I wasn’t and I knew they wouldn’t understand, so I didn’t try to explain that my reason for breathing was gone. I nodded as if to agree with him and just kept my mouth shut.
“I leave in a week to go back to Tuscaloosa. I have to get me an apartment and get moved down before the semester begins.”
Marcus’s words surprised me. I didn’t realize he was leaving so soon.
“Really?” I asked, hearing the sadness in my voice.
He nodded and looked away from me.
“Well, make sure to come tell me ‘bye,’” I reminded him, thinking that at least this goodbye wasn’t going to zap me of life.
He gazed at me with a strange expression on his face as if he wanted to say something but was fighting himself about it. “Yeah. I will,” he finally said half-heartedly.
“Well, the good news is I will not be going anywhere, and you can call me anytime and I will be more than willing to, uh, I don’t know, take you to dinner, a movie, or a--ouch!”
I jumped, and Preston shot daggers at Marcus.
“What did you do that for?” he challenged.
Marcus rolled his eyes. “I stopped you before you made an even bigger idiot of yourself.”
Preston snorted. “Is he always this moody around you?”
I grinned and shook my head. “Nope.”
Preston broke out into a grin. “So, you don’t like the competition, do you, big boy?” he teased, and Marcus glared at his friend and sighed before he turned to me.
“What he doesn’t realize is that the competition isn’t even at this table.”
Preston frowned, and then like a light went on he sat back, and he grew serious, which was a first.
“Can I get you something to drink...wait, OMG it is you! Ah, I can’t believe it! Jax Stone’s girlfriend.”
The girl rummaged through her apron and pulled out a piece of paper and handed me a pen. “Can I have your autograph, please?”
I was too shocked to respond, or move for that matter. I looked at Marcus, and I guess he noticed the panic in my eyes, because he took the paper and pen and handed it back to the girl.
“Uh, why don’t you take our drink order instead?”
The girl’s grin fell, and I dropped my eyes to my hands. I wasn’t sure what to say or how to respond. This was not something I had seen coming.
Marcus ordered me a Coke, and then took my hand. “I guess you haven’t been around town lately?” he asked cautiously.
I shook my head, but didn’t meet his gaze.
He sighed deeply and leaned down toward me. “Things are going to be a little different for you, for a while at least. You’re still on the news some, and, well, around this small town, you’re a star. No one has ever gotten as close to fame as you have.”
I closed my eyes. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Jax had left me to keep this from happening. Was my life going to always be this way? When would everyone realize the rock star had left me? I was no longer his, and I was no longer interesting. I was just Sadie White.
“Sadie, look at me, please,” Marcus whispered.
I met his eyes slowly and noticed the waitress pointing our way.
“Great, she is announcing my presence,” I muttered.
Marcus turned around to see the girls looking our way. He turned to Preston. “Could you go put those pretty boy looks to good use and distract the ‘OMG’ squad over there.”
Preston nodded. “Sure.” He went over to the girls, and, almost immediately, he had them giggling and smiling at him.