.”

Marty cranes his neck to look at the two girls, too. “Think they’d be open to?—”

“No,” I say with a firm shake of my head. Then I think about what he’s actually asking and backpedal. “Well, maybe. But definitely not with you.”

Marty grins. “You never know.”

I roll my eyes and look back at Brian. “Shouldn’t Mya be here for the news?”

He glances past me to his niece with no reaction to what she’s doing. “She already knows.”

“She does?”

Brian huffs a laugh. “I’m impressed she didn’t tell you. I needed her to start designing the new merchandise for the next tour, so I had to fill her in.” He looks around at all of us. “She’ll probably ask you to take new photos soon. Don’t give her shit. Just do it.”

“Who would give her shit about that?” Dave asks as he tosses back the last of his drink.

Brian’s eyes fall on me, but he says nothing.

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