Ethan sat in the quiet of the truck, his mind still buzzing from the kiss. The soft warmth of Sydney's lips lingered on his own, and the memory of her body pressed close to his was enough to send a rush of heat through his chest. She's so soft, he thought, his fingers still tingling from where they had touched her. He shifted uncomfortably, his thoughts racing as he tried to focus on the idle chatter they were making.
Suddenly, Sydney's laughter pierced the air, bright and infectious. Ethan couldn't help but smile, a small, knowing grin tugging at his lips as he looked over at her. Her laughter filled the space between them, her whole body seeming to resonate with it. It was like the world had paused, and all he could hear was the sound of her joy.
"What?" he asked, unable to suppress the smile that had stretched across his face.
Sydney, still laughing, turned her eyes on him, her lips curling into a playful smirk. "It's you," she said, her voice still light with amusement.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What did I do?"
Sydney leaned back, trying to suppress her giggles. "One minute, you're shy, and the next, you're... well, you're just different."
Ethan leaned in, his smile deepening. "Isn't it you causing that?" he teased. "One moment, I'm just here, seeing you, and I get shy. And then, the next, you're standing there looking so beautiful, I can't help myself but move closer."
Sydney blinked, taken aback by his candidness. Her breath caught in her throat, and a playful, yet surprised smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Oh really?" she asked, her voice teasing, but there was something deeper in it, something that made her heart race.
Ethan stood up slowly, his gaze never leaving hers as he moved closer. The tension between them thickened, like a storm ready to break. Sydney couldn't take her eyes off him as he approached, her heart hammering in her chest. Ethan was... beautiful. She knew it sounded strange to call a guy that, but that's exactly what he was—beautiful. His tall frame towered over her as he stood before her, the intensity of his bright blue eyes almost hypnotic. His golden hair, slightly tousled, framed his face perfectly. His skin, soft and tanned, seemed to glow in the dim light of the truck. His lips, pink and inviting, parted just enough for her to catch the glint of a smile. Every inch of him was captivating.
"Yeah," he said softly, leaning in a little closer, his voice a low murmur. "Really."
Sydney closed her eyes, her breath hitching as she leaned in slightly, her body instinctively moving closer. Not again, she thought, her mind spinning, but her heart was racing in a way she couldn't ignore. This was happening.
Just as their lips were about to meet, a loud voice shattered the moment.
"Oh my God!"
Both Sydney and Ethan jumped back in shock, their eyes wide, and the magic of the moment was instantly broken. They pulled away from each other, their faces flushed with embarrassment. Ethan stood up straight, looking around frantically for the person who had interrupted them.
From the front, he heard voices—loud and unmistakable.
"Rebecca, you ruined the moment!" came a high-pitched voice, followed by another, one Ethan knew all too well now.
"Sorry, it was just too cheesy. I couldn't help myself. Also, I've told you to call me 'boss,' not Rebecca," came the playful voice of his assistant.
"Sorry, boss, and it wasn't cheesy. It was so cute!" a third voice chimed in, cooing dramatically.
Ethan's face twitched as he stared at the driver's side, trying to hold back a sigh. He stood up, his tone turning serious but with a playful edge. "You guys should come out now," he said, his voice low and commanding.
A few moments of silence followed, and then a flurry of whispers filled the air. Ethan watched as the curtain was drawn back, revealing three figures. Two of them were immediately recognizable—Bella, his former super fan turned assistant, looked guilty as hell, while Rebecca wore a smirk that made it clear she had no shame in being caught.
"You guys," Ethan said with a dry tone, raising an eyebrow. "Jessica, come on, I can see you already."
From behind the curtain, Bella's voice came out sheepishly. "Um... Jessica's gone to plan your team already," she said, looking at the floor, clearly avoiding eye contact.
Rebecca, unfazed, added, "Yeah, she's gone."
Ethan squinted, confusion clouding his face. "Wait, who is that then?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Before anyone could answer, the fabric of the curtain was pulled back, and a voice rang out.
"Ehm, Mr. Jones?"
Ethan's eyes widened, his shock evident. The figure revealed itself, and Ethan couldn't help but laugh out loud. Standing there, his face partially hidden by the cloth, was his 50-something-year-old tour bus driver, Jeff.
Ethan burst out laughing, shaking his head in disbelief. "Oo, not you too, Jeff?" he said, still laughing at the unexpected turn of events.
Jeff grinned sheepishly, holding up his hands. "Sorry, Mr. Jones," he said, his tone apologetic yet clearly amused by the situation. "Had to be done."
The whole moment felt like a whirlwind. What had started as an intense, intimate encounter had turned into a comedy of errors, and all Ethan could do was laugh.
The evening sun painted the sky with golden streaks as the band lounged outside near the tour buses. There was a cooler full of sodas, a half-eaten pizza box on the bench, and a whole lot of drama being dished out as Rebecca held center stage.
