Bri was glaring. Her hand crushed her beer can, and she jerked her gaze away.

Satisfaction flared through me. Good.

“Hunt!” Braden said, waving.

Jesse Hunt came over to our group. When he caught sight of me, he shook his head.

I held a hand out. “Hey, man.”

He slapped it and gazed around. “I didn’t know we had to bring our own chairs.”

“You don’t.” Braden hopped off his and settled in front of Brielle, poking her at the same time. “You can have mine. Is your woman with you?”

Jesse cursed as he took the seat. “Yes, and do not let her know you referred to her that way. We’re still in the ‘coming together’ stage.”

Candy kept massaging my shoulders. Jesse’s gaze lingered on her, confused. To his unspoken question, I shrugged. She wasn’t Brielle. Jesse knew the status of my feelings. I met him one night in a bar, drunk off my ass, and the two of us decided to fight the entire bar together. I had invited him earlier, but I wasn’t concerned he would invite anyone else. Jesse Hunt had his own celebrity status. His father was a world-renowned director, and he could go pro in basketball whenever he wanted. He played for Grant West University’s basketball team, but it was only a matter of time when Jesse would decide if he wanted to finish his degree or go straight to the professional league. So far, he seemed content with his university team.

It wasn’t long until his woman joined the group. She stood, gazing around the group with a star-struck expression, but Jesse caught her hand and pulled her to sit on his lap. Hunt was a good friend. We weren’t close, but I knew he’d be there if I ever needed him and vice versa. Emerson teased him, trying to flirt with his woman. Hunt handled him fine. Studying them, seeing the easy camaraderie between Hunt and his woman, had me glancing at Brielle. They reminded me of us. They were best friends, no matter what was going on between them. He loved her. It was obvious. The sight of them sickened me. I should’ve been happy for them, but in that moment, I wasn’t the good friend.

I wanted what they had; I shot Bri another glare.

I protected the band. I did the dirty work, maintaining everyone kept on task. I brought us to where we were, and I had done it by being the better man, but I wasn’t in that moment. I was the jealous man. I was the petty man. I wanted a love like theirs, and I wanted it from Brielle.

She mistook my glare and lifted her chin in defiance. Taking a drink, she let me watch how she swallowed it before gracing me with a smug smirk.

The desire to grab her and haul her off into the woods was more than I could handle. I was still fighting it when it was our turn for the stage, and as we took it, I signaled for our new material. She was still with me. She was in my mind. The feel of her, the taste of her, and the need for her were suffocating me.

I sang to her. I didn’t give a shit who knew.

This song was for her. It was about her. I wanted her to know.

You promised the world with my hand in yours

We grew up beside each other

Together, never apart, and now I can’t let go

Here I am, on all fours

Baby please, baby that’s mine

Baby please

Bring me home

Bring me in to you

No matter where you go, how far you are, you’re home

Home, home, home

Don’t let me go

The emotion was in my voice. Everyone could hear it, and I even heard Braden swear softly behind me. He knew as well. I was laying it out. When I opened my eyes and found her, she was still there. She was riveted, and she made no movement to wipe the tears from her eyes as they flowed down her face. One fell into her beer. She still didn’t turn away.

I held her in my spell, the same one she wove when she played. She couldn’t look away the entire time. Even as we finished our set and headed down, she couldn’t move.

“Luke,” Candy called my name. She patted the space in front of her again.

Brielle closed her eyes. I watched her as she held her breath. Something broke in me then. She did care. A flood of love and hate washed through me.

“Luke?”

Candy was looking at me, her eyebrows scrunched together. I glanced around. Everyone else was watching me, too. I had stopped in front of Brielle’s chair. She was the only one not watching me. Her arms were wrapped around herself, and her head was pushed down into her chest. She was closing herself off from the world.

She had done that when we were kids, when she was scared and hurting. I hated seeing it then, and I hated seeing it now.

“Bri.”

She stiffened, but I ignored it. I stopped thinking about the past. I turned it off. Seeing her like this made all of that go away. I wanted her to stop hurting. Without thinking, I bent down and slid my hands around her. Lifting her, I moved so I was underneath her. I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her.

Her body was like cement, as if she was scared to relax. I ran a hand down her hair, smoothing it out. Her entire body shuddered as she let a sob out. She swallowed it immediately and stared straight ahead. I could feel her body trembling, yet she was still so rigid.

I had made it worse.

Cursing in my head, knowing I couldn’t do anything else, I held her while neither of us said a word.

I wanted to loathe this girl, walk away, and live my life unscathed by her. I couldn’t. She was my other half, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t convince myself otherwise.

A few more bands played, and our group sat in our small circle as some people wandered over to talk. When the first ones came over, Braden glanced at me, but I shook my head. I wasn’t the leader tonight, and he nodded, stepping into that role for the evening. Braden did the talking for us. Candy tried to get my attention during the rest of the night, so did that other girl, but I ignored them and tightened my arms around Brielle.