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My stomach plummets. All warnings in my brain are firing. Initiate meltdown. I push my fingers harder onto the strings of my guitar. “I’m… not sure that I’d be a good fit.”
Hail nudges his shoe against mine. “Don’t let it stress you out. If you’re not ready, don’t worry. We’ve got time to figure it out.”
Time. Isn’t that what I want? Could I piece myself together by the end of this tour and find a home with Atonement? Would I want that?
It doesn’t matter what I want.
Thankfully, Hail seems to pick up on my approaching limit and changes the subject. “How about that pizza? I’ll buy.”
Sarcasm ensues, Malek and Griff dramatically bowing in his presence for his contributions. “Thank you, Sir. We are indebted to you for reaching into your coffers to bless us with shit pizza.”
Hail shoves at Malek’s head, failing to hold back a giggle. “Shut the hell up.”
After he calls in an order for the entire crew, Liam offers to pick it up in his new De Tomaso Pantera, purchased and delivered to our hotel last night. Perks of being on his final tour, he’s starting to dabble with long-term decisions.
Griff and Malek drift to the back of the bus, fighting over who gets to rinse off first. Hail takes advantage of our moment of privacy, brushing a finger down the shell of my ear. I tilt my head up at him in awe. He is the brilliant sun, and I am a withered plant in desperate need of light.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper with a little shake of my head. “But Hail, I ambroken.”
His jaw clenches. He leans down to press a kiss to my quivering bottom lip, capturing it so perfectly between his. “Then I’ll help put you back together.”
I don’t have the energy to argue with him right now, so I let him snuggle up to me on the couch. He leaves his thigh pressed against mine when Malek wanders back out, dressed in a mesh tank top and black Tripp trousers.
“Halo time?” Malek asks, dropping half onto my lap.
It’s become a bit of a guilty pleasure during the long drives. Malek and I even started a campaign. The first moment we got hit with the flood? God, I’ve never jumped up on a couch that fast in my life. I haven’t felt that human in a very long time.
Hail groans. “We can’t just chill, can we?”
“Come on, man,” Malek complains. “We haven’t hung out in ages.”
“We were just on stage together! We’ve been on tour together for what, like, eight years now?”
“That’s different and you know it,” Malek whines.
Hail rolls his eyes. “How so?”
“Cause on stage we have to share you with everyone,” Griff adds in, appearing with a controller already in hand. Malek hands a spare controller to me. He’s far too close, but I’ve learned that this is just how Malek is. Overly affectionate. Goofy. Loyal to a fucking T. And smarter than he leads on with his wild, off-the-cuff chatter.
“Hey, Z.” Malek beams. His face is far too close to mine. I can see the different shades of blue and grey in his irises.
“Um, hey,” I mumble.
“You’re like… really pretty.”
“Stop complimenting him,” Hail grumbles beside us, suddenly irked.
“I can appreciate, even if I’m straight,” Malek replies.
“No. You can’t.” Hail snaps back. “Not if it makes him uncomfortable.”
“Or if it makesyouuncomfortable,” Malek prods, cracking a toothy smile.
My lips quirk. I get the sense that the others have noticed just how close Hail and I can be, but if they’ve detected anything, they haven’t spoken up about it. At least not to me.
“Thank you for the compliment, Malek. Now can you get off my balls, please?” I request, and I catch Hail glaring at Malek’s thighs draped over mine. He gives them a shove, and Malek breaks out in giggles.
“When did you become so easy to tease, Hailstorm?” Malek waggles his brows.
