Jay

It was 5:32 p.m. and I was waiting for Sydney to come down the stairs all dressed up for her gig.

The sound of footsteps broke my thoughts. I looked up to see Ash mockingly acting like a glamourously dressed woman.

"Oh Jay! You look so dashing! Tell me how beautiful I am!" Ash said in a high-pitched voice pretending to flip his hair.

"Oh fuck off." I said slapping the back of his head as he walked by.

"Ow Jay!" He cried.

Just as I went to swat him again I heard the sharp sound of heals coming down the stairs.

My eyes snapped to my beautiful mate.

Sydney wore graphic outer space tights, along with a loose black tank top hugged her chest then loosely flowed around her body, and her hair was up in a messy bun. She wore ashy purple eye shadow and for shoes, she wore high-heeled boots. A necklace with a purple stone hung around her neck while on her wrist was five ties with a plaque engraved with a word on each.

"Damn, Star."

"What? Do you think I look bad?" She asked concern and horror playing on her pretty face.

"Goodness no Star, you look fucking amazing! You are, breathtaking."

Blushed flowered over her cheeks. "Thanks," She whispered back to me as I wrapped my arms around her waist loosely.

"You sure you're ready for tonight?" I asked.

Looking up slowly at me I couldn't help but see that she was looking at me the way she looked at Logan in my nightmare. Pushing away those thoughts I focused my attention on her.

Nodding her head she said. "Yep yep."

Chuckling at her I planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Okay, then Star."

"Now, we need to go to Mat's place then pick up my guitar."

"Why don't you just use the one we gave you?" I questions.

She gasped and pushed me away lightly. "You did not just suggest that I perform without my Vale!"

"Huh?" I worded.

"Valentine, her guitar. C'mon Jay, keep up!" Ash yelled eating a chunk of French bread that my mom had set out for dinner.

"Yeah Jay! Keep up!" Sydney joked.

After scowling her I said, "Whatever. Let's go and get this over with."

☽✣☾

Sydney

After picking up my guitar and swearing to my mother that I would be back later, we arrived at the Café which wasn't a standard café. It felt more like a bar feeling to it, but it was downgraded for teens like us.

Jay walked me backstage just to make sure nothing happened to me on the way there.

Once where I needed to be I sat in a tall chair and faced Jay. "You okay?" I asked.

He had been much more quite then he normally was.

At first, he nodded yes that he was okay, but then he looked me in the eye and sighed.

"No I'm not."

Brushing my hand through his hair I asked, "What's wrong?"

Then something hit me. What if he didn't want me to be his girlfriend anymore? What if he realizes how stupid it was to even entertain the idea of dating me? I'm going to be sick.

"No." Jay spat.

I raised an eyebrow. "No what?"

"I know what you're thinking. But you're right. I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore." I felt my heart crack. "I want you to bare my mark and tell anyone and everyone that I'm your mate and future."

My heart pounded away in my chest.

"Oh, okay."

"Why? Are you having second thoughts?" He asked both fear and hurt leaking through.

"No!" I shouted. Amusement flashed on his face. "I mean no. I'm not having any second thoughts. Now, tell me what's wrong? Why are you acting so-so different!?"

He sighed and laid his forehead on my shoulder his hands gripping the sides of my stool.

"I had a nightmare last night."

Running my hand through his hair again I mumbled into his dark locks, "Okay, about what?"

"About you and Logan." He whispered.

"About me and him?" I asked slightly bitter.

"Yeah. I was in this fancy hotel room and it was like you two couldn't see me. You were crying and upset. He was trying to make you feel better about m-"

He stopped.

"About what?" I asked softly.

"Me-" Before he could say anything else I felt tears on my shoulder.

Cupping his face in both of my hands I pulled his face back and saw that his eyes were glowing.

"Hon, it's okay. Just tell me what's wrong. It hurts knowing you're in pain and I can't do anything about it. Tell me what I can do to help you."

"Just hug me and talk to me." He whispered.

Pulling him to me I hugged him hard. "It's okay. I'm right here for you. Nothing's going to happen between me and him. You're the one for me. You're my mate Jaycen," I whispered.

I felt his body stiffened.

"What?" He asked.

"You are my mate, Jay. And nothing will change that. While our relationship is still new, and we have a lot to learn and understand about each other, as long as we stay honest, we'll make it."

Pulling away slightly he looked into my eyes. "Sydney I-"

"Blondie! There you are! I was looking all over for you!" A high-toned female voice said.

"Bridget..." I groaned.

Bridget the girlfriend of a common friend between Mat and Brendon. Blondie was a nickname she gave me that nickname as if we would band together as blondes.

While she was often very nice, Bridget was sometimes overly nice and that combined with her extreme attractiveness, it was easy to feel insecure around her. She was a big naïve flirt who could flatter and butter up anyone. She had luminous bouncy blonde hair, her lips were bright red, along with her long and lush eyelashes were her hidden big doe eyes, and her bright red dress clung to her hourglass figure.

