Page 162 of Just Wait

Gifts are nice, but I’m used to getting by with very little. I won’t bring it up right this second, mostly because I get the feeling today is important to him, and I don’t want to ruin the vibe.

I end up with a charm bracelet and three starter charms. I don’t wear a ton of jewelry, but I love it. It’ll be fun to add to along the way.

More than that, it made Malcolm ridiculously happy, and that’s what today is about.

We barely make it back to the hotel in time to meet the others, and I end up packing a small bag of clothes that I’ll change into before the show tonight.

Once we make it to the venue, the guys are immediately whisked away to practice, but I stick around the greenroom with Wren.

That poor woman could not look more bored.

My plans involve unpacking my notebook and pulling out my new guitar.

My mouth is dry, and I’m kinda hungry for the first time today.

I saw vending machines in the hallway on the way in, so I dig around my bag for my wallet.

“I’m going to head out to grab a drink and maybe a snack,” I tell Wren, standing. “Do you want to come?”

She shakes her head. “Nah, but thank you.”

“Want me to bring you anything back?”

“A Coke, if you don’t mind,” she says, smiling. “Not diet or anything.”

“Be right back.” I circle around the couch and head out the door.

It closes loudly behind me, and I lean against it for support.

Theo stands on the opposite side of the hallway with his foot against the wall and his hands in his pockets.

“Hey.” He pulls them free, holding them up palm out. “I’m not stalking you, I swear. I was just trying to build up the courage to knock.”

My head tilts. “Okay, what’s up?”

He sighs, swiping a hand over his face. “I sent you an email, but I’m guessing you didn’t open that either.”

“No, I didn’t,” I admit, hating that I feel guilty.

All of this would be so much easier if he would be a raging asshole or an unapologetic dick.

The worst part is missing him.

He used to be my best friend.

Unfortunately, that’s over.

It would be so much easier if I never had to see him again.

“I figured,” he says slowly. “Look, I know you’re not going to take me back. I’ve seen you with Malcolm. You look way happier now than you ever did with me.”

I’m not sure whether that’s true or not. Either way, I’m not here to make him feel better. I know I’m a spiteful asshole, but I ride hard for the people I love. Once they screw me over, I can hold a grudge until the end of time.

“I need to apologize to you for one thing,” I tell him. “It was wrong of me to push you to claim that my songs belonged to Tangled Desires. I wanted you guys to succeed, and I thought I was helping, but it set you up for failure in the long run.” My head shakes, and guilt washes over me so heavily that my stomach aches. “It’s embarrassing, but I think I liked how it made me feel like you needed me. I don’t know. Either way, it’s not an excuse. I was wrong for pressuring you not to tell the label where they really came from, and I’m sorry.”

“Lumen.” Theo says my name like he always used to, but it doesn’t hit quite the same, which is a huge relief. “God, I hate this so much.”

“Yeah,” I agree, nodding.