Dax and I grab our gear and turn to leave. “Ellie,” I call to her. She comes over and I lean in close, inhaling her sweet vanilla scent. “Stay near the stage, okay? I want, no … I need to be able to see you.”
Her beautiful pink lips part in surprise and she blinks a few times before answering me, her cheeks flushing pink. “Okay, Adam. I’ll stand wherever you want.”
“Good,” I meet her curious eyes with mine and manage a small smile. “I’ll see you out there then.” I flick my gaze over at the two strangers before focusing back on Ellie. “Dax! Let’s go.” I take a deep breath and wince at the pain that lingers in my side as we head out to take the stage.
8
Ellie
Watching Adam sing is probably the most sensual thing I’ve ever experienced. His presence is captivating, as if he were literally born to be on stage. His voice draws you right in, both musical and masculine at the same time. Perfect lips caress each note as he strums on his guitar.
Adam’s eyes never stray far from where I’m standing a few meters from the stage. I feel as if I’m the only person in the crowded pub as his heartbreaking lyrics pierce through me. No one here knows what he’s seen and done, how he lives, how much pain he hides inside. The songs that he writes express the hard life he’s had to endure.
“Your boyfriend is jealous of me,” Gavin says, leaning in close so I can hear him over the music. His American accent is such a contradiction, so smooth and beautiful, yet severe at the same time.
I slide my eyes briefly over to the tall, unbelievably attractive blonde man before returning my gaze to the charismatic singer on stage. Gavin is so beautiful it almost hurts to look at him. Men shouldn’t really be allowed to be prettier than you, but Gavin certainly is. Yet he’s incredibly masculine at the same time. “Yeah, we’re just mates, that’s all,” I tell him as I go back to watching Adam.
Gavin lets out a gentle laugh and gestures towards the stage with his beer. “Does he know that?” I pay closer attention, and sure enough, Adam is scowling at Gavin as he sings.
If looks could kill.
I press my lips together determined to ignore Gavin for the rest of the set. Adam and Dax are good. Really good. The large crowd cheers when they take their leave and I realize the conflicting emotion I’m feeling is jealousy. Jealous of the crowd, of the women ogling and quite loudly appreciating Adam’s physical beauty, of sharing him and his music with everyone here. I want to lock him up and keep him to myself.
“Ellie? Did you hear anything I just said?”
“Huh?”
Hawke steps in front of me, waving his hand in my face to pull me out of my thoughts. “Earth to Ellie. Come on, we’re going back to meet the guys.” He laughs and pulls on my arm, tugging me toward the small room in the back of the dark pub. I trip on my own feet and can’t help but giggle at my clumsiness.
Gavin shoves Hawke through the door and we’re all laughing by the time we stumble into Adam and Dax who have beers in their hands and are grinning as they chat.
George is already here, congratulating the guys on their set. Gavin and Hawke join the conversation and all five men are eagerly discussing the music, how to add drums and another guitarist to the mix.
I watch from the edge of the room, uneasy, as another strange emotion washes over me. Loneliness. I’m in a room with five other people and I feel completely and utterly alone. It’s how I felt when Dad lost his job and I left all my friends behind to move to Hackney. Only now the pain is focused on a single aching spot that is piercing straight through my heart.
“Hey sweet girl, what’s with the sad face?” Adam snakes his arm around my shoulders and I can see concern in his bright hazel eyes, the flecks of golden brown in the greenish-gray background shimmering under the lights.
I give him a pathetic smile. “Nothing. I’m great, Adam. I’m just thinking about how your side must hurt. That’s all.”
Adam raises an eyebrow and frowns. “You’re a crap liar, El.” He pauses, studying my face for a moment. “Give me a second, then we’ll go, alright?”
I nod blankly, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to get the hell out of this cramped room. Adam steps over to Dax and says a few words. I worry at my thumbnail, not even realizing that I’m doing it until the metallic taste of blood hits my tongue.
Adam slides his hand into mine, threading our fingers together and squeezing tight, his warm touch instantly calming me. “Let’s go, Sweetheart,” he whispers.
He gives me one of his perfect smiles and my heart speeds up. Falling for Adam Reynolds? Worst idea ever. He’s meant for greatness, I know it. I’ll never have him to myself. I’ll have to share him with the world once they hear his music. This cannot end well.
9
Adam
Watching the tattooed and pierced Hawke eye-fuck Ellie and the too beautiful, too-tan and blonde surfer Gavin touch her all night was a wake-up call for me. I’m not going to be able to sit back and let some other guy come in and snatch her out from under me. She’s too gorgeous, too caring, too fucking perfect to not want her for myself.
That’s my biggest problem, that she’s too good for someone like me. I’ll drag her into my crap, my brother, my dad, my dead end fucking life. Ellie deserves better, she is better.
I walk her back to her flat after leaving the DK and catching the tube to our crap side of town. She let me hold her hand the entire ride home. I knew then, even though I’m probably the worst thing for her, that I was going to try to make her mine.
“Thanks for walking me, Adam.” Strands of Ellie’s long blonde hair blow across her face in the chilly winter night.