BLACKHOUSE [H.S.]

Thirty-Five

I grumble at the price, and pull out my wallet to give him a crumpled ten dollar bill. Shit is too expensive nowadays. Why the hell am I spending ten dollars on two cans of shitty beer?

Katie says thank you to the kid, and then to me before she leads us towards the crowd of people.

The closer we get, the thicker the air feels. The venue is basically just a tiny ass brick building, with no windows, and the only ventilation coming from the entrance. A few people are vaping, filling the small space with strawberry-scented clouds. She pulls us right to the edge of the crowd, off to the side a bit, near what looks like an exit door.

"I'm so excited," she smiles, shifting nervously on her feet. I haven't seen her this happy about something since I took her to the beach, and the sight makes my stomach do somersaults.

Seeing her smile will be so worth sitting through this thing.

She stands in front of me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her front against me. My breath hitches as her hand that isn't holding her beer starts brushing carefully through my hair.

"Thank you for this," she whispers, her eyes flicking back and forth between mine.

A smirk grows on my face, and I lean down to press a soft kiss on her lips. When I pull back, I see her cheeks have flushed to a light shade of pink.

"Anything for you, princess," I hum, brushing my nose tenderly against hers.

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, biting back the smile that's threatening to grow. My eyes scan her face in adoration, my heart fluttering the longer I stare.

How is she even real?

Just as I'm about to lean forward to kiss her again, the lights dim and the crowd begins to cheer. Her eyes widen, and a small gasp leaves her lips before she yanks her body away from me to face the stage. I chuckle at the way her face lights up when she sees the band step onto the stage, standing on her toes to get a better look.

They immediately start playing a song that I recognize; it's the song that Niall put on the day I met Katie. A wave of regret washes over me when I think back to how horrible I was to her, and for no real reason aside from the fact that I'm just a judgmental asshole.

Or, maybe it's because the second she walked through the door, I felt an undeniable pull that scared the hell out of me, and I thought that if I treated her like shit, she would stay away from me.

She would save herself, and me, from what will surely end in pain.

I shake my head in an attempt to get rid of the incessant thoughts, and place my empty hand on Katie's hip as the bass thumps throughout the small room.

What matters is this moment; here and now.

During a few songs, I find myself bobbing my head to the beat while Katie sings along. She knows every single word, and a few times, she turns to face me as if she's serenading me. I throw my head back and laugh as she stands on her toes to give me a quick kiss before turning back to face the stage.

The slow strum of an electric guitar drifts through my ears as Katie presses her back against me. I wrap my arm around her stomach to hold her closer, resting my chin on the top of her head. I've always loved how small she is compared to me, yet we fit together perfectly.

Just trying to make enough
So you don't have to feed me
You're the only one I trust
And I know that you believe me

Katie sings along quietly, and although the music is blaring, it's as if her soft voice is the only thing I can hear.