Strike Out (Barlow Sisters Book 2)

by Jordan Ford

I snicker and poke my tongue into the side of my mouth. “Can you make it?”

  “Of course I can!” she snaps. “I’d just prefer to be asked, not told.”

  “Sorry,” I mumble. “I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

  Max squirms in the seat beside me when Latifa casts her dark gaze onto her. I sit up straight and try to catch my friend’s eye, but she’s pretty focused on Max right now.

  “So, Roman says you’re getting really good. Want to play something for me?”

  “Oh, um…” Max licks her bottom lip. “I’m not that good.”

  Latifa harrumphs and I glare at her. “She’s awesome. Picking it up faster than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  She meets my pointed stare and completely ignores my warning. “Has he taken you to Club Matrix yet?”

  Shit! I close my eyes, already knowing where Latifa is going with this.

  “Um…” Max gives me a confused frown before looking back up to the bitchy bass player. “We’re going there in a couple of weeks to hear Mario Demas play.”

  “Huh.” Latifa smirks. “So it’s testing time, then.”

  “What does that mean?”

  I clench my jaw. At least I have the truth on my side with this one, although Latifa’s probably going to spin it another way. If I try to intervene now, it’s just going to make me look guilty.

  I haven’t done anything wrong. The truth will just have to save my ass.

  I hope it can.

  “Didn’t you know? Cairo takes all his girlfriends there. It’s like his final I like this girl enough to seal the deal date. If they have a good night together, then you know, they hook up and go public.”

  Max flinches while I quickly mutter, “That’s not true.”

  “Oh, please.” Latifa scoffs. “That’s so true. You’ve been on the hunt for your next girl ever since Toni left for Australia. You can’t help yourself. It’s just the way you are. It’s not bad. I mean, you always treat them well, but you hate being single. I just think Max should know what she’s getting into.”

  “No, you are trying to sabotage this because you’re threatened by her.”

  Latifa’s face flashes with annoyance. “I’m just telling her the truth.”

  “No, you’re not!” I stand up, gripping the neck of my guitar and trying to remain calm. “You’re trying to make me look bad so that she’ll run away and you can go back to your perfect little band of four.”

  “She’s not one of us, Cai! I don’t want her joining the band!”

  “I’m not.” Max comes between us. “I just told you I’m not good enough to play with you guys. Maybe I never will be. I’m learning guitar because music makes me happy. I’m not trying to step on anyone’s toes or get in anyone’s way.” Lifting the guitar strap over her head, she brushes between us and sets the guitar down where it usually lives.

  I glare at Latifa, still annoyed that she’s painting me in such a bad light. The feeling only gets worse when Max spins back around to get her bag.

  “And just so you know…Cairo’s not my boyfriend, so don’t worry about it.”

  Ouch.

  My entire body constricts as she hitches her bag onto her shoulder and makes a beeline for the door. Her zipper’s not closed and a few things spill free, but she doesn’t bother to turn around and collect them. Instead, she fists the top of her bag and runs out the door.

  “Max, wait!” I run to the door, but she’s already sprinting away. I doubt she’ll appreciate me causing a scene in the hallway. Not when the school is starting to fill up with students.

  Crouching down with a sigh, I pick up an empty granola bar packet, a blue pen and a balled-up piece of paper.

  “Sorry about that,” Latifa murmurs.

  I glare over my shoulder. “No you’re not.”

  She has the decency to look a little remorseful as I rise to my feet.

  “And for your information, she’s different, okay? I know I’ve gone out with a lot of girls since you and I broke up. But you have to admit she’s not like any of the others.”

  Latifa rolls her eyes and looks away from me.

  “Are you jealous or something?”

  “No.” She frowns, crossing her arms and scrunching in on herself.

  “Then what the hell were you trying to do just then?”

  Her arms drop to her sides as she looks to the floor. “She is different, okay? She’s distracting you. All the other girls you’ve been with…they’ve always come second to the band. This one doesn’t. She’s pulling you away from us.”

  “Tifa, I’m not quitting the band. I’m just rearranging the practice schedule so that I can make a little time for Max too. That’s not a bad thing. Maybe you should use that free time to start hanging out with Roman.” I give her a pointed look when she tries to open her mouth and argue that she’s not in love with him.

  After a short huff, she seals her lips and shakes her head. “Whatever. Just don’t miss practice this afternoon.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  We’re obviously both still annoyed with each other because she leaves without a word and I don’t bother saying goodbye. Slumping into the chair, I run a hand through my hair, still gutted that Max brushed me off like that.

  He’s not my boyfriend.

  I mean, I haven’t outright called her my girl, but I definitely thought we were heading that way. It sucks that she’s willing to let it go so easily just because Latifa was messing with her.

  I’m going to have to find her and try to set things right…if she’ll let me.

  Leaning back with a sigh, I open the balled-up sheet of paper, careful not to rip it. There are words scrawled all over the page.

  My heart goes still, my lips parting when I read them.

  They’re song lyrics…

  Is it just a dream, what I’m feeling?

  The magic in your eyes gets my heart racing

  Out of control, you’re a spell caster. I’m helpless.

