Page 49 of Shattered Rhythm

“Figures. It’s not really your type of car,” I comment, and he looks at me with his hand on the steering wheel.

“What is my type of car, then?” he asks, cocking a brow, and I think for a moment.

“I guess I could see you in a silver Volvo or Mercedes—something classic, elegant, and secure.”

“You have me all figured out, don’t you?” he asks with a laugh.

“I don’t, but I’m looking forward to getting to know you better,” I say with a smile. Blushing, he looks at his lap before starting the car.

“Same, Liv,” he says before driving out of the parking lot.

* * *

River

We arrive at the bar, which is already packed. My anxiety starts to rise, so I take a deep breath. When I glance down at Liv, I see that she’s wringing her hands and looking at the crowd nervously.She doesn’t like this kind of setting either, does she?

I tell myself to get a grip, at least for her sake, and take her hand. Walking in front of her, I hold her hand behind my back so that she’s right behind me and I can shield her with my body. Thankfully, Ryder has reserved a table for us in the front. It’s a private booth to the right of the stage near a window, with the wall on our backs. He knows me too well, and I send him a silentthank youas he turns to see if we’ve arrived yet. Liv waves at him excitedly and gives him a thumbs-up. Ryder laughs and shakes his head, and I can’t help but chuckle at how cute she is.

I let Liv get into the booth first, then scoot in behind her. I sit down with a bit of space between us, but she scoots over to me and leans into my side.

“Thank you for earlier,” she whispers into my ear. “I don’t enjoy being around so many people.” I take a chance and put my arm around her shoulder, and she relaxes even more against me.

“Don’t worry, I know the feeling,” I say against her temple. “That’s why Ryder made sure we have a table just for us with enough space and a good view.”

Liv nods, and we watch as Ryder steps up to the microphone.

* * *

Ryder

As I watch my brother and Liv in the booth together, I can’t help but feel grateful for her. I haven’t seen River this happy and relaxed in years. It always seems like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, but when he’s with her, he’s carefree, happy, excited, and brave. I could kiss her, and not just for that.Honestly, I haven’t stopped thinking about our kiss from yesterday.

Liv looks gorgeous tonight, and I think she tried to adapt her style a bit for the evening. Maybe she thought the establishment would be more of a rock bar, but it’s just a regular one, and everyone is dressed nicely but casually. Her long brown hair is loose, with waves falling down her back. She’s wearing ripped black skinny jeans and black boots with a long-sleeved black crop top that shows her cleavage and the lace of her bra. A sliver of her toned stomach is showing, and God, she’s sexy with those big green eyes accentuated with a smoky eye shadow.

I start the show by introducing the band and myself. The owner of the bar wanted some light covers, so we start with “Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry. At first, Liv is sitting on the edge of the bench, looking at me with stars in her eyes. When she looks at me like that, like I’m worth something, I want to give her the world in return. After the first chorus, she sits back, and River wraps his arms around her again, kissing her temple. I watch her close her eyes with the contact, hoping she’s open to giving what’s between us a chance.

The next song is “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls, which is difficult to sing because it’s so high, but I love it since it shows the range of my voice. The waiter brings what looks like cocktails to Liv and River, but since she said she doesn’t drink in public and I know River doesn’t either, they must be mocktails. I nearly laugh as I watch River trying to drink around the little umbrella before Liv takes it out of his drink, and they both chuckle.

We play a few more songs, and the audience is getting into it tonight, clapping and nodding to the beat. Liv and River are our number one fans, but I would be offended if they weren’t. The last song for the night is a duet with Cara, the bass player in my band. We’re singing “Let It Go” by James Bay, and she steps to my side since we only have one mic on the small stage. She starts singing, and the song suits her, her voice is high and angelic. Since we only rehearsed the song today for the first time, I watch her and wait for my cue, making sure not to miss my parts.

When we finish, I look at Liv with a smile, proud of how well it worked out. But there’s a small frown on her face, and her eyes look sad. She’s still clapping like crazy, but she doesn’t seem happy anymore.

What the fuck just happened?

* * *

Liv

Ryder’s performance tonight is incredible. I knew he was talented, but with his band, he’s unbelievable. I loved every second of it until the last song, when the pretty lilac-haired girl on the bass stepped up to his side. Her grungy style suits her perfectly, unlike my sad attempt to fit into Ryder’s world. She starts to sing, and her voice matches her beauty. She captivates everyone, most of all Ryder. He looks happy, and he doesn’t take his eyes off her during the whole song.

My heart hurts, and I wonder if I got it all wrong. I thought there was something between us after the kiss yesterday. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all night, but maybe I just misread the signals. After all, I’m interested in not only him, but River, Chase, and Jaxon as well.Why would he settle for me if I can’t promise him the same?He’s so fucking handsome, and there are girls left and right who want a piece of him. As the song ends, I clap but feel sick.

“I need some fresh air,” I tell River, and he scoots out of the booth to let me out. I push myself through the crowd with my eyes closed, moving toward the exit, but some guy stops me by holding me by my upper arms.

“Don’t touch me,” I say.

He just laughs. “Where are you going, angel? I just found you,” he says, and my stomach turns at his use of the endearment Liam used with me. As I’m trying to pull myself out of his hold, I feel warmth on my back.

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