"I'm telling you—he moved closer," Rebecca said, eyes wide as she grabbed Bella's arm dramatically. "Then he dragged her toward him like this—"
She yanked Bella playfully closer, cupped her face with mock intensity, and said in a sultry tone, "'Oh, I think I do.'"
The group howled as Rebecca leaned in like she was going to kiss Bella, only to both burst into laughter halfway through.
"No way," Sarah gasped, nearly choking on her drink. "That's straight out of a K-drama. Who does that?!"
Max wiped tears from his eyes. "That's not rizz. That's fanfiction."
Leo cackled. "What is that, Wattpad behavior?"
Carlos was already shaking his head mid-laugh. "No way he did that. Ethan is not that smooth."
Rebecca held up her hands. "Swear on my hair straightener, I'm telling the truth!"
Sarah narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Ethan strikes me more as the shy, awkward type. Like, say-sorry-when-he-bumps-into-a-chair type."
"I thought the same thing!" Rebecca said. "But I'm telling you—I was there. I was shocked too!"
Bella nodded, giggling. "Yeah, she's not lying."
Still, the disbelief was thick in the air.
"If you don't believe me," Rebecca said, turning like a lawyer presenting her final witness, "ask Jeff. He was there."
All eyes turned to the driver, who was leaning casually against the tour bus, sipping a can of Sprite.
"Jeff," Max called. "Is it actually true?"
Jeff took a slow sip like he was in a movie and then, with a wise squint, said, "Contrary to what some might think, Mr. Jones does have the moves."
Everyone stared.
Jeff rested a hand on his chin and added, "Almost reminded me of myself in my prime."
That did it. The whole group exploded into laughter again, even Carlos doubled over this time.
But just as the laughter hit its peak, a loud HA! echoed behind them.
They turned to see Ethan stepping off the bus, followed by Sydney, both catching the tail end of the chaos. Ethan wore a half-smile-half-glare that screamed I heard everything.
"Ah, ah… you guys are so funny," he said with a dry smile, hands in his hoodie pockets.
Sydney waved cheerfully. "Hi, guys! I'm Syd—"
"—Sydney Sweeney, we know," Sarah interrupted, leaping to her feet with an impish grin. "We've heard a lot about you."
"Sarah. Keyboardist," she added, offering a handshake.
"Max. Drummer."
"Leo. Guitarist."
"Carlos. Bassist."
Each guy introduced themselves like they were characters in a sitcom, exchanging smirks. Ethan gave them all a warning glare that only made them laugh harder.
Rebecca stood up next. "Sorry about the reenactment earlier. I'm Rebecca, and this is Bella—we're part of Ethan's PR team."
"And that's Jeff," Ethan added with a sigh. "The driver-slash-stand-up-comedian."
Jeff bowed slightly. "Sorry for the intrusion, Miss Sweeney."
"It's fine," Sydney said with a smile. "Nice to meet you all."
Max leaned forward. "Now that you're here… would you want to stay with us on the tour?"
"Max," Ethan snapped quickly.
"Oh come on," Sarah said. "It'd be fun having her around."
Carlos chimed in. "Yeah, maybe it'll finally get Ethan to focus during rehearsals."
"Focus?" Sydney asked, amused.
"Don't mind them," Ethan laughed awkwardly. "They live to exaggerate."
"You guys are fun," Sydney said. "Honestly, I'd love to tour with you. I'm free, but… I don't exactly have anywhere to stay."
"See?" Ethan crossed his arms. "So stop asking her weird questions."
The area fell quiet.
Carlos looked at Rebecca. "Are you sure he really pulled all that smooth-move nonsense?"
Rebecca groaned, grabbed Ethan's hoodie, and yanked him aside like he was a curtain in her way.
"Shift," she muttered, shooting him a deadly look.
Then she turned to Sydney, smile returning like a light switch. "You can stay with us. The second bus still has space. Me, Bella, and Sarah—girl gang."
"Ehm…" Sydney hesitated, glancing at Ethan.
"Don't look at that blockhead," Rebecca said sweetly. "Just stay with us. You'll have a great time."
She leaned in and whispered something in Sydney's ear. Whatever it was, it made Sydney's eyes go wide—and her grin go wider.
"Okay! I'm staying!" she said brightly.
Everyone cheered, and the group broke into applause and laughter again.
Someone yelled, "Welcome to the chaos, Syd!"
In the midst of all the noise—sodas being opened, music playing softly from someone's phone, and Jeff telling another exaggerated story about his glory days—Ethan and Sydney found themselves next to each other, almost unnoticed.
He glanced at her, then at the group, then back at her.
She looked up at him with a small smile.
No words.
Just a shy, warm look.
Slowly, their hands found each other, fingers gently intertwining. They didn't even look down—just smiled at each other, the world around them still loud and chaotic, but their moment soft and quiet.
For the first time that evening, Ethan didn't care about the teasing or the jokes or even Jeff's dumb stories.
Because for a brief second, it was just her—and him.