Page 32 of New Year's Faye

I watched her go, remembering how she'd felt in my arms, the little sounds she'd made when I'd kissed her neck, the way she'd pulled me closer instead of pushing me away.

"Dude." Felix appeared beside me, following my gaze. "You've got it bad."

"Shut up and tune your bass."

He grinned, unrepentant. "Just saying, for a fake marriage, you guys look pretty real to me."

I thought about Faye's hands fisted in my shirt, her breathless "don't you dare stop," the way she'd kissed me back like she'd been wanting it as much as I had.

"Five minutes!" the stage manager called. "Places, everyone!"

I strapped on my guitar, trying to focus on the show ahead and not on the memory of Faye’s body pressed against mine in the back of that limo.

We’ll talk, she'd said.

I intended to hold her to that promise.

The crowd roared as the lights dimmed, the opening band closing out their set with a rousing number.

As the stage went dark and we ran on, I forced myself to focus on the music. In place, I glanced around, waiting for the nod from my band mates before my fingers strummed the opening chords.

The crowd went wild, screaming a wave of sound at the stage. It raised goosebumps on my skin, and had Justice chuckling from somewhere to my left.

But all I could think about was how Faye's lips had felt against mine, and how much I wanted to kiss her again.

Later. After. Soon.

Finally.

The final chord of our set rang out through the arena, sweat dripping down my back as the crowd roared. Three and a half hours of playing, two encores and a third standing ovation had me exhausted but pumped up on adrenaline.

As Justice thanked the crowd, I finally allowed myself to look toward the wings where I knew she'd be waiting. Faye stood in her usual spot, iPad forgotten in her hands as she watched us.

But she wasn't alone.

Alex leaned against the wall beside her, too close for comfort, his perfectly tailored suit a stark contrast to our post-show sweat-drenched chaos. Even from here, I could see the tension in Faye's shoulders, the way she angled her body away from him while maintaining professional politeness.

"Great show," Alex said as we filed offstage, his voice carrying that practiced smoothness that set my teeth on edge. "The energy was electric."

“Always is,” I muttered darkly, shooting him a glare as I made my way to Faye. Slinging an arm around her shoulders, I leaned in nuzzling her hair. “You okay?”

“Peachy,” she said through gritted teeth. “But I’ll survive.”

We walked down to the green room, accepting congratulations and thanking our crew as we walked. Inside were the VIPs. We’d do an hour of meet and greet before finally being allowed to head back to the bus.

I held the door open for Faye but Alex stopped me before we could enter.

“You guys go ahead,” he told Radley, Felix and Justice. “I need to talk to the newlyweds for a moment.”

Felix caught my eye, cocking his head.

“Go in,” I murmured. “We’ll be a minute.”

Faye stepped beside me, her hand finding mine as we waited for them to file passed. The door bumped shut, leaving us in the semi-dark of the hallway.

Alex crossed his arms, his expression patronizing.

“We have a problem.”

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