“Why you gotta ruin my fun? I almost got Knox to spill.” I lie.
“Not happening,” Knox sings in confirmation, his eyes still glued to his tablet.
“How are we looking?” Zayne asks Knox.
“We beefed up security for obvious reasons, and barricades are in place by the stage. It’s a sold-out show, not bad for a concert that no one knows who's coming.”
“Let’s just hope it goes smoothly,” Zayne adds.
“When is the band getting here?” Knox asks.
Zayne checks his watch. “Soon. Which means…” he trails off as he turns and looks at me.
“I’m being sent to my room like a child?” I cross my arms in protest.
Zayne shakes his head and laughs. “Myssa, we talked about this, it’s a surprise. Look, if it makes you feel any better, Vix is coming upstairs to hang with you, not to work.I have the prep work being taken care of for the bar.”
Vix just smiles, holding her coffee cup at me in a salute.
“FINE,” I say, still protesting. “I have to get ready then, anyway.” I whip around and head down the stairs, Vix tailing behind me as we make our way to the elevator.
As I open the door to the loft, Vix comes to a sudden halt, taking in the room.
“Damn, so this is how the other half lives?” she says.
I toss my keys on the table. “Yeah, it’s pretty sweet. Can’t complain.” I shrug like it’s not a big deal.
Vix turns around. “So, we haven’t really talked that much lately, because of all the crazy going on with the concert. Tell me what’s going on with you and Zayne? Are you Still,” she makes air quotes, “just friends?”
Defeat laces my voice. “Yes, for now, but it’s hard, Vix. Every time I’m around him, l feel like this is home, that this is how it’s supposed to be. And don’t get me started about the times when he brushes up against me for any reason. My entire body lights up like a fucking Christmas tree. I can’t concentrate on anything but what I want to do to him.” I watch Vix walking around the loft, being nosy looking at the books on his shelves, and pictures on the walls. I lean on the kitchen counter and groan.
“I don’t know how much I can keep doing the just friends. It's torturous. I woke up a few days ago on the couch, and he was spooning me. Like, how the fuck is that not sending mixed signals?”
“Spooning you?” she peers back over her shoulder at me.
I sigh in frustration as I walk into the living room. “Yeah. It’s these little things that breathe hope into my soul that this could be more. I mean, I can’t be the only one feeling this.” I flop down face-first on the couch in defeat and dramatically scream my frustrations into a pillow.
I hear Vix sit next to me on the coffee table.
“I’ve watched the way he looks at you, Myssa, when you're not paying attention—you are not the only one. I really don’t think this stalemate you are in is going to last much longer.”
I life my head off the pillow and blow my hair out of my face as I look at her. “You really think so?” I ask hopefully.
“Yeah, I do. Trust me, it’s gonna happen.”
“I hope so, because these last few weeks have felt effortless with him. We just have such a connection.” Sitting up, I hug the pillow against my chest.
“Ugh, ok, enough about that,” she declares as she rips my security pillow away from me.
“Rude,” I huff as I stand up and make my way to the fridge.
“You want something to drink?” she nods.
“Oh Vix, you know what would make me feel better?” I ask, attempting one last time to time to pry information out of her.
“Nice try, I’m not telling you, but I’ll take that water.” Vix smirks. “Though I will tell you that the concert sold out in less than twenty minutes when tickets went on sale.”
“That’s insane for not knowing who the band is” I hand her a bottled water.
