Page 7 of Ravaged For You

The guitarist nonchalantly waves to the crowd as if it’s perfectly normal there's a thousand people are calling your name. There’s more deafening wooing and squealing from behind me. It’s clear as day that Bishop is a bad boy. He’s tall and cool. I’m guessing he’s a real heartbreaker. He doesn’t look like he gives a single damn in the whole wide world.

Bishop’s sharp straight hair is an elegant dark brown. I can tell a deep intelligence hides behind those eyes of his. He’s got the confidence of a man who knows exactly what he’s doing.

Drake spins behind him. “You all know Caspian on the drums.”

Caspian’s already seated at his drum kit. Unlike Bishop, he doesn’t even wave. He just broodingly stares into the crowd. But the arena isn’t disappointed; this behavior seems to be exactly what they want from this hulking mass of muscles and strength. From where I sit, I can see that Caspian is covered in tattoos from the neck down. He’s so dark. Dangerous. His hands are the size of my face. He’s got a kind of bro-flow long hair that reaches down past his shoulders. An old-fashioned rocker look. With those muscles of his, he looks like a barbarian from Roman times. And he’s got that menacing air of violence to match.

Drake turns to the bassist. “And, of course, here’s Axel. Active Axel, as he’s come to be known. He’s such a naughty boy.”

The bassist gives Drake the finger and the lead singer lifts his fists in a mock boxing pose. Axel pretends to kick him back. The two guys laugh giddily like two schoolboys.

It’s fair to say their audience loves it.

Axel clearly lives up to his reputation as a playboy. I can so picture him right now seducing girls back to his bedroom like a modern-day Pied Piper. His hair is perfectly tousled, and his dimples are irresistible. With chains around his neck and rings on his fingers, he’s wearing an open black leather jacket. No shirt underneath, just his toned muscles. Man, I can’t stop staring at his defined abs as he stands there with his bass guitar hanging loosely by his side. I notice he’s wearing just a touch of black eyeliner, making his green eyes pop under the arena’s lights. He probably doesn’t even need to open his mouth to seduce women. I bet his mere look alone will send them crazy.

I mean, it’s kinda sending me a bit crazy now.

Look at you, Maddie, letting your hair down for once…

In each of their own way, those boys on the stage are perfect.

The lead singer turns back to his loving audience.

“And I am, of course, Drake Sharpe. And. We. Are. Ravaged.”

He blares out those final words. The music starts.

The whole arena throbs with rock and roll.

I find myself not actually minding the songs. They’re good. Great, even. Alongside Marie, I’m bobbing along to the beat. She smiles at me, clearly satisfied that I’m enjoying the show.

I certainly am.

I follow her advice from earlier and close my eyes. I simply listen to the words and let the music take me like a wave. Like Marie said, it does feel like Drake’s honeyed voice is speaking directly to me as I stand there. With the entire world shut out of my head, it makes me feel like those words are written just for me.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Because, girl, I can hurt

I know what’s happening to you

You’re opening your heart to me

You’re inviting my pain in

Man, the shiver that goes down my body as those lyrics wash over me.

I wish someone would say those words to me one day.

I lose myself to the fantasy until, seemingly as soon as it began, the show is over.

The boys do one last song and then exit the stage. Gone forever. They came and went like supernatural beings.

Wow, I’m really being dramatic, aren’t I? I’m turning into Marie.

I let out a sigh. It feels like I’ve been holding my breath in this entire time.

“What did you think?” Marie asks me, a big grin spread across her face.