Page 22 of A Dark Melody

“Um. No, thank you.”

“I’ll be right back.” Wes replies.

Ben sticks around as Wes goes inside, and I wish he hadn’t. I don’t like the way he smiles at me when I look up at him.

“So, Wes and you, huh?” He asks, after a moment of silence.

“We are just friends.”

“Just friends?” He says with a wide grin. “Good to know.”

“It is?” I ask back.

“Means you’re still available.” He shoots me a smirk.

“Uh yeah.” I say, trying not to blush. He was quite handsome when he wasn’t being a condescending ass, but I wasn’t about to get involved with anyone, let alone my new friend’s bandmate.

“I got to go.” Ben moves, putting out his cigarette. “But, it was nice to finally meet you, Abbey.”

“Nice meeting you, too.” I say as he walks backward toward the store. He flashes me one last grin before turning his back to me and entering the store.

I’m left standing outside the store alone. I see other people off the buses and mingling, but I don’t really know any of them well enough to go up and talk with them. I mean, I sort of knew the members of my backing band. Dean and Jeff have been touring members for years, and this was Todd’s second tour with me. I could easily go up and talk with them. I see them standing outside of their tour bus, chatting and smoking. But I just didn’t feel right. Plus, I knew Wes would be coming back any minute, and I still didn’t know if he was coming back on my bus or not.

So, I just stood there for a few minutes until Wes came walking out of the store.

“I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I couldn’t help myself.” He says, holding up a bag full of junk food and two slushies. “What movie should we watch next?”

“You’re coming back on my bus?”

“If you’ll have me. I mean, I have to make sure you eat dinner so we can hang out without a babysitter for a bit.”

“I will eat dinner.” I say softly. “You don’t need to come back to my bus.”

“Do you not want me to?”

“I don’t want you to think you have to.”

His lips turn up to that. “I know I don’t have to, Abbey. I want to.” He puts his arm around my shoulders. “Take this.” He holds out a red slushie.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“You can.” He says, steering me towards my bus. “Maybe we can get another thirty minutes out of it. Plus, it’s a liquid. It’s not the same as eating.”

“Still has calories.”

“Which you will burn off on stage tomorrow.”

I take the drink from him and take a small sip. “It’s cold.”

“Yes. Feels good in this heat.” He says and opens my bus door.

He was right. It did feel good. He helps me up the steps and onto the bus.

“You’re back.” Sue comments, looking at Wes.

“With snacks.” He sets the bag on the table. “Help yourself.”

We plop down on the couch again, and he turns on the TV, taking a drink of his slushie.

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