Reckless Reunion (The Reckless Rockstar Series)

by Samantha Christy

  “It’s not as great at is seems,” Rob says. “Dad’s a drunk and Mom beats us.”

  Missy is speechless. Then the three of us laugh.

  She swats Rob’s arm. “You had me going for a second.” I don’t miss how she doesn’t remove her hand. She’s barely stopped touching him all night long.

  I feel guilty for misjudging Missy. She doesn’t know him well enough to know she likes him, but she sure is acting like a girlfriend.

  We use the back door, and I glance around. Garrett takes my hand. “He’s on a business trip.”

  I love how he knows my every thought. We seem to have some kind of telepathy. Sometimes when we’re in bed, we just gaze at each other. When we play together—which usually ends up with us being in bed—we have this unbelievable connection I’ve never experienced.

  “What do you want to do?” Rob asks. “Go swimming? Watch a movie? Bowl?”

  “You have a bowling alley?” Missy asks in disbelief.

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  She takes the bottle of whiskey from Garrett and drinks. “Bowling. Definitely bowling.”

  We follow Rob to the stairs and down a long hallway. When we pass the music room, Garrett leans close, “I’m taking you there later.”

  My insides tingle. Because I know what happens after we play. And since his dad is away, I’ll most likely end up spending the night. I’m not sure what I’m more excited about, sex with Garrett or waking up in his arms.

  It takes us ten minutes to get to our destination because Missy has to stop and comment on every little thing along the way. When we finally get around to bowling, I have to bite my tongue. She’s pretending she doesn’t know how. She makes Rob show her how to hold the ball, throw it, and retrieve it. She’s playing the part of the helpless ditz. Unbelievable.

  When Missy hits the bathroom, I take a moment to apologize. “Rob, I had no idea she would be like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “She knows how to bowl. We’ve been a dozen times before. She’s playing you.”

  He grins. “You don’t think I know that? From the moment she found out I recently graduated from Yale Law School, she’s been hanging on me like a cheap suit.”

  “Doesn’t it bother you? Women using you for your money?”

  “I’m not looking for a relationship, Reece. The last thing I need is another Joanna. Missy seems fun. I plan to make it perfectly clear that’s all I’m after.”

  I raise a surprised brow. “So you’re the player.”

  “Better the player than the playee.”

  Missy returns, and for the rest of the night, I don’t give her another thought.

  Garrett pulls me out of their earshot. “Looking out for my bro, huh?”

  “I don’t want to see him get hurt again.”

  He pulls me onto his lap. “You’re sweet.”

  I kiss him on the neck. “You’re sweet.”

  He nods to the door. “What do you say we get out of here and make music together?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “I’ll always ask,” he says. “Don’t you know by now that playing with you is my favorite thing to do?”

  I shimmy in his lap. “Favorite?”

  He chuckles. “Okay, so it’s a close second.”

  Garrett nabs one of the bottles of whiskey on our way to the door. “You’ll make sure Missy gets home?” I ask Rob.

  She wraps her arms around Rob’s waist from behind. “Maybe Missy doesn’t want to go home,” she says.

  Rob rolls his eyes, then turns around and kisses her. I hear her overdramatic moans as we walk away.

  In the music room, Garrett swigs from the bottle.

  I take it from him. “You won’t be able to play if you’re drunk.”

  He swipes it back and takes a tug. “I play better when I’m drunk.”

  “You only think you play better. It’s like beer goggles, only for the ears.”

  He laughs then stops. “Oh, shit. You don’t think we had beer goggles on the night we met, do you?”

  I run a finger down my cleavage. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have found me attractive if you’d been sober?”

  “You,” he says. “I meant maybe you had on beer goggles.”

  “You’re such a jerk. You just want me to compliment you and tell you how good-looking you are.”

  “Not good-looking. Hot. Tell me how hot I am.”

  “Somehow I think you already know.”

  He pulls me close and I can feel his growing erection. “But it’s so much sweeter when you tell me.”

