Page 133 of Don't Bang a Bandmate

“You and Christian left together,” I say. “He didn’t try anything, did he?”

“Oh,no,”she says. “I mean, he wanted something to happen, but I faked a few tears. Said I wasn’t ready yet.” She shrugs. “He bought it. Couldn’t get away from me fast enough, actually.”

I nod casually, pretending like that’s not the best damn news I’ve ever heard. “Good. I wouldn’t want another reason to break his nose.”

Jordan smiles at that, then clears her throat. “Anyway, uh… You got my signal, right?”

“Yeah,” I answer. “The pen?”

“Good!” She exhales, relieved. “Good. Because I didn’t want the band to worry, but… it kinda seems like they didn’t know what was really going on?”

“I didn’t tell them.”

She pauses, curious. “Why not?”

“Well, I didn’t want Knox shooting his mouth off and wrecking whatever you were planning.”

“Right.” She grins. “Yeah, I guess that’s always a possibility.”

We chuckle.

“And...” I shrug. “I kinda like it when we have secrets between us.”

Jordan looks down, but her lips curl upward. “I like it, too.” When she looks up again, she looks at me the way she does when we’re alone. “Listen, Bronson, about our little secret. I, um… I told Christian in New York that I couldn’t be with someone I can’t trust. I believe friends should always be honest with each other and I don’t want to lie to you, so… here goes.”

I say nothing, hanging on every syllable.

She takes a breath. “The last few weeks have been great. We’re really great together, Bronson, and I want to thank you for being there for me. It means a lot to me, probably more than you realize. But I think it’s a good thing that we broke things off when we did because I...” She hesitates, but never breaks eye contact with me. “I’ve developed feelings for you.”

I say nothing.

I don’t even breathe.

“You don’t have to say anything,” she says. “I know you don’t feel the same way about me. I know it was just sex for you. And that’s fine! That’s great, even! But as fun as our time together has been, I can’t keep doing it. It would just be too weird, I think.”

I nod slowly, my throat clenching.

“I’d like to go back to the way things were between us. Just friends. Because you are and always have been my best friend. You mean so much to me, Bronson. I’d rather have you in my life as my friend than not at all, so... And don’t worry. I’m sure I’llget over this crush eventually and it’ll be like it never happened. That’s all it is, I think. Just a crush.”

Jordan leans forward and kisses my cheek.

I stand still, my heart pounding hard against my ribs.

Say being just friends isn’t enough for you, either.

Say you want to be with her, too.

Say something.

Jordan smiles, the weight of the words now lost from her shoulders. “Anyway,” she says, stepping back. “I’ll leave you to finish getting ready. Sounds like a good crowd out there tonight.”

Say it wasn’t just sex.

Say you love her, too.

Saysomething,dammit!

Jordan turns around, her clipboard tucked safely in her arm as she heads toward the wings, Harvey’s set just moments away now.

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