Page 54 of You Started It

His expression grows serious as the song comes to the bridge. He brings his lips to my ear and begins to sing. The warmth of his breath sends a tingle all the way to my toes. We remain moving in sync among some of the other die-hard fans who sing along with the band, and it’s probably the most romantic moment of my life.

If this is supposed to be fake, then why does it feel more real than anything I ever experienced with Ben?

The song ends and the rain continues to come down hard. The band announces they have to pause the concert until it’s safe to continue.

“Want to get out of here?” Axel asks, his wet T-shirt clinging to his chest.

I nod and follow him out of the venue and past security guards who are none the wiser. He keeps my hand grasped in his tightly. We miraculously get onto a streetcar without having to wait, our clothes completely soaked. We barely say anything on the ride back. I think we’re both tired, or maybe avoiding speaking about that moment. The moment we’re still sharing while my head rests on his perfectly broad shoulder.

We transfer onto a bus that takes us back to our neighborhood. I walk to Axel’s house with him since my car is parked on his street. The rain has let up but we’re still drenched, and if I’m being honest, we both kind of stink.

“That was fun,” I say as we make it to the end of his driveway. “Thanks for planning that out. Shoot,” I say, scrunching my face. “We forgot to take advantage of the location and film a TikTok or take any pictures.”

“Itwasfun, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Sometimes it’s better to let a moment be a moment that can only be remembered in your head. That way it’s kind of a secret between the people who experienced it. Makes it more special, I think.” Axel swallows, while bouncing on his heels. “Besides, next weekend you get to return the favor in a big way.”

“Your cousin’s wedding,” I say with a nod.

“Yeah. You still in?”

“Of course. It’s going to be pretty formal, right?”

Axel laughs. “Very. But just wear whatever makes you comfortable.”

“How’s this going to work?” I ask. “I mean, you’re in the wedding party. So, who will I sit with?”

“My family,” he says, as if it’s no big deal. “And you’ve already met them.”

“Oh.”

“Is that not okay?”

“It’s fine, I just…you’ll be busy and, I don’t know, maybe I’ll get in the way by being there.” My hands turn into fists again. Breathe.

“I want you there,” he says, taking my hands and unspooling my fingers. “Jamie, I know we’re supposed to be faking all of this, but the thing is…” He pauses, and then glances over my shoulder. He clears his throat and releases my hands. “Ben.”

“The thing is, Ben?” I ask.

“He’s here,” Axel says, looking past me.

I turn to find Ben walking toward us. “What’s up, guys?” His tone is less friendly and more asshole-y. He looks us both up and down. “What happened?”

“We fell in a puddle,” I say in a deadpan voice. “What do you want, Ben?”

“Just got home from Olivia’s. She told me something interesting.”

“Can this wait, man? Jamie and I were in the middle of something,” Axel says.

“No. It can’t wait…man.” Ben walks past me and gets in Axel’s face. “Olivia told me what you did.”

Axel squints at Ben. “What did I do?”

“You tried to get between me and her. When you’re supposed to be with Jamie.”

Axel shakes his head. “No, I didn’t.”

“When you were on the ride, at Wonderland. You stole my seat and flirted with her. She told me all about it.”

Axel’s eyes meet mine. I swallow, looking away from his gaze.

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