Page 30 of Princess and Country

Wearing a red dress

Your hair was flying around your face

Sunshine was brushing your skin

Lighting up your freckles like a road map to paradise

I stood there, frozen, mesmerized by your smile

I saw you first, girl…

I joined in on the chorus and caught sight of Jeff watching us from the side of the stage. Every time he glanced at me with that much heat, my insides liquified. No doubt Jeffrey Hills possessed every bit of my heart.

Hot tears welled in my eyes.

Emotions bubbled inside me as I stood on the stage with Carter and Jeff on each side of me. I loved Jeff with everything I had. But my heart was also a mess when I remembered how I hurt my best friend to get there.

I recovered myself just in time to add back-vocals to Carter’s performance.

The large crowd cheered us on. Flutters took over my stomach. The hyperactive kind. The sky slowly turned into a canvas of orange, purple, and pink stripes. I filled my lungs with the mountain air. Carter winked as he strummed the opening chords of “Monkey Business,” a more upbeat song with a catchy chorus. I joined him and failed at hiding my smile when I sang the verses. The silly lyrics chased my emotional overload away.

…I thought there was a hippo in your closet

A monkey hidden under your bed

I thought I saw a lion in your kitchen

And a snake hanging from the chandelier

Because that’s what your love does to me, baby

You turn my world upside down

My imagination runs wild

I can become a pirate, a ghost hunter, or even an astronaut

There’s nothing I can’t do

No, nothing I can’t do

As long as you’re beside me…

The show ended, and both Carter and I now had permanent smiles branded on our faces.

“We were awesome, Dah. Listen to the crowd. We’ve killed it.” Carter draped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me. “We’re the real deal. One day, we’ll be the ones headlining this festival. You and me.”

Playing live music always made me jittery. However, the rush compared to nothing else. As if the world wasn’t big enough to contain both of us. As if we could go on for days without sleeping or eating. My eyes met my boyfriend’s, and I realized he had the same effect on me.

“We nailed it, Cart. Do you really think we’ll make it big one day?” My best friend leaned closer, and his warm breath tickled my earlobe.

“I do, Dah. Trust me, we will.”

Jeff kissed me when we joined him backstage and grabbed the guitar case from my hand as we followed him to his truck.

“Where’s Sara?” I asked Carter as we stacked our stuff in the back.

He shrugged. “Gone. Her girlfriends are here, and she must be with them. Anyway, we broke up.” Carter focused his attention on something else. The conversation was over. “Are you driving back with your parents?”