But I’m too afraid to do anything more than snuggle into him further. It’s funny how prepared I was to make my move, but now that I have this, I’ve realized how perfect it is. And to imagine kissing him, well that has turned into a scary prospect. I’m not sure I can handle it.
The song ends and “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” comes on.
Something in the air changes. Lachlan tenses, slowly, as if he is just waking up. I hear his breath deepen and he swallows hard.
Abruptly, he takes his arm away and gets to his feet, hulking over me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him, moving back and out of his way as he steps around me and walks off down the bleachers. People raise their feet and move their bags to get out of his way, but he doesn’t even look at them, doesn’t even slow his heavy pace.
I turn and look at Bram who is sitting on the other side of me. He’s frowning, watching him go.
“What the hell was that?” I ask Bram.
He just shakes his head. “I don’t know. He has moods.”
“No shit,” I say, and I crane my neck to see if I can still see him. He’s barely visible, heading toward the gates that lead out of the VIP area. “I’ll go see.” I get to my feet.
“Oy.” Bram reaches out and grabs my arm. “Just let him be. When he gets this way with me, I just ignore it.”
Well maybe he needs someone to say something, I think to myself.
“It’ll be fine,” I say, picking up my purse and heading across the bleachers, apologizing to the people who just had to clear a path for Lachlan. I quickly walk through the crowds lining up at the bars for last call, cursing my short legs for holding me back.
I burst out of the VIP gates and into the rest of the crowd. A lot of people are already leaving the festival, trying to beat the mass exodus that will occur once Elton is done, and I’m panicking, not seeing him anywhere. It doesn’t help that it’s dark and few lights are on.
Then I spot him, near the fence, heading with the crowd out the main gates. I fumble through people until I’m out on the main road and can see him heading down it. He’s going toward the ocean side, away from where most of the crowd is heading, and I remember that he doesn’t know this area at all.
“Lachlan!” I call out, jogging after him.
He doesn’t stop, just keeps walking, shoulders raised like he’s about to go on a rampage, and my mind is racing, trying to figure out what could be wrong.
“Lachlan,” I say again, coming up behind him. “Hey.” I reach out and grab his arm. He comes to a dead stop and turns to face me, a weird raging darkness in his eyes that makes me let go.
He takes a deep breath through his nose but doesn’t say anything. The wildness in his eyes says enough. From here, the sounds of the concert are muted and deep, and only a few people are walking past in drunken, weaving lines.
“What happened?” I ask carefully.
He shakes his head and looks away, shoulders back, chest out. “Nothing.”
Feeling brave, I grab his hand and squeeze it. He stares down at it—his warm, large hand in my small, cold one—but doesn’t pull away.
He swallows thickly. “Sorry,” he eventually says, his voice like sandpaper. “I…have moments.”
“Don’t we all?” I say gently, staring up at him and wishing I could just crawl inside his brain and have a look around.
He cocks his head, lips pursed together. “Not like mine.”
I offer him a timid smile. I feel like a princess trying to calm a beast, every action made with care. “Try me.”
He seems to think that over. Finally he says, “It was the song.”
I blink at him. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight?”
He scratches at his beard and looks away. “Yeah.”
I squeeze his hand again and take a step toward him, feeling the heat of his personal space. “Did you save someone’s life?” I ask quietly.
His eyes flit to mine, shining like green glass. A soft shake of his head. “No,” he says. He gives me a sour smile. “I didn’t.”
I breathe in deeply and know better than to ask any more.