by Shandi Boyes
Jenni’s chest rises and falls three times before she pushes out, “I was leaving a message for Nick.”
Nick? Nick who?
My eyes dart between hers as my brain runs through all the names she’s introduced me to her first six months at college. Nick is a common name, but I’m reasonably sure she hasn’t mentioned one.
When guilt mars her beautiful face, the truth smacks into me. She’s not talking about a new Nick; she’s referring to Noah’s Nick. I thought they hadn’t been in contact since the night they danced up a storm at the Dungeon.
“Nick, as in Nick from Rise Up Nick?” I sound stupid, but there are plenty of Nicks in the world, so maybe I’m mistaken.
When she fidgets with her skirt, I realize I’ve hit the nail on the head.
“How long?”
I grimace when my question comes out more sternly than I expected. It can’t be helped. We pinkie promised back in kindergarten that we’d never keep secrets from each other, so I’m somewhat upset about her deceit.
The pain intensifies when she murmurs, “A while.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Everything I’ve been dealing with the past four weeks, you’ve been going through as well, except you’re not just deceiving the public, you’re lying to me, your supposed best friend.”
My words hurt her, but they don’t stop her from saying, “I wanted to tell you, Em, I just couldn’t.”
Guilt sits heavily on my chest when tears splash down her cheeks. This is also not like her. She’s always been the strong one of our duo, so to say I’m fearful of her tears isn’t an overreaction.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped.” I want to engulf her in a big hug, but her car is too compact for that. Instead, I rub my thumb over her hand clutching mine. “I just wish you felt comfortable talking to me. We were so close before college. I don’t want distance to change that.”
“We are close. This is just... hard.” Pain scours her beautiful face as she struggles to lessen her sobs. “I love him, Em, but I can’t be with him, and it's killing me inside.”
My heart bleeds for her. “Why can’t you be with him? If he is who you want, why can’t you love him?”
Hiccups separate her words. “It’s...complicated.”
When she rests her head on my shoulder, I comfort her the best I can in the tight confines of her car. “It’s okay. I promise you everything happens for a reason. It’ll work out.”
When I add to my assurance without words, my mind wanders to Noah. He is around Nick a lot more than me, so he may have more of an idea of what’s going on.
Just as quickly as Jenni’s tears arrived, they leave. She pops her head off my shoulder before clearing away the mascara stains marking her cheeks, then her eyes float up to mine. “I can’t talk about what’s happening right now, but when I can, I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”
I want to help her, but she’s as stubborn as a mule. Instead, I nod. I’m worried, but the best thing I can do is be there when she needs me. I learned the hard way what happens when you force someone to open up. I won’t make the same mistake twice.
“When you need me, call me. I don’t care if it's the middle of the night or during class. If you need me, I’ll be there for you no matter what.”
A heartbreaking sob ripples from Jenni’s lips, its robust vibrations almost drowning out two words I never expected her to speak: “I’m pregnant.”
My pupils enlarge to the size of dinner plates, but before half my shock can be absorbed, Jenni adds more sauce to the plate. “Nick can’t find out, so you can’t tell Noah. Promise me, Em, promise me you won’t tell Noah.”
I stare at her, shocked. She doesn’t understand the pledge she’s asking me to make. I’ve never lied to Noah, so I don’t know if I can keep this from him.
“Please, Emily. I know it’s asking a lot, but once you know all the details, you’ll understand why Nick can’t know about our baby.” She stares me straight in the eyes, killing my hesitation with a pair of glistening baby blues I’ve known for almost fifteen years. “Please, Em.”
I hate what I’m about to do, but I have to trust she knows what she's doing. She wouldn’t ask me to keep quiet unless it was extremely important.
“I promise I won’t tell Noah.”
Chapter 29
Noah
Cormack rests his elbows on the table, his excitement uncontained. “As you guys are already aware, “Hollow” and “Surrender Me” have secured radio airtime the past two weeks. If that isn’t already exciting, “Surrender Me” is currently sitting at number sixty-eight on the Billboard charts, and “Hollow” is closely riding its coattails.”
