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

motions for our guitars as soon as we hit the final note of "Burn Brighter" and joins us on stage. He and Callum strum another song of theirs while Benji captures this on his mobile and Eric taps to the tempo. Josh plays the intro, but doesn't sing. He stares at me and nods.

I stare back, dumbfounded, for a few moments before he snaps his fingers in front of me. "You gonna sing or what?" he says and repeats the opening chords.

So I sing.

"Yee-haaa!!" Josh shouts mid-song.

If I close my eyes, I can pretend that this is The Gramophones comeback show. For a couple of seconds, it’s as if it is.

Once the song is over, Josh turns to me and says, "That was super fun!" He slaps my shoulder and then burps.

"Excuse mah brother. Pissed to heaven’s high. Good thing our set is tomorrow," Callum says.

Set? Does that mean…?

"Marmont, 7:20 tomorrow," Josh slurs, crushing all hope. "Be there or be a rectangle!" He salutes, sways away, and gives Cassie a sloppy peck on the cheek.

Her eyes go wide.

The crowd is in a frenzy.

If Amber were here, she would be lecturing Josh about consent and how you can’t just go around kissing a stranger without asking for permission first. I’m about to say something when a group of fans—Eric being one of them—swarms to Josh, blocking me from him.

I glance towards Benji. He and Callum talk about our culminating music festival in Manchester.

"We’ll be there," Callum says. "There's much to discuss about Ear for Music. Looking forward to that meeting with you lot."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

I almost forgive Josh Ford for kissing a gal I fancy. Though technically it's unfair because 1) He is the lead singer of The Gramophones and 2) He’s the lead singer of The Gramophones. He has gals storming at his feet. I forgive him—at least for this moment—because I am on a high from playing music with two members of one of my all-time favourite bands.

Eric curses in disbelief. "Does this mean we’re mates with Josh and Callum?"

"Callum, definitely," Benji says, grinning. "He’s given me his mobile!"

I sling my guitar over my back and walk towards Cassie. She leans against a tree looking perplexed.

"Omigosh," Cassie squeals. Her hand covers her rose-coloured cheek.

"Josh Ford kissed you," I tease, even though my stomach churns.

"Callum said he would come to our Manchester festival," she says, ignoring my first comment. "Imagine if he brings other industry people."

My tension dissolves as I laugh my jealousy away. Cassie is ecstatic not because Josh Ford kissed her, but because he is going to her music festival.

I poke her arm.

"I can't believe Callum is so involved with Ear for Music. The Hush Society’s been buzzing ever since we decided to turn the music festival into a benefit show."

I nudge her and give her a smug look.

She has this delicate look on her face as she turns her face away from me. She sighs and we walk away from everyone and stroll towards our camp.

"Still day dreaming about that kiss?" I ask as I bump my hand against hers.

"About a kiss, yes," she begins and looks at me different. Her fingers brush against mine as we walk side by side. "How I wished it were…"

Wished it were me?

Once I cross that line, there's no going back. But then, there's never going to be a right time. I think about how much I've gotten to know her in the span of a few months. Maybe I am good enough for her. Good enough to break her no-musicians rule.

I take her hand. Warm energy surrounds me. I look straight into her eyes—as if asking for permission—and she steps forward, her nose inches from mine. I move closer until our noses touch. I've been craving for this moment, but wait for her permission.

"Kiss me," she whispers.

I smile and, for once, do as told.

Our lips crush into each other. As my eyes close, I take in this moment, this kiss, with my other senses. My hands make their way to Cassie’s hair, neck, shoulder and arms. Our mouths are glued until I break away.

A flash of hurt registers on her face in a matter of seconds. I grin wide to let her know that this is no mistake. I kiss her again until we’re both gasping for breath.

#

I'm running on four hours of shut-eye, but I'm more awake than ever. What's left of the fire crackles before it dies down completely. The last twenty-four hours have been the best of this tour. I do not want the day to end, so I fight back drowsiness.

I am alone, but I am far from lonely. The dead fire radiates a bit of heat and I move closer. It's quite a chilly mid-morning. I strum my guitar and sing while thinking of Cassie, who is passed out in her tent. I need to process my emotions somehow. All I can think is that she let me in. I got through her rule.

Every inch of me is a live wire and I savour it. I play on, as the sky transitions into a bright canvas of colours. People stir, entering a new dawn.

"Oi!" Eric waves a hand in front of me. Benji’s iPhone is on record mode.

Cassie and Ella stifle their laughter.

I jolt back to reality.

Shite. I fell asleep in front of the fire, hunched over with my guitar. How long have I been out? Last I remember the sun was rising.

"Classic," Benji mutters, holding back full-on laughter.

"You crazies," I tease them as I set my guitar back on top of its hard case. I roll my shoulders back. Pain jolts as my muscles come back to life from an unsettling position.

"Good morning," Cassie says. Her sweet tone gives away our secret and gets us a cheeky chorus.

"Better get rollin’ if we want to catch Mumford and Sons," Eric says.

It can't be two in the afternoon already, can it? We missed the first couple of bands for the day. Naaaaw!!! "Why