“His Off button is broken,” Oliver added, dropping an arm around JJ’s shoulder. “We’ve learned to ignore him most of the time.”
“No worries,” I managed to say, although I had yet to make up my mind about JJ and his in-your-face personality.
“Well, I thought you were funny,” Asha said, eyelashes fluttering.
I wheeled around and glared. Seriously, what happened to chicks before dicks? Or in this particular case, superhot boy band members. Was that all it took? One attractive celebrity, and suddenly I was chopped liver?
“Hey, I recognize you too. You’re Asha, right?” JJ asked. Her eyeslit up when he remembered her name, but that didn’t compare to the expression on her face when he pressed his lips to the back of her hand and said, “Pleasure to meet you.”
A dark, grumbling noise brewed at the back of Boomer’s throat, and JJ cast a curious glance in his direction.
“Who’s the tree?” he asked.
“Thetreehappens to be Asha’s boyfriend,” Boomer growled, crossing his arms over his chest. “My name’s Boomer, and for future reference, the tall jokes get old fast.”
JJ dropped Asha’s hand, but took the news in stride. “But you haven’t heard my beanstalk one yet.”
Letting out a long sigh, Alec scrubbed his hand down his face.
Oliver kept his features straight for all of two seconds before snickering, and the sound only fueled JJ’s grin. “So,” he said, when he finally had his laughter under control. “Who’s hungry?”
***
Everyone was damp, but Oliver led us through a twisting route of hallways until we reached the back of the house. The heavy rock music grew in volume until we reached its source—a kitchen filled with the scent of freshly baked garlic bread. Oliver’s girlfriend, Stella, was setting the table while dancing to the screeching song, and a guy with glasses and messy strawberry-blond hair was chopping lettuce at the island cutting board. Without introduction, I immediately knew he was Xander Jones, the fourth and final member of the Heartbreakers.
“What in the world is this noise?” JJ asked, strolling in and plopping down on one of the bar stools. Alec filed in after him,but Asha, Boomer, and I lingered in the doorway, waiting to be introduced.
“Don’t ask me,” Xander answered without looking up from his work. “Stella took over the music as soon as you guys left.”
“It’s Bionic Bones,” she said, waving a fork in JJ’s direction. “Only my all-time favorite band.”
“Secondall-time favorite band,” Oliver corrected. He swept across the room, tugged her against his chest, and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Because you love us more than Freddie K, right?”
She smiled up at him. “The fact you remember who Freddie K is makes me love you that much more.”
Looking at the two, it was easy to see how Stella had won the heart of the music industry’s most notorious player. They fit together perfectly, all dark clothes and wild hair, prince and princess of punk.
“You two are as bad as this music,” JJ said.
Stella looked up, eyes ablaze, but then she spotted Alec. “Alec! You made it!” She dropped the handful of unplaced silverware and threw herself at him. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“It’s only been a month,” he said, but it was obvious from the smile on his face that he’d missed her too.
I snuck a glance at Oliver, who’d moved over to the oven. He had a wooden spoon in his hand and was checking whatever was simmering in the huge pot on the stovetop. He seemed unconcerned by Alec and his girlfriend’s open affection, so I tried my hardest to ignore the rock in my stomach as Alec wrapped his arms around her.
“Yeah, but fall semester starts soon, and then I won’t see you guys until Christmas break.” I didn’t know much about Stella, but at one point during the drive, Alec had mentioned she was studying photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
“You could always hang a poster of us in your room,” JJ suggested, which earned him a withering look from all his friends.
“I’m sure we’ll be in New York for some reason or other,” Alec assured her.
“So what are you doing in Oregon? Oliver said you were on a road trip or something.”
“Yeah, we’re going to Seattle.”
“We?” She glanced over his shoulder and finally noticed he wasn’t alone. A wide smile stretched across her face when she saw me. “Felicity? Oh my gosh, hi! I’m so glad I actually get to meet you.”
“Hey.” I was thrown by how happy she sounded, like she was as excited to see me as she was Alec. She quickly closed the gap between us, wrapping her arms around me. And holy crap, could the girl give a hug. She squeezed me like we’d known each other forever.
