Kissing Razors | Tony Perry

11) You want me to what?!

"I want you, to perform with us tonight," Tony says softly, his warm breath brushing against my ear. Startled, I roll over to face him, blinking away the sleep from my eyes, which are now wide with confusion.

"You want me to what?" I mumble, still groggy from being abruptly woken up.

Tony leans in closer, his warm hands finding their place on either side of my body. "We have a show tonight," he whispers, his voice low and intimate, sending shivers down my spine. "It's just a small one here in town. And I was thinking, you should sing 'Wonderless' with us."

I sit up, the idea still swirling around my mind. "Are you crazy?!" I exclaim, my eyes widening slightly. "Me? Singing? In front of a lot of people? Absolutely not," I protest, attempting to roll back over, but Tony's presence prevents it.

"It's only a few hundred people, Laura, come on," Tony insists, his persuasive tone coaxing me. "I'll be right there with you. You have a talent. Use it. The band will be there," he continues, and then adds, "Kellin will be there." At the mention of Kellin, I groan in response, trying to bury my face under the blanket.

"Come on, Laura. You've gotta talk to him," Tony urges, but I've had enough for now. I throw the blanket off me and sit on the edge of the bed. "I've tried. He's the one who won't talk to me," I reply, making my way to the bathroom and shutting the door, cutting off further discussion.

"Please, Laura, just see him today and check if he has stopped being an asshole," Tony's voice pleads from the other side of the bathroom door. "And please, pretty, pretty, pretty please perform with us. It's just one song, and it'll be at the end of the show," he continues.

I've never performed in front of people before. My singing has always been confined to the privacy of Kellin and the rest of the SWS guys. I've always dreamt of performing, but I've never had the right equipment to even record songs, let alone perform. Maybe Tony's right. I can't avoid Kellin forever. He's my best friend, and surely, he's not still mad at me... hopefully.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I quickly wash my face, then using my shirt to dry it. With a deep breath, I open the bathroom door, revealing Tony sitting cross-legged on the floor just outside. He looks up at me, his eyes soft, hidden behind his glasses that sit perfectly on his face with a gentle smile. I look down at him, and I can't help but return the smile.

"Okay," I say, trying to contain the blush that's creeping onto my face from the way he's looking at me. Suddenly, I'm pulled to the floor, landing on top of Tony. A gasp escapes my lips at the sudden move he pulled, but it's quickly followed by a laugh as he rolls us over so that he's now hovering over me.

As Tony's lips moved with a featherlight touch, trailing a soft, teasing path just under my jawline, a shiver of pleasure rippled through me. I could feel the warmth of his breath, his closeness making my heart race. He knew exactly what he was doing, stirring a delightful tension between us.

"Okay?" he mumbles against my neck.

"I will talk to Kellin," I asserted, my voice wavering just slightly under the electrifying sensations coursing through my body.

"And?" he inquired, as he leans back up, his head tilting slightly to one side as his deep brown eyes locked onto mine, his gaze unwavering, his intent clear.

"And, I will sing 'Wonderless' with you guys," I finish, my voice filled with newfound resolve. The thought of performing in front of an audience, with Tony and the band by my side, sent a thrilling shiver down my spine.

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My fingers toyed with a loose thread on my jeans, worry gnawing at me. "But what if he won't talk to me? I don't want to just stand there, embarrassed in front of everyone like last time," I confessed, my eyes darting over to Tony. He kept his gaze firmly on the road ahead, as if the answer was written on the asphalt. He'd managed to convince me to perform with the band tonight, and somehow, he'd roped in the rest of the guys, and even their manager had worked some magic to extend our stage time. It was just one song, nothing could go wrong, I hoped.