As soon as the lights dimmed, the crowd cheered and yelled for Infinity Signs. Zoe stood along with the rest of the audience. Some took out their phones to record, while others waved their hands to the band on stage.
Zoe focused her eyes on Alex. After Bailey greeted the crowd, he tapped his sticks above his head and landed a beat to his drums. Jackson started singing and Bailey joined in with him.
Zoe swayed with the music, careful not to stare at Alex. She couldn’t let anyone know about them. Not yet.
Chapter 15
Zoe knocked on her brother’s dressing room’s door. This conversation was long overdue, but it weighed on her chest like an anvil. Her brother answered the door, motioning for her t
o come in.
“You did great tonight,” she said, sitting in a nearby chair.
“Thanks.” Jackson rolled the sleeves of his collared shirt. “You coming with us to the restaurant?”
Zoe sighed. “Yeah, but… I want to tell you something.” She didn’t owe him an explanation. She could make her own decisions, and if being with Alex was a mistake, she would live with her choice. Would her brother understand? It would have been easier if they weren’t in the same band, but she didn’t want any tension between them once the truth came out.
“What’s up?” he asked.
She stared at the carpeted floor. “I know what you said about me and Alex, but...”
He paused, staring at her while he faced the mirror. Jackson blew out his cheeks and rested his hands on the dresser in front of him. “You know what you’re doing?”
“I know I like him.”
Jackson turned and faced his sister. “You like him.” Why did his tone sound sarcastic?
Zoe’s forehead wrinkled. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“Tell me.”
She rushed to her feet. “I’m not the same person. When are you going to get that through your head?”
He inched closer. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection. I need you to trust me!”
Jackson poked his cheek with his tongue. Then he ran his hand down his bearded face. “Zoe, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“It needs to be my decision, Jackson,” she said. Her heart hammered in her chest.
“I trust you,” he said. “I’m not trying to hold you back.” He raised an eyebrow “If you’re going to do this anyway, why tell me? Does my opinion even matter?”
She hurried to him and grabbed his hands. “It does. I know you care, but I have to find my own way.”
Her brother pulled her into a tight hug. “I don’t want to lose you. Last time…”
She stroked his back. “You won’t.”
He drew back, shaking his head. “You don’t get it, Z. I was in the car with Tony.”
She exhaled. “I know.”
“Hearing you were in that accident with Jayden...”
She cupped his face. “I was reckless then, but not anymore. I have my eyes open with Alex. I know who he is. He’s not hiding from me.”
“You think he cares about you?”