Somewhere in the Middle

"Evie," Pete called from across the empty venue.

Evie looked up, surprised to be summoned while she was setting things up at the table. But she abandoned her post, and the board that she'd only managed to fill halfway, and headed toward Pete, who was waiting for her near the stage with his hands on his hips.

"I need ya to get Jamie for soundcheck," he said when she was near enough. "He's still asleep on the bus."

Evie felt a nervous flutter somewhere between her chest and stomach. She and Jamie hadn't spoken a word to each other since she'd put her foot down a couple nights ago, and to be honest, she was more than okay with that.

It was nearly three in the afternoon, and the crew was almost done setting up the instruments on stage. Nate was tuning Jamie's guitar. She didn't understand why he wasn't here. Why he wasn't awake. He hadn't been able to go out, they'd been on the bus last night.

But she did know that he'd sat with Henry at the front of the bus that one night a couple weeks ago. Maybe he'd done that again. And it only made her wonder what exactly kept him awake. Only made her dislike him a little more for constantly putting her in these uncomfortable situations.

Evie scrambled for something to say, something that might excuse her from having to interact with him without it sounding like she just didn't want to interact with him. "But... I didn't finish the table."

Pete glanced behind her at the unfinished merchandise set-up. "You can finish it when you get back. It shouldn't take too long."

The real problem was that Evie didn't want Pete to think she was either incapable or unwilling, so when he stared at her a little longer, his brows raised in question, she spoke up before he could ask any of those questions.

"Okay. I'll, uh... I'll be right back."

Pete gave her a heavy, what-was-meant-to-be-grateful pat on the shoulder before walking off, looking down at his phone as he went.

Evie glanced around, hoping for a distraction of some kind—where was Luke when she really needed him?

But it was better that he wasn't there, either. Things had been fine between them since the other night. Luke was great at pretending that what hadn't happened between them hadn'tactually happened. Unlike Evie, who every time she saw him, could only remember the way his eyes looked when he leaned in, only recall the way his breath felt against her lips, warm and tempting, only kick herself for not allowing herself to do what she really wanted to—give in.

She hurried toward the entrance of the venue without waiting to see if Luke would appear, afraid that if he did, she might ask him to do for her what she didn't want to, knowing that he couldn't say no.

It was blisteringly hot in Tampa, the air thick with moisture that made Evie's curls, which she'd tied up hours ago, wind themselves even tighter against her neck where they fell out of her ponytail. She practically groaned when the door closed behind her, locking all of the cool air inside the building.

She could already feel sweat beading at her temples, on her lower back, between her breasts, and hurried toward the refuge of the bus, knowing that it wouldn't be as cool as the venue—it hadn't been running for hours—but it would be better than this.

The door sighed when she opened it, and she lifted herself in, relieved to close it again behind her as the cool air enveloped her. She was a little stunned by the silence, not just the lack of voices, but the lack of rumbling noise from the engine. It made her feel like she had to tip-toe through to the bunks so as not to wake him, even though that was her sole purpose in being there.