“Feel better, Gucci.” Rob’s voice travels in the room from the hallway.

I flip him off once the door shuts. I don’t think I have loathed anyone as much as Rob in my entire life. Well…except for one.

I’m a half hour into the movie and my phone starts ringing. I pick it up without looking at the caller ID, assuming it’s Brady.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be on stage right about now,” I answer.

“Excuse me. I’m looking for Sadie Miller, my daughter,” my mom’s soft voice comes across the line.

“It’s me, Mom.” I roll my eyes. How does she not recognize my voice after twenty-two years?

“Oh, Sadie. Your dad and I were just calling to wish you a happy birthday.” She sounds like she is in a tunnel.

“Happy birthday, Sadie,” my Dad’s deep voice shouts in the background.

“Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad.” I hate talking to one of them, let alone both at the same time.

“Are you doing anything special?” my mom asks.

“No, just staying in,” I admit.

“You should go out and celebrate,” she insists.

“Don’t push her, Mags,” my Dad chimes in.

“She can’t hide out forever, Junior.” My parents start having a conversation without me, another reason I hate speaker phone.

“Well…thanks for calling Mom and Dad. Have a good night,” I say, attempting to end this conversation.

“Hey Sadie, your father and I are coming out at the end of the month for Parent’s Weekend,” she adds in at the last minute.

“Mom, Parent’s Weekend is more for freshman. I’m a senior. I appreciate it, but there isn’t really a reason.”

“We are coming. You don’t have to take us to a football game or anything. We want to come and make sure you are doing alright,” my mom assures me. I don’t know why they want to come; they didn’t even come my freshman year at Drayton.

“I’m fine. You don’t have to make that trip. I will be home at Thanksgiving.” I try to change her mind, which is usually an easy task when it comes to me. Lately, she has done everything to ignore my existence.

“I told you, Mags. She’s a tough cookie,” my Dad gives me a back-handed compliment. He hates women with an opinion or any strength of character.

“Don’t come, Mom. Really, I’ll be home just a few weeks after that. You would be so bored. There is no shopping or nice restaurants around here.” I pull out all the stops.

“Are you sure, Sadie? We will come.” Either she has gotten better at faking her concern or she is actually worried about me.

“Yeah, Mom. Just wait until Thanksgiving.”

“See. I told you she doesn’t need us. She never has, right Sadie? You were born independent,” my Dad shouts loudly in the background.

“Yeah, Dad,” I agree, not mentioning they made me become independent. They made me not rely on others, except for Theo. I could always depend on Theo.

“Okay then. Well…happy birthday.” She seems reluctant to hang up. “Bye, Sadie.”

“Bye, Mom and Dad.” I click the phone off.

Our relationship was never stellar, but the last couple years it had gone dramatically downhill. I think that conversation was more than I have said to my parents since I told them I was transferring out of Drayton last summer. It baffles me that my mom feels some motherly instinct to come and check up on me here.

I press play on the remote, starting the movie back up. Right as the girl is about to get the guy, two short knocks hit my door. I glance at the clock and see it’s only eleven and since I’m not expecting anyone, I ignore it. The knocks get louder and more persistent. I shrug off my blanket and stomp over to the door, assuming it’s some drunk ass that has the wrong room. But when I fling the door open, Brady stands there with a smile on his face.

“I thought maybe you were sleeping when you didn’t answer at first.” He walks right in without an invitation.

“Why aren’t you at Aces?” My voice is harsher than I intended.

“Oh Sadie. I’m thrilled to see you, too,” he sarcastically replies.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…you didn’t leave on account of me, did you?” I shuffle my feet back and forth, trying to cover my chest since I’m not wearing a bra.

“Would it bother you if I did?” He raises his eyebrows at me.

“Of course not. I just would hate the rest of the band to be upset,” I admit.

“Oh forget them.” He throws his hand out toward me. “Let’s go.” He starts to walk to the door.

“I can’t go anywhere. Not to mention, you don’t want to get sick,” I lie.

“Sadie, look at me.” He places his finger under my chin, raising it so my eyes meet his caramel ones. “Are you really sick? And don’t lie.” His one eye brow raises in question.

“No,” I confess.

“That’s what I thought.” He pulls me to the door again.

“Brady, I’m not even dressed.” I pull back.

“It doesn’t matter. We aren’t going anywhere public.”

“Where are we going?” I question.

“It’s a surprise. Come on.” His smile is so wide I wonder what he is up to. He couldn’t have found out it was my birthday; I didn’t even tell Jessa.

“What about your show?” I persistently ask.

“Did I sign up for twenty questions? What’s my prize if I win?” His eyes move slowly up and down my body. “If you’re the grand prize, I’ll answer as many questions as you want.”

“Brady,” I sigh, struggling to hide my smile. “Why aren’t you playing?” I ask him again.

“I cancelled the show. Well, not exactly. I played a couple songs and then told the guys I had to go. Rob sings, he took my spot.” He shrugs.

“Why did you do that? I’m fine,” I insist, upset with myself. People showed up to see him sing and he left because I’m feeling sorry for myself and didn’t go.

“Let me get dressed. We will head up there now. You can finish the set.” I walk over to my closet and sift through my clothes.

“Sadie,” he calls over but I don’t turn around. “It’s over. Rob is finishing the set. Now get your little ass over here so I can take you somewhere.” He stays where he is and waits for me to walk to him.

“Alright.” I surprise myself by following his directions. Usually I’m not so submissive, but Brady has a way with me that no other male has had before.

“Finally.” He wraps his arms around me and presses my face to his shoulder. “I swear girl, sometimes you make things more difficult.”

Brady intertwines our fingers and leads me out to his car. I know autumn has officially hit when I feel the cool night breeze rising up under my shirt.

“As much as I don’t want you to cover up, it’s getting cold outside.” He reaches behind me and pulls a sweatshirt from the backseat, tossing it over to me. I notice it’s the one from earlier in the week. The smell of Brady fills my nostrils when I tug it over my head. I smile, knowing he won’t be getting it back.

“Thank you,” I say. I wait outside the car door for him to motion me in, but he shuts the door after grabbing another bag. He swings his guitar over his shoulder and takes my hand again, walking us away from the car. “Um…” I tilt my head, confused.

“We don’t need the car.” He looks back to his Camaro and then to me.

I already know where we are going by the time we are halfway there. This is his place, the spot he first saw me and his hide-out from the world. I remember now that there is so much I don’t know about Brady. Why does he favor a spot where no one can see him? I have to find out soon because that spot in my heart for him grows bigger every day and I can’t afford to get hurt again.

By the time we get there, I’m freezing. Brady grabs a blanket from his bag and spreads it across the lawn.

“Take a seat, Sadie.” He points to the blanket and I sit down, wrapping my arms around my legs in an effort to keep me warm.

“So, what are we doing up here?” I ask.

“Alright, Sadie. We need to make a deal.” He takes a seat across from me on the blanket.

“What kind of deal?” I hesitantly ask.