by Lee Piper
“You see each other often? Hang out a lot?”
I don’t like where this is heading.
My brother nods. “What’s your point?”
Pervert’s hairy fingers fly across the keyboard of his ancient laptop. Moments later, he turns it to face us, a promotional poster of our friends enlarged on screen. They’re hot as fuck, no denying it. Willow, Drake, Reid—all of them are worthy of their own pin-up board. Especially Reid.
Internally, I shake my head.
Pervert studies each of us, waiting for someone to crack. “They’re a good-looking band, wouldn’t you say?”
The hell?
He gives a smarmy grin, holding up placating hands at what must be my annoyed expression. I want to smack him across the face with both of them. “I’m simply trying to gather contextual information for the article, that’s all.”
“Bullshit,” I exclaim, unable to remain silent in the face of his dickheadedness. “You’re trying to cause tension where there isn’t any.”
Tobias shifts in his seat.
Pervert watches him closely. “Seems like your drummer has different ideas.”
My estranged friend crosses his arms, blinking slowly. “Seems like you’re talking about me like I’m not even here.”
A small part of me wilts. This isn’t the Tobias I know, the man I care about. He’s too defensive, too abrupt, too cold. I hate it. I miss my friend.
Not at all perturbed, Pervert leans forward, his elbows resting on the glass-top table. “Is there tension between the bands, Tobias? Romantic or jealousy-fueled rivalries, perhaps?”
Oh hell. This could go very, very badly.
Tobias thinks for a moment, his head tilted. Eventually, he mutters, “Even if there was, it’s none of your damn business.”
I exhale.
“So there is tension?”
“There’ll be tension if you don’t stay on topic.” Jasper’s glare is cold.
The journalist meets my brother’s stare, his expression calculated, conniving. I really want to rearrange his bulbous nose with my fists. “Your family must be very proud of you, Jasper. Making it to the finals is quite an achievement.”
Jasper nods once. “They are.”
“All of them?”
“Yep.”
Pervert’s top lip curls in derision. “Even your parents?”
How many years would I get for murder? Twenty? Thirty? Totally worth it.
Jasper’s jaw ticks. Since I know he’s about to lose his cool, I take his hand. My thumb traces calming circles on his skin, similar to when we were kids.
“If our parents were alive, they’d be fuckin’ proud of us,” Jasper says.
Pervert spends several minutes typing away like the douche he is, then squints, reading the screen. His eyes dart between Jasper and me. “I was looking through several old articles and found some interesting information about the deaths of”—he consults his notes—“Georgina and Marcus.”
Hearing this fucktard say Mom and Dad’s names is enough to make me go postal. As though sensing my temper, Jasper gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.
After taking a deep breath, I exhale. “Their death is on public record. What happened is common knowledge.”
“But is it?”
My heart stills. Retracting my hand from Jasper’s, I lean forward, glaring at the schmuck. “You’d better tread carefully. My brother and I don’t take kindly to ignorant jerks making assumptions about shit they don’t know.”
His smile is tight. “How about I tell you what I do know and you fill in the blanks?”
Silently, I plot his death.
Pervert consults his notes. “Georgina and Marcus’s car crashed at 3:48 a.m.” He quirks a bushy brow. “A strange time to be out driving, don’t you think?”
My nostrils flare.
“It happened three years ago, in December. The same night you attended a concert where four spectators were crushed to death in a”—again, he checks his notes—“mosh pit.” Pervert pins me with a direct stare. The whites of his eyes are yellow. “You attended a rock concert and, four hours later, called your parents to pick you up from—” I squirm as he reads a familiar address off the screen.
The temptation to wipe the condescension off his face with a brick is real. So. Flipping. Real.
“I’ve got a question for you, Shiloh.”
“Shoot,” I grit out, wishing like fuck I could.
“You were eighteen at the time. That’s a bit old to be calling your parents for a lift, don’t you think?”
