Page 21 of Heart of a Rebel

I won’t be that girl people question because of a man. I won’t be like my mom. Not now, not ever.

8

Adrian

Theshowcasehasalreadystarted by the time I make it across town. I was supposed to have the night off, but Nate was late for his shift, and like the idiot I was, I agreed to cover for an hour. One hour turned into almost three, but at least I finally got out of there.

It takes me a minute to find the band in the mess of people crowding this place, but I finally spot Eloise by the bar. She’s taking a sip of water and tapping her fingers on the bar top like she does when she’s nervous. The dent in her cheek tells me she’s chewing the inside of her cheek and thinking. But even with her rigid posture, her hips still manage to sway to the music like a pendulum swinging.

The sight of her stops me in place. I’d like to think I don’t get affected by people, but she’s my exception.

Her hair’s in a tight ponytail that shows off the length of her neck and she’s wearing a cropped white tank top that puts her flower half-sleeve tattoo on display. A small sliver of her trim stomach peeks out. And she’s in those liquid black leather pants, making her mile-long legs look like they’ve been dipped in oil. But it’s not just her beauty that traps me where I stand. It’s her eyes, finding me the moment I walk in, like a sixth sense she has when it comes to my presence.

I make my way over to her, noticing a few tables roped off at the back of the club. I assume those are reserved for the record label reps from the way everyone in the place seems aware of them. People whisper and spare glances in their direction, but don’t stare too long.

I’m not sure what I expected from a showcase like this, but definitely something a little more glamorous. The way the guys have gone on and on about how it has the potential to make or break them had me thinking I’d be walking into something more professional in appearance. But with the throbbing lights and alcohol flowing, it’s like any other night of live music in town, with a few record execs added in.

“You made it.” Eloise’s eyes skim me like they always do when I stop in front of her.

I’d like to know what it is she’s thinking when she looks at me like that, but I also have no doubt I’d be disappointed.

“Didn’t miss you guys play, I hope?”

She shakes her head. “Still two bands ahead of us.”

I wave a hand at the bartender and he stops in front of me, appreciating Eloise with a smile before looking in my direction.

“Guinness,” I order.

The bartender nods his head, checking out Eloise once more before heading to get my beer. She doesn’t seem to notice. She never does, actually. And I’m not sure if it’s that she’s as confident as she should be looking like she does or if she really has no interest in getting a man’s attention.

Because she sure as fuck has mine.

When the bartender comes back with my beer, I slide cash in his direction and follow Eloise to the backstage area.

“He’s with me,” she says to a guy who’s a sad excuse for a bouncer at half my weight.

He nods and hands me a purple bracelet that matches the one around Eloise’s wrist.

“You nervous?” I ask her as she leads me down a long hallway, stopping at the top of a flight of stairs.

The bands must be chilling in some kind of basement waiting for their turn.

But instead of heading down the staircase, Eloise turns, resting her back against the wall and drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. “I shouldn’t be.”

“It’s okay if you are.” I shrug.

“It’s probably pathetic.” She lets out a breathy chuckle. “I’m sure you’ve been in much worse situations.”

“There’s always worse situations.” I tip my chin at her. “And different situations, and situations that mean something different to one person than they do to another. Doesn’t invalidate your feelings about it.”

“I guess.” She chews the inside of her cheek.

Someone tries to get past us, so I slide up next to her on the wall to let them pass. My arm knocks hers and I can’t ignore the firebolt of electricity that shoots through me or the fact that I hear her suck in the sharpest inhale at my touch. I can’t help but lean closer at the sound, to absorb it even if I’m not brave enough to face her.

“But you’ve got this.” I nudge her arm, and she finally looks up at me.

Her eyes are nearly black between her fake eyelashes and the dim light of the hallway. A night sky with the faintest brushing of stars sparkling in them. It’s the same way her freckles dust her face when she’s not wearing any makeup.

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