As the days went on, Kiera started slipping into a funk. More and more time was passing between Denny’s phone calls. I wished I could help in some way, but I really didn’t know how to fix what was slowly breaking them apart. Denny returning was the only solution, and that would happen soon enough. Kiera just had to get through a few more weeks without him.
When the weekend hit and she was once again on the couch in her pajamas, I knew I had to do something. The guys and I had plans for the day, but it wasn’t anything that she couldn’t join us for. In fact, she’d probably have a great time if she came out with us. All I had to do was get her off the damn couch. She was currently glued to its lumpy cushions, flipping through channel after channel like a person possessed.
When she let out yet another forlorn sigh, I stepped between her and the TV. “Come on,” I said, extending my hand.
She looked up at me, confused. “Huh?”
“You’re not spending yet another day moping on the couch. You’re coming with me.” I raised my hand a little higher, but she stubbornly refused to take it.
Frowning, she sulked. “And where are we going?”
I grinned, knowing that what I was about to say was going to make absolutely no sense to her. “Bumbershoot.”
Like I’d just spoken a foreign language, she slowly blinked her wide eyes as she tried to comprehend just what that could be. “Bumper-what?”
I laughed at the way she mispronounced the strange name, then flashed her a bright, reassuring smile. “Bumbershoot. Don’t worry, you’ll love it.”
The mocking smile she gave me in response made her lips curve in an extraordinarily appealing way. I did my best to ignore how attractive it was, and how amazingly soft they probably were. “But that will ruin a perfectly good day of wallowing.”
“Exactly.” I grinned, flexing my hand so she’d finally take it.
Still being stubborn, she let out a dramatic sigh and stood on her own. “Fine.” She put on quite a show of being put out that I was making her go have fun, and I laughed at the display. She’d have to do better than stomping her feet and sticking out her lip to make me believe she was angry. Right now, she was just…cute.
When she came down later in shorts that exposed almost all of her thighs, and a tight tank top that hugged every curve like a second skin, I realized that she was something else. Sexy. Unbelievably sexy.
Collecting our things, we got in the car and made our way over to Pete’s, where the guys were meeting me so we could all ride together. Still curious where we were going, Kiera made a joke out of it when we pulled into the parking lot. “Bumbershoot is at Pete’s?”
I rolled my eyes as I pulled into my favorite stall. “No, the guys are at Pete’s.” Looking around, I could see they were already here. Evan’s vehicle was next to Griffin’s van.
Kiera seemed a little disappointed with my answer. “Oh, they’re coming too?”
I studied her face after I put the car in park. Why did she look so sad? I thought she liked the guys. Well, maybe not Griffin, but the others at least. Frowning, I told her, “Yeah…Is that okay?” The guys would be pissed if I told them we wanted to go alone, but if that was what Kiera wanted…I’d do that for her. Actually, I kind of liked the idea of it just being the two of us.
Kiera shook her head with a sigh, like she wasn’t sure why she’d said what she’d said. “No, of course that’s fine. I’m intruding on your day anyway.”
I suddenly had the strangest desire to touch her, to run my thumb along the faint blush of red coloring her cheek. “You’re not intruding on anything, Kiera,” I told her, my voice soft. Today will be better because you’re here to share it with me. Not wanting to freak her out with my overdramatic thoughts, I kept them to myself.
The guys came over once they saw my car. There were a few issues getting everyone settled, mainly because Griffin was being a pansy and didn’t want to take the middle seat. Thankfully, Kiera solved the problem, although her solution was to move to the backseat and be harassed by Griffin the entire trip, which I wasn’t too excited about. It made a weird sort of protectiveness surge through me at just the idea of his hands anywhere near her. We’d have to come up with a different seating arrangement on the way back, or I just might strangle him.
When we got there, everyone piled out of my car, careful to not hit the cars beside me. It was a well-known fact that damaging the Chevelle in any way resulted in an automatic free pass to walk your ass home. A fact that, to date, only Griffin had tested, when he’d once had the audacity to hurl in my backseat. I swear I could still smell the vomit sometimes.
I waited for Kiera by the door, holding my hand out so she’d take it. As she was about to find out, Bumbershoot was a music and art festival at the Seattle Center, and it was typically jam-packed with people. I didn’t want to take the risk of getting separated from her, especially since neither of us had cell phones. She’d just have to hold my hand today, an idea that made me happier than it really should have.
Evan gave me a look when he noticed our physical connection, but I ignored it. I had a valid reason for touching her. It was purely for her own safety. That was what I told myself, anyway.
Kiera’s eyes were wide when she looked around the Center. Her obvious joy and wonder made me appreciate it again. I came down here so often, I’d sort of lost respect for the area. It was refreshing to see it all again through Kiera’s eyes. It almost made the fact that we were constantly being bumped into by strangers unnoticeable.
There were booths everywhere, selling everything from T-shirts to cotton candy. Artists had their work on display; there were a lot of wild animal prints, landscape prints, and prints of Seattle. As we passed near the Space Needle, Kiera’s eyes traveled to the observation deck at the top. Leaning in so she could hear me, I told her, “We can go up later, if you want?”
