Watching Grey up on stage reminded me so much of his dad. From the way, he moved to the music to how beautifully he sang.
His dad was the only reason he dared to pick up an instrument. One, he wanted to know if he had passed down his gift, and two, Grey thought that learning to play the guitar would get him a lot of girls when he got older. He wasn't wrong, but it was more than the guitar that had girls swooning at his feet.
For instance, Grey had the whole bad boy vibes going for him. He rode a freakin' motorcycle, for crying out loud, and when it was raining or something, he drove his dad's old Mustang to school.
Then there's the fact he mostly kept to himself with just a few friends, or it might be better to call those people acquaintances since I was sure he probably wouldn't stay in contact with them after this summer. Not everyone Grey met got to know him well. He usually came off as a mystery.
Not to mention, Grey was one of the most brilliant students in the school. That was how he received a full scholarship. But he doesn't go rubbing it into people's faces or anything.
Grey was also really sweet, caring, funny, and talented.
So it was everything. Everything about Grey was alluring. And I was enamored by it all.
Greyson's eyes have been taking time to travel back and forth between the guys and the crowd jamming out to their performance, but in the middle of that, those breathtaking blue eyes always manage to find mine, and the sexiest smirk emerged on his face.
Dang him. I couldn't contain myself when he did that. So I was grinning back with burning red cheeks.
"You two are making me feel awfully single right about now," Freya said, breaking me out of whatever trance Grey had me under.
We're sitting at the bar with Mari and her date. I swiveled in my chair, angling my body towards her.
I gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," I said.
"It's cool. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. Everyone I know is in a relationship or actively trying to date while I'm... here." Freya sighed, pulling her shoulders up to her ears then dramatically letting them fall.
I look to the stage and see Tobias looking over at us or, more specifically, Freya. They did share a dance earlier, and then they split up without saying much. I had seen Freya walking back to me with the deepest shade of red, spreading across her cheeks and neck. Her face basically matched her hair, and it was hilarious.
I bit my lip holding back my laughter as I replayed the scene in my head.
"So Tobias is pretty cute," I brought him as Freya kept her back towards the stage, swirling the empty glass of sprite Santiago had given her a few minutes ago.
Freya bit her lip and gave me a nervous glance. "I mean, he's okay. I guess," she mumbled before lifting the glass to her lips and swallowing an ice cube.
"Grey talks very highly of him. Actually, the whole group as a whole. They seem pretty cool. And trust me, Grey's not the kind of guy that gets attached to people, but he likes them. "
"Hmm." Freya said, chomping down the cube.
My eyes went to Tobias at the back of the stage to the far right of Tatum. Each of the guys had their own uniqueness. Not just their personality but their looks too.
Tobias was a little bit taller than Greyson. He had chestnut brown hair and these emerald green eyes. I think he liked to dress in mostly black, but he was always sporting white sneakers. Out of all the guys, he was the most serious, and sometimes he looked like he was brooding but honestly, he was super friendly.
Dean's had a nerdy punk look about him, but it suited him. His confidence, though, was another story. He walked around like Brad Pitt. Maybe the blonde hair and icy blue eyes made him feel that way.
Tatum's looks made him stand out most in the group. He had a smooth tan complexion with dark brown almond-shaped eyes. He was the shortest of the group. If I had to take a guess, I would say he was no taller than 5-foot-9. And his sense of style was a little different. He styled his jet-black hair with a side part. He wore blue jeans, black army boots, and a lime green shirt with black writing scribbled on the front. His personality was calm, relaxed, and occasionally reserved, but not in a bad way. If you were to approach him, he'd be friendly no matter what.
Honestly, when I thought about it. I felt like each of them had a specific Grey personality trait which is probably why they got along so well. Especially Tatum, he was very introverted and independent, and then there was the fact that he had a crush on his best friend, who may or may not be clueless.
Sound familiar?
My attention went back to Mari and Brandon. At first glance, I could tell he liked her. But I felt like something was off between them. Mari seemed a little bit more guarded around him. She laughed at all his jokes, but it came off as a forced laugh.
I just met her, but I've heard how she laughed with guys and Tatum, and it was nothing like that. But why put on an act if she wasn't into him? Does she not want to hurt his feelings? Or maybe she's still warming up to him and trying to feel him out slowly.
Maybe I should stop analyzing all the people around me and their relationships when I need to focus on mine.
When Grey and I were dancing, he said that I was holding back. The words had been a shock to me, but they were true. I was holding back. I felt like Grey might be emotionally putting more into this relationship than I was. But that didn't mean I was any less committed.
For Grey, it was like he flipped a switch, and he instantly went into boyfriend mode.
I, on the other hand, was battling through an adjustment period. I've always had these feelings for Grey, but I was so used to keeping them locked up. So paranoid of slipping up and having him find out.
Now he knew all of it, and I couldn't even handle it. I couldn't handle those forehead kisses, the way he grinned at me when we woke up in each other's arms, how he casually checked me out when he knew I was looking straight at him. The list goes on and on.
But long story short, I was silly. I was overthinking every bit of this.
I was going to drive myself crazy.
My attention went back to the guys. They had finished playing an instrumental piece, and Grey was back at the mic along with Dean.
I didn't know Dean could sing. I guess he chooses not to.
I recognized the tune as they began to play it. It's "Take what you want" by Post Malone featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott. This wasn't the typical song cover for them, but I knew they could pull it off.
Dean sang for the Ozzy bits to start the song, and I have to say I wasn't the least bit disappointed. The crowd had gone silent, though, most likely as mesmerized as I was by them. Grey took over singing Post's parts, and I was screaming "WOOO!" in the back like a total fangirl. Then when Travis's part came up, my brows shot up when Tatum's voice came through the speakers.
Mari gasped next to me, and all I could think was, "Same girl, same."
But what took the song cover to the next level was the electric guitar solo that Dean didn't just nail it. He killed it.
I noticed Freya in my peripheral glance over her shoulder then away again. She chucked up the glass, going in for another ice cube.
I leaned into her. "So, do you want me to pretend that I don't see you taking secret glances at him?" I said.
Freya's eyes went wide, and she stayed silent.
"So I'll take that as a yes," I teased. I gauged her reaction before saying, "I think he was into you." I shrugged nonchalantly.
Freya started to cough, which led to her just outright choking. I leaped out of my seat and began patting her back until she was in control again.
Her gaze went to the stage, probably to see if Tobias had caught any of that. To her horror, he did.
Tobias kept playing the drums effortlessly without any real focus on the music, but his eyebrows had furrowed, and he had this penetrating gaze aimed right at Freya.
Freya stood abruptly. "Excuse me. I'm going to use the restroom."
I nodded. "Okay."
When the song was over, the audience had gone quiet for a few seconds before erupting in cheers.
All four of their faces had matching smug grins.
And I was so proud of them.