A grin curls on my lips. I’ve been monitoring the Billboard charts daily with the hope of seeing our songs in thick black ink. I can still recall the excitement I felt when “Surrender Me” made it to the ninety-nine spot two weeks ago. “Hollow” is following quickly behind, but only just entered the charts at number ninety-eight earlier today.
“Getting two songs onto the charts so quickly is impressive, but we need to expand on it. After schmoozing some contacts in the industry, Delilah arranged a handful of radio interviews along the West Coast over the next six weeks. Things will be hectic, but we need to ride this wave all the way to the shore.”
I swivel my chair to face the guys. Excitement is beaming out of them. Marcus slaps my shoulder as Slater and Nick high-five each other. If that isn’t proof of the electricity firing in the air, you’ll never be convinced. That’s the first time I’ve seen them interact positively in over three years. Good things are coming. I can feel it.
Some of the happiness is stripped from my face when Cormack says, “Delilah will travel with the band. Her role will be to ensure you represent not only the record company to the best of your ability, but yourselves as well.”
He hands us our schedule for the next two months. He’s right; it does seem brutal, but I agree we’ve got to milk this cow for all it’s worth. Although a majority of our schedule is blacked out, I’m stoked to see most Sundays are clear, meaning I’ll still have my weekends with Emily.
Emily called just before I entered our meeting. I could tell she was crying. It wasn’t because of her voice; it's the short intakes of breath between sobs that give it away. I was glad to find out they were happy tears from hearing us on the radio. Delilah screwed up her nose when I asked Emily if she was okay, but mercifully, she held in her snarky comment. It’s been a day of miracles on all accounts.
Although I’m going along with the record company’s ruse that I’m single, I made sure they know without doubt that I’ll never break up with Emily, and that this situation is only temporary. Cormack seems to have gotten the message, but Delilah is a little slow on the uptake.
“If you have any questions, please come see me. If not, I’ll see you boys bright and early Monday morning.” Delilah mimics Cormack’s movements when he rises from his seat. “Enjoy your weekend, boys, as things are about to get a little bit crazy.”
Marcus waits for them to exit the room before he throws his fist in the air. “Here it is! Everything we’ve been waiting for is just outside those doors!”
Slater slaps his shoulder before backing up his excitement. “Now let’s go blow out the cobwebs before we're stuck smelling each other’s stinky socks for the next two months.”
The ruckus we make as we exit Destiny Records makes it seem as if our song hit number one overnight. We’re loud and vocal, and not the least bit sorry about it.
Who has time to feel regret? We have the perfect weekend planned. The boys and I rented a beachside cabin for three nights. We’ve got booze, friends, and enough food to feed an army. I can’t fucking wait.
Usually, Emily and I spend her college breaks together, but with the studio needing me to lay down new tracks, our time was cut short, so I’m more than itching to get her alone for a night or three.
An hour or two later, Nick and I pull into the cabin we rented. His place isn’t
too far from here, but for some reason, he asked to drive here with me. He’s been a little weird since his outburst a few weeks ago. I’ve tried several times to get him to talk to me, but he keeps telling me to shut the fuck up, that it was nothing, and that he's fine.
I even went as far as offering for him to bring his girlfriend here with us. He was quick to shoot that down as well. I’m not sure what is going on with him, but I hope he gets over it soon. He’s miserable to be around lately, and that’s saying something. Slater’s normally the only grumpy grouch in our quartet.
As I slide out of my truck, I scan the cabin. It's an exact match to the pictures online. A massive wrap-around porch surrounds all four sides, and there's a loveseat hanging on the front veranda. A set of wooden stairs on our right lead to the white sandy beach below. Even though I have fond memories of Bronte’s Peak from my early days with Emily, we’ll spend a majority of our weekend in the infinity pool. It’s heated, and when swimming in it, it’ll seem as if we have the entire ocean at our feet.