  There is no potion that’s strong enough to break this spell.

  My lips twitch with a smile as I try to find a tune to put them to and then realize it must be for the song we were messing around with the other day.

  I hum the melody and then start singing the words to match.

  Holy crap! We wrote a song.

  Well, just a verse, but still.

  Max and I started this together.

  Yet more proof that she’s like no one I’ve ever gone out with before.

  I have to make her understand.

  She has to know how incredibly special she is.

  27

  No Potion

  MAX

  Club Matrix.

  Those two words have been seething in my head all day.

  I’m frickin’ annoyed.

  Of course Cairo always has a girlfriend. He probably can’t resist the torrent of charm they’re constantly throwing at him. He is a guy, after all. Don’t all of them think with their dicks instead of their heads?

  I thought he was different, though.

  He said he was a virgin. Did I read that wrong? Was he just playing it that way so I’d believe him?

  Ugh!

  This has put me in a really foul mood, although I guess it solves my lying to the parents thing. Like I’ll ever be taking guitar lessons with him again now that I know his real motivation.

  Shit.

  I’ve been fighting tears all day. None of them have fallen, but it’s been an effort.

  Thankfully Chloe’s been too distracted to really notice me. She’s been in dreamland all day, and when Mads asked her about it at lunch, she just coughed and said she’s tired.

  “Maybe you should slow down on all this volunteer stuff?” I suggested, ripping my whole-wheat bun in half and struggling to eat any of it.

  “No way.” She shook her head. “That’s the stuff I love the most. I’d rather do that than school.”

  “You need school in order to turn what you love into a career,” Maddie chi
ded, but she immediately lost focus when Holden joined us at the table.

  Chloe looked at them and then me, rolling her eyes and grinning. She’s obviously adjusting quite well to the Mads and Holden thing.

  I tapped her foot under the table and murmured, “Just take care of yourself, sis.”

  “Ditto.” She gave me a pointed look before glancing down at her food.

  I didn’t last long after that. Instead, I left the cafeteria early and went to the gym. Zane let me join in his game of basketball and I burned off some steam with the guys, the way I always used to.

  It should have made me feel better, but it didn’t.

  There’s still a rock in the pit of my stomach, this aching reality that’s telling me Cairo and guitar are over. I don’t know which hurts more.

  The final bell has rung and I’m due at baseball practice in a few minutes. I’m trying to psych myself up, to get ready to play my best, but it’s hard to shrug off this heavy lack of enthusiasm. I just feel sad, I guess.

  Flicking open my locker, I reach in to arrange my books when an envelope drops to the floor at my feet.

  With a curious frown, I rip it open and pull out three sheets of paper.

  The first is a letter, the second is a music score, and the last is my crumpled lyrics.

  Oh shit, they must have fallen out of my bag when I left the music room this morning. I’d only stuck them back in there the other day when Maddie was having a fit about the fact that I’m a messy slob.

  “When you miss the trash can, don’t just leave it on the floor!” She threw out my balled-up song lyrics and I quickly rescued them as soon as she left the room. But I hadn’t had a chance to look at them again.

  Now here they are, smoothed out and so obviously read.

  The paper shakes in my hand as I try to decide what to do. The letter is from Cairo. I shouldn’t read it, but my eyes betray me before I can stop them.

  Dear Max-a-million,

  I found these lyrics after you left this morning.

  I’m sorry about what happened. I really need to explain that, although Latifa told you some facts, she didn’t tell you the truth.

  You see, the truth is right here in the lyrics you’ve written.

  I tried to add some of my own, but they were all super lame. All I could do was write it out musically and add the chords in for us.

  I flick to the second sheet and notice my lyrics written beneath his notes. I smile before I can stop myself, emotions swamping me as I gaze down at our creation.

  I need you, Max. I need you to help me finish our song.

  If you’re willing to give me a chance, meet me tomorrow morning in the music room. I’ll be waiting for you.

  xx

  Cai

  Pressing the pages against my chest, I try and fail to still the trembling in my heart. He really is a spell caster and I’m helpless…hopeless.

  I can’t deny him.

  Making fists with my hands, I scurry down the quiet corridors to the practice studio. Uncle Conrad helped me out, saying he wanted to do some early morning baseball drills with me and was taking me to the batting cage before school.

  Dad was stoked and agreed without a second thought while Mom shoved a granola bar in my hand and made me promise to eat it.

  I’m not sure where Uncle Conrad’s going right now, but he dropped me off and waved goodbye with a little beep-beep of his horn.

  And now I’m free to find Cairo…and hear his side of the story.

  I’m nervous.

  What if I don’t like his side?

  What if he’s still taking me for a ride?

  Holding my breath, I enter the room. Cairo’s bent over his guitar, perfecting the music he wrote for me yesterday. Pulling the pencil out of his mouth, he scribbles out a note and writes something new.

  I wish I could read and write music the way he does.

  “Hey.” I clear my throat.

  He spins and gives me a relieved smile. “Hey, you.”

  “So, I’m here.”

  “Thank you.” His whispered words send tendrils of pleasure buzzing throughout my body.