“Not that it’s any of your goddamn business, but my car wouldn’t start. Jasper was out of town, Tobias had food poisoning, and Willow was away at college. So yeah, I called Dad to come pick me up. Since Mom didn’t want Dad to fall asleep at the wheel, she got in the car too.”
“Hmm.”
Arrogant prick.
Pervert’s double chin rests on steeples fingers. “Whose house were you at?”
“A friend’s.”
“A friend’s?”
“Is there an echo in here? Yes, a friend’s.”
“Why would you want to get picked up from a friend’s house at three in the morning?”
“Are you an investigative journalist now? Is this the moment you’ve been waiting for? The one which will finally give you your big break?” My laugh is harsh. “Pathetic.”
But he continues as though I haven’t spoken. “See, I’m thinking you had an argument with this friend.” He uses air quotation marks.
He’s baiting me. Fucker.
“Think whatever you like.”
He cocks his head to one side. “I looked up the address, and do you know what I discovered?”
“That you’re a lonely middle-aged man who whacks off to pictures of cheerleaders from high school?”
Pervert’s grin is smug. “I discovered Reid Tate lived at that address. Still does.”
If I could fire Ebola-encrusted cannonballs from my eyes, I totally would.
Beside me, Jasper mutters a curse while Tobias blinks, looking confused. I refuse to meet either of their gazes.
Pervert goes in for the kill. “You’re adamant there’s no animosity between the bands, yet you send what can only be described as a distress call from the house of your rival. And that same phone call was the catalyst for your parents’ untimely deaths.” He shakes his head, his voice mocking. “I’d say that’s reason enough for tension. Wouldn’t you?”
Jumping to my feet, I glower at the cockroach. “Mom and Dad’s death was an accident. The road was covered in ice, and they lost control of the car. It. Was. A. Freak. Accident.” My breathing is labored. “There’s no tension between our bands because unlike you, they’re wonderful people. So you need to change your angle here, asswipe. Instead of manufacturing a scandal that will upgrade your pathetic four-by-four cubicle to a corner office overlooking the communal watercooler, focus on the real reason we’re here. The music.”
Jasper is on his feet beside me, his fists clenched so tightly the whites of his knuckles show. Tobias is equally pissed, his emerald eyes shooting daggers at Pervert.
Hair whips into my eyes when I spin toward my bandmates. I don’t bother moving it. “I’m out.”
Without a second glance, I storm from the boardroom, slamming the door behind me.
It doesn’t take long to drive home. It takes even less time to throw my bag in the hallway and stomp to the living room, where I pace from one end of the shabby Persian rug to the other.
Jasper and Tobias arrive a short while later. Their footsteps echo down the hallway, and soon enough, my brother collapses on the couch, his long legs spread wide. Tobias leans against the far wall, arms crossed, glaring.
We’re all silent for a moment. Finally, Jasper breaks it. “Is what Derek said true?”
“Who the fuck’s Derek?”
“Calm your tits and quit with the pacing.” Jasper rubs one hand down his face. “You’ll wear a hole in the rug.” There ar
e dark rings under his eyes and his cheeks are hollow. Guess I’m not the only one feeling the pressure of the competition.
My feet pause in their trek across the worn wool. “Hey, you all right?”
He waves away my question. “Derek was the asshole journalist.”
“You mean the douche canoe giving me the third degree?” I shake my head. “Could have sworn his name started with a p. I kept calling him Pervert in my head.”
Jasper nods, his weary eyes alight with humor. “The name fits.” He picks at his non-existent fingernails, refusing to meet my eyes. “Is what he said true?”
I plant my hands on my hips. “Depends on what brand of bullshit you’re referring to.”
“Enough with the dramatics already.” He sighs. “Just answer the damn question. Were you at Reid’s house the night Mom and Dad died?”
I give a sharp nod.
He swears under his breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrug.
“Is that why you haven’t spoken to Reid in so long? Because of an argument?”
I remain quiet.
“Fucking hell, sis.” Jasper throws his hands in the air. “Use your damn words.”
“You want words?” I step forward, my eyes narrow. “Fine, I’ll give you words. Yes, part of the reason why I stopped talking to Reid was because of what happened that night.” I turn away. “But it wasn’t an argument.”