"Sydney, why didn't you introduce me to your friend!?"

Immediately my wolf stirred awake.

He is not our friend. He is mate. My wolf demanded.

I too was on edge at what she said but I kept my cool.

"Bridget, this is Jay, my boyfriend," I said with an edge to my voice hoping she got what I said. Adding on so Jay knew who she was and hoping to snap her out of her little trans she was in I said, "Jay, this is Bridget my friend Rich's, girlfriend."

None of what I said seemed to faze her.

She held out her hand and Jay just looked at it, his hand either on my lower back or in his pocket.

"Okaaayy," She withdrew her hand and smiled to me. "Well, Sydney, Mat and the boys are ready for you."

"Well, I gotta help Jay back to the b-"

"I'll do it!" She blurted.

Over my dead body! I thought.

Our dead body. My wolf clarified.

"No it's alright." I insisted.

"Really I'm fine with it Blondie!"

Again with the name!?

"Thank you for the offer Bridget, but I'll leave Star to her work. I can find my way back on my own." Jay said.

"Oh, okay, I just wanted to offer!" Bridget said brightly.

Sydney! Let me out! Now! She's trying at our mate and I will not allow it! I flinched at my wolf's cursing, I guess like Jay's wolf, she was coming out more.

"Excuse us, Bridget, I need to talk to my girl."

My heart speed up when he said 'my girl'.

Bridget scattered.

"Bitch," I whispered.

Jay smiled down at me. "What was that Star?"

"Ehh, sorry that was uncalled for on my part. But what is it?"

He loosely draped his arms around my waist. "Well Star, you are the only girl on my mind, and even though you look hot when you're pissed I don't want you to be jealous of other girls."

"Thanks," I said into his chest.

He laughed. "Alright, well you need to go, I'll be right on the corner of the bar. If you need me I'll be right there."

"Okay. And Jay,"

"Yes?" He asked.

"You're going to tell me all about what happened in that dream later, okay?" I told me.

He smiled softly and nodded.

"Do good Star."

He kissed the top of my head and went off on his way into the slowly building crowd.

"Syd! Hey come on we are on stage first, then you are up with Brend's band." Mat said acting naturally.

Nodding I followed him off onto the stage where we all began to set up.

Pulling out my guitar Valentine and kicked the case close.

Valentine was a bronze guitar was a Stratocaster-styled Aethertone guitar. It looked like it was plated with bronze rectangular plates adorned with bronze screws holding them together. At the bottom of the guitar was an old fashioned clock that happened to still work.

Valentine was one of my most prized possessions. My father gave it to me when I was thirteen. I was so happy I cried. Ever since I would only perform with her just so I would have a little piece of my dad every time I'd play.

My dad was the one who got me into music. He too was amazing at playing the guitar, but he also played the drums. When I choose the piano instead we both agreed to teach each other what the other didn't know.

The month after his death I couldn't set a finger on anything that resembled music.

"Syd, you ready?" Asher asked interrupting my thoughts.

Nodding I said, "Yeah let me grab my pick."

"Okay, we'll be on it two. Meg's not here tonight, I got her to cancel and Lilith is here to replace her."

I automatically understood that if Meg were here she would lose it and ruin the plan to catch Brendon because she would question me every which way about where Mat and I had been the past few days.

My phone had too many unanswered texts and half-hearted, I'm a little busy or talk later texts.

Lilith was now rocking an electric hot pink hairstyle and dressed in a short black dress that fluffed out in lace and peacock feathers. She was a part-timer at the cafe and was working to pay her way through grad school.

"Hey Syd! How are you doin' girl?" Lilith asked as I retrieved my lucky pick.

"I'm doing alright, and you?"

"Pretty good if I do say so myself. Got a new tat." She said smugly happy. Her dainty finger indicated above her right buttcheek.

I laughed, "Cool. Show me after?"

She flashed me a grin then looked to Ash and Mat.

"Are we ready?" She asked.

"Yeah, we have about two minutes before we start, let's just do this." Mat said after looking at his fancy watch on his wrist.

"Okay. We're starting with 'Love the Way You Lie Part 2' then we'll do 'In Between the Raindrops' alright?" She asked.

Nodding at her she turned and spoke into the microphone getting everyone's attention.

I looked around the room and spotted Jay. He was right where he said he was going to be leaning back against the bar in a tall swivel seat.

Lilith then took looked around at all of us making sure we were all ready. With a nod from each of us she took a deep breath and started:

"On the first page of our story/The future seemed so bright/Then this thing turned out so evil/I don't know why I'm still surprised/Even angels have their wicked schemes..."

My fingers flicked into different cord combinations and my other hand strummed with strings almost thoughtlessly, but all this time I couldn't help but think of Logan and that strange dream I had the night before, where Logan and I had an affair behind Jay's back because he had begun to neglect me and was unfaithful.

☽✣☾

EDITED JUNE 25 2020