Page 29 of Princess and Country

“What about me?” Carter asked, a sly grin lighting up his face, as he walked toward us.

Jeff put me back on the ground and grabbed Carter in their usual hug. “You too, bro. You look great. And by the way, the new demo you sent me is killer. I can’t wait to hear it live.”

“Are you home for the entire weekend?” Carter asked.

“Yes.”

Sara inched closer and circled Carter’s midsection with her arms. Jeff quirked his eyebrows.

“Sara, this is Jeff—”

“OMG, Carter’s older brother,” she said, in some sort of squawk. She jumped on the ball of her feet, her long raven hair bouncing on her shoulders, and tugged at Jeff’s arm, looking at him with her big, round hazelnut irises. “I’ve heard so much about you.” Jeff plastered an are-you-fucking-joking-right-now mixed with a who-the-hell-is-this smile on his face, gawking at the girl attached to his arm.

“C’mon, Carty, show me around before you do your big show.” Sara let go of Jeff, winked at me, and pulled a brooding Carter away.

“Yeah. Go ahead, Carty,” Jeff shouted after him. A smirk brightened his face when Carter flipped him the finger.

Jeff chuckled, and I joined in.

He turned his head and glanced at me, his eyes drilling holes through my skull.

“Who the fuck is that?”

I circled my arms around him and sighed. “Carter’s flavor of the week.” My boyfriend clutched my upper arms and leaned back until our eyes met. He frowned. “Don’t panic. It’s been going on for about a month. Carter is in his rebel phase or something. There’s always a new girl. Last week it was Tiffany.”

“Tiffany? You’re kidding, right?”

“No. And before her it was Aubrey.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t want Cart to meddle in our relationship, so I stay away from his. Anyway, I’m sure it’s no big deal. He’s acting out. But it’s Carter. He’ll grow out of it soon enough. No need to worry.”

Jeff pulled me against him, and I pressed my face against his muscular chest, breathing him in. Sandalwood. Cinnamon. God, I’d missed him.

“Fine. I hope you’re right. I’m glad I’m back in town for the weekend. We should keep an eye on him.” Perhaps Carter would listen to his brother. We were still best friends, but I felt like I’d lost my right to say something about his love life’s questionable choices. “Ready for your big show tonight?”

“I think. Will you watch from the side of the stage? I kinda need you around.”

“I would have even if you hadn’t asked me, Princess. I need to be close to you too.”

We kissed and all my doubts vanished.

* * *

The crowd screamed our name as we walked on stage. Carter and I started playing at Green Mountain Country Fest when we were fourteen. Each year, we attracted a bigger crowd, and likewise, they granted us a bigger time frame to perform. And a bigger stage. This year, we were playing on the second biggest stage as the pre-pre-opening show to the big number at nine, a country music group topping the charts. We’d perform from six to six forty-five, which was quite impressive for two high school kids. Carter and I had to be back home by midnight, and Green Mountain was a three-hour drive from White Crest, so we’d miss the main event.

The breeze tickled the tip of my nose. A whiff of Pretzel and corndog filled the air.

“Hey guys. Thanks for coming. We are Carter Hills Band”—we’d been using the name for the last two months—"and we’ll perform our new songs for you tonight.” My heart plummeted to my toes. The air in my lungs turned to icebergs, as it always did when we were about to rock the stage. Carter twisted his head my way. “Don’t look at them, Dah. Follow my lead, I’ll take care of everything,” he whispered. My throat worked. I blew out a cleansing breath. I could do this.

My fingers strummed the first chords of “Heart for Rent,” the song Carter wrote at the end of the summer—the one Jeff told me about before he left for college. In all the time my best friend spent locked in his room, he got pretty good at songwriting. He mostly wrote ballads about impossible love stories, soulmates drifting apart, wandering lost souls, or fading friendship.

Deep inside me, I wondered if I was the inspiration behind some of the lyrics. After all, I was pretty sure I’d shattered Carter’s heart even if I’d never found the courage to ask him about it, fearing what might happen if I opened that door.

Carter’s voice, husky and low, attacked the first verse.

I saw you first that day