Page 136 of Between the Blue
“Alrighty then,” Jeff nods, spinning around to pause the music on the laptop behind him. He switches the microphone on, tapping it a few times to get everyone’s attention.
I run my fingers through my hair, fluffing it up around my shoulders.
“Hey.”
I turn my head, finding Ben looking at me with an oddly concerned expression.
“What?” I question him.
“You don’t have to do this,” he says.
I’m about to fire back at him, but something about his tone of voice makes me hesitate.
“Alright, good evening, everybody!” Jeff calls over the microphone. “Are y’all ready to get this lip sync battle started?”
The bar immediately erupts into cheers.
“Well, I have to say, it’s not much of a battle right now since all of y’all were too chicken to sign up. But, luckily, we do have one brave soul here who’s willing to get us started.”
Jeff covers the microphone, leaning over the bar towards me. “Sorry, what’s your name, darlin’?”
“Addie,” I tell him.
“Everybody, give it up for Addie!”
Applause and whoops sound from around the bar, along with several exclamations from the Storm’s table.
Jeff switches off the microphone, then hands it to me across the bar. “You can hop up. Just give me a second to get your song queued up,” he says.
“Okay,” I agree, turning around gripping the bar with my hands to push myself up onto it.
Once I’m sitting on the bar, I move to stand up, but then feel a large hand come down on my thigh. My head snaps up, and I find Ben right in front of me. Between his close proximity, the warmth spreading through me from where his hand is gripping me, and the alcohol finally starting to hit me, I feel like I could melt into a puddle on the floor below.
“Do this,” he says. “But only if you want to. Don’t do it if you’re doing it for me.”
I blink at him. “Why can’t it be both?”
Ben presses his lips together.
I shake my head, realizing this conversation is useless, and try to push myself up once more.
Ben’s other hand comes down on my other thigh, and when I look up at him, his brows are pulled together.
“Ready to admit you want me?” I ask him.
His gaze drops along with his voice. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
I tilt my head at him. “Why did you then?” The longer I watch him, the more it becomes clear. “If it wasn’t true, why’d you say it?”
Ben meets my eyes again now. “Because, regardless, I can’t have you.”
I blow a breath out of my nose, placing my hands on top of his where they sit on my thighs. “Can’t or won’t?”
He opens his mouth and then closes it again. His fingers start to wrap more tightly around my legs, but I push them away.
And then, as if on cue,Cherry Pieby Warrant starts blasting over the speakers.
“This could’ve been for you,” I exhale, then grab the microphone from the bar, standing up and immediately being met with a room full of cheers.
