and I hadn’t completely recovered. It must have been the whole crowd euphoria thing, I thought.

Although he’d definitely missed a line when he’d spotted me.

Which made zero sense.

Still, there was no denying the thrill I’d felt when we locked eyes – more than a thrill, if I was being honest with myself. More like a piano had fallen on me. Which had never happened before.

“What do you think?” Luke asked.

I returned to the present. “Huh? Oh. Um, yeah. Sure.”

“Were you even listening?”

I tried a smile. “Sort of. I don’t drink much, and the beer…”

He peered at it. “You’ve only drunk a quarter of the bottle.”

“What can I say? I’m a lightweight.” I glanced at Sarah, who was gulping down champagne like it was water and she’d just come out of the desert, and that familiar inadequacy hit me. Who was I kidding? I didn’t belong backstage. I should have been back at the dorm, in bed, like Serena, who apparently was the only sensible one of the bunch. I was at school to study and learn stuff and hopefully make a future for myself, not to party or hook up. I was completely out of my element.

“Maybe beer’s not your speed. I’m more of a Jack and Coke guy anyway.”

“Yeah. Maybe,” I allowed.

A smattering of applause from down the hall interrupted us. A tall man with skin the color of charcoal parted the groups of drinkers, and Jared appeared, waving and nodding his head to people he recognized. Two security men flanked him, both built like fireplugs. I tried not to, but I couldn’t help staring at him – he was even more handsome in person than onstage, but I felt drawn by something more than just good looks. He smiled and laughed at something one of his entourage said, his teeth a flash of brilliant white.

I must have been gawking, because Kate touched my arm. “Try not to be so obvious,” she whispered.

“Oh, I…I…” I managed, and cursed myself inwardly. I must look like a starstruck fangirl, but that wasn’t what was going on. Only…what was going on, then?

“He has that effect on a lot of girls,” a roadie said as he reached for a beer. “Like hypnosis or something. You’d think he was all four Beatles rolled into one.”

“He’s gorgeous,” Sarah said, smoothing her too-short mini and fluffing her hair. “Too bad he’s only got eyes for Lacey.”

I could feel my face go beet red. “How much have you had to drink?” I asked, trying to play it off.

“I know that look. I mean, I wish I did. But I know its twin, and honey, that boy wants him some Lacey in the worst way,” she teased.

Kate came to my rescue. Sort of. “Maybe so, but now he’s looking anywhere but over here.”

I twisted my head in Jared’s direction, trying to seem nonchalant, and quickly saw she was right. He was standing at the farthest point in the room, listening as a tall woman with fashion-model features in a stunning all-black jumpsuit spoke to him. I wondered who the woman was, and felt an unaccountable pang of jealousy.

As though he’d read my thoughts, Jared broke away from the woman and ambled toward the beverage tubs. I struggled to breathe evenly as he approached, afraid I looked like I was about to faint. He neared our group and nodded to Sarah and Kate, who batted their eyes and smiled like he’d handed them the keys to a new car.

“Is there any mineral water left?” he asked Sarah, who nodded and beamed at him.

“I think so,” she said, turning and leaning toward the nearest tub, giving Jared and most of the room a full appreciation of her long-legged charms. If he noticed, he didn’t show it, and instead he finally acknowledged my presence, fixing me with a blue-eyed stare.

“Enjoy the show?” he asked, in a warm purr so soft I was sure nobody else had heard him.

Now that he was near, I could see he was taller than I’d thought – at least six inches taller than me. “Um, yeah…” That’s me, the great conversationalist. Although I was worse than even my usual. What was wrong with me? My heart rate had rocketed, and I could feel myself flush at his proximity. I sputtered and then recovered. “I mean…yes, yes, I did. You were great.”

His eyes held mine. “Have we met?” he asked, with a curious expression.

“I…I guess not… I mean, I’m pretty sure we haven’t,” I managed, wincing at my dumb response. If we’d met, I wouldn’t have forgotten. What was the point of coming off like an amnesiac?

He considered me for a long beat, and I had that same sensation as when he’d first spotted me in the crowd. My legs felt like water, like they might collapse under me. His lips parted as if he were about to say something, but then he apparently thought better of it. I certainly didn’t have any clever quips to offer, so we stood there as the pause stretched out into awkwardness.

“Odd,” he finally said, and looked away. His tone was distant, as though he’d evaluated me and found me inadequate – which was exactly how I felt. I fought for something, anything, to say, but then Sarah handed him his water and he was moving purposefully back toward the black jumpsuit woman.

Wondering if I was losing my mind, I took a final swallow of the horrid beer and turned back to Luke, who was chatting easily with the other guys. My head was swimming from my interaction with Jared, and I fought an internal battle for control as I tried to make sense of what – if anything – had just happened.

I listened to Luke and his buddies rib each other, sneaking glances at Jared whenever Sarah and Kate weren’t looking. He didn’t so much as glance in my direction again. About five more minutes passed, and then the atmosphere seemed to deflate when Jared abruptly disappeared, his entourage in

Вы читаете Eternal Beloved
Добавить отзыв
ВСЕ ОТЗЫВЫ О КНИГЕ В ИЗБРАННОЕ

0

Вы можете отметить интересные вам фрагменты текста, которые будут доступны по уникальной ссылке в адресной строке браузера.

Отметить Добавить цитату