“Almost, but no. Please, let’s just go. Michael is going to be wondering where the hell we are.”

We make our way through the crowd of people cluttering the hallway.

“Storm looked pretty mad, Ev.”

“I don’t care. He can’t just put his hands and tongue all over me whenever the hell he wants to.”

“His tongue? Holy shit, girl, we need to talk.”

We finally make our way to the table and find Michael sitting there drinking and talking to Ivy and Lukas.

“Where have you two been? You were gone for half an hour.”

“The line was crazy,” Amy answers. “Evelyn feels sick to her stomach. I think we should go.”

Michael downs his drink in one gulp and grimaces. “Okay. What’s wrong now?” he asks me.

“Nothing, I just don’t feel well.”

“All right, we’ll get you home then. Amy, you better drive, I’ve had a few.”

She nods. As we’re putting on our coats and saying goodbye to Ivy and Lukas, I spot Storm over by the bar with Juggsy hanging on him. Now I really do feel sick to my stomach. Is he going to go home with her? With my stuff all over his face and lips? He must feel my stare because he turns and meets my gaze. Shaking his head, he grabs a shot off the bar and throws it back.

Shit. Didn’t I read he had quit drinking?

I sit in the back seat on the way home and listen to Michael go on and on about how great the band was and how epic it was to have his guitar idol sing a song dedicated to me. Amy is watching me in the rearview mirror. I think she’s afraid I’m going to jump out of the car. The thought is tempting.

I take out my cell and send a quick text to Storm.

Me: Are you drinking?

A few minutes go by.

Storm: Are you my AA sponsor now?

Me: No. I’m just worried about you. I thought you quit drinking.

Storm: I had two fn shots. I’m fine.

Me: Are you going home with that girl?

Storm: Are you going home with him?

Seriously?

Me: That’s not fair.

Storm: No shit.

Ugh!

I should have known this night would not end well. Having Michael and Storm under the same roof was just a disaster waiting to happen. Since it was Storm’s idea we all go to his show, it never even really occurred to me seeing Michael would have an effect on Storm. I knew it would bother me but, to be honest, I never really considered Storm’s feelings about it. My mind flashed back to the storage room, my ass naked on the cold table, his face between my legs. My insides flip at the memory. Why couldn’t Michael ever make me feel that way? I never got that turned on when Michael touched me. Storm practically sent me to another stratosphere.

Amy corners me as soon as Michael disappears upstairs. “Okay, chickie, come clean. What the hell happened back there?”

I flop on the couch and kick my shoes off. “He threw me on a table and ate me like I was an all you can eat buffet, that’s what.”

Amy’s draw drops. “What? Are you kidding?”

“I wish I was.”

“Then what happened? You had a fight?”

“Yeah. I got mad at him for doing it. I don’t want to be a cheater, Amy, and he knows it. But he keeps doing stuff like this to me.”

She lowers her voice and moves closer to me. “Evelyn, he’s got it so bad for you! Do you know how many women in that place would have given their first born to ride his face? And not put up a fight over it?”

I roll my eyes. “You don’t have to remind me of this. Trust me, I know. That skank was hanging on him when we left.”

“Well, you left him all hot and bothered! The fuck is wrong with you, Evelyn?”

“I do not want to be some sex toy for him. He’s just pissed that every damn girl in the world wants to fuck him and I don’t. Well, I do, but I’m not going to fall all over him and give up all my morals just to do it.”

“Evelyn, do you follow him on social media?”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about? I don’t have a twitter. I don’t have time for that. And I don’t want to see any crazy stuff he’s doing with other women.”

She takes out her cell phone, scrolls around a bit and hands it to me. There’s a status update on his official page, posted a few days ago.

“Someday, I’ll get the girl, and hopefully, she’ll get me, too.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I hand her the phone back.

“It means I don’t think he’s just trying to get laid, Ev. I think he really cares about you, but your dumb ass can’t see it.” She picks Halo up off the back of the couch and hugs him like a baby. “Seriously, Evelyn. You could be throwing away a good thing here, and I’m not talking about the drunk lump upstairs. Over twenty-eight-hundred girls liked his status and a few hundred have offered themselves up to him.”

