Page 17 of Don't Think

I chuckle and lift my finger to point at him. “Don’t even think about it.”

Chapter Five

Allie

My heart is pounding so hard I wouldn’t be surprised if I dropped.

Right here.

In the middle of this crowded Boston sidewalk.

My skin feels like it’s on fire, and the sun isn’t helping whatsoever. I try looking for something to distract my mind.Anythingfrom the fact that…

Herememberedme.

Jax Owensrememberedme.

That should feel amazing, right? Not like I’m on the verge of having a full-blown panic attack.

But all I keep thinking about is the moment our eyes connected while he was up on that stage. How incredible it was to see him in his element up close for the first time. It felt likeIcame alive just from watching him, like something inside me lit up.

That was just the soundcheck? I can only imagine how it’s going to be in a few hours.

“Are you okay?” Ana asks softly.

She gently places her cool hand against my overheated skin, and it instantly lulls me. Something I didn’t realize I needed until now to slow my still-racing heart, even for a second.

I stammer for words, unsure if I should just come clean and tell them I already bumped into Jax. Honestly, I’m not even sure why I haven’t told either of my closest friends yet. I guess in a way, I just wanted to keep that moment to myself, even for a little while. Or risk them teasing me for not asking for his number—especially when I’m not sure I’m ready for something like that.

Not with my self-esteem still bruised and Trevor’s shadow constantly looming, reminding me that I won’t ever get my fairy tale…

Nope. Scratch that. There’s no need to make excuses. What gives me the right to think he’d even be interested in someone like me?

“Hello? Earth to Allie.” Ana waves her hand in front of my face, pulling me out of my spiral.

“Do you think she’s in shock?” Nora asks, her head tilted as if she’s studying a science experiment.

I shake my head. “No, I’m fine. I just… need a minute.”

Ana’s hand grips my forearm, squeezing gently. “You ready to have some real fun?”

I nod, inhaling a breath that doesn’t quite fill my lungs the way I need it to. Even being outside now, I can still feel the tremble running through me in a way that tells me it’s more than likely staying for the night.

“Alright, girls,” I say, glancing between them. “Let’s go inflict pain and steal someone’s boyfriend. Or whatever it was Ana said.”

Ana throws her arms in the air. “That’s my girl!”

When we open the doors, the marble flooring is already streaked with tracks from people scrambling to get inside. A few stragglers linger near the merch tables or the bar, which only tells me one thing. Getting close to the stage is about to be a pain in the ass.

By the time we reach the general admission area, it’s exactly what I feared. The space is filled to the brim, bodies pushed together so tight their shoulders are squeezed like packed sardines.

At least it doesn’t smell like that… yet.

My feet already cling to the floor, sticking to the bottom of my shoes with an unknown substance that I pray to God is just soda. We push through so many people to get even a fraction closer to the stage, and the second we finally find a decent spot—

The lights cut out.

The crowd erupts into cheers so loud it might actually blow out my eardrums. Adrenaline surges through me in the most addictive and nostalgic way, making goose bumps spread across my arms.