“Then what was it?”
The fight instantly drains out of me. The urge to escape to my room and bury myself under the bedcovers peaks at an all-time high. Sadly, Tobias stands between the staircase and me. Pretty sure he’s doing it on purpose.
“Please, can we just drop it?” I swallow, hating how pitiful I sound. “I can’t talk about this right now. I’m not trying to be a vindictive bitch. I literally cannot force the words out.” Shutting my eyes, I murmur, “It’ll tear me apart.”
“But that’s your problem!” Tobias exclaims. “You never talk to anyone! You spend your life lumbering around with the weight of the fucking world on your shoulders because you never let anyone in.” He gives a dry laugh. “I’m meant to be your closest friend and you don’t even trust me with your secrets.” He points at Jasper. “And if he’s in the dark on this too, then you don’t trust him either. Do you trust Reid?”
Oh hell no. “You’d better watch it, buddy.” I take a menacing step forward. “You’re starting to sound like Derek two-point-oh.”
“He raises an interesting point, sis,” Jasper interjects.
Spinning around to stare at my brother, I raise incredulous eyebrows. “You cannot be serious.”
He ignores me. “Come on, don’t you think it’s weird Reid is pulling the moves on you now?”
My index finger waves in the loaded air between us. “Firstly, no, it’s not weird. It’s a coincidence.” Extending my middle finger, I continue, “And secondly, he’s not pulling any moves. He’s helping me with something.”
Tobias snorts.
I lose it. “What the fuck is with you? If you need to blow your nose, get a goddamn Kleenex. If it’s attitude, get the hell over it.”
“Sis, chill.”
“Chill?” I splutter, pointing at Tobias. “He’s one breath away from getting tampons shoved up his nostrils.”
Jasper rolls his eyes. This isn’t his first rodeo. He turns to our drummer, “Dude, enough,” before glancing back at me. “And you, calm the fuck down.”
With a huff, I glare out the window, arms crossed.
Through the reflection in the glass, I notice my brother raking long fingers through his unruly hair. “I hate to ask, but we need to know for sure. Do you think Reid has ulterior motives?”
My face is a mask as I stare at him over one shoulder. “You mean, is our long-time friend sabotaging our only shot at a recording contract because of an event that happened three years ago?”
He winces. “Yeah.”
There’s a long stretch of silence. I allow it to remain a heavy and oppressive blanket intent on suffocating the insanity in this room.
“You know you’re playing into Derek the Pervert’s hands, right? The guy is so desperate for a story, he’s starting shit between our bands. He wants us to second guess each other’s intentions. He wants there to be friction. He wants to sit back and marvel at the shitstorm he created.” My voice is hard. “Stop falling for it.”
“Stop falling for Reid.”
I round on Tobias. “I’m not falling for him!”
Lies.
“For the love of everything holy…” I groan, intent on deluding myself for a while longer. “How many times do we have to go through this?”
Jasper’s voice cuts through the chaos. “Maybe you should keep your distance from Reid?” He must notice my murderous expression because his next words are rushed. “Just for this week, until the competition is over.”
“No.”
“Come on, sis. We’ve worked our asses off to get this far. We can’t let anything come between us and the recording contract.”
“You mean, we can’t let a man who’s never given us reason to doubt his integrity come between us and the recording contract?”
He glances away. “It’s only for a week.”
“No fucking way.”
Tobias raises his chin defiantly. “Either you stop seeing him or I quit the band.”
“What?” my brother and I screech in unison.
“I’m serious. It’s either him or me. You need to make a decision, right here, right now.”
My jaw is dangling somewhere past my knees.
Jasper is on his feet, his arms outstretched. “Tobias, dude, you can’t do this. What about Rising Star?”
Tobias’s eyes are wild. “What about it? The competition doesn’t mean shit if your loyalties aren’t with your own fucking band.” He stares me down. “So what’s it going to be?”
There’s a knock at the door. No one moves to answer it.
