Redesigning Fate (Revive #1) - A. M. Wilson Page 0,76
begins assembling. Elias pulls me so I’m no longer in the mass of partiers; instead, I’m standing off to the side, where Shelby and I once sat during his set.
The heaviness of our morning has dissipated. Looking at Elias, all I see is this lighthearted, carefree, beautiful man. His eyes are bright, excited, and the grin plastered to his face is infectious. I find myself wearing an identical grin to match. Elias makes me feel so balanced and grounded.
For once in the past few weeks, I don’t feel myself looking over my shoulder at every noise. The anxiety isn’t creeping over my skin as it normally would. I’m finding it hard to remember that Travis is still out there, his threat always present in the back of my mind. I’ll save you. I don’t need him to save me. I need saving from him. And I’m beginning to find my hope in Elias. I don’t feel like I’m merely existing anymore. Elias makes me feel alive.
The beginning cords of See You Soon by Coldplay wash over me, and I slam into the present. My thoughts drifting into some other subconscious part of my brain. I find myself swaying to the music, and by the second line, I’m singing along. The crowd is singing out the lyrics, hands thrown up in the air, cheering him on. My attention locks on Elias, watching him play as he commands the crowd. Girls are dancing in front of him, trying to get his attention, but his eyes lock on to mine as he sings. It’s as if he’s singing only for me. I watch his strong hand hold the different frets, his other hand strumming, and I’m acutely aware of how turned on I am by him.
As soon as the song is over, he rapidly switches into A Girl, A Boy, and a Graveyard by Jeremy Messersmith.
He follows up with Where is My Mind by Trampled by Turtles, and by the next song, Selena and Shelby make their way up next to me and we’re soon dancing together. I’ve never really danced with a girl before, but the liquor is getting to me, having polished off a Captain and Coke during the previous song. I’m turned on and wanting to dance. It feels good having another body rubbing against me, even if it is a woman. Selena plasters herself to my back while Shelby takes the front, and I barely hear the catcalls and whistles over our rowdy giggles.
Elias rolls into his own rendition of The Trapeze Swinger by Iron & Wine. The girls and I slow our dance into a slow rock of the hips, hands resting on each other as we grind and roll to the music. I catch Elias’s eye as he plays, and his gaze is heated and dark. I can’t tell if he’s angry or turned on, but I can’t say I really care.
We continue to belt out the lyrics to song after song. The room is becoming hot. Too hot. I strip off my t-shirt down to my tank top. I bend over to flip my hair in a quick ponytail, wiping the beaded sweat from my neck. Elias pauses to take a drink, and I pounce on him for a quick mid-set make out session. He pulls me to him, gripping my back tightly as he slips his tongue inside of my mouth. I answer by groaning at the sensation.
“Mmm, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he says as I stare up into his cerulean blue eyes. He runs his fingers down my flushed cheeks, grazing my lips, continuing down my neck to run across the lace of my shirt on my breasts. “You’re not switching teams on me, are you?”
“No, at least not permanently,” I reply with a wink. His mouth pops open briefly, before he closes it with a smile that stretches ear to ear.
“I’m okay with that,” he says. He pauses, indecision written on his face. Pulling his guitar back around to his front, he strums some chords I’m unfamiliar with. I listen with rapt attention; it’s clear he’s playing only for me. The soft melody wraps around me, holding me in its grasps as he starts to sing. The chorus in particular catches my attention.
Tears spring to my eyes as the crowd joins in on another round of the chorus. Elias stops playing to swoop me into his arms once again.
“What was that,” I whisper, unable to control the emotion flooding my