Cherry laughed out loud just as Sam came to stand beside her.

“It is ridiculous, Cherry,” Sam laughed.

“You say ridiculous, I say magnificent,” she chimed in. “Alright, so let’s see.”

She dug around in her closet and pulled out ten or fifteen different miniskirts that looked more like tube tops to me and threw them at my feet. I bent to pick them up, examining each one as I checked them over. I held up a dark silver sequin one and thought it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

“I think that would look amazing with your hair,” she said. “Here, I have this awesome fitted grey Led Zeppelin v-neck that would look great with this. It’s too small for me so I’m certain it’d fit you like a glove.” She turned toward her closet and I stood up. Just then, I noticed Callum casually leaning against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest.

“What?” I asked him, trying very hard not to let him effect me.

“Are...are, are you going to try those on?” He asked, gulping down hard.

Hmm.

Chapter Eight

6 Underground

Callum

Cherry and Sam had left hours ago to ready for the show, leaving Harper and I to get ready on our own. When they left, Harper had been exceedingly quiet, barely speaking a word to me and I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong. I was lounging on the sofa, watching television, when she came out of the bathroom wearing the outfit Cherry let her borrow. My eyes literally bugged from my head. I stood, my palms beginning to sweat. I was forced to lock my knees to keep from falling forward.

“Harper, you look amazing.”

“Thank you,” she said and walked toward her bag, stuffing all its contents inside.

I watched the muscles in her exposed legs flex with every movement as the t-shirt clung to her flat stomach, making my head swim.

“You can leave that here, Harper. Cherry will let us come back for it.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, leaning against the sofa arm and crossing her legs at the ankles. I gulped down how sexy I thought that was.

“Uh, are you ready?”

“Yup,” she said, shortly, refusing to look at me as she stood.

I started walking toward the door and heard her follow. “Are you excited to see Barcelona?”

“Of course,” she answered.

She was so short with me.

“Is, I mean, did I do something wrong, Harper?” I asked as we descended the narrow stairs.

“Um, no, of course not,” she said too softly.

“Well, you aren’t acting yourself. What’s up?”

“Seriously, nothing.”

I didn’t say anything back. There was nothing to say. She was obviously ticked off. I decided I’d just have to let it come out on its own.

We rode the subway there in complete silence and she barely looked at me the entire time. I put my hand around her shoulder to let her know that I didn’t care if she was mad at me or not, I wanted to be near her and to my surprise, she didn’t shove me off. Instead, she laid her head on my shoulder like she couldn’t get close enough yet still refused to look at me.

“I thought we’d get off here,” I said a few blocks from the concert.

“What for?”

“Charlie said I could park my motorcycle where all the bands buses are. I need to pick it up.”

“Alright,” she conceded easily.

The concert was held in Central Park and was more like a summer festival. There was a main stage and several side stages, where The Ivories were supposed to be playing. We rode right up the path behind the main stage and were stopped at the fenced in gate.

“Whoa!” A security guard said. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry,” I said, flashing my backstage pass. “I’m here with Charlie James.”

The guy didn’t say a word, opening the make-shift gate and letting us through. I slowly brought my bike toward the rear where Charlie said he’d be. I spotted Cherry first and stopped by their trailer. When I got off my bike, I helped Harper slide off the seat so her skirt wouldn’t show anything. I got a small smile for that and breathed a slight sigh of relief. She stood beside me, letting me unbuckle her helmet for her and I could feel the eyes of the band and Charlie watching us. I got the helmet off and hung it on my handle bar but when I turned around, I saw Harper shaking out her hair. The scent assaulted me, a fragrant punch to the chest, and my fingers itched to run through every single strand, to feel its silk. I caught myself and turned toward my friends and was taken completely back. The girls were talking amongst themselves, laughing and joking...but the guys. The guys were apparently struck as dumb as I had been when they caught a glimpse of Harper. Instinctively, I reached for Harper but she had already headed for Cherry, doing a little turn to show how her outfit looked on her.

I strode over to the guys and punched Josiah in the shoulder.

“What the hell, dude?” He asked, rubbing his arm.

“Can you all pick your jaws off the floor?” I asked, a little bit peeved. “Charlie? Charlie?” I snapped my fingers in his face to grab his attention.

“What? Yes?” He asked and the others laughed.

“Can you, maybe, not stare at Harper?”

He shook his head to clear it. “Oh, of course. I’m sorry, Callum. She’s extraordinary.”

“I know,” I said, sighing at the typical direction our conversations usually went. That’s when I realized that Harper was one girl Charlie couldn’t have. “Listen, Charlie. I know you and Sam are over or whatever but I’d appreciate it if you could not go after Harper. She’s....She’s...”

