AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Laurel runs her hands through her hair, twists her fingers into its tips, then sticks her hands under her armpits, as if catching a nervous tic. Instead, she starts rolling on her feet. From toes to heels and back. Over and over. “I should’ve known. Your band is a big deal—”
“Not really.” Not as big of a deal as I would like.
“Whatever. You know, just leave while you can. I’m pretty sure there are either ears glued to the other side of the door or they’ve logged into the security cameras and are listening that way. Go. I’ll see you around, I guess.” Laurel waves at my car.
Dismissed. The worst feeling on any day, but coming from Laurel, it’s much, much nastier. She appears irrevocably disappointed with me. I hate to let her down like this. At the same time, she must care. She told me to go, but the regretful glance she steals at me hints that she might not want me to leave. I can’t leave like this anyway. I can’t leaveher.
“Laurel.”
She draws a loud breath through her nose, the kind a girl makes to stop herself from crying.
I place my hand on her upper arm, and when she doesn’t shrug me off or make any other attempt to move away, I wrap both my arms around her. “Tell me. Are you banishing me forever?”
“I keep hoping to meet someone who doesn’t live and breathe music,” she sounds so dejected, it rends my heart in two.
“But you keep meeting guys like me.” I keep meeting girls who upon closer examination can’t stand the way I am. Our situations aren’t that different.
She nods into my shoulder. “I’ve dated before. They always loved my father more than they loved me. I don’t think they ever liked me at all.”
I can’t tell her I like her now. She’ll consider it a pity. “That doesn’t mean your one and only isn’t out there. It means they were stupid.”
“I don’t need the one and only. I want…to be seen. Laurel Halifax, a girl with dreams and feelings. No expectations. No celebrity status. Just me.”
I hug her tighter. Her arms remain pressed to her sides, but Laurel still allows me into her fortifications. That revelation erases my fatigue. Despite everything, she trusts me. Incredible.
“You made me feel seen tonight. Jace.”
The way she utters my name like that, in its own statement, sends a current down my spine.
“I’m glad to hear that.” I cringe. How do I always manage to reply in the lamest way possible?
Laurel slides away from my embrace. “I’m sure you noticed how mad I was about the fan chase, but…” Her eyes light up, shocking me into speechlessness. “The evening with you? The whole thing, you know? Whatever your reasons are, I had fun. Your savage fans, your tiny house—”
“My house is fine,” I joke, but my mind explodes. She had fun with me.
“And oh my gosh. The pudding!” Eyes closed, she bites her lower lip for a second. “The pudding was the best.”
I chuckle. “Someone sounds overwhelmed and in need of a bed.”
“Let’s go out again,” she blurts out, then clamps both hands to her mouth.
Oh my. Laurel, I freaking love you. I forbid myself to laugh from happiness and excitement.
“I do need to go to bed, but I’m serious,” Laurel continues. “Could we hang out again? Everyone endlessly tells me I need to do something with myself. Oh!” She points an excited finger at my face. “We could record your song. Full production. We can recruit Dad’s drummer. Anker is amazing. Or we can borrow yours. Jelly, right? I hear she’s quite brilliant. Worst comes to worst, we’ll steal Zach Tang from Project Viper and his effects rig and do an EDM rendition. It could be fun.”
She laughs, sighs, perhaps running out of steam for good, grows quiet, and gives me a soft look. “Good night, Jace.”
“You want me to respond to any of that?” I push my luck and pick up a lock of her hair, ringing it around my finger. The red strands are thick and somewhat coarse, but they coil into perfection.
Laurel watches me play with her hair. “No. Can’t you see I’m delirious?”
“Be my rebound,” I say. She draws me in. I want to get to know her more. I want Laurel to overshadow every aspect of my life and erase every little bit of feelings I have ever had for Juliette. “Will you be my rebound?”
Laurel’s mouth drops. She doesn’t respond, doesn’t move, doesn’t even seem to breathe, shocked. Offended.
Well, I’ve gone and ruined everything at last. Why can’t I ever say anything right?
Laurel
