Page 109 of Unforgivable

“Eh, that song needed a little Colombian flair. You’re just jealous you couldn’t pull it off, parcero,” he laughed.

“Evidently your flair worked. Looks like you’ve got some adoring fans over there,” Fin said, pointing to a large table of girls raking their gazes over Mateo lustfully. “You’ll have to work them in shifts to get through all of them.” Mateo’s attention pivoted to Fin, that flirty smirk popping up that seemed to be a staple for him.

“Well, you know, I do like to give back to the public. But I always have room on my dance card if you care for a spin, beautiful,” he purred at Fin, and I noticed Griffin tense up out of the corner of my eye. Fin gave him a sweet smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“As lovely an offer as that undoubtedly is, I’m afraid I’m taken,” he replied, and Micah and I exchanged surprised glances.

“Wait, what? When did that happen?” I asked incredulously. Fin smiled nervously at me, completely unlike his normal bubbly self. Something was definitely up with him.

“Uh, it was pretty recent. My ex Dan and I reconnected and came to an understanding. I figured I owed us one more go after all this time together, so…yeah.”

His news floored me and I had some very big feelings about what he said, but this wasn’t the time or place. I couldn’t stop myself from looking over at Griffin who had gone red and silent, staring at his beer like he was contemplating chugging it or chucking it at the wall. Nate also decided to reappear at that moment, and when he andMateo caught sight of the other, the tension blanketed us fast and heavy.

“Okaaay, it feels like there’s a whole lot of subtext going on right now…” Micah supplied unhelpfully, and I kicked him under the table lightly. “What? It’s awkward as fuck and I’m not drunk enough to ignore it yet!” Cal and Bash bit back a snort at Micah’s blunt assessment, and I just let out a heavy sigh at my slightly inebriated bestie.

“So anyway, what is everyone doing for summer break?” Aly asked loudly in an attempt to cut the tension and change the topic.Masterfully executed. Did I mention I like her?

“Micah moved in with me last weekend, so we’ll just be hanging around Austin fixing our place up. No big plans, but maybe a few day trips to San Antonio or down to Big Bend?” Bash said, smiling at Micah in a way that showed just how much he adored him. Those two had gone through it this year, but I was over the moon that they found their way back to each other.

Even though it was bittersweet that I was losing my roommate, I was happy for him. Although I didn’t know if I could afford that apartment alone since Gran covered my rent, and I didn’t want to take a chance on a random person moving in. My hopes that Cal would ask me to move in with him hadn’t come to fruition yet, but maybe it was too soon? Staying over at his place most nights was very different than combining our lives like that. The goal was not to overthink this and get paranoid that it was a bad sign for us.How was that working out for me? So glad you asked. Poorly! Very poorly, thank you.

“I’m heading to Kyoto for a few weeks with my parents. We go once every other year to see my mom’s side of the family,” Kenji said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

“Hell, that’s more than I’ve got going on. I’m stuck here working the entire summer, and Fin’s going to be busy teaching his dance classes and being with Dan. But who knows? Maybe I’ll find a hot summer fling of my own,” Aly griped good-naturedly. Fin’s lips curved up a bit at the corners, but I could tell something was bothering him. He still hadn’t looked over at Griffin, and I actually felt a little bad for him.

I peeked over at Dawson since he had been quiet most of the night, but he appeared lost in his own thoughts and a little pale. I wondered if there was something wrong, especially since he was now throwing dart-y eyes toward the opposite corner of the bar.

“What about you and Hawk? You guys have anything fun planned this summer?” Bash asked me kindly, drawing my attention back to the conversation. Oddly enough, Cal and I hadn’t talked about any plans for after the semester. We never really discussed plans more than a week out. That irritating spark of insecurity flickered in my head, but I shut it out before it took me down the rabbit hole of paranoia. Cal hadn’t given me any reason to question our relationship and where it was going.

“We haven’t?—”

“Actually, I have a trip planned for us,” Cal interrupted, an enigmatic smile playing on his lips. I snapped my head in his direction, stunned at the admission.

“Wait, you do? Since when? Where?” I asked dumbfounded, but I couldn’t help the bubbling excitement in my stomach.

