Page 186 of Next to Everything We Wanted

I beamed, warmth stirring in my stomach, as I pulled her onto the couch. We both giggled, like a couple in the honeymoon phase who couldn’t get enough of each other, as she sat on my lap.

“Is this okay?” she asked, straddling her legs over my waist. It caught me by surprise, my stomach muscles tightening. I couldn’t look away from the fire in her eyes as she slipped her arms around my neck.

“Yes,” I murmured, my blood humming the same word.Yes, yes, yes.

Her lips collided with mine, continuing our deep kiss. I slid my hands to her waist, holding her closer until my back was against the couch. Her heartbeat was just as erratic as mine, pounding out of control. I loved the effect I had on her. That she loved me the way I loved her. She was so freaking precious. So freaking hot.

So freaking mine.

“I never want to go without this again,” Sienna breathed between kisses, balling my shirt in her fists like I was her lifeline. “I don’t ever want to be apart.”

“Me either.” I cupped her head in my hands, absorbing the warmth of her cheeks. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll do anything for you to be in it.”

CHAPTER 44

Sienna

Icouldn’t believe I was about to do this.

Even though we were performing on Friday night in place of Somewhere in the Sky, the usual crowd still showed up, buzzing with excitement. Instead of standing with Oliver and Arielle, I stood in the front, between Dallas and Raina. My hands shook as I strapped my guitar over me, but I managed to speak into the microphone.

“Hello, What Do You Bean!” My voice cracked. I inwardly winced, but the audience still clapped. “We’re Like Airplanes, and we’re here to give you another great Friday evening!” Yeah, I was dying inside. I sounded like a teacher who was way too excited to give a lecture.

I focused on the familiar faces in the crowd to help my nerves. Gavin, Forrest, Celeste, Nick, and Eli sat in our usual booth. When Gavin’s eyes locked with mine, my whole body flushed with heat. We exchanged a smile while his friends waved at me.

My family—Dad, Adam, Emma, Uncle Reed, and Aunt May—sat in the booth next to them. It was one of the rare nights when neither Uncle Reed nor Aunt May worked, and after the twinshad opened up to them, they’d agreed to come. Emma held her new phone up to take a video for Gracelynn to watch when she got home from dance practice. I beamed as they waved at me.

I cleared my throat, remembering that I was still on stage. “I’m Sienna, the lead guitarist. Dallas and Raina are taking a break from the spotlight for a few minutes so I can perform a song I wrote for my talented and gorgeous boyfriend, Ivan Hicks.”

Gavin beamed as the crowd roared, his cheeks turning pink. Heat rushed to my own cheeks. He was so adorable when he looked at me like that.

“This song is called ‘Spinning,’” I said before taking a deep breath. I started strumming my guitar, singing the first verse. I was a little shaky at first, my voice trembling, but I remembered to focus on Gavin.

By the time I reached the first chorus, the entire café disappeared. No one was judging my voice or my stage presence. It was just Gavin, swaying to the song, singing the lyrics with me, his beautiful lashes fluttering. I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. How would I make it through the gig without running up to kiss him?

The song blew by like the evening breeze. As soon as I sang the last note, the crowd went wild. A few people gave us a standing ovation—including Gavin, his friends, and my family. All the blood in my body rushed to my cheeks.

I did it! I’d sung on stage by myself, and it wassothrilling.

I actually wanted to do it again.

Jimmy Cook sat at the back of the café with his daughter and their friends. He nodded at me, and I nodded back. Excitement bubbled in me. I hoped we’d get the opportunity to perform at Moonlight Lounge one day.

After Somewhere in the Sky had a redo.

They hadn’t gotten back together yet, but as I watched Gavin and his bandmates, I knew it wouldn’t take long. They loved performing just as much as I did.

I scurried back to my usual position, where Oliver beamed at me. It was the most I’d seen him smile in a long time, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“And you said you couldn’t sing,” he said as Dallas and Raina spoke into the microphone.

“I guess I’m not that bad.” I gave a humble shrug. “Maybe you should try singing next.”

He shook his head. “Never. I can only do so much with my voice.”

“Hey, you never know.” I winked at him. “It could attract your dream girl.”

His cheeks flushed as he looked away from me. “I don’t need to look for one.”