Chapter 5

We parked and headed toward the entrance. After passing through security, we reached an area with high tables and a bar for drinks and food. As soon as Jacob spotted a group of people, he nodded in their direction.

That’s when I understood: he had friends waiting.

So this wasn’t a sacrifice for him—it was a chance to meet up with his people and, on top of that, with a guaranteed ticket. He wasn’t doing me a favor; he was simply adapting to the situation. And still, I felt a flicker of disappointment. We walked over to them.

“Everyone, this is Camila, and her friend is Kate,” he introduced us with his usual restraint—but the way he said ‘Camila’, low and deliberate, sent a shiver through me again.

The greetings were quick until we reached his friend Steve, who stopped with a more playful air.

“Hi, Camila. I’m Steve, and that idiot over there is my best friend,” he said casually, pointing at Jacob and making me laugh. To my surprise, Jacob looked relaxed too. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Kate shot me a wide-eyed look, eyebrows raised, but managed to hold back the comments that usually get me into trouble.

“Steve,” Jacob warned, without adding anything else.

“Guilty as charged,” Steve said, raising his hands, amused.

“Nice to meet you, Steve. You can call me Cami. This is my friend Kate.”

“Nice to meet you, Kate. I hear you’re the one to blame for the concert.”

“To blame?” Kate laughed. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing, nothing—it doesn’t mean anything,” Jacob cut in quickly, shifting the topic with his flawless tone. “Other than these two ladies, who wants a beer?”

I soon realized that Steve was the only one who seemed to know who I was, because he spoke to me with more familiarity than the others. It was my first time spending time with someone from Jacob’s circle, and I was surprised to find that most of them were actually quite pleasant. Except, of course, for the fake blonde who appeared the moment Jacob offered to grab drinks.

She clung to his arm with practiced ease. Every time our eyes met, she shot me that haughty look that said, he’s with me. I thought I noticed Jacob was uncomfortable, though he didn’t push her away. Still, I noticed he didn’t hug her or wrap an arm around her waist—which gave me a strange, quiet sense of relief.

I think I’m analyzing this scene way too much. It shouldn’t matter to me.

Kate tugged at my arm and subtly pointed toward the stage. My cue.

“Jacob, we’d like to move a little closer. We want to stand over there,” I said, pointing to a side spot with a low barrier that would give me a better view than the floor.

He looked at me as if waiting for an explanation.

“Kate is obsessed with the drummer, and from here she can’t record properly,” I improvised. I didn’t want him to think we were running away from his group—though that’s exactly what we were doing. Nathalia, the blonde, made me nervous, and besides, Kate had waited too long for this concert to have her experience ruined. We weren’t aiming for the front row, just a bit closer.

Jacob seemed to think it over.

“All right. We’ll stay here. Try not to move around too much. I don’t want to lose sight of you.”

The tone of that last sentence surprised me. I’d expected reluctance, like someone reluctantly agreeing to babysit—but it sounded more like a protective warning. Not to mention, he’d spoken in the singular.

I chose not to give it more importance than necessary.

“Thank you,” I said, smiling despite myself.

Kate and I took our strategic spot. Being several inches taller than me, she climbed up onto the barrier with ease, phone in hand, ready to take hundreds of photos and videos. We’d chosen to stay slightly farther back to get a better view of the whole place and enjoy the stage without a wall of backs blocking us—though that was more for my benefit than hers.

The music thundered, and the crowd ignited. Kate screamed and jumped like a little kid on Christmas morning. That alone made it worth it for me. I knew this wasn’t my scene, but I couldn’t complain. Seeing her like that made her happiness contagious.

Every so often, I turned my head toward where Jacob was standing, silently reassuring him that I was staying put, keeping my end of the deal. Everything was fine—until I saw it.

Nathalia kissed him without warning.

The image hit me like a sharp blow. I didn’t like what I saw, so I quickly turned my attention back to the stage. I told myself it didn’t matter, that this shouldn’t affect me—but somehow, it had. So I decided not to look back again. As long as I stayed where I was, there was no reason—no need—to cross gazes with him anymore.