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“Swallowed wrong,” I croak.
Satisfied with my answer he turns back to Hollis at the end of the table.
“I don’t want to say yet.” Hollis shrugs. “I’m trying out this whole nice guy thing and that means respecting her right to privacy.”
Kira’s lips twitch with the threat of a smile.
The rest of the band is studiously glancing anywhere but at me. Across from me, Willow eyes me shrewdly. I haven’t told her about Hollis, the fewer who know the better, but I can see her putting two and two together.
“Can we order now?” I interrupt. “I’m starving.”
“Yeah, I’m hungry too,” Dean adds.
“Sure thing,” Ezra says, signaling for the waitress.
We order our food and I swear it takes forever for it to be ready and even longer for everyone to eat.
By the time we leave, it’s nearing ten o’ clock.
“You have some explaining to do,” Willow says, crossing her arms over her chest outside after our dads have walked away to wherever they’re parked.
I shrug. “I don’t know what you mean.”
She narrows her eyes, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. “Don’t lie. There’s something going on with you and the singer. Am I right?” She aims her question at Hollis who lingers with Kira and Rush—Fox and Cannon already headed back to the hotel.
I look at Hollis and he raises a brow at me, his expression telling me the decision is mine on whether or not to share this with her.
“We’re together,” I confess. “But you can’t say anything. My dad doesn’t know yet. He can’t.” I grab her arm gently, pleading with her. If anyone should understand, it’s her.
Willow rolls her eyes. “Believe me, I’ll keep my lips sealed. Don’t you remember how my dad freaked out over Dean?”
“He was pissed,” Dean pipes up.
Willow appraises me. “It’s our dads’ job to protect us—sometimes they go too far with it, and then it becomesourjob to remind them we can make our own choices.”
I feel Hollis’s reassuring presence step up behind me.
“I know, and I’ll tell him, we’ll tell him, when I’m ready. I…” I pause and reach for Hollis’s hand. “I want to enjoy this for a little bit longer.”
She smiles. “I understand. I felt the same”
She wraps her arms around me in a tight, bone-crushing hug. “We have to see each other again soon—no more of these long stretches,” she scolds.
“I know,” I say in agreement.
I hug Dean goodbye too and watch them head in the direction of the nearby parking garage.
Hollis gives my hand a squeeze, and I turn around. Rush and Kira have vanished leaving only the two of us and passersby. The old-timey lights cast a warm golden glow in the night air. Hollis’s hair flops messily over his forehead, several day’s worth of stubble dotting his jaw.
“Hey, handsome, want to go back to my place?” I joke and he laughs.
“Is that your best pick up line?” he chortles.
“I wasn’t trying to pick you up, so if it worked, then yes.”
He shakes his head, fighting a grin.
“Come on, crazy girl. I’ve been dying to touch you all night,” he growls the last part in my ear.