“Yours?” He asked, a twinkle in his eye.

The others had walked off at this point to visit with Harper, leaving us alone. “She’s not mine. No.”

“But you want her to be,” Charlie said, stating it more as a fact than posing it as a question. He leaned against The Ivories’ sleek black trailer they bought for the previous summer’s tour.

“More than anything,” I admitted out loud.

“Stop wasting time then or I can’t be responsible for my actions,” he teased.

This held me slightly on edge. “Please, I can’t joke about this with you. You have no idea how much Harper’s beginning to mean to me.”

“I apologize, Callum,” he said sincerely, throwing his arm over my shoulder in a peace offering. “I was only joshing. Honestly, I’ll stay away.” A small smile curved around his lips. “It’ll be hard but I’ll stay away.”

“Charlie!”

“What? Callum, calm down. I’m teasing you!”

I eyed Harper, my jaw clenching, making the muscles in them flex. I opened my fists, then closed them, over and over. I wanted her more than anything in this entire world.

Charlie’s hand came flitting over my face to break the trance.

“My God, Callum,” he whispered.

“What?” I asked, turning his direction.

“You’re in love with her.”

“What? No, that’s impossible. I’ve only known her two weeks,” I said, watching her intently again laughing at something Tie-Dye Tom said. They’re standing awfully close.

“That may be but you’re either most definitely in love with that creature there in that fetching skirt or there’s something between you and Tom you haven’t yet discussed with me.” I rolled my eyes but laughed. “I can’t say I blame you. I’ve never seen you like this, Callum, not even with Sam.”

My head snapped his direction again.

“You knew?”

“Everyone knew.”

“Then why would you go out with her?”

“I didn’t realize until much later. It’s why I broke up with her last night. I thought you may still be in love with her and I didn’t want to stand between that. I was only mildly interested myself.” Funny, he broke up with her.

“But I’m not.”

“I can see that now,” he said, laughing a bit.

“I’m sorry I made you feel you had to do that.”

“I’m not. I was ready to move on.”

I stood there next to Charlie watching Harper and Cherry gossip closely.

“She’s in love with you, by the way,” I said.

“Samantha? No, she’s not. She’s only in love with herself.”

“Not Sam, Charlie. Cherry.”

This took Charlie by surprise.

“What? You’re mad! She’s my best friend!” He exclaimed in disbelief.

“She is and I can honestly say, I’ll consider you the biggest idiot if you don’t realize soon that she’s perfect for you.”

“I can’t, Callum,” he said, sighing loudly in exasperation. “She’s the only person in my life, besides you, I can count on. If I fall in love with her, I could never lose her and that’s scares me more than anything.”

“So you’ve thought about it then?”

“Of course I have. I just never knew she felt the same way.” Charlie swallowed and stared hard at the ground. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more beautiful then Evelyn. She’s the kindest, most lovely girl.”

“I agree. Well, almost,” I said, nodding my head toward Harper, making Charlie laugh and shake his head. “Wait a minute! Evelyn?”

“That’s Cherry’s real name. It was her grandmother’s. I think I’m the only one she’s told.”

“Wow. I’ve never thought to ask if Cherry was her real name or not.”

“Nah, I called her that when we first met seven years ago. She was super tall, porcelain skinned, crazy deep red hair. When she stood next to me, she was only a few inches shorter than I and I was so intimidated by her. That was what made me think she looked exactly like a cherry bomb. Beautiful to look at but there was something alarming there as well, like a fire was nearing the end of her wick. Her eyes make me feel like if she exploded anywhere near me, I couldn’t help but be a very willing casualty.

“Haven’t you ever wondered why I’ve never tried it out with her?”

“Not really,” I said honestly. “I just figured you weren’t into red heads.”

“No,” he said emphatically. “She is the reason I don’t date red heads.”

“Damn, Charlie. You got it bad.”

He laughed wholeheartedly and slapped me on the shoulder.

“What a pair we are, eh?” He asked.

“Listen,” I said, seriously. “I promised her I wouldn’t say a word about the way she felt and that makes me feel like the most horrible friend right now but after you confessed to that phenomenal crush, I don’t feel as guilty as I probably should. Just, figure it out, will ya’?”

“I’ll try,” he said, readjusting against the trailer.

“You know, Harper’s here for Barcelona. Particularly Please, Don’t Go. Think you could...?”

“Already on it,” he said, standing upright and smoothly walking away from our group.

When Charlie left, Harper walked toward me. I held my breath and with every inch she closed the distance between us, my body began to tremble more and more.