Nobody Falls for the Opening Act (Break the Rules Book 2)

Chapter 20

Everyone gathers in a circle with their shot glasses raised high.

“Three!” Katrina says.

“Two!” I say.

“One!” Jonah says.

“It’s shot time!” we all say together.

We drink. Swallowing it down in a single gulp, I stare across the circle at Harvey while the others shout in excitement.

He doesn’t look back. He looks at Knox and pats Jonah on the back and chuckles with Katrina. He gives Harmony a big, friendly hug.

He doesn’t even look at me.

Harvey hasn’t looked at me in days. On the bus, he almost always finds some excuse to come over and talk to me, but on the way into Phoenix, he didn’t. He stayed in his seat the entire time. Thirteen hours between Denver and Phoenix and I didn’t feel his eyes on me once.

It surprised me how much that… sucked.

“Break a leg, Harvey,” I say to him now, mere moments away from his opening set.

Harvey looks across the circle and nods before walking off without a word.

Ouch.

Can’t say I don’t deserve it, though.

“What’s up with Moondog?” Knox asks the group as Harvey and August take off toward the stage. “He’s been quiet for a few days.”

I don’t answer.

“He’s been having trouble sleeping lately,” Harmony says, forever at Knox’s side. “Or that’s what he told me at lunch yesterday, anyway.”

Katrina meets my eyes, but says nothing.

Jonah just shrugs. “Might just be homesick,” he says. “Happens to me a month into tour. Every time.”

“Speaking of,” Katrina says, her interest piquing, “how’s Marla liking her new job?”

“Oh, she loves it!” Jonah smiles, always happy to talk about Marla. “It’s all she can talk about.”

“I’m so happy for her.”

“Yeah,” I say, finding a smile, too. “Me, too.”

“I’ll pass that on tonight,” Jonah says. “Thanks, ladies.”

“You guys talk every night?” Katrina asks, her eyes full of stars.

Jonah nods. “Every night.”

She looks down, swoony.

I say nothing, but my gaze drifts toward the stage as they continue their conversation. Harvey’s there, his back to us, getting a last-minute pep-talk from August who chats up a storm with his hands.

Harvey listens with a handsome smile, letting out the occasional chuckle. He’s obviously ready for his set. No pep-talk needed. But he’s letting August do his thing, anyway.

Like a good friend does.

I wait until the lights go low and the crowd goes wild for Harvey Moon’s opening song. Then, I walk toward August standing in the wings. He’s bouncing slightly, bobbing his head to the music and enjoying the show. Over his shoulder, I see Harvey alone on the stage with his guitar. He coos into the microphone with a voice that sends a thousand shivers up my back — and the ladies in the front row go wild.

I clear my throat. “Hey, August,” I say.

August looks over, halting his bounce as he pivots to face me. “Oh,” he says, surprised. “Good evening, Addison.”

“Hey.”

“Hey.” He flits his eyes about. “What’s up?”

“Uh…” I pause. So does he. To be fair, I don’t think I’ve ever said much to him at all until now. “How’s the show going so far?” I ask.

“Well…” August glances forward at Harvey. “He’s thirty seconds in, and I’d say he’s doing great.”

“Great,” I say. “That’s… great.”

August nods and waits for me to say something else. When I don’t, he shifts slightly on his feet, his eyes twinkling with noticeable intrigue. “Is there something I can help you with, Ms. Abbey?” he asks.

“No,” I answer. “Actually, yeah. Maybe. I, uh… I wanted to ask you about him.”

“Him?”

“Harvey.”

“Sure. What about him?”

“You guys lived together, right?” I ask. “At your frat house? Alpha Dante…”

“Alpha Delta Xi.”

“Right. Shit.” I scold myself. “Can never seem to remember that.”

“Yeah,” he answers. “We roomed together.”

“So, one might say that you know him pretty well?”

August nods. “Yeah, I know him pretty well. We’re besties. Comrades.”

“Friends?”

“That, too.”

“So, um…” I pause, biting my cheek. “What’s he like?”

“What’s he like?” he repeats.

“I mean, what was he like? Back in school.”

August pauses for applause; the crowd warming up. “Why do you ask?” he says, his twinkling eyes flaring with curiosity.

“I don’t know,” I mutter, trying to think fast. “Well, he and I are friends.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“And I want to get to know my friend a little better. I figured the best way to do that would be to talk to the man who knows the most about him. And that’s you. Right?”

“Yeah.” August gives a cocky nod, as if he just realized it himself. “I guess I am.”

“So… what was he like?” I ask again.

August nods, seemingly satisfied with my ramble. “Well, Harvey’s awesome!” he says.

“Yeah?

“Real top-notch dude. Always went to class and never missed a party.”

I smile. “What else?”

“He was really popular. Still is — technically. He hasn’t graduated yet. If he makes it big, he doesn’t really have to, but I’m going to encourage him to get that degree, anyway. No sense in not doing so, you know?”

“That’s smart. I didn’t do that, but… that’s smart for him.”

“He’s that guy,” he says. “You know, the one who almost always has his guitar on him. But that’s just how dedicated he is. Every moment is another chance to burn a new callus, is what he said when I called him on it.”

I smile again. “He’s not wrong.”

“But, man,” August says, grinning, “the ladies love him!”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Every night, a different girl. Brought ‘em in and out of our room like a damn ER.” He laughs and cups his mouth, shouting toward Harvey on the stage. “Leave a few for the rest of us, eh, buddy?!”

Well, that’s… good to know.

August straightens up. “But not, like… in a gross way,” he says, clearing his throat. “I never heard one of them complain, though! All very, very satisfied customers. So you don’t gotta worry about that.”

“Oh, I’m not… worried.”

“Guy knows his way around the lady bits is all I’m saying.”

“Actually, August, I’m not interested in getting to know Harvey in that way.”

“Oh.” August squints, not believing it. “How are you interested in getting to know him, then?”

“I’m looking for something more on the friendly side,” I say. “Because he and I are friends.”

“You mentioned that before, yes.”

“So… what can I do? If I wanted to make the two of us closer. As friends.”

August shrugs. “Well, in that case, just make him laugh.”

“Make him laugh?”

“My dude’s got a great laugh, and he loves to use it.” He nods. “Yeah. You make Harvey Moon giggle like a schoolgirl, and he’s all yours.”

“I don’t want him to be mine. Because we’re just?—”

“Friends,”August says with me. “Either way, my answer remains unchanged.” He smiles, showing off a few deep dimples along his jawline. “Make him laugh.”

The crowd breaks into applause again as Harvey finishes his song. I look out across the stage as Harvey smiles at his adoring crowd. He grabs the microphone stand and tilts it toward him; a classic rockstar move if I ever saw one.

“How you doing tonight, Phoenix?” he says into the mic, his voice echoing into thousands of ears.

And they scream. Happy and satisfied.

I smile, but it fades quickly.

Make him laugh?

Can’t say I’ve ever been the funny girl.

But I’ll think about it.