Her eyes flashed with green in the sunshine, and she gave me an eager nod. I had to laugh at her enthusiasm.
Once we got into the main part of the Center, the crowds thickened. I could hear music playing in all directions. Oddly, it blended well with the noise of the people ambling around, creating a pleasing, energizing melee of melodies. It amped me up. I was ready to check out one of the many stages, to hear some new tunes.
Matt and Griffin had the map and instantly started leading the way. Evan followed after them while Kiera and I brought up the rear. I made sure to keep a tight hold on her hand as we weaved through the packed crowds. When we got to the outdoor stage where Mischief’s Muse was playing, Kiera squeezed my hand. I smiled and pulled her closer to me. I was not losing her in the masses.
The guys wanted the best seats in the house, and Matt wanted to check out the band’s equipment, so they shoved their way toward the front of the stage. I could tell from the look on Kiera’s face that she didn’t want to enter the rowdy pit of people near the front, so I stopped us well near the back. We still had a good view, but we weren’t being bothered. Too much. We were being jostled by people going around us, wanting to get closer to the stage. Kiera was pressed tight into my side, trying to get out of their way, but it still wasn’t enough.
Wanting her safe as well as comfortable, I pulled her in front of me so I’d take the bulk of the hits. I slipped my arms around her waist so she’d be even more protected from the people around us. Well, and because I wanted to put my arms around her; it felt completely natural to hold her when she was directly in front of me like she was. Anything else would have felt awkward. It was still a poor excuse though, and I knew it. I was beginning to push on a line I shouldn’t be messing with.
Kiera didn’t seem to mind my arms around her. She left her hands tangled with mine around her stomach and leaned back against my chest. She seemed just as comfortable as I was as she watched the band and the crowds. She turned her head to focus on something to the far right of the stage, and my gaze followed. My bandmates were over there, getting high by the looks of it. None of the guys did any hard drugs, but they did smoke pot on occasion, Griffin especially. Personally, I didn’t care for the stuff; I’d rather have beer, but I didn’t care if they did it.
I looked down at Kiera, wondering if she’d care. With a smile, I shrugged. She seemed reassured by my gesture, so I figured she was okay with it and returned my eyes to the show. That was when everything changed for me. Kiera let out a long exhale, like she was finally breathing for the first time in weeks. I was just thinking how glad I was that I’d made her come out with us when I felt her body shifting. At first, I thought she was just done with having a strange man’s arms around her, so I let her go. But she didn’t step away from me. No, she turned into me.
Her arms slipped around my waist, holding me tight, and her head rested on my chest. Every muscle in my body instantly locked with tension. Her fingers against my side started stroking back and forth in a calming, rhythmic pattern, and she inhaled another deep, cleansing breath. Was she just getting more comfortable? She definitely couldn’t see more of the show this way, since my chest partially blocked her vision, so it had to be about comfort.
As I relaxed into her embrace, wrapping my arms tight around her, I immediately started feeling that comfort. It was a warmth brighter than the sun radiating in the sky. It was a buoyancy lighter than floating on the water.
I knew I was overstepping so many boundaries right now that it was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help myself. Holding her—just holding her—felt better than anything I’d felt in a while. If I was going to be honest with myself, I’d wanted to hold her like this for some time now, I just hadn’t had a good reason to. I knew this would hurt Denny if he could see it, and hurting him was the last thing I wanted to do, but goddamn…I needed this, and for the moment, I was going to be a selfish asshole.
Closing my eyes, I stroked my thumbs across her back and inhaled the heady scent of her. I’d never had anything like this feeling, and I desperately wanted to keep it going. I’m sorry, Denny, but I can’t let her go. I kind of never wanted to let her go.
I did though. We broke apart before the guys returned to us. I didn’t want any of them thinking things they shouldn’t—well, anything more than they already thought about us. Holding hands in a place like this was harmless enough, and they’d already seen us do it, so I continued keeping a firm grip on her. I was anxious though, wanting to get to the next musician, not so I could hear the music but so I could feel that connection with Kiera again. So I could touch her, wrap my arms around her, feel her arms wrapped around me. It was the most unbelievable thing I’d ever known, and I never wanted it to end.
At each act, Kiera and I paused farther and farther back. I’d watch for Evan, Matt, and Griffin to disappear in the mass of gyrating bodies, then I’d smile at Kiera and wrap my arms around her. I loved having her head right over my heart, her shoulder tucked under mine. My arm wrapped around her back and my fingers brushed against her rib cage. It took every shred of willpower I had to not lean down and kiss her head. I satisfied the instinct by resting my cheek against her hair. It was heaven. Pure, painful heaven, because as nice as it was, I knew it wasn’t right. Denny wouldn’t like this…
We stayed locked together in some way the entire day, and even though half of Seattle seemed to be packed into the Center, it felt like Kiera and I were alone. We talked about the bands we’d seen. I’d only been half listening to them, but Kiera had been paying attention. Her first remark about any band I asked her about was always “Well, they’re definitely not as good as you, but…” Her eyes shone when she said it too, like she really meant it. I was on cloud nine all day long.