Page 27 of Yearn

His gaze slid past me, deliberately not engaging. I noticed Gabriella did the same thing, being super nice to Noah and Daisy, pressing into Adam’s side as they chatted away and deliberately ignored me.

Whatever. It was probably best not to talk to them. Especially after hearing his song. I hated him using my experiences to entertain. At least, I’d shown up like I said I would.

Suddenly, he was beside me. “Hey.”

I cleared my throat. “Hey. I liked your set.”

Finally, his gaze locked on mine. I ignored the shiver that ran down my spine at the heat in his eyes. “Did you?”

“Are you actually challenging me on a compliment?” I asked grumpily.

His lips curved in a reluctant grin. “Guess not. Appreciate you showing up. Where’s Max?”

“Stuck in Boston with traffic. He said he’d text you.”

Adam nodded. “Yeah, not surprised.”

I shifted my feet, uncomfortable. The same thing had happened a month ago, when Adam got a gig but Max ended up blowing it off, convincing me to go with him to a party that night instead. He swore it was nothing and that Adam didn’t need him, but I could tell later it had bothered Adam. I began to see how it was a pattern with Max. “No, he really did. He was with his family this weekend.”

“It’s okay, Landon. I’m not mad. Max does Max.”

The simple words bothered me even more. “Yeah, I guess. Anyway, I really did like your songs. They were…deep.”

He tilted his head, as if thinking hard about my words. “Did they make you feel anything?”

A blast of heat shot through me. His voice was low and intimate, spinning a web around us separate from the others who were involved in conversation beside us. It was the time to shrug a yes and walk away. Or ignore the question. The way he asked demanded something bigger from me, and I couldn’t say no. It was as if I was pulled into his unconscious demand for the truth. “Yes.”

His eyes glittered. “What did my song make you feel, Landon?”

Chapter Twelve

Landon

Listen to Jaded

by Miley Cyrus

My breath caught.

Gabriella flung her arms around his waist and snuggled against him like they were already an item. “Can I grab you for a minute?”

His face became shuttered and it was like our intimate conversation had never happened. “Sure. See ya, Landon.”

He walked away, head close to Gabriella’s, whispering something.

Asshole.

Fuming, I was about to stalk the bar for another drink, but Daisy and Noah cut me off. “We have to get going,” Daisy said in apology. “Will you be okay getting home yourself or do you want to split a cab?”

I waved a hand in the air. “No, thanks, I’m good. Catch up with you tomorrow.”

We kissed and hugged goodbye. I ordered another martini from the bar, and sipped it leisurely, chatting casually with a few people at the bar. Adam and Gabriella had disappeared and obviously wasn’t coming back.

The highs and lows of the past few days hit hard. Suddenly, I wanted to leave. I paid the bill, and slipped out. The evening was darkening, but the streets were filled with touring pedestrians and food trucks and the dinner crowd beginning to leak from the surrounding buildings.

I walked for a while, figuring I’d head home, but my feet hurt and I didn’t want to be alone. I ended up at one of our favorite bars, a shadowy, musty type pub with a big selection of beer, a giant bar, and comfy booths. A pool table and darts were set up in the back with an old school jukebox. It was a regular stop for us, and the bartenders knew me well. I waved and said hello to Jack, and ordered a glass of Chardonnay, which was a passable house brand. It was dead for a Monday night, so I took a seat at the end of the bar and scrolled through my phone, looking for a distraction.

I sifted through my feed and noticed my engagements were down. Crap. I needed to do more live videos but I hadn’t been feeling it lately. I also hadn’t gotten a new sponsorship lately. I wasn’t growing like Gabriella—it seemed I hit a plateau and wasn’t showing the correct enthusiasm to break through. I was beginning to wonder if I really did want this. Yeah, I wanted the outcome—huge amounts of followers, sponsorships, and relative fame. I wanted the reality show notoriety. But did I like the actual work involved to consistently be “on” for the world nonstop?

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