The Hush Society Presents... by Izzy Matias (best desktop ebook reader .txt) 📕

them give up right away because of self-doubt. Because of their insecurities. And what a shame that is, because what if they’ve so much potential and they throw it away, just like that?"

Cassie simply nods, allowing me to continue.

"Then there’s The Hush Society who gives musicians a chance," I glance at her with a grateful look. She breaks into a smile. I almost want to squeeze her hand. "It’s all so inspiring. It makes me want to do something more with my music, you know? Not just write songs from personal experience, but help other musicians out there."

"How so?" Cassie says, titling her head towards me.

"What if…what if we started a group within The Hush Society or a partner group that helped these budding musicians? What if we could mentor them through times like what I went through?"

"I love that idea," Cassie says with wide eyes. "It fits so perfectly with The Hush Society."

"It could be a support group of sorts."

"Just when I think you couldn’t give me another shock, you do." Cassie laughs.

"I hope it’s a good kind of shock," I say and nudge her back.

"It is," she says, smiling, and stares at me.

I grin back.

A loud group of people turn from an alley into our street. We both turn to look at them.

"Want to go for a walk?" she asks.

"Sure," I say, getting up. I offer her my hand and she takes it. "Where are we headed?"

"Anywhere."

We spend the first few minutes in comfortable silence with our hands entwined. I stare at our hands. Is she ready to let me in? Am I breaking through her no-musicians rule? I try not to overthink this, so I stay silent.

My face warms. How I want to write a song about this moment. "So what made you come outside?" I ask.

A strange look passes her face, like she’s not quite sure whether or not to share what she’s thinking. "I had to get outta there," she says finally. It’s like vomit the way it comes out of her mouth. "Toby was inside."

I let go of her hand.

Toby?

"So, so stupid. I hate how he still has this power over me," she continues, and I flinch. Is that why she let me hold her hand? To make some lad jealous?

I never imagined Cassie would react like this because of a lad. She seems so confident and sure of herself. One of the things I fancy about her.

"The past is the past," I say. "If he hurt you, he’s not worth your present."

"How do you get over someone who you were never even officially with?"

Is she really asking me for advise, or is this a rhetorical question? I don’t respond, thinking it’s the latter. Is Toby the reason why she doesn’t date musicians anymore?

"How did you two meet?" I ask. Maybe it’s time to finally find out.

"At one of my mates’ house parties back in College. She had invited a couple of bands to play and he was one of the performers. We hardly talked that night, but we kept on bumping into each other."

It must be him, then.

But I know I need to be a good friend—Ha! A friend who held her hand!—so I let her ramble on.

"One day, we saw each other at a bus stop. He sat next to me on the bus and we ended up talking for hours. We started going out on dates. I’d go to his band practices. It was right around the time I began The Hush Society, so I asked him to be one of our artists. They blew up not too long after that."

She doesn’t look at me as she tells me all this.

"They were always booked for gigs. Some days I wouldn’t hear at all from him, but when he was back in town, he’d come to me and it’s like he never left. Until one day, he just wasn’t there. At first, I thought he was busy—well, of course he was—but then four months ago one of my mates told me he had a serious girlfriend."

By the time she finishes her tale, my face is hot with anger. My free hand clenches and unclenches. What an arsehole. So now I finally know why she swears off musicians.

"I’m an such idiot!" she says.

I stop, and flinch at that line. She doesn’t say anything, so I take a hard look at her. Under the hard yellow lamppost, her face is red. "We better head back," I suggest.

"Yeah."

She can tell there’s an invisible rift between us now—a weird mix of emotions hanging in the air.

I stop again and she turns around. "What is it?"

"Can you handle going back if the plonker is in there?" I say.

She bursts out laughing. "Right about now, all I want is to go back in there."

I put my hands on her shoulders. "You’re embarrassed."

She nods.

"We don’t have to go back."

She looks at me, unsure.

"He’s the one who should be nervous to see you. You’re…you’re one of the most selfless people I know," I whisper and she allows me to cup her cheek.

She grabs my hand, steers me to a nearby tree and wraps her arms on my neck.

I’m about to close the space between us and crush my body against hers, but I stop myself. What are we doing? She’s in a vulnerable state and here I am, about to kiss her. I’m supposed to be a good mate not…this. Whatever this is right now.

"We should get back," I say and pull away.

She clears her throat. "Good idea."

We near The Seven Mermaids and I want to sigh a loud sigh of relief, but she grabs my hand. Is she using me right now, holding my hand, to get back at Toby? I can’t help but flash back to a time one of my exes did this to me.

She scans the pub and grips my hand tighter. "He’s not here." She sighs.

She doesn’t let go of my hand, so I do.

I can’t look at her right now. She’s giving me mixed