Chasing the Music: For the Love of Music Book 0.5 by Mia Josephs Page B

ever be able to see her that way again.
    “Thanks,” he managed.
    She backed up a step, her bare feet hardly making a sound on the stage. It was the first time in two weeks he’d seen her without boots. That alone had to be exhausting—those things could not be easy to walk in.
    He touched his hand to the floor next to him. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want.”
    She paused and it was as if her body swayed with indecision.
    “I’m totally safe for you,” he said. “I hate magazines. I hate people who talk about other people, and I… I have a girlfriend.” And he was talking and not freaking out or bumbling over his words.
    Nerves bubbled up inside him, and he wanted her to stay. Wanted a connection. Anything. To go home and say he’d hung out with Lita James after a concert…just… wow.
    A corner of her mouth kicked up and she moved toward him.
    Without her makeup, he could see the smoothness of her skin, but worry etched in at how thin and sallow her cheeks seemed to be.
    “Are you okay?” he asked automatically.
    She sat and tucked a few strands of wet hair behind her ears. “Just tired. Rough schedule.”
    His eyes floated over her face, taking in her forehead, smooth cheeks, soft lips. He may never see her like this again—alone and without her hair or makeup done.
    “I’m going to sound like a total dick, but you look like I did when I got this horrible flu and hadn’t eaten for like a week.” Crap, Idiot. Way to start the conversation on a light note.
    She crossed her legs and then pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them in a gesture that felt childlike and protective.
    “Are there things you feel like you know you should do, but you can’t do them?” she asked quietly as she stared at the empty seats.
    “I…” He wanted to say yes. He wanted a point that they agreed on. Something they both knew or wanted or shared. When he knew he should do something, he generally did it. And Lita James was sharing a stage with him. “I don’t know.”
    “No then.” She stretched her legs out in front of her, resting on her hands like she’d suddenly decided she was going to be comfortable next to him. “You’re out here every night.”
    “How would you…?” Crap. “Guess you’re out here too.”
    She pointed in front of him. “Normally your phone is on.”
    She’d been watching? Or more likely, just noticing. “It’s silly, and I know she wakes up for it, but my girlfriend will call a while after the show is over so I can play. I play for her a lot when I’m at home. She misses me.”
    The flatness of Lita’s expression felt sad. “Sweet.”
    “Ryker gives me no end of hell over it, especially because she’s three hours later, so for her, it’s some ridiculous hour of the morning.”
    Lita scoffed quietly. “I can see Ryker giving you crap for that.”
    “Did I take over your quiet space?” He shifted his weight. “Because I can go.”
    The problem was that sitting next to Lita, who looked so vulnerable, he didn’t want to go. Something was going on with her, and like with everyone, he wanted to fix it.
    “Don’t go. And you did take my peaceful place, but I can always find quiet, I just tell everyone to go away and they do.” Her words got harder at the end, making Griffin wonder what she was really thinking. “Except Apelu, of course. But he’s good at keeping his distance when he knows I need it.”
    “That only works for people, though.” Griffin watched her. He wanted to know what she thought of him. Of what he said. “I think to get real quiet, you have to find a space that lets your brain shut down, too.”
    Lita swallowed hard and nodded, still not looking at him. “Yeah.”
    His stomach rumbled and he laughed. “Don’t worry about my stomach. I have reinforcements…” He reached behind him and pulled out a small bag of potato chips. If he said one more horribly dorky thing, he should really just stand up and walk away.
    Lita stared at the