Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(32)

Not used to seeing the shy man so exuberant, I looked back at Kate.

She shrugged. We both twisted back to the front doors when we heard it open again. Griffin stepped through this time, with Evan right behind him. Both men were glowing as brightly as Matt had been.

They both darted to follow Matt, who was approaching Kellan, telling him something with an excited expression. Kellan frowned and looked over at the rest of the guys coming towards him. Scrunching my brows, I tried to figure out what was going on.

“What’s up, Kiera?” Kate asked me, pointing to where Matt, Griffin and Evan were seated around Kellan, leaning into him as they all talked to him at once. Kellan’s expression was one of shock as he looked 89



between all of them. He occasionally asked questions when one of them paused long enough for him to do so.

“I have no idea,” I murmured, stepping away from her to find out.

Kellan’s eyes snapped up to me when I was almost within ear shot. I paused when he leaned back and ran a hand over his mouth. His eyes looked worried, really worried. It made my feet feel like lead, made me afraid to go any closer to him. I’d thought it was good news by the look on the guys’ faces, but Kellan didn’t seem like he’d just heard good news. He seemed like they’d just told him life as he knew it was ending.

Excited, they all patted his shoulder. They were trying to get him to smile, but Kellan shook his head and murmured something to them, his gaze still locked on mine. Eventually they all turned to look at me. I actually took a step back as each of their eyes met mine. Evan’s was sympathetic; that scared me. Matt’s was appraising; that concerned me.

Griffin’s was irritated; that…was really nothing new.

Kellan leaning forward brought all of their attentions back to him. He started talking, low and intensely, and I couldn’t make it out. The guys were instantly shaking their heads and throwing their hands about, irritated. I’d never seen the group fight before and I had the horrid feeling they were somehow fighting about me.

Someone nearby called out to me, asking for something, but I couldn’t move to respond to them. Something big was happening. Something that Kellan wasn’t excited about but the rest of the group was. Something that seemed to involve me. Ice poured through my body as I tried in vain to snap the puzzle pieces together.

Griffin suddenly shouting, “Oh, come on, Kellan! Fuck!” made me flinch. Kellan raised a calming hand to Griffin and quietly said something, shaking his head. Griffin shook his, crossing his arms over his chest. Griffin scowled back at Kellan while Matt hung his head, disappointed. Evan clapped Kellan on the shoulder and leaned in to tell him something. Evan’s hand swung back to me and Kellan’s eyes followed the movement.





90


Feeling my heart increase about ten times faster, I watched Kellan sigh and scrub his face with his hands. Slumping back in his chair, he finally shook his head and looked at his friends. Nodding, he said something, then slowly stood up.

His eyes met mine and he sighed again. I felt like my heart was going to explode as I watched him excuse himself and start to walk towards me. I nearly wanted to run away as I felt that tension from his table follow him up the aisle way to me. Maybe it was all in my head, but the bar seemed deathly quiet. Kellan and I had a history of making scenes in this bar. I wasn’t sure if that was what was going to happen, but the rest of the patrons seemed to think so as they eagerly waited for us to meet up.

His head down, Kellan stepped in front of me. I held my breath. “Can I…talk to you,” he looked up, his expression tight, “outside.” I nodded woodenly, wanting to do anything but go outside with him. I couldn’t move my feet, but he grabbed my hand and started dragging me away. The action prompted the muscles in my body to involuntarily respond, and I followed him out of the double doors.

A flurry of whispers started right before the doors shut. Then all of the sound from the bar was cut off. Kellan dropped my hand and ran his back through his hair. Looking around the lot, he seemed to be focusing on anything that wasn’t me. I felt tears in my eyes as fear roiled in my stomach.

“Kellan?” I whispered, my voice shaky.

He finally looked at me when he heard my tone. Sighing, he cupped my cheek. “I need to tell you something, and I don’t know where to start.” He bit his lip as my heart thudded against my chest.

“Just tell me, because you’re really starting to scare me.” He swallowed and looked down, his hand dropping to my arm. “Matt has been doing a lot over the summer for the band.” He looked up at me and shrugged. “Lining up more gigs, scoring that equipment so we can work on soundproofing Evan’s place, getting us that spot at Bumbershoot…”





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I nodded. None of this was news to me. My heart on hold, I waited for the part that was. Stepping up close, Kellan began stroking my arm. “A band that he’s been trying to get in with saw us at Bumbershoot. They were…impressed and…” He sighed, his other hand coming up to wrap around my fingers. “They want us to join them on their tour,” he whispered.

I blinked and pulled away from him, his face torn in the moonlight.

“You got invited to join a tour? An actual band tour?” Nodding, he shrugged. “It’s a pretty decently sized one, about six other bands are already on it, from what Matt says. We’d be a…last minute addition, bottom of the lineup, but on it, at least.” Amazed and overwhelmed with pride, I threw my arms around him.