Page 108 of Hard Rock Love
It was the second time I’d heard those words, and they felt just as good as the first time.
“You did all the hard work,” I reminded him, just like I’d reminded Mary. “I only prodded you along.”
“You’re a fucking genius, man.” Gael came up to us and threw an arm around both our shoulders. “So you’re banging Everly’s little sister, hm?” He smirked in our faces. “I’m surprised you still have your balls.”
“It was touch and go there for a while,” Seth said. “But Ever came around to the idea.”
“I bet she’s not the only one coming, right?” Gael nudged Seth in the ribs and gave him a lecherous wink.
“Do you always have to make everything all about sex?” Seth asked.
“It’s like you don’t even know me at all,” Gael said, looking offended.
“Behave,” Jessie said as she delivered the round of drinks to our table.
“Only for you,” Gael winked and kissed her cheek. She smiled and patted his shoulder fondly.
Working at the youth center during the day and part-time nights at the bar sounded like a busy schedule, but when I’d asked Jessie, she told me she loved both jobs equally and would never give either of them up.
When the others had found out Seth and I were together, they had only been pleased for us. Julian hadn’t looked surprised, but then again, he never did. He’d also no doubt suspected something had been going on after he found Seth at my house that one morning. I was grateful to him for never saying anything to my sister about his suspicions.
“Oh shit,” Cerise blurted out. She’d pulled out her ringing phone from her bag and was staring at it in much the same way Seth had been staring at his. “It’s the tour organizers.”
The room went eerily still, tension filling the air.
She tapped to answer and put the phone to her ear to greet the caller, her voice oddly high-pitched.
“Hello? Yes. I see.” She nodded, her face blank. “Yes. All right, thank you.”
She lowered her phone, letting it dangle from her limp fingers. Her eyes had a dazed, far away expression. We waited.
“Well?” Seth demanded, the same way she’d demanded an answer from him about his grades. “What did they say?”
“We got it.”
The dazed expression didn’t leave her face as she repeated herself.
“We got it. They choose us as the headliners.”
Shocked silence. Then—
Gael threw both fists in the air and hollered. “Fucking right we did!”
Voices exploded into excited cheering, even more so than when Seth had announced his exam results. Becca threw her arms around Nathan. Gael pulled Jessie into his arms and dipped her into a kiss. Everly laid her head on Julian’s shoulder and looked up at him with a proud smile.
Liam sat in front of Cerise with both hands on her cheeks, whispering something to her. Her bright blue eyes were watery as she nodded and beamed.
When I turned to Seth, I saw a sad little smile on his lips.
I squeezed his hand.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I just wish I could have been the one to help them win,” he replied. Then his smile brightened. “But you know what this means?” He wrapped his arms around my waist and twirled me around until I shrieked.
“What does it mean?” I asked, giggling, when he finally put me down.
“It means you really are going to be an amazing teacher.”
