Ezra came over to stand beside me, his fingers purposefully grazing my arm.
A small gasp escaped between my lips and I forced myself to remain still. I didn’t want him to know how much his touch affected me. But based on the way his lips danced, he was very aware of what he was doing to me.
With the remaining free time we all ate the food provided and the guys attempted to regale their appearances so they didn’t look so sweaty and dirty. I didn’t think the fans would mind, though.
For the meet and greet more chairs were brought in and the guys sat down. I noticed they did that a lot and I figured it was to seem more approachable. When you had four giant rock stars staring down at you it could be intimidating.
“Are you excited for your little friends to joins us?” I joked, looking at Ezra.
He shrugged. “You betcha.”
“Friends?” Maddox leaned around his twin to look at Ezra. “Honey, are you cheating on me? I thought our friendship was real.”
Ezra laughed. “Yeah, sorry dude, you just don’t do it for me.”
“I feel like everything I’ve known to be true is now a lie.” Maddox gasped, putting a hand over his heart. “What a cruel, cruel world we live in.”
Ezra shook his head. “It’s just a few fans that were at the circus and I told them they could come.” He grinned suddenly, no doubt remembering the girl with a clear crush on Maddox. “I think you’re really going to like them.”
“Hey,” Emma interrupted, snapping her fingers, “what are you up to?” She narrowed her eyes on Ezra.
“Nothing.” He raised his hands innocently.
“We’re going to start letting them in.” One of the festival workers, who I had learned was named Hannah, stood by the tent entrance.
“Bring it on,” Maddox clapped his hands together, “I’m ready for battle.”
At his words Hannah opened the tent flap and she started letting people in.
The guys graciously doled out hugs and posed for pictures and signed whatever was tossed their way. I knew they had to be exhausted from their set, but they all kept smiles on their faces. Even Mathias.
I spotted the girls from the circus and the one with the drummer shirt looked like she was ready to pass out.
When she saw Maddox she lost all control and ran right at him.
Maddox was quick and caught her in a hug before they could fall to the ground.
He placed her down gently, but was obviously rattled.
“Hi,” she peered up at him with wide eyes, “I’m Taylor and I’m your biggest fan ever. Like ever. Wow, I can’t believe I’m meeting you. You’re even hotter in person.” She reached out to touch his jaw and he flinched away as she stared at him in awe. “Your jawline is more structured than my life.”
Maddox’s lips pressed together and the other guys dissolved into laughter.
The other girls—and reluctant parent’s—gathered for the meet and greet watched the exchange.
“Uh…thanks?” Maddox said. I’d never seen him so unsure before. Normally you could count on Maddox to have some sort of witty comeback.
“I’m sorry,” the girl put a hand to her forehead, “you probably think I’m so weird.”
Maddox grinned, his charm slipping into place. “Weird is beautiful.”
She giggled, her cheeks flaming red.
Beside me Emma laughed, shaking her head. We’d moved to the back corner to be out of the way. “I’m so afraid that poor girl is going to pee her pants.”
“It’s a possibility,” I agreed.
Another hour passed while the guys conversed with the meet and greet attendees and I lost count of how many pictures they continued to pose for.
Finally everyone was cleared out of the room and we were free to go.
It was getting late now, and darkness had settled into the summer sky.
Mathias grabbed his cardigan and hauled ass out of there before any of us could tell him goodbye. I knew he was probably worried about Remy. Those two were almost as bad as Maddox and Emma.
Maddox and Emma headed out next, leaving Ezra and I alone with Hayes.
Hayes paused by the tent entrance and looked back at us. “I’m hanging out here for a while longer, y’all wanna come?”
Ezra was quick to shake his head. “No, I have to get Toby home.”
“Toby?” Hayes asked, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.
“The goldfish.” Ezra pointed at the lazily swimming fish.
“Oh, right.” Hayes raised two fingers in a salute. “I’ll see you later then.”
Ezra lifted his chin in goodbye and waved.
Once he was gone Ezra admitted that he was tired.
“Me too,” I agreed, and I hadn’t even been the one performing.
We gathered up our stuff, including Toby, and met his bodyguards outside the tent so they could escort us back to his car.
The festival was still raging and seemed even more crowded than it had been earlier.
Luckily, most people seemed too drunk to recognize Ezra so we made it to his car without incident.
I held Toby’s jar tightly in my hands, afraid that the car ride might jostle him too much. It would totally suck if Ezra and I ended up killing the goldfish before we even made it home.
Ezra backed out and started the drive home. Since he lived in the middle of nowhere it took us a while to get back to his place.
I dropped my bag on the floor as soon as we got in and set Toby on the counter.
“We need to get him a little fish tank,” I told Ezra as I headed for the stairs.
“I’ll take care of it,” he assured me, grabbing a bag of chips and a drink before following me
I took a quick shower and changed into my pajamas.
I was starting into my room when Ezra called my name.
I padded down the short hallway and stood in the doorway. “Yeah?” I asked, as his eyes raked over my body. My pajamas consisted of a pair of shorts and a tank top. The shirt was pulled taut against my breasts and I was sure he was getting quite the show.
“Sleep in here tonight.” He patted the empty space beside him. He was shirtless and the glare from the TV screen made his chest glow.
“What did you say?” I wet my lips. I couldn’t possibly have heard him right.
He turned back the blankets on the other side and patted the empty space again. “Sleep in here,” he repeated, “we don’t have to do anything, but I…” He paused, clearing his throat. “Please?” He settled on.
I began to sway, suddenly feeling lightheaded, and I realized I’d been holding my breath.
“Okay,” I squeaked like a mouse. I’d never been so unsure of myself before. I’d always been a confident girl, comfortable in my own skin, but Ezra shook up my insides to the point that I didn’t recognize them.
I tiptoed into his bedroom and slipped beneath the smooth, silky sheets.
Ezra turned off his bedside light, but left the TV on.
He burrowed under the covers and I jolted when his arms wrapped around me.
He pulled me against his body and tucked one of my legs between his.
My heart raced a million miles an hour.
This…this was so much more than just sex.
This was something real couples did. He held me tightly, like he didn’t want to let go.
He pressed a tender kiss to the back of my neck and then lower between my shoulder blades over my tattoo.
“Goodnight, Sadie,” he whispered in the darkness.
“’Night.”
This was nothing.
It meant nothing.
We were nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
So why did it feel like everything?
MY PENCIL DRAGGED lazily across the blank white page. I could see the dress perfectly in my head, now I just had to get it down on paper.