her. She needed to hear that voice again. Eden strained closer, leaning against the sweaty back of the girl standing in front of her. She felt Libby fill the space behind her.
“This is for…” He stopped, adjusting the guitar, and raised his head. The light hit his face and Eden got her first clear view of him, cheekbones highlighted as he squinted his eyes, shading them with one of his hands. He started from the left side of the crowd, sweeping his brooding dark eyes over them. When he paused in the middle, Eden was almost sure he was looking at her, but then they moved on. “Anyway, she’s supposed to be here, so…”
He slipped his hand across his shoulder, pulling the strap, and stepped up to the mic as he sung the first line. “These lies that permeate my life, I saw you standing there.” He strummed a delicate melody, humming softly, shifting the song into a lullaby. “Words fall like pebbles to the floor, my mouth is filling up with stone. I fell the longest drop of all. Oh God, don’t you take her away.”
“Jesus, it’s like Az could have written that. He’s singing about us. Me and Az.” Eden spun around to Libby, unsure of what to do, but sure she had to do something. She compromised by pushing her sleeves up. A second later, she pulled them down again. “Doesn’t it sound like he was? Am I crazy?”
“Actually, I thought it was about me.” Libby gazed up at the stage. “Maybe it’s like a horoscope? Everyone thinks it’s just for them, because they want it to be. That’s gotta be it, right?”
“Right,” Eden agreed absently. Libby gave her a strange look.
“You don’t know him,” she said. “I mean, there’s no way it could actually be about you.”
“I guess not.” Eden took in his face again, studying the perfect cheekbones, the full lips. Knew the features. Even the curls seemed familiar. “Maybe he looks like Az?” she asked. “Just a little?”
Libby considered it for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t see it.” She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, checking the time. “We’ve got about an hour and a half before we should be back. A little more if we’re going to dinner,” she said, throwing her fingers up in air quotes at the last word and smiling. “I need water.”
“I’ll be here,” Eden said, turning back to the music, but Libby grabbed her hand, pulling her along. She tried to jerk away, but Libby only squeezed tighter.
“I promised I wouldn’t let you out of my sight. And I’ll never be able to make it this close again,” she yelled, leaning in to Eden’s ear as the band struck up, launching into a fast song at top volume.
Libby dragged her, shoving through the first rows of people packed in behind them before they were able to just dodge around them.
Eden felt shoulders bumping into hers and closed her eyes, trusting Libby to guide her away from where he screamed out lyrics. Without him to distract her, she slowly became aware of the bare skin around her. Her fingers itched.
She glanced back, but his eyes had rolled up into his head as his body crashed against the mic stand, thrashing as the drums pounded. He wasn’t even really singing words anymore; it sounded like he was speaking in tongues. The connection she’d felt to him was lost in the noise, but the crowd was the opposite. They’d come to life again. Mad seizures of dance erupted in her wake. Something slammed against the top of her hand, strong fingers gripping her wrist as she curled her fingers into a fist. She spun to face a bouncer, a dark block cupped in his hand.
“What the hell is that?” she demanded, yanking her hand back. There was a cold spot, liquid drying on her skin.
“He wants to meet you. Head backstage after the set,” he said, winding his way through the crowd.
Libby turned to her, face radiant. Eden didn’t return the smile.
CHAPTER 40
Eden didn’t have a chance to buy a bottle of water before the song ended. Libby didn’t release her hand, even when they’d been standing still at the bar. There were blacklights running throughout the club, the stamp the bouncer had placed on her hand alternating between bright white and invisible. They crept closer to the door separating the club from the backstage area. Every few seconds, Libby glanced back, eyes shining with excitement. Eden