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TWELVE

JACKSON

You’d think that I would get used to the hustle and bustle of show days, but I never do.

We only have a few more hours until we’re due on stage, and I couldn’t be more anxious for some reason.

My mind has replayed last night at the diner over and over, and how we all said it would only be last night.

As I stand here watching Hale in her element, I know we were all lying. I can’t possibly let her go.

“Hey, beautiful girl,” I whisper as I wrap my arms around her.

She’s just finished applying makeup for the photographer.

I won’t tell her that I eavesdropped on most of their conversation regarding polyamory and hoped she was getting comfortable with the idea herself.

Plus, she called us her boys. I mean, we always have been, but she said she has to deal with us so that seems pretty damn comfortable to me.

I’ve missed her in our lives so fucking much, and this feels like the perfect beginning to having her back.

Fuck a one-night thing, or even a one-week thing.

I don’t think any of us can pretend this hasn’t felt beyond natural.

“Well, hello.” She gasps when my lips meet the soft skin of her neck, dragging an open-mouthed kiss down to her collarbone. “Don’t you have busy rockstar things to be doing?”

“I figured you wouldn’t mind a visit from one of ‘your boys,’ as you called me.” My hands roam over her body, every beautiful curve begging to be touched and massaged as she giggles and pushes my hands away.

“You caught that, did you?” Hale sighs, causing me to pause my pawing at her body to spin her around to face me.

“Hey, what’s that about?”

“I don’t know. Is it too soon to wonder if this is something?

The four of us?” she asks, peeking up at me through her long lashes, the edges of the stage lights catching each speck of pink glitter across the high points of her cheekbones and eyelids.

It doesn’t matter if she’s the one on stage in front of the crowd, she’s the star in all of my shows.

“Has it ever been, Hale? Can you really tell me that whatever the feeling is in your chest is something new? Can you look me in my eyes and tell me that before this week, you had not even a sliver of whatever it is you’re feeling or questioning?”

“Well, no?—”

“Exactly,” I cut her off. “It’s not too soon to wonder anything. I promise you, the others are probably thinking?—”

“Hey, man, you busy?” Derek interrupts me, popping our bubble.

“I mean, kinda?” I don’t release my arms around Hale, keeping her close so she knows I mean what I’m saying. At least I can speak for myself that I’m serious about her.

“It was kind of rhetorical. We’re on in less than two hours,” he spits backs at me.

Something has crawled up his ass, and if I had to guess, I would say it was the green-haired woman, Estrella, who recently graced Hale’s chair and had a one-night fling with him earlier this week.

I’d be hurt if my one-night stand didn’t want to go another round too, but I keep that to myself.

“The handsome devil you are, let me at least fix your hair before you go, and then you can send Syd and Colby in for the same when you leave.” Hale visibly shakes out of our conversation before grabbing a comb from her station and some pomade, forcing my ass into the chair and going to work on the poorly maintained blond strands on top of my head.