“That’s for me to know and you to work out of me later in bed using whatever methods you see fit,” Cal whispered scandalously in my ear. Micah must have noticed our private moment because he shot me a smirk and turned Bash’s attention back to him for their own conversation.

“But…you really want to go on a trip with me?” My cheeks heated with vulnerability. Cal leaned forward and took my mouth in a sweet kiss, one that ended way too soon for my taste.

“Of course I do. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, sweetheart,” he told me, his gaze serious. “That’s not all I have planned for us, but the rest can wait until we’re not in mixed company.” He gave me another firm kiss, one that swept over me and washed away any doubts that still niggled at me that he wasn’t in this. A fry whacked me on the face and I yanked away from Cal’s mouth with a cry of protest.

“Stop sucking face and look! Dawson’s getting up to sing!” Fin said frantically, eyes bugged out. Sure enough, Dawson was sitting down at the keyboard that was on the side of the stage for open mic nights, casting nervous glances at the audience. Our group all started looking at each other, searching for answers but coming up blank. Nate even seemed confused and surprised by his best friend’s impromptu performance.

“Hey guys, um…I’m hoping y’all don’t mind if I change things up a bit for karaoke night,” Dawson hummed into the mic. The crowd answered with claps and hollers, encouraging him for what was either going to be a great show or embarrassing entertainment. I didn’t know about our friends, but I held my breath and sent up a silent prayer that he didn’t completely, terribly suck.Even though we all know the bad singing is why anyone goes to karaoke in the first place. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to you.

Dawson took a deep breath and then his fingers started dancing across the keys in a slow melody I recognized as “Dancing On My Own”. As he sang the opening lines, Dawson’s voice carried across the bar in a throaty, but flawless tone that was hauntingly beautiful. I was mesmerized by the emotion pouring from him as the lyrics floated in the air, coming from somewhere deep in Dawson that held some measure of pain. When he reached the first chorus, his eyes kept flicking to the far corner that had caught his attention earlier. I tried to peer around Mateo and Bash to see what or who he could possibly be looking at.

The crowd hung on every word he sang, getting lost in the story that flowed between the keyboard and his voice. I had never seen this side of Dawson, and one peek at Nate and Bash who knew him best told me this was also a novel way of seeing their friend. By the second chorus, Dawson’s eyes lingered longer and more intensely in that corner, and it seemed Micah had also caught on to the action.

“Hey, isn’t that guy over there our neighbor we ran into when I moved in?” Micah whispered to Bash just loud enough I could hear. “The one Dawson said…was…ooooh! Shit.”

My curiosity ran rampant thinking about what Dawson had said about this random guy to elicit that kind of reaction. The crowd parted just enough that through the gap between Mateo’s and Bash’s shoulders I saw a tall, leanly muscled guy with ash blond hair and crystalline blue eyes. He had an arm hanging over the shoulder of a slightly shorter guy with bronze skin and curly black hair, but blondie seemed tense as heck staring up at the stage. His brows were drawn down a bit and his lips were pursed, looking like he was in some kind of pain. His eyes didn’t move from where Dawson was playing, even when his boyfriend or hookup or whatever tried to swing his attention back to him.

I was drawn back to Dawson as his voice grew mournful and cracked slightly on the lyrics as he reached the acapella section.But you don’t see me standing here..I just came to say goodbye…

My heart twisted painfully, feeling every note and word thatDawson fed us. I was too far away to tell for sure, but I could almost make out a glassy sheen across those cornflower blue eyes of his. When I turned back to see the corner guy, he was fiddling with something hanging on a silver chain he wore around his neck. But there was no mistaking the matching emotion etched on his face, and I knew there was something between these two that ran deep.

Dawson closed out on a crescendo run that raised goosebumps on my arms, the collective breaths of everyone in the bar bated and waiting for that final chord. When the final note died out, the bar erupted in applause and cheers, some people even giving him a standing ovation. Not only was Dawson incredibly gifted, but the way he had come alive up there and bared his soul to the audience was hypnotic and powerful. He didn’t stick around long, shooting the crowd a thankful smile and a quick nod before making a fast exit toward the hallway in the back of the bar.

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