My eyes stray from the fire pit to Nick when he asks, “What time did Emily say she and Jenni were arriving?”
“Should be any minute...” My words trail off when tires crunching over gravel sound through my ears. A smirk curves my lips when Jenni’s BMW turns into the pebbled driveway. “Here they are.”
Who knew three little words could cause such panic? For how fast Nick’s face pales, anyone would swear I told him the dads of all the girls he’s screwed are hunting him down. He’s got no reason to be nervous. He and Jenni met at the Dungeon nightclub over a year ago. Emily told me they hit it off, so I'm at a loss as to why he’s so rattled. Perhaps he heard about how I ratted him out all those months ago?
“You alright?”
Nick jerks up his chin. “Yeah, I’m good.” He throws a case of beer onto his shoulder “Better get these inside before they get hot.”
He darts for the cabin so quickly, his feet kick up more dust than Jenni’s car coming to a stop. Noticing the girls are in deep conversation, I hang to the side, not wanting to interrupt them.
It’s a good ten or so minutes before Emily cranks open her door. She greets me in her usual way—by throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tight—but something seems off with her. She’s more skittish than usual.
“What’s going on?”
When she burrows her head into my chest, I take a step back. My breath hitches when my eyes zoom in on the red, puffy rings circling her eyes. She’s been crying. She was teary when she heard our song on the radio, but that was nearly an hour ago.
“Em...?” My silence asks more questions than my words ever could.
Her lips quiver as she begins to speak, “I’m fine; I’ve just missed you, that’s all.”
When she returns to nuzzling my chest, I swing my eyes to Jenni. She’s emerged from her car, but is standing frozen just inside her hanging-open door.
“What’s going on?” I mouth to her.
She shrugs before skirting past us to enter the cabin with the speed Nick used only minutes ago. I’ve only interacted with her when Emily is around, but I still know her well enough to know when she is lying.
Anger envelops me as horrible notion after horrible notion fills my head. “Did someone hurt you? Are you hurt?!”
I don’t mean to yell at her, but I need to know why she's upset, and I need to know now!
“No. I’m fine.” She’d have more chance of me believing her if she weren’t shaking so much. Recognizing I’m seconds from going on a rampage, she tries to settle my agitation. “I’m upset, but not because anything happened to me.” Worry bristles in her eyes as her teeth rake her lower lip. “I promised not to say anything. Please don’t make me break my promise.”
Although I hate that she’s upset, I can’t demand she break someone else’s secret when I’m keeping ones of my own. "It's alright; you don't need to tell me. As long as you're not hurt, I’m fine with you keeping your promise.”
She stiffens as her breathing levels, shocked I’ve given in so easily. She’s also suspicious. "I want to tell you; I just can't.”
“I know.” It’s the same for me. I’ve been struggling for months not to share Jacob’s secret with her. It’s not like we’re intentionally lying to each other. We’re just being good friends to the people trapped outside of the bubble we’ve lived in the past thirteen months. “But I can’t handle any more tears, Em. You’ve got to put them away for the rest of the weekend.”
Giggling, she nods before sweeping her hands across her cheeks. Once they’re moisture-free, she lifts her glistening eyes to mine. “Better?”
“Much.”
I tighten my grip on her petite body before nibbling on her lips. This weekend is about letting go of the bigger picture and appreciating what’s in front of you. My entire world is standing before me, but we’re letting others come between us. Not anymore. For the rest of the weekend, it’s just us.
Emily’s brow quirks when I step back, curl my hand around hers, then guide her toward the entrance of the cabin. “Where are we going?”
“I thought we should get a head start on christening each room before the rest of the gang gets here.”
She slaps my chest, but her pace doesn’t slow.
Thank fuck.
After testing out every solid surface of the master suite and attached bathroom, Emily and I spend our afternoon and night with our friends. We fired up the grill to cook hot dogs before enjoying the star-filled sky. It’s been a perfect start to our weekend—even better than I was hoping.
