I knew it well.
Thus the water bottle currently in my hand.
Will looked like he was either ready to punch Jay or make a run for it, but then he laughed.
Loudly.
Beautifully.
Like he was finally free.
After years of being in prison.
I gawked.
And I’m sure the rest of the people present were thinking the same thing, at least the females. Damn the man was made well.
Tight muscles wrapped around his body, the body of a man, no more teen idol here folks, his square jaw, mussed hair, and soulful eyes were enough to make me feel the need to look away.
Directly at a very amused looking Nat who winked and elbowed Lyss. Great both girls looked ready to plan my wedding.
“Right, Ang?” Jay asked.
“Hmm? Yes, what?” Was I staring that long?
“He looks good, just like he used to.” Jay just had to bring the past up didn’t he?
“He’s always looked good,” I said in a very PC way.
“I disagree.” Zane tossed a marshmallow at me then eyed Will up and down. “When I first met you, you were the one almost naked, my friend.”
“Think you could manage to bury me in that sand with the marshmallows?” Will murmured under his breath in a teasing tone just out of earshot of everyone.
I popped a marshmallow into my mouth and sat, patting the place next to me, “I think you’re too big, too much physical labor on my part.”
“In my defense.” Will directed his attention to Zane. “It was the Stripped tour.”
“Oh I know what tour it was.” Zane grinned. “Because every day on stage you legitimately stripped until girls cried. I’ve never seen so many bras come off in my entire life.”
“Until he took the stage.” Demetri added.
Everyone laughed, but I was having trouble not remembering the first time I met Will, when my world had shifted and demanded it join his.
“Isn’t that the tour you guys met on?” Alec piped up.
“Yeah.” Will loaded up a stick with marshmallows and held it over the fire, “I was supposed to be in one of her latest movies, but sucked so bad they had to take out almost all of my cameos.”
“You do suck as an actor,” Demetri agreed. “Unless Jay gives you no lines and then suddenly, poof, you can act.”
“What can I say?” Jay shrugged, “I’m a good director, I know my actors.”
“Those were good days, right? Touring? No sleep? All nighters.”
Everyone started groaning and I actually joined in.
“Honestly, it was fun, still is.” Zane wrapped an arm round Fallon, “When you have someone to keep you focused on the important things, but guys, I say this with absolute conviction, I think I’m turning into Will.”
Will gave him the finger.
“What?” Zane flipped him off right back. “I’m getting too old for this shit, I just want a nice cup of hot chocolate, five mallows, some reality TV, and an early bedtime, what’s so wrong with that?”
“Have fun with this one, Fallon.” Demetri made a face. “Maybe force him outside later this week so he at least gets some fresh air.”
“Her air’s better.” Zane kissed her neck.
Demetri gagged while I giggled.
“My hip hurts,” Alec blurted. “Like at least twice a day. I keep ignoring it.”
Nat elbowed him in the ribs. “Maybe stop jumping off stages.”
“I did that once last year!”
“And now he has a hip injury.” Demetri laughed. “Well that’s depressing. We’re barely approaching our mid-twenties, the only old guy here is the one not complaining.”
“Can we not call me old?” Will raised his hand, “I have what? Six years on you guys? Seven?”
“Ten.” Fallon grinned.
“We won’t count her, ruins the average” Zane put her hands down and kissed her.
“Says the twenty-two-year-old.” Will pulled his marshmallow back and pressed it between the graham crackers, placed a half of a candy bar on it and then handed it to me. “There you go.”
“Did you just feed Angelica Greene chocolate?” Demetri said in a surprised voice. “I tried it once, almost lost a testicle in the process. Fascinating, she lets you feed her…” He winked to show he was joking.
I took it, shoved half of it in my mouth, and then flipped him off with marshmallow sticking to half of my chin.
Demetri clapped his hands “See? Everyone happier when they… eat.”
“Food.” Zane coughed.
Will shifted next to me, then handed me another marshmallow and another. All in all over the course of an hour I’d eaten three and was ready to fall asleep on his shoulder.