“Shiloh?” Tobias says.
Another knock.
“Well?”
And again.
With an exasperated groan, I shoulder past him. When I swing open the front door, my breath catches. Tingles and tremors break out on my skin. My heart is both full and breaking at the same time.
“Reid.”
“Reid, hey, man. What’s up?” Jasper’s pitch is way off. He sounds uncannily similar to a three-year-old girl.
“Hey.”
With stilted movements, Jasper gives Reid a fist bump. Then, seemingly unsure what to do with his hands, he runs them through his hair. His eyes dart around the room, probably looking for an exit. I smirk.
From his position against the wall, Tobias narrows his eyes at our guest. He doesn’t greet him, doesn’t even nod in acknowledgement. Crossing my arms, I scowl at his rudeness.
Reid scans the room, taking in Jasper’s awkwardness, Tobias’s reticence, and my annoyance. There’s a pregnant pause. “I’m interrupting.”
“No—”
“Yes—”
Tobias and I glare at each other while Jasper smothers a maniacal laugh.
Pushing away from the wall, Tobias saunters toward Reid. “We were in the middle of a band meeting.” He rolls his shoulders as though preparing for a fight. Hilarious, considering he has the weakest left hook in the history of the universe. Three-legged pugs have more game.
“Is that so?”
He nods again. “It is.” His jaw ticks. “What do you want?”
“Tobias.” I push him in the chest, making him stumble back a step. “What the hell? Stop acting like a dick. This isn’t even your damn house.”
“You’re taking his side now?”
My eyebrows almost launch off my face. “What are you talking about? There aren’t any sides to take.”
He growls, tension emanating off his lanky frame.
Jasper clears his throat. “What can we do for you, bro?”
Reid pins me with a stare. Despite being pissy wi
th Tobias, it’s difficult not to melt into a puddle of estrogen. I blame the thick eyelashes.
“Wanted to talk to Shiloh.” His gaze roams my body.
As though timed to perfection, my skin heats and my breasts grow heavy. Pretty sure a fresh change of panties is in order.
“Why?”
“Tobias!”
“What?” He throws his hands in the air. “I can’t even ask a fucking question now? You know what? Fuck this shit.” Spinning on his heel, Tobias stomps down the hallway. A moment later, the front door slams shut.
“He’s on his period,” Jasper jokes, backing away. “I’m gonna get him some maxi pads and a tub of ice cream.” Catching my eye, he warns, “Remember what we spoke about.”
Thankfully, I’m too distracted by Reid taking my hand to respond. The rough calluses on his fingers kiss mine. “Let’s go.”
“Where?” Breathless. Freaking hell.
He considers me. “Upstairs. I won’t stay long.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve got a song to write.”
Rolling my eyes, I groan. “Don’t remind me.”
The entire trek up the staircase, I stick my ass out, swaying my hips like nobody’s business. Must be my subconscious attempt to keep him here longer. Pathetic but true.
When we step inside my bedroom, I disentangle our fingers. I seriously need to sit on the bed—my knees need the respite. I have no idea where to look. Having Reid in my personal space during the day feels like we’re crossing boundaries we swore we wouldn’t. It reminds me of years ago, when we spent lazy afternoons listening to music while lying on my Aztec rug. We would share flirtatious smiles, finding any excuse to touch each other. Everything was fair game—hair falling in eyes, shirts exposing skin, crumbs left on lips.
I shake my head. “What’s up?”
He doesn’t make eye contact either. “Wanted to see how your interview went.” Strong hands are shoved deep within his jean pockets. “We just finished ours. Journalist was a dick, kept bringing up shit from the past. Got on my fuckin’ nerves.”
I swallow. Loudly. The noise is enough to startle the sparrow on the branch outside. Through the window, I watch it chirp in surprise before taking flight. My esophagus is out of control.
Footfalls echo on the hardwood, and soon enough, Reid stands before me. At least he wasn’t scared away by my over-achieving pharynx. Nudging my legs apart with his knees, he steps between them. “You all right?”