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I read the note and smile. It might be that artist's ego showing its ass a bit, but I love that she has spent time researching my shit, even if she can't really hear the music my friends and I make.
Mia deletes her words when I nod, signaling that I'm done reading, and then she starts typing again.
“I thought that when you guys started out, CDs were still pretty popular, right? I mean actual disks… and when people made a copy of a disk or a music demo or something… wasn't it called "burning"?! The process, I mean… so I figured it could mean that you guys had to burn twenty-one tracks before you could find your unique sound or something?”
I read her theory and smile to myself. She's really been giving this some thought. And for her to go so technical over a topic that must be completely alien to her… my little beauty is a smart one. But she still didn't even come close, though.
I pluck her phone from her fingers and start to type:
“Baby, you get props for looking at it from a tech standpoint… but nah… you're nowhere close.”
She makes a cute put-upon face as she takes her phone back.
“I knew it was too technical.”
I chuckle. "At least you don't agree that we had to commit murder to become rock stars."
She rolls her eyes and then types something else.
“Okay, you had your fun… and you dithered enough. Now, spill!”
"You can never tell another soul, okay?" I tell her slowly.
I could type this out, but I love having her eyes so focused on my lips.
It also occurs to me that it would be more practical if I simply whipped out my own phone right now to write my answer.
She could type on her screen while I do the same on mine, it would speed things up even more, but it would rob us of yet another layer of contact. I find the idea of stealing little touches as we pass either my cell or hers back and forth between us far more to my liking.
Mia gives me the thumb-ups, then she makes a cross over her heart and finally motions toward her lips and makes a sign as if to turn a key in a lock and then throws it away.
I smile at her, and then I raise both hands, palms out. I gently clasp Mia's wrist to bring her phone closer to me so I can type on it while it's still in her hand. The sweet, lavender smell that always clings to her skin, making my heart race in my chest as my fingers tap at the screen.
“Rick and Sly are going to cut off my balls when they find out that I’ve told you what the name of our band means, baby… but here it is…”
CHAPTER16
Carson
Rick shakes his head without breaking his stride. He’s been walking up and down the length of the living room since I came clean. No way I was going to keep the fact that there is someone other than us three that knows whatBurning 21means a secret from my best friends.
“I can’t believe you really told her, man! What the fuck?! People have been on our asses for damn near 12 years trying to find out what it meant, and you gave it up just like that?”
He throws his hands in the air.
I sink further into the sofa and cross my arms, staring up at him. “You would have done the same thing in my place. I had to prove to her that I’m serious about us.”
Sly scoffs, taking another sip of the energy drink he’s been nursing since they got here. “And you couldn’t think of another way to impress her?”
I keep my eyes on him. “It wasn’t about impressing her, okay? It was about trust… I proved to her that I trusted her, so she can learn to trust me back. She’s been looking up stuff on us… she knows how close to the vest we’ve kept the name thing, she knows that tabloids have even offered us money to get the exclusive on it, and we refused—”
“And with good fucking reason, Cars! We all agreed we were never going to tell,” Rick laments as he drops in a full-on manspread in one of the armchairs.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I wouldn’t have told her if it wasn’t important, okay? Listen, Mia thought I was neverevergoing to explain it to her. That’s why she asked in the first place. She never expected me to go through with it…”
Rick taps his stubbled chin. “So it was like some sort of a test? She wanted to see if you really have a thing for her? A thing big enough for you to risk sharing our secret…?”
I slide one hand over my face. “Kinda… yes, but not quite. She looked absolutely astonished when I said I would tell her. She didn’t think I would do that… like at all.”
