the way Colt and Porter were staring at us, saw how Drez pointedly ignored them. Somehow my phone was in my palm, then in Drez's fingers. “Are you giving me your number?” I asked, blushing over such a normal thing. It's because it's so normal. People usually do that before they—well.
His nod was quick. “Call me if anything happens.”
“Like what?” Taking back my phone, I held it tight and enjoyed the warmth he'd left on its surface.
He squeezed the edge of the door. Every tendon in his arm flexed beautifully. “It doesn't matter what. If you need to call me, for any reason you can come up with, just do it.”
I didn't notice I was smiling until my face ached. The moment was shattered by Colt, his shaved head pressing in close beside Drez's. “Hey, you want my number too? I might not get as lonely as Drez, but I do love hearing a woman's voice.”
“Hey, whoa,” Porter scoffed. His beefy shoulders squeezed into the doorway of the bus, shoving the singer out further. “I thought you only liked when I called you, man! Fuck this, you trying to make me jealous?”
“Who'd try to make you jealous?” Colt snapped, waving a hand side to side. He hit Drez's nose in the process, ignoring the man's grunt as he kept talking over him and at Porter. “Have you even brushed your teeth yet this morning?”
“That hurts, man.” The bassist frowned as deep as he could, eyes shutting. “Right in the heart. Damn.”
The ball of fear that had been hatching in me like a rotten egg... it dissipated. They're trying to make me laugh, aren't they? These guys, these ridiculously talented guys, they wanted me to see they weren't angry at me. Whatever had happened last night, they were doing their best to show me nothing had changed between all of us.
Brenda tugged me backwards, clearly exasperated. “Could you guys not make us even more late? Get on the bus, get going. We'll meet up with you later.”
Shrugging her off, I flashed my band a smile and waved. “See you all after!”
“Make sure she buys some fruit!” Porter shouted, so close to Drez's ear that the singer grimaced.
In a smooth motion, Drez knocked the bassist back into the bus. Then he nodded at me. “Remember what I said.” His hand reached down, patting his pocket.
In answer, I tapped where my phone was tucked away. Did he think it was possible for me to forget what he'd said? As far as I was concerned, I'd never forget a single word Drezden Halifax told me.
Not now.
Not ever.
****
The wind felt wonderful as we sped down the highway. The silence in the car, however, did not. Brenda had commandeered a hatchback. I didn't ask her who she'd taken it from, and she didn't offer the info.
Now, as we tore down the asphalt with every window open and the breeze screaming in our ears, I waited for her to say... something. For someone so insistent on getting me alone to talk, she's been patiently biting her tongue.
Abruptly, the windows went up. The noise was suctioned away; I missed it dearly. It was all that had been keeping things from becoming fully awkward.
Not looking at me, she said, “So. What the hell were you thinking last night?”
“Excuse me?” I squinted at her stoic profile as she watched the road. Alright. No warm-up. She wants to jump right in.
“You know what I'm talking about, Lola.”
Of course I knew. But with such a blunt question, how could I answer? I'd been running through the steps all day. I barely understood my decision myself, how could I explain it to her?
I opened my mouth, then closed it. Licking my lips didn't make speaking any easier. “I don't know if 'thinking' is the right word.”
“Well, at least you said it first.”
I tightened my lips. “I mean; I did think about it. For a while I thought about it. I didn't... last night didn't happen because I wasn't thinking. It happened because I let out my—” My what? Urges? Desires? My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.
Brenda was keen to assist me. “Hormones?”
Every bit of skin welled up and became pink. “No! Would you give me a break?”
“I am giving you a break.” She changed lanes fast, pushing me deeper into my seat. “It might not seem like it, but this whole thing—Lola, I'm going easy on you.”
“This is you being easy?” Scratching my scalp, I forced a tiny smile. “Tell