  “Slow down, cowboy. Music first, then I’ll whisper sweet nothings in your ear.”

  “Damn, woman. You drive a hard bargain.”

  We hear Rob and Missy walk down the hallway. Well, we hear Missy, anyway. Her giggle is loud and fake. “I feel bad for introducing them.”

  “Don’t. He’s going to get laid, isn’t he?”

  “Joanna really did a number on him.”

  “I hope that bitch fails the bar exam.”

  “Me too.”

  I sit on a stool but don’t pick up the guitar.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  “Do you think the only reason Rob is okay dating waitresses is he thinks they’ll put out?”

  He shrugs. “I dunno. Maybe.”

  “Is that why you’re dating one?”

  “What? No. You’re crazy.”

  I’m drunk. When I’m drunk, I make terrible decisions. It’s why I don’t normally drink a lot. And I feel a terrible decision percolating in my throat. Don’t do it.

  “Do you love me, Garrett?” I hear the words come out of my mouth before I can stop them. “We’ve been together three months, but you haven’t said it. Be honest. Is it because I’m a waitress?”

  He puts down the bottle and stumbles toward me. “You want to hear me say it?” he slurs. “Fine. I love you.”

  My heart breaks. He might as well have been saying dinner was ready. I pull away, tears in my eyes. “I’m sorry. God, I can’t believe I’m that girl. The girl who makes her boyfriend say he loves her. Do you think you’re drunk enough that you’ll forget this conversation?”

  He snorts. “Probably.”

  “I’m just being stupid. We don’t come from the same world, Garrett.”

  “We share the same dream. Maybe that’s enough.”

  “But we’re taking very different roads to get there. It’s like you’re going east, and I’m going west.”

  He wraps me in his arms. “So swerve into my lane. Hop on the back of my bike. Take the ride with me.”

  “How can I if you don’t love me?”

  “Jesus, Reece, I fucking do. You know I do. But maybe let me say it my own way in my own words, okay?”

  Tears streak down my face. He loves me. “Okay. Now please sit at the drums. Lyrics are bombarding me right now.”

  He does, and I set my phone to record and pick up the guitar. I don’t want to forget the lyrics bouncing around in my head. Twenty minutes later, he plays back the video, writing down the lyrics as I sang them and making minor changes. “Dang,” he says. “We write good songs.” He folds up the page and tucks it in his pocket. Then he carries me to bed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Garrett

  For days I’ve watched Reece and Iggy together. She pretends they’re just friends. I don’t buy it.

  This morning, like a stalker, I’m obsessively looking out the peephole in my hotel room at Reece’s room across the hall. I’m waiting for him to come out and prove me right. I sit perched against the credenza, drumming a tune on my thigh with my sticks, listening for any hint of activity across the hall.

  I hear a man’s voice and press my eye to the tiny hole. It’s someone passing with his child. I turn away. I hear laughter. I look again to see some women running down the hallway.

  This is fucking stupid.

  I go sit on the couch and turn on the morning show to keep my mind occup
ied.

  Ten minutes later, room service arrives with my breakfast. As I hold the door open for the waiter, the door across the hall opens. I gawk like an imbecile. It’s not Iggy coming out of her room. It’s Maddox, and he’s wearing swim trunks with a towel tossed over his shoulder.

  “Hey, Garrett,” he says like a ray of goddamn sunshine. “I was just going down for a swim.”

  “Didn’t realize you were here.”

  “Got in late last night. I wasn’t about to miss Reece’s opening act debut. I’m sure singing ‘Swerve’ with you is great and all, but it’s nothing compared to her being the center of attention for twelve songs. I’m super stoked to watch it tonight.”

  Reece appears behind him in a short robe. She pulls it tightly around herself. Best friend, my ass. I wonder if he’d be interested in knowing she’s fucking our bassist.

  “We’re traveling to Wisconsin today. Why didn’t you fly there?”

