“So, you’re not interested in him?”
“Just a friend.”
“That’s good.” Ava looks behind Tessa and winks at me.
I glare at her, and she grins.
The lights dim just in time to shut my sweet and obvious little match-making girl up.
I look over at Jade, and she’s doing her best not to laugh out loud. Phoebe giggles, and I look at the stage, where my eyes will now be fixed until the end of the concert.
Scratch that.
Tessa takes off her lightweight sweater, and I see the girls are shoved into a tight concert tee-shirt that says, “The Brody Hines Band.” She turns to set the sweater on the back of the chair, and I glance back.
“Hey.” A guy behind us winks at her.
She smiles and turns around.
“Did you see the tits on her? Fuck, man,” he says to his buddy.
“Too busy checking out the ass on the schoolgirl in front of me.”
I lean back, making sure they see me, and glare at them.
The bastards laugh.
The band takes the stage, and I am forced to look away from them.
Ava is shouting and jumping around.
“Hi.” Tessa nudges me.
“Hi.” I wink at her.
The crowd screams louder, and I look up.
“Hello, New Jersey!” Maddox yells to the screaming crowd. “This is one hell of a crowd to end our US tour with. Thanks for coming out tonight! Feels like déjà vu. It was only a year ago I stood here, on this very stage, here at Badger Field, doing the same damn thing. Ending one hell of a summer concert series!”
The crowd screams, and Maddox is loving it. In his element, for sure. I get that—the high from a crowd. Not much compares. But Maddox usually doesn’t say much.
“Did you miss me? Of course you did. I missed you, too!”
I lean over and ask Tessa, “Holy shit, is he the same kid I have met over the past four years?”
“I know. He’s totally different up there. Amazing.” She smiles then looks at my lips.
“Baby, don’t do that.”
She smiles and looks away.
Three songs in, and Ava has Tessa dancing to the music. The two of them are singing and laughing. Both happy, fucking love that.
Jade and Phoebe are on the other side of me, doing the same. It feels good being here. It feels like … home.
Tessa backs up and bumps into me, and I almost move away when she looks back and winks then rubs her ass against me.
“I have to pee!” Ava turns around, and Tessa says she’ll go with her.