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I’ve heard there were a handful who even tried to bargain with him for just one night.
Piper jumps into Julian’s waiting arms, and he swings her around. Once she’s back on her feet, he presses his lips to her briefly before pulling away. Piper smiles up at him as she waves goodbye to the rest of us.
He’s her happily ever after.
Willow has Finn.
Kendall has Declan.
Mya has Brady.
And then there’s me. The girl who keeps pushing the man she wants to be with away. The same man who’s going to be on stage in less than fifteen minutes. If I’m going to talk to him, now would be the time.
Excusing myself to the bathroom before I lose my nerve, I head down the back hall in search of Colt. After circling the main floor twice, I head upstairs to see if he’s in his room. The door is closed so I knock once before pushing it open.
Empty.
“Looking for someone?”
Holy shit!
“How do you always get the jump on me?” I ask, my hand still pressed to my chest as my heart beats wildly beneath my palm.
“You realize this is my house, right? And you’re standing in the hallway. It’s not like I snuck up behind you and tried to scare you on purpose.”
Kane’s smirk tells me he waited until the perfect moment before announcing his presence.
“What are you even doing up here? Why aren’t you at the party with everyone else?” I ask, exhaling roughly as I speak.
“Why aren’t you?” he quickly counters.
“I came up to use the bathroom,” I lie.
“And you thought you’d sneak into Colt’s room instead?”
“No, I was going to say hello, but he’s not in there.”
“He’s out back. The band has a ritual before they start their set. If you want to say hello, you’re going to have to wait until after the show.”
If I still have the nerve,I think to myself.
There’s a good chance I’ll change my mind. I mean, I’ve changed it ten times today already. Deleted seven text messages I spent far longer than necessary typing out. Attempted to call him twice before hanging up the phone. I even left the house three times, ready to come over here to talk to him before other people arrived for the party. And one of those times I made it all the way here, up the driveway, and put my car in park.
That’s when I noticed the other cars. He wasn’t alone, and I couldn’t bring myself to get out of my car, let alone knock on the door.
Nodding, I head down the back staircase and slide up next to my friends as Colt and his band take the stage. The music playing over the sound system cuts out as Colt steps up to the microphone.
“Hello, hello! Happy almost new year everyone!”
Cheers ring out, the buzz of the room surrounding me. I was gone maybe ten minutes looking for Colt, and there are twice as many people here than there were before. A few I don’t recognize but, for the most part, everyone here is part of the Greek community on campus.
“We’re Fade Into Nothing, and we’re happy to provide the entertainment tonight. I hope you’re all ready for a great show.”
More cheers as Colt takes a step back, turning around so he’s facing his drummer. A few beats later and the room is alive with music, and I’m entranced by the same voice that captured my attention all those years ago.
It feels like he’s singing directly to me, even though he’s not looking this way.
Not at first, anyway.
