As they took the stage, the crowd erupted with cheers. Girls screamed Chase’s name—telling them they loved him. It was like he was a rock star, and I guess in some ways he was. That thought sobered me. Maybe I was enough now—but the bigger he got, the less he was going to want me.
Even over the loud music, Jade seemed to sense the shift in my mood. “You okay?”
“He’s going to be famous.”
“He’s already pretty famous,” Kyle supplied.
“Thanks. Needed that,” I shouted over the music.
“What are you worried about? That he’s going to move on or something?” Jade asked, leaning in close.
“Yes.” It felt good to finally admit my fear out loud.
Jade shrugged. “But that could happen with anyone—whether it’s a famous person or just a frat guy.”
“Thanks.” Sometimes I just needed encouragement. Aaron had really done a number on my confidence, and I was only beginning to see how deep the damage went.
“Just enjoy the rest of the show.” Jade linked her arm through mine. “Chase is rocking it tonight.”
She was right. He was doing incredible, and despite the crowd, his eyes still kept falling on me. This was one of those times where my mom would tell me to muster my confidence. I’d sabotage a good thing if I couldn’t hold it together.
Chapter Twenty
Chase was right that we weren’t camping with everyone else—or rather that we weren’t camping with the general festival goers. We were, however, camping near the rest of his band as well as Kyle and Jade. They’d packed some extra stuff in case they decided to stay the night, and they ended up needing it.
We piled into Zach’s van which has been the go-to vehicle for Chance of a Lifetime for a few years. It sounded like it was going to be exchanged for a tour bus next time around. I wondered how they felt about such a big change.
Zach parked in a dirt lot, and we all pulled out our stuff.
“Can I get that for you?” Chase offered to take my backpack even though he was already wearing a pack and had our tent and everything.
“No, I’m fine.” I appreciated him asking to be nice, so I didn’t give him a hard time about insinuating that I couldn’t handle wearing a backpack.
When everyone else stopped to set up their stuff, Chase gestured for me to continue. “Let’s get a little bit of privacy.”
I glanced at Jade and Kyle illuminated by moonlight and flashlights. They seemed perfectly happy with the evening’s accommodations. I really had to give it to Jade. She was proving to be way more resilient than I would have thought. I guess that’s the thing about people. We always assume their true personality is the one they show you, but sometimes all it takes is moving them to a new situation and a whole new side comes out.
A little further into the clearing Chase stopped. “How’s this?”
“It’s great.” I took off my pack and got to work helping Chase with the tent.
Fifteen minutes later, we had everything inside the tent. I ducked and followed Chase inside.
He zipped our two sleeping bags together into one bigger one. I giggled. I couldn’t help it.
“What?” He turned to look at me.
“Nothing. This seems funny somehow.”
“Funny?”
“Yeah. Like we’re teenagers or something.”
He moved toward me. “Well, technically you are still in your teens.”
“For another month, and you’re definitely not.”
“Nope. I’m robbing the cradle. I need to enjoy the last few weeks of being able to say I’m sleeping with a nineteen-year-old.”
“This might be your last chance. I mean, I doubt you’ll be back before my birthday.” I gave him a coy smile.
“In that case.” He was on me in a blink of an eye, tackling me down on top of the connected sleeping bags. “I need to enjoy the experience.” He turned off his flashlight, sending us into darkness.
He slowly pulled my t-shirt over my head, and I shivered in anticipation. I’d missed having his hands all over me. He moved to my bra next, tossing it before letting his hands and mouth settle on my breasts.