He tugged me toward the door. As we neared it, the girl from the hall appeared. Her face lit up like Christmas when she saw him, oblivious to the fact that he was holding my hand. I tried to pull away, but he had a tight grasp on me.
“Adam,” she cooed. “Remember me, honey?”
He barely paused. “Nice to see you again. Sorry I can’t stay tonight. Thanks for coming out.”
We brushed by her. I wasn’t sure Adam had even really looked at her. He just kept walking. As we got farther down the hall, toward the exit, the din of the crowd grew quiet.
“Does that happen a lot?” I asked.
“What?”
“Girls you fucked in the past showing up when you come back to town? She told me all about the first time. I’m surprised you didn’t want round two. She—”
He shoved me against the wall. One hand slammed next to my head while the other held my face. “Shut up, Adelaide.”
It really would have been smart to listen to him, but I wasn’t feeling too wise.
“I honestly think it was a little rude you didn’t stop to chat with her.”
“I didn’t know that girl. People talk. They talk a lot. Doesn’t mean it’s true. I don’t give a shit either way.”
“Then why are you in my face right now?” I raised my chin in challenge. He looked like he was two seconds from biting it.
He took a breath, and when he spoke, it was low and as gentle as could be with a harsh edge. His hand flexed on my jaw, his thumb caressing my skin. “Because you said something. You said you were surprised I hadn’t taken her up on round two. Are you not paying attention?”
My heart thrashed in my chest at his proximity combined with that voice.
“To what?”
“Adelaide.” He growled my name like it was a curse. Or maybe likeIwas a curse. “You saw how frantic I was when you didn’t show up after our set. Do you really think I’m going to go off with some random girl—who I really fucking don’t remember, by the way—and leave you high and dry? That’s not who I am.”
Adam was a hell of a lot of things. Some bad, some good. But the fact of the matter was, he’d proven again and again the type of friend he was.
“I know you wouldn’t.” I shoved at his chest without much force. “I really loved tonight. You were incredible.”
“Yeah?” He cocked his head. “You liked it?”
“I was making up lyrics just so I could sing along with you.”
His mouth tipped up in the corners. “Ithoughtthat was you.”
I laughed, shoving him a little harder. “Shut up. You didn’t hear me.”
He pulled me away from the wall and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “I mean, it was either you or a dying cat, I wasn’t sure…”
Adam and I walked down the hall, back to us again, like he hadn’t just pinned me to the wall. Like I hadn’t just been given a graphic description of what sex with Adam was like.
Like I hadn’t gone blind with jealousy for a beat.
Like my panties weren’t soaked.