Holden parks down the block and we walk towards the club. My legs are threatening to turn from a solid mass to flimsy liquid as I follow my sister and her boyfriend.

Holden’s so confident, holding Maddie’s hand and striding forward.

I wish I had the ability to hold my head high no matter what I was feeling.

Pressing my lips together, I let him do the talking and we all get in without a hitch.

Oh man, I hope Dad doesn’t hear about this. Maddie is such a bad liar. If he asks her about tonight, what’s she going to tell him?

My brain starts percolating a few lies she can repeat. I’ll make sure we go over them on the car ride home.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

They really are a pain in the ass.

Rubbing the frown lines off my forehead, I start scanning the club for Cairo. It’s kind of dark and hard to see him. The lights flash and move, giving off a sense of chaos within the confined space.

“Symphony” by Clean Bandit is playing.

I love this song.

The music works through me, easing my jitters, and I rise onto my tiptoes to look between Holden and Maddie.

That’s when I see it.

And I freeze.

Cairo has some brunette pressed against him. She’s whispering in his ear and now she’s grabbing his face and…and kissing him.

“Oh, Max, I’m really sorry,” Maddie whispers.

So she’s noticed too, then.

“Do you want me to go pound him?” Holden clips.

I nearly tell him that I’m quite capable of doing my own pounding, but I’m stopped by a sliver of hope.

Cairo pushes the girl off him, looking annoyed as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He probably wants to tell her to eff off, but he can’t, because Cairo doesn’t speak to people that way.

“Did he just push her away?” Maddie looks at Holden.

Her boyfriend snickers. “He looks pretty pissed right now.”

“I think it’s about time you go claim your man, sis.” Maddie turns to smirk at me.

I snort out a huff and brush past her, anger fueling me forward.

That poisonous little viper is so not making a move on my man.

Cairo doesn’t see me coming until I’m right beside them. His face flashes with pure joy until he sees me glaring at the brunette still attached to him.

His dark eyebrows wrinkle with apology, but I brush my hand through the air and turn my attention to the viper.

“Hi, I'm Max. And you are?”

“Nadia.” Her eyes narrow at me and she rests her hand on Cairo’s shoulder.

He tries to shrug her off but she’s unperturbed.

Her lips curl into a surly smile. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes. You can stop kissing my boyfriend.” I cross my arms and rise to my full height the way Dad always does.

She blanches before gaining control of her expression and lifting her chin in the air. “He kissed me.”

“No, he didn't. I was watching. You kissed him and he pushed you away, yet you're still standing here.” 

“Whatever.” She takes a step back and lets out this scoff like she doesn’t care.

Leaning down to her eye level, I get in her face and, with the steeliest voice I can muster, warn her off for good. “Kiss him again and I'll break your face.” 

Her eyes bulge for a second before she lets out a pitiful squeak and spins on her heel. It’s pretty damn satisfying watching her vamoose.

But not as satisfying as the feel of Cairo’s arms snaking around my waist. He pulls me back against him and rests his chin on my shoulder. “I don't know which I like more, the fact that I believe you’d actually break her face, or that you called me your boyfriend.”

I chuckle and spin in his arms, threading my fingers behind his neck before placing my lips on his.

He grins against my mouth and then deepens the kiss, reminding me that being here with him is all that matters.

I glide my fingers into his thick locks, lightly bunching them in my fingers until a forceful tap on the shoulder makes me pull away.

Cairo keeps his hand on my back as he eyes Holden and Maddie with a cautious smile.

“Hey.” He greets them. “Welcome to Club Matrix.”

Maddie cocks her eyebrow at him.

He clears his throat and shares a quick look with me before turning back to the two skeptics.

“You came on a good night. Mario’s up in just a minute.”

Holden tucks his hand around Maddie’s waist and pulls her against him. “We didn’t come for Mario. We wanted to make sure Max was gonna be okay.”

“She is.” He rubs my back, his gaze locked with Holden’s.

It’s getting kind of awkward, and I share a desperate look with Maddie.

She sticks out her hand. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet the guy she’s been lying about.”

I roll my eyes.

Thanks, Mads. Really helpful.

Cairo fights a grin, taking her hand and giving it a shake before snickering. “Well, as much as I’d love for this awkwardness to linger, why don’t we just acknowledge that this is weird, and get on with having a good time?”

Maddie breaks into a grin and looks to Holden, who suffices with a lip twitch.

“Cleo can sort us out with some drinks.” Cairo points over his shoulder and leads us to an open space at the bar.

I’m just accepting a glass of Coke when the lights go down and the announcer introduces Mario Demas!

A roar goes up from the dance floor as a guy with cowboy boots, ripped-up jeans and jet-black hair down to his waist walks onto the stage.

Cairo gives my side an excited squeeze before moving us into a better position.

Maddie sidles up beside me as the guy starts to play. He’s a freaking legend. Like Santana or something. He owns that guitar, and I can’t take my eyes off his fingers as he dances with those strings, creating the kind of music I could only dream of making.

I’m captured.

I’m in total awe.

My insides buzz with that feeling only music can give me.

It must be radiating from me because Cairo leans over and presses his lips to my ear. “You should see your face right now. You’ve never looked more beautiful. I knew you had to hear him.”

I turn to smile at my boyfriend.

“Thank you for coming.” His smile makes my insides melt.

He thinks I’m beautiful.

I look into his brown eyes, the emotion I’m already feeling only amplified by him.

He knows me.

He knows what makes me feel alive.

And he keeps fighting to give it to me.

The lump in my throat is too big to speak past.

All I can do is lean forward and kiss him.