All Chapters of Half Wild, Half Yours: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The beach was warm, golden, and endless. Gulls circled above us like we were the entertainment, and the crashing of the waves made it feel like everything that wasn’t this moment had been muted. Our campsite looked like something out of a very cool, very underfunded music video — four mismatched tents, strung together with solar-powered string lights that winked in the sun like they had secrets. The boys were setting up chairs around where we planned to make a bonfire tonight. Tyler had already claimed a shaded spot by the food cooler like a king. Smart dog. I pulled my paddle board down from the roof rack and dragged it toward the water, already feeling the pull of the waves on my skin like a second heartbeat. “Where do you think you’re going?” came Teddy’s voice from behind me, all mock suspicion and smirk. I glanced over my shoulder, sunglasses sliding down my nose. “To commune with the sea gods. Or maybe just show off.” He caught up easily, walking backward in

I was trying to focus. Really. Brody had the whiteboard out, and Thomas was lounging on the motel couch, drumsticks tapping against his knee as we argued over what songs to open with tonight. “Blue should be here,” I said, scrolling through our setlist on my phone. “We don’t even know what she’s comfortable singing yet.” “She said she’d meet us before soundcheck,” Brody offered. “Still,” I muttered, thumb still swiping aimlessly. “We could’ve built in some harmonies for her—” Ding. A new TikTok notification lit up my screen. @wanderwithblue just posted a new video: Life on tour with No Name starts now… My thumb flew faster than my thoughts. I tapped the alert, and suddenly Blue’s face was filling the screen, the ocean sparkling behind her, curls wild in the wind. She talked about the shows, gave the band a shoutout, dropped the tour schedule with a flirty little smile, and then—of course—Tyler made a cameo. Instant charm overload. “Yo,” I said, not even bothering to h

Backstage wasn’t really backstage—just a narrow hallway behind the curtain where the amps hummed and the sound guy sipped something suspicious from a reusable water bottle—but it felt like the safest place in the world after stepping off that stage. My heart was still thudding against my ribs. I’d only done four songs, but it felt like I’d just sprinted a marathon barefoot in glitter boots. “Holy shit, Blue,” Brody said, wiping sweat off his brow with the hem of his shirt. “You killed that. Seriously.” “You guys carried me,” I said, even though I couldn’t stop smiling. Thomas shook his head. “Nah. You brought a vibe. It was different in the best way.” “You were magnetic,” Teddy added, quieter. I caught the look in his eyes and had to glance away before my knees decided to give out. The crowd loved it. But more than that, the guys loved it. And somehow, that mattered most. “You were nervous earlier,” Brody said, nudging my arm. “Still feel out of place?” I shook my

I wake up to a dull ache that stretches through my whole body—in the best way possible. My sheets are half-tangled around me, and the hotel room clock glares 9:17 AM. Last night (or was it this morning?) is a hazy montage of Teddy’s lips, the headboard tapping, and the sound of my own laughter ricocheting off the walls. I roll out of bed, every muscle whispering reminders of where I’ve been, and slip into my clothes. A quick brush of my hair, one last glance in the mirror—“Don’t scare yourself,” I murmur—and I’m out the door, gently closing it behind me. Tyler’s tail thumps when I appear in the door of my van. He leaps into my arms like a golden cannonball of happiness. I tuck him under one arm and we head down the stairs. Outside, the morning air is crisp and salty, and he practically pulls me into stride. We circle the block in record time—Tyler sniffs every fire hydrant, I stretch my legs just enough to wake up. Back at the hotel, I unlock my van and hustle inside for a

It’s almost nine and I’ve got one eye on my makeup and the other on the mirror’s reflection of Teddy watching me from the hotel bed—shirtless, shameless, and smirking like I’m the only thing worth looking at. “You keep staring at me like that,” I say, slicking on the last swipe of lip gloss, “and we’re not going anywhere tonight.” “Not the worst fate,” he murmurs, pushing up from the bed. “Staying in. Getting naked. Doing… research.” “Research?” “Yeah. I just think it’s important I learn every way to make you scream my name.” I let out a snort and toss a makeup sponge at him, which he catches without flinching. “Down, boy. We’ve got a night to paint red.” He comes up behind me anyway, warm hands sliding around my waist, lips brushing the curve of my neck. “You smell like vanilla and sin,” he says into my skin, voice low and rough. “And you smell like distraction,” I say, biting back a shiver. “Now hands off unless you’re planning to wrangle this outfit back on.” He gro