Page 41 of Play Me

“You should come up with us next time,” he says seriously.

“It’s the Rock Chamber BOYS, not Rock Chamber Boys and random music school teacher.” I remind him.

“You know we see you as every bit a part of the band that we are.” He insists.

“But I’m not.”

“Maybe you should be.” He shrugs when I question him with my look.

“That would cramp your style.” Your rockstar, groupies in every port lifestyle, I think to myself.

“I’d make room for you, Cadence.” He says earnestly. And it takes everything I have not to believe him.

“Cadey! Move over!” Sarah’s voice pulls us apart and Sebastian moves over to make room for her.

“Hey, how come SHE gets to call you Cadey?” Marius asks.

“She doesn’t ‘get to’, she’s just not as scared of me as you guys are,” I grin at him and he pouts.

“What’ll you guys have?” Patrick comes over with a waitress and takes the guys’ drinks order.

Sarah nudges me and whispers into my ear, “Ugh, there’s some slut in the bathroom talking about how she’s slept with half the band and she’s going for Sebastian tonight.”

I feel as if a frozen icicles stabbed me in the stomach but try to pass it off as nothing. “Yeah, um, I guess they get that a lot.”

“Hey guys! You were so great!”

I look up and see Hailey and a tall leggy blonde coming towards us. She waves to me and I smile back. We’ve seen a lot of each other in the last few weeks as she comes in and out during rehearsals helping Dennis out with some admin work and odd jobs for the band. They really do treat her like a little sister and she’s been nothing but sweet to me.

“Hey, Hailey, this is my friend, Sarah.” I introduce her to my friend.

Hailey waves to Sarah who outright ignores her. I nudge her, surprised at her behavior, and she rolls her eyes and raises her hand in a halfhearted wave back to Hailey.

“What’s wrong with you?” I turn to my friend.

“That’s the girl from the bathroom,” she growls.

“Hailey’s friend? I’ve never met her before.”

“No, Hailey. She’s the one who was talking about scoring with Sebastian tonight.” Sarah scrunches her face up, unimpressed.

“No, you mean her friend, the leggy blonde. Hailey’s the one who waved to you, she’s the one we saw with Sebastian that night after the concert.”

“Babe, I know exactly which one it is. I’m telling you it was her.” She insists.

“Did you SEE her say it?” I need to know for sure.

“I was in the stall but I could see through the crack, I promise you it’s her.”

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” I wave her off, not wanting to hear any more.

But it does.

I can’t help but notice when Hailey comes over and slides in between Sebastian and Jez, laughing with them over some inside joke, and they’re tickling her and she’s obviously enjoying every moment.

I know I don’t have any right to care, having refused any attempt by Sebastian to start something between us, but I can’t help but remember that shock of seeing her with him that night, and the crushing feeling of hurt and disappointment. No matter Sebastian’s explanations about what happened and what she means to him, which now seems as though it’s not completely true anyway.

Sarah growls next to me, and I look over at her and she gestures with her head to Hailey and Sebastian again, their heads together as she’s showing him something on her phone, her hand on his leg. My heart twists in my chest and I can’t help but curse my own weakness, stopping me from being with him.