  “Wanted to spend some time with her before the show. I know she kind of freaked out before the first concert. Hey, thanks for helping her out, by the way. Hilarious story about the White Poison vomit thing.”

  I grit my teeth in disgust. She’s telling him our private conversations? “You probably should have flown to Madison. The bus is too crowded as it is.”

  Reece laces her arm with his. “We’re not riding on the bus.”

  “We?”

  “Maddox rented a car. We’ll follow the bus. It’ll be fun to road trip together, won’t it, Mad?”

  “It’ll be like the time we went camping in Vermont, but hopefully without the flat tire. Shit, it was cold spending the night huddled in the backseat of the car.”

  She smiles. “How could I ever forget?”

  Someone behind me clears his throat. I’d all but forgotten about breakfast. I dig in my pocket for a tip, and the staffer walks out of my room. I thumb inside. “Gotta go before it gets cold.”

  “See you tonight,” Maddox says.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I shut the door and look through the hole. They say a few more words, then he kisses her on the cheek and leaves.

  I cross to the table, pick up my breakfast, and toss it in the trash.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Why didn’t they ride with us?” Iggy says.

  “Reece said she wanted some alone time with him,” Ella says.

  I stop drumming on my thigh and glance at Iggy. “You jealous or something?”

  “I’d say he’s not the only one,” Liam mumbles.

  “You got something to say? Say it.”

  Liam holds up his hands in a gesture of innocence. I get a Coke from the fridge and go to the bedroom.

  I can make a set of drums out of anything. I sit on the bed, putting a pillow on one side, a box of tissues, a book, and my boot in front of me. After I finish my drink and put the empty can on its side, I play the hillbilly drums like no one ever has.

  When I’m bored with it, I lie down, stupid thoughts clouding my head. I crane my neck and stare at the window over the bed, wondering if they really are following the bus. I decide I don’t care.

  Thirty seconds later, I get on my knees and carefully pull aside one corner of the shades so I can peek out the window.

  They’re right behind us. And not in some cheap-ass sedan. It’s a Chevy Tahoe. He flies out to see her and then rents a full-size SUV to drive her to our next gig. What the hell? I thought she said they worked together. Maybe he’s trying to impress her because he thinks she’s about to be famous.

  I squint to see them better. I think she’s singing. I look at him. He’s singing too, and playing drums on the goddamn steering wheel. They break into laughter. I can’t watch anymore.

  “G, what the hell are you doing?”

  I quickly roll off the bed and stand. “Nothing.” Crew walks to the window and raises the shades. “Don’t—”

  Before I get the words out, Crew is waving at them, and they’re fucking waving back. I sink down on the bed, knowing they saw me.

  “How about you close those now,” I say stiffly.

  “Were you spying on them?”

  “No.”

  “Uh-huh. When I walked in, you were on all fours, ass in the air, peeking out the damn window.”

  “I heard a horn. Went to investigate.”

  “I’m calling bullshit.”

  “Whatever. Was there something you wanted?”

  “Bria was hoping to get a few hours of shuteye. I kept her up late last night.”

  “Shuteye? Is that code for monkey love?”

  “No, douchebag. It’s code for she’s goddamn tired and wants to rest before tonight’s show.”

  I get up to leave.

  “Mind cleaning up your shit?” he says, eyeing all the stuff I put on the bed.

  I sweep my arm across the bed, tossing everything to the floor. Then I pick up my boot and leave.

  “Better get that bug out of your ass, G!” he calls. “It’s getting old.”

  Iggy tries to talk to me, but I ignore him, put in my ear buds, and listen to music as I gaze out the window and watch Indiana roll by.

  ~ ~ ~

  We should be backstage getting ready, but our eyes are glued to Reece Mancini. We watch her from the wings as she wows the audience. They like her. I want to be happy about it. It’s not like she’s in direct competition with us or anything.

  If she’s nervous, it doesn’t show. And when she plays guitar—fuck—it brings so much shit back to me, but I can’t turn away.

