"Hey! Take five!" August called over the PA. "Band meeting!"

I pulled off my headphones and narrowed my eyes at her. I was starting to learn that August didn't just run hot and cold. She went from volcanic to Arctic. And just as quickly back to volcanic again.

And right now she was practically erupting with excitement. "Hurry up, you lazy Brits!" she called, clapping her hands. "And even lazier American!" she teased Hudson.

"Hey now," Hudson protested. But he followed her anyway. We all did.

Out in the lounge, she waited until we were all gathered around in a semi-circle. "What's this about, then?" Niall asked.

"I've got news," August said, pressing her hands together.

"Well?" I said. I hate being kept in suspense.

"She's telling us we've been good boys and we can cut out of school early," Ewan deadpanned.

"The label called and they said the rough cuts were fine and they have no notes," Hudson said, sounding wistful.

"No, keep guessing," she beamed.

"I don't know... You ordered a pizza for dinner." Hudson guessed. "Wait, is the news is that you actually found decent pizza around here in the first place?" Hudson in particular had been suffering from the lack of New York City quality pizzerias in the mountains.

August shook her head, setting her curls to dancing. Her eyes were gleaming with such pride. I fucking loved that proud tilt of her chin so much I forgave her for pulling away from me before.It hardly mattered when she was smiling like that. Nothing mattered except that smile.

"Okay, listen to this," she said, clapping her hands together to quiet our speculation. She paused, letting the suspense drag out a moment longer before she burst out. "You guys are going to have a song in the soundtrack for the new 'Agent Zero' movie!"

"Holy shit, say that again?" Hudson said, looking like he might faint.

"That's what I was doing all night the other night," she said, glancing at me by way of explanation. "And all those conference calls out here while you were recording. They listened to a rough track of 'World in Flames,' and they want to use it over the end credits."

"Holy..." Hudson trailed off, looking completely starstruck. "I fucking love the 'Agent Zero' movies, you know that right?" he told August.

"Of course I knew that," she said, giving him a smile.

My heart did this funny little stutter step, and I felt my fists clenched. But I forcibly relaxed them. She wasn't flirting with him. He wasn't flirting with her.

They both knew she was mine.

"Well," Ewan said, musing, rubbing his jaw. "That's pretty fucking huge. Good work August."

"Nice work, darling," Niall said stiffly. It was pretty clear he had no idea what Agent Zero was.

"Thanks," she said beaming with pride.

"No, seriously!" Hudson said, rushing up and grabbing her around the waist. She squealed as he spun her in circles until they were both dizzy. "You are the most amazing girl in the entire fucking world!" Hudson crowed.

"Oy!" I cried. "Let go of my woman!" I pulled a mock angry face. "Nobody touches her but me."

Hudson laughed and set her down. "Yes, sorry, you got it man," he apologized. "I'm just... Holy shit! Agent Zero!" He sort of staggered backward.

And that's when I saw August glaring at me.

Shit.

"We're fucking celebrating, right now!" Hudson shouted. "Let's go to the pub... fuck it. I'm buying!"

The guys broke off, rushing to the van, and I made to follow them, but she stopped me with a rough tug on my arm. "Don't do that," she hissed vehemently.

I looked down at her, seeing the way her fingernails were sinking into my forearm. "Do what?" I asked.

She squeezed a little tighter. "Don't act like a caveman."

I laughed and gently brushed her hand away, rubbing the imprints her fingernails had dug into my skin. "Jesus love, it was a joke. They're my mates. They know you're mine now."

She shook her head. "I'm not yours," she said fiercely.

I held up my hands. "Okay, poor choice of words, that."

"Yeah, I'd say so. I was your manager first." She looked back where the guys were climbing into the van. "In fact, I'm still your manager first, even though we are..." She trailed off, and I waited for her to say the words. Together? A couple? In love?

But she seemed to have no word for it. "Fucking?" I supplied bitterly. "Is that all this is to you, love?"

She glanced back at where the guys were waiting. "This isn't the time to discuss this," she hissed. "Not here."

"Then where?" I laughed. "The bar? The bar bathroom? There's never really the right time and place for you, is there love?"

She narrowed her eyes. Stepping towards me, she put her finger to my lips. "Shush," she hissed. "Weren't you the one that told me we don't work well when we talk?"

I pressed my lips together and drew back from her touch. "Yeah," I said. "But I seem to remember following up with 'we only say things we end up regretting.'"

Her lips twitched. "I think that might still be true," she said. "So come on. Have a beer with me tonight. We don't have that much more time together."

I stepped back. A flash of shock passed across her face as she seemed to realize what she said. "I didn't mean..." she started to say.

"Sure you did," I told her, looking her dead in the eye. "What were you going to do, break up with me the day after tomorrow? Like a couple of teenagers at the end of summer camp?"

"Jules, you know after the this you guys are going to start touring."

"So fucking come with me on tour, yeah? Why the fuck wouldn't my manager be with me as I'm touring?"

"My life is already completely wrapped up in this band. You're seriously asking me to give up what little I have outside of it to come with you on tour?" She looked wild-eyed, shaking her head. "Have you not been listening to me this whole time? I have a life! I have a family that needs me, a brother who's in trouble but I don't know what is wrong with him because I'm spending all my time with you!"

Stung, I stepped back from her and shoved my hands in my pockets. I looked down, away from her blazing cinnamon eyes. "Do you think I don't have a life outside this band, love? Difference between you and me though, is that I'm ready to make you a part of it."

I saw her throat tighten as she swallowed. "Jules... I'm sorry."

"No," I said tightly. "Glad we had this talk. Sorry I'm going to miss out on the fun tonight. But I think it's best I don't mix work and pleasure, you know?"

Her proud chin wobbled slightly. That was the only thing she gave me, the only indication that she'd felt the sting of her own words thrown back at her, but I held on to it as tightly as I could as I walked back into the studio.