Chapter2

The concert was on Friday at seven. Miles was busy, exactly as Adrian had said. Not with work—with his new relationship. When I texted, “Concert? Want to go?” he sent back a string of angry messages. He finished with: “Watch how you word things. My baby might get the wrong idea.”

He had someone he called baby now? Miles had managed to find himself a sweet little romance. I couldn't let him be the only one.

That night Adrian drove to campus to drop off the tickets. Sitting behind the wheel, he offered both of them through the window. I took just one.

“Miles is busy,” I said. “He told me not to bother him.”

My voice caught, and my hands were shaking. I couldn’t believe the seat printed on the ticket: one of the best spots in the house, right by the stage and my idols. Tears sprang to my eyes. I was so caught up in the ticket that I didn't see the change in Adrian's face.

He let out a faint sigh, came around the car, and patted the top of my head. “Don't be upset. He isn't worth it.”

I looked at him, lost. Adrian went on. “He's made his choice. You don't have to keep holding on. You deserve better...”

Now I got it. He thought I was heartbroken over Miles. I wanted to say I was crying about the seats, but I met Adrian's eyes. He looked torn. Seeing me upset clearly hurt him, yet his principles wouldn’t let him betray his friend. All that restraint was pulling against what he wanted.

For some reason, I was no longer quite so intimidated by him. I dropped my gaze, tugged the hem of his jacket, and gave him my saddest look.

“Then I won't bother with him anymore. Will you come with me to the concert?”

An hour later I sat staring at the limited-edition bracelet Adrian had slipped onto my wrist. I'd spotted it while shopping with my roommate a few months earlier. I'd posted a photo with the caption “Must be nice to have money.” Had Adrian been watching my posts all that time? My heart was fluttering, and I'd been smiling so much my cheeks ached.

I opened the forum to distract myself. Several new messages appeared at once.

“My friend is seeing another woman. Does that mean I can finally be with her for real?”

“I bought her a bracelet she’d had her eye on, but I think I scared her.”

He hadn't scared me. I was dizzy with happiness. That bracelet cost about three months of my allowance.

“You realize you sound like the other man, right?” I wrote.

“The other man? Sneak around with her behind my friend's back?” came his answer. “Would she think I'm too easy? I've wanted to do that for ages.”

That was not my point. More messages followed, one after another. He'd even come up with names for our children. I couldn't take it anymore.

“Hey. Does the girl know you've planned any of this?”

On the night of the concert, Adrian showed up after all. He wore a deep V-neck sweater and ripped jeans. He looked a little uncomfortable in them, but that did nothing to make him less attractive. He was trying to fit into my world.

I pretended not to notice and swayed with the music. From time to time I bumped back into him. His warm, hard abs brushed against my back and made me want to squeal.

When the kiss cam started picking couples out of the crowd, the whole venue erupted. The camera swept from one couple to the next. I grabbed Adrian's arm, caught up in it all.

“I want that too.”

The lights flashed, and people shouted around us, but I could see the color rising all the way to the tips of his ears. If I leaned in a little, I could even feel his heart thudding. Then everyone around us turned. I looked up: we were on the screen. Adrian's face was bright red.

Would he be just as shy if I kissed him? I caught his collar and tugged, but he was too tall. I couldn't reach his mouth. Disappointment crept in. Maybe he wasn't ready. I was about to give up when he bent down and kissed me.

The shock of it went right through me. I found enough nerve to give him a second, quick kiss. With our bodies touching, I could feel his heart pounding as hard as mine. We pulled apart reluctantly. He wiped a smear of lipstick from the corner of his mouth, but he couldn't keep from smiling.

“You're the one who started it,” he said. “You’re trouble, you know that?”