  Someone bumps into me from behind. It’s Liam. He looks at me funny. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t give a shit who she bones.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. You did this, Garrett. By ripping off her lyrics, you gave her exactly what she’s always wanted. You have to admit she’s amazing. She’s as comfortable onstage as anyone I’ve ever seen. This girl is going places, and it’s all thanks to you.”

  I start to walk away.

  “You’re leaving?”

  “Gotta take a piss.”

  I pass Maddox. “She’s great, isn’t she?” he says.

  I smile vaguely, mime not being able to hear him, and trot down the stairs to the back hallway.

  Jeremy is on the couch in the large room set up for the after-party. I pour myself a whiskey and sit. I ask, “You don’t want to see her live?”

  He points to the speakers. “I prefer to listen by myself sometimes.” I stand up to leave, but he stops me. “Stay. Tell me the story.”

  I look at him sideways.

  “Oh, come on, Garrett. I’ve watched the two of you together for a while now. I’ve listened to her songs. There’s a story there, and it’s not just boy meets girl, boy ditches girl, girl writes sad love songs.”

  Jeremy is the closest thing to a father I’ve had in years, but I still don’t feel up to rehashing old shit. “She fucked me over. Can we leave it at that?”

  “Is what she did really so unforgivable?”

  “She ruined my goddamn life.”

  “Really? Look around. You’ve got a pretty great life. Good friends, famous band, successful business. Is it worth carrying around all that animosity?”

  “She betrayed me, Jeremy.”

  “I see the way she looks at you. The things she says. She wants to make amends.”

  “It’s too late for that.”

  “My dad died twenty years ago.”

  I sip my whiskey. “Sorry, man, but what does your dad have to do with this?”

  “We had a falling out two years before he died. He was a financial manager, and I’d given him control over the money I inherited from my grandfather. He thought he had an ace in the hole and put it all into a new tech startup. Lost every penny. I never spoke to him again. Now ask me what I’d rather have back, my fifty thousand or my father?”

  “It’s not the same.”

  “No? If Reece had an aneurism and fell over dead tomorrow before you had a chance to settl
e things or say goodbye, you wouldn’t feel guilty the rest of your life?”

  “Shit, is that how he died?”

  He nods.

  “I’m really sorry, but I’m not the one who should feel guilty here, Jeremy.”

  “Neither was I, but I shut him out of my life. I’m not asking who’s at fault. I’m asking how you’d feel if she were suddenly gone.”

  My friends run into the room. Reece and her entourage trail behind, the smile on her face is a mile wide. “Oh my God, you guys. That was better than drugs, than sex, than… anything!”

  Bria and Ella hug her and tell her how great she was. Crew and Liam kiss her ass like she’s fucking Madonna. Iggy twirls her like he’s done before and kisses her.

  “Down, boy,” Maddox says protectively, and once again I wonder which one she’s into.

  Reece looks at me. Does she expect me to say something? Congratulate her on a show well done?

  The others in her band can’t contain their excitement either. They hoot and holler and jump around as if their pants are on fire.

  “You all want to clear the room so we can get ready?” I say. Many pairs of eyes look at me. “What? We have a concert to play.”

  Jeremy herds the others toward to door. “He’s right. Everything else can wait until after.” He gives me a hard look. “Isn’t that right, Garrett?”

  I think about what he said about his dad. What would I do if Reece dropped dead?

  Part of me would say good riddance, but the other part gnawing in my gut tells me I’d never be the same.

  “G?”

  I look over to see our shots are ready. Get her out of your goddamn head, Garrett. I trot over and grab my shot. “Hell, yeah, let’s get fucking reckless!”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Reece

  Maddox stands with me in the wings. We dance as I wait to go out to sing “Swerve” with RA. He spins me around repeatedly and then holds me against him so I don’t fall over. I don’t miss how Garrett is staring at us from his platform.

  “Are you nervous?” Maddox asks.