  I cross my arms to fight the heady emotion. “This better be good, Cairo. I don’t just want to be one of your girls. You may be the first guy I’ve ever kissed, but I’m not going to let you play me.”

  He cringes and scrubs a hand down his face. “I don’t take girls to Club Matrix as a final test.” He sighs. “Latifa was just trying to piss you off.”

  “But you do take girls there.” I look down at the floor. “You’ve had a lot of girlfriends, haven’t you?”

  He cringes again and then nods. “Thing is, I like having a girlfriend because it keeps me off the market. That might sound dumb, but it protects me from all the girls who are always flirting and wanting a piece of me. I can’t walk into Club Matrix without being approached by someone who thinks I’ll want to get hot and heavy with them just because they tell me I’m sexy.” He rolls his eyes. “It drives me crazy. I go for the music, and if I already have a girl on my arm, all the other vipers leave me alone. All they ever want is to get in my pants or be seen with me because they think I’m some kind of rock star.”

  “Isn’t that what you are?” I cock my eyebrow at him.

  “No. I mean, I don’t want to be.”

  “Well, it kind of comes with the territory, don’t you think?”

  “It’s not about the fame,” he snaps. “It’s never been about that. It’s always the music. I love it, so I do it, despite the consequences.”

  His words are kind of inspiring, which pisses me off. He makes it sound so easy. Just grab a girl, grab a guitar…do what you want with your life.

  I huff and shake my head. “So you need a bodyguard, then? And you’ve picked me. Wow, I’m so honored.”

  His eyes narrow at my sarcasm. “You know it’s not like that.”

  I roll my eyes and look away from him to try and hide that he’s getting to me. “Whatever. I’m a tough tomboy. I can kick ass when I want to, so I’m the perfect choice. You’re a smart man.”

  “I’m a smart man because instead of walking away from you—which believe me, could be a hell of a lot easier—I’m still trying to fight for you.” He stands up, rests his guitar against his chair, and undoes me a few seconds later when he gets into my space. His fingers are gliding over my skin again. His body is right there. His whisper is kissing my skin. “And I’ll keep fighting for you because I love being around you, talking to you, playing guitar with you…kissing you.”

  One beat later his lips are on mine.

  I don’t have the will to push him away so I let him kiss me.

  Because I’m weak.

  Because I want him.

  Because there’s no potion to break this spell.

  28

  Burning Hot Ash

  CAIRO

  It’s finally Spring Break.

  A huge grin takes over my face as I glance in the mirror and finish getting ready for Club Matrix tonight.

  I can’t believe how fast the last two weeks have gone. Between band practice, guitar lessons and schoolwork, life is insane.

  I’ve been trying to steal moments with Max whenever I can, but she’s still adamant about keeping it all a secret. It’s kind of annoying, but her Uncle Conrad is helping her out most of the time.

  Still, I want to be able to be with her whenever, without all this secrecy crowding us out. It’s hard to deny the mounting tension it creates, and I’m worried it will come to a breaking point eventually.

  I don’t want to lose her, and I worry about what her future’s going to look like if she can’t tell her father the truth. She can’t go to college and play baseball. She should be studying music!

  Man, I’d love for her to come to Berkeley with me. We could study music together. It’d be all kinds of amazing.

  We could hang out whenever we wanted, and not have to worry about sneaking around.

  Thank God for tonight. I can’t wait
to go to Club Matrix, to hear Mario play and forget about the outside world for a little while. It’ll be our first real date since that Saturday she spent with me.

  Combing my hands through my hair, I nod at my reflection before heading into my room to grab my stuff and go.

  My phone dings on my nightstand and as soon as I spot Max’s message on the screen, my heart sinks.

  Can’t come. SO sorry. This sucks!

  I don’t bother texting back. Instead, I call.

  Yeah, it might piss her off and put her in an awkward position, but I’m sick of this. When is she going to stand up and claim me already?

  She answers the phone after three rings, her voice an urgent whisper, “I’m at home. Why are you calling me?”

  “Why can’t you come?”

  She sighs. “Uncle Conrad’s bailed on me. He was supposed to be taking me out for dinner and he just hasn’t shown up. I don’t know where he is and he won’t reply to my texts or answer my calls. Mom’s in a foul mood because she’s lost her diamond earrings and Dad’s feral because Mom’s insisting he do more to help her and now they’re arguing about work and it’s…it’s shit, okay? I don’t know how I’m going to get out of the house. My dad will want to know where I’m going and it’s just…it’s awkward.”

  “Let me come and pick you up, then. I’ll introduce myself, I’ll—”

  “No way, are you crazy? He’ll take one look at you and boot you out the door.”

  “Your sister’s dating Holden. He’s cool with that.”

  “Only just. And besides, Holden is golden. You are a rock star. There’s a big difference.”

  I roll my eyes, still annoyed that arrogant jocks are seen in a better light than nice guys who just happen to perform at nightclubs. “You need to ask for your sisters’ help. They’ll understand.”

  “Chloe’s out with Rahn and she’s taken the car.”

  “What about Maddie?”

  She makes a whining noise in her throat. “Shit, Cai, I’ve been sneaking off for so long and lying to her. She’ll be super pissed.”