“I can’t compete with all that. It will drive me mad.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to. He doesn’t act like he’s chasing anything with a skirt really. And women will always come on to him, but who cares? Learn to ignore it.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m exhausted. Do you want to sleep here instead of driving home?”

She lays Halo on the couch next to her and stands up. “No, I have a breakfast date, so I better go. Don’t ask me why I agreed to that. Who the hell wants to meet for breakfast? You better get the goods on that guy Vandal for me.”

“His cousin? He didn’t look like your type at all. He looked pretty miserable, actually.”

She pulls on her coat and walks toward the door. “It’s that brooding sexiness I love.”

I pull her in for a hug. “Thanks for going tonight. It was fun except for the ‘you-know-what’ part.”

“I had a great time. He’s really talented. Next time he wants to feast on you, shut up and let him.” She kisses my cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you how my breakfast dates goes.”

I turn off the lights and head upstairs to find Michael completely sprawled across the bed, taking up the entire thing. I swear under my breath and get undressed in the dark. I put on an over-sized t-shirt, grab my pillow, and go back downstairs to sleep on the couch. I don’t want to hear him snoring all night anyway.

About an hour after I fall asleep, I hear my phone beep, the sound jarring me. I reach for it and snag it off the coffee table. It’s a text from Storm.

Storm: I didn’t want to fight tonight. I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t forget me while I’m gone.

Me: I could never forget you

Storm: Can you call me? Now? I leave tomorrow. We didn’t say goodbye

Should I call him? Michael will never wake up now that he is asleep. I stare at my phone, debating.

I dial.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey.”

“I don’t have a drinking problem. Just so you know. Yeah, I used to drink too much. But not now.”

“Okay. I was just worried.”

“I know.”

“Your music is amazing, Storm. I loved it. And the song... hearing you sing it. It melted me.”

“I was hoping it would. I never sing, ya know. I did that for you.”

My heart jumps a little bit. “It was really great.” I swallow and ask him what’s been on my mind since I left. “Did you have sex with her?”

I hear a faint sucking noise. He’s smoking one of his e-cigs. “A blow job.” He finally says. My heart sinks. My throat tightens. I close my eyes and trap the tears there.

“I know you’re mad, Evie. You don’t have to say anything. I’m sorry. I was mad. I wanted you, and you pushed me away. I had you for ten minutes and it was fucking heaven. So I sent myself back to the hell I’m used to. I don’t kiss her. I don’t touch her. I use her.”

“Storm, I can’t ask you not to be with other women.”

“Ask.”

“What?”

“Ask me.”

I can’t. I won’t.

“Evie, I need total honesty from you. I don’t care what it is you have to say to me, or ask me. Just don’t keep it from me. You hide so much, and you’re in so much damn denial. You gotta cut that out, okay? I will pull words out of you if I have to.”

“I don’t want you to fuck other women,” I say softly.

“Good. Now tell me why.”

“I want it to be me.”

“Oh, it will be, baby. Once you stop fighting yourself and me.” He’s quiet for a moment. “Did you want me earlier?”

Holy shit, yes. A hundred thousand times.

“Yes.”

“If there was no Michael, would you have let me make love to you on that table?”

I close my eyes, seeing him in my head, feeling his tongue inside me.

“Yes.”

I feel him smile. “Good girl. Cuz when I want you, I’m going to take you, and I want you to want it. Is that something you could give me?”

“Yes.”

“That’s something I need, Evelyn. I’m being honest here.”

“Okay. I understand.” I think.

“Where’s Michael now?”

“Upstairs asleep. I’m on the couch.”

“Are you going to think about us? Think about giving us a chance when I get back?”

“Yes. I will. I am.”

“I don’t want him fucking you anymore. Can you do that? If you avoid him, would he try to hurt you?”

“Michael? No, he would never hurt me. He’ll be mad, but he won’t hurt me.”

“Good. Let him be mad.”

“Okay.” Michael will be pissy when I say no. I don’t care.

“So this is our first step together, Evie. If we want to think about being together, we both have things to change. This is a start, right?”

“Yes. Are there others?” I ask him.

“Other women?”