More Than Music by Elizabeth Briggs Page A

was a delicious agony.
    “I just needed some air,” I said.
    “Sorry. Should I go?”
    “No,” I said, a little too quickly, and then cursed myself for it. It would be better if he left, but I also wanted him to stay. I was a hot mess.
    He sat next to me on the ground, his long legs stretching in front of us. “I always get stressed before shows, too.”
    “You do?” I found that hard to believe. Jared was always so confident on stage, so sure of himself. “You make it look easy.”
    “That’s all an act, but it does get easier every time. You’ll be a pro soon, too.”
    “Assuming we don’t get kicked off this week, you mean.”
    He leaned his head back against the fence and stared up at the clear sky. “Trust me, I’m still beating myself up for that.”
    “It wasn’t your fault.”
    Jared was silent for a minute, picking at a rough spot on his black jeans. “So you and that Sean guy, huh?”
    “What? No. I mean, he seems nice and all, but that’s it.” I nudged Jared with my shoulder. “You jealous?”
    He flashed me a smile that made my toes curl. “Maybe.”
    “Don’t be.” The words slipped out, and I wanted to cover my mouth the instant I said them. I’d meant it as a joke, but it had come out a lot more serious. But he didn’t respond or brush it off with another joke. His eyes searched mine, like he was looking for answers in them.
    I dropped my gaze. “We should head back in.”
    “Yeah, Kyle’s probably tearing the place apart looking for us.”
    He jumped to his feet and reached down to help me up. I slid my hand into his, but as I stood, I stumbled into him a little, still unsteady on my new heels. I braced myself on his chest, our hands still entwined, almost like we were dancing and just as close. My eyes caught on the patch of skin just above the buttons on his shirt, and I itched to undo them and see what was underneath. His free hand rested on the curve of my hip, and my gaze traveled up to his mouth, to lips that begged me to kiss them.
    “There you are,” Kyle called from the door to the theater. “I’ve been looking for you two everywhere.”
    I jumped back, hoping Kyle hadn’t seen how close we’d been a second ago, and Jared shoved his hands in his pockets. I was equally grateful to Kyle for saving me and annoyed with him for ruining my moment alone with Jared.
    “Sorry,” I said. “Jared was just giving me a pep talk before the show.”
    Kyle looked back and forth between us, like he didn’t believe that was all there was to it. I’d promised him I wouldn’t get involved with his brother, but I wasn’t doing a very good job of staying away from Jared. No matter how much I tried to fight it, I was attracted to him. Unfortunately, so was every other girl who laid eyes on him. Being in close proximity to him all week had definitely not helped me get over it either—if anything, it had only made it worse because now I knew Jared a little better. He’d stopped being an impossible fantasy in my head and become a real person I actually liked to talk to, and that was even more dangerous. If I wasn’t careful, I’d get my heart broken or get kicked out of the band. Or both.
    Kyle informed us were scheduled to go on in fifteen minutes. Commence panic mode. I ran to the bathroom to check my outfit and makeup, and then the band was directed to the edge of the stage to wait for our cue. The Static Klingons were taken to the other side, and Sean waved at me as he walked past. Jared raised an eyebrow at me, but I ignored him. I didn’t have time for any more guy drama, not with so much riding on this next performance.
    Ray Carter walked onto the stage, this time in a dark red suit, and it was time. “Now we have a battle between two bands on Angel’s team! First up, from Nebraska, The Static Klingons!” The band walked out from their side of the stage while the audience cheered. “Versus…Villain Complex, from right here in Los Angeles!”
    We rushed out, smiling