As I glance around the table we're sitting at, my heart beats out a tune I’ve never heard before. It belongs to a content man.
Directly on my right is Slater and his current squeeze, Kylie. Kylie’s mousy-brown hair sits just below her shoulders. Tiny freckles adorn her nose, and her red cotton dress and brown boots are an odd combination to see sitting across from Slater. A hardcore biker paired with a humble cowgirl should seem odd, but they get along really well.
Marcus is on my left. He arrived alone like usual, although he’s had no issues chatting up Nicole most of the night. Nick vanished not too long ago. I think he went to check on Jenni. She left the table citing an upset tummy as an excuse for an early night. I hope she’s not coming down with something. Neither the band nor Emily has time for her germs.
Sitting next to Marcus is Emily. I’ve been stalking her all night like a creep. I still can’t believe someone as perfect as her will be my wife. I must have been a good man in another life because nothing I’ve done this lifetime renders me worthy of her.
My stalking ramps up when Emily’s giggle jingles into my ears. She has a beautiful smile, but she's self-conscious of it. When she thinks she’s smiling too big, she covers her mouth with her hand. The only good thing that comes from her insecurity is the hues of light her diamond ring bounces across the table.
Last weekend, I took Emily to the jewelry store to pick out a new engagement ring. Our royalty checks are slowly rolling in, meaning I could keep the promise I made to her when I proposed.
Not only did she blatantly refuse every ring I suggested, but she also cried when I steered her toward a pink three-carat princess cut masterpiece—and not in a good way. She said the only ring she wanted was the one she had, and that the size of the diamond didn’t represent how much I loved her.
I’m ecstatic she loves the ring. I picked it because the infinity symbols on the sides reveal how long our love will last. Two souls joined together for eternity. I have a lifetime to spoil her, so I can live with her keeping her small, dainty ring if that’s what makes her happy.
My attention shifts from all the non-monetary ways I can spoil her when a screen door slamming shut booms through my ears. Looking over at the cabin, I spot Nick storming out. His face is taut; he seems both angry and in pain.
Emily shoots up from her seat, mouths, “I love you,” then dashes into the cabin.
She’s barely out of view whe
n shattering glass fills the silence of the night. I crank my neck to the noise, my mouth gaping when I realize what is going on. Nick is swinging a baseball bat at Jenni’s BMW as if he’s receiving pitches at home plate.
What the fuck?!
I dive out of my seat and sprint to his side. His face is lined with anger I didn’t know someone as easygoing as him had, and his veins are bulging with furious adrenaline. With a grunt, he swings his bat into Jenni’s headlight. It crumples like tissue paper being dunked into a glass of water.
“What the fuck are you doing?! Stop!”
Ignoring me, he lines up his bat with the driver’s side window. He isn’t as big as the rest of us, but he spears his bat through the window without breaking into a sweat.
As he moves to the rear driver’s side of the car, the muscles in his arms flex as violently as his jaw clenches. “They can’t do this! I won’t let them!”
When the window shatters beyond repair, my eyes drift to Slater, wordlessly requesting he give me a hand. He shakes his head, cautious of Nick's unprecedented violence, but not enough to put an end to it.
Air snags halfway down my throat when I shift my eyes back to Nick. Tears are streaming down his face. I’ve never seen him cry. Not once. Not even when Slater knocked him out with one hit.
“They can’t force her to do it!” His words are more brittle than the glass covering his shoes. “They have no say in what she does! It’s her fucking body!”
When he lifts the bat, preparing to take another swing, I charge for him. A grunt ripples through my lips when I hit his torso with the same force he used on Jenni’s car the past five minutes. We land on the ground with a thud, my hit enough to dislodge the bat from his grip.
It also steals the air from my lungs. I roll off him, wheezing. "What the fuck, Nick?"
I probably shouldn’t have charged at him so hard, but I needed to take him down mid-swing so he didn’t knock my head off. I’ve never seen him lose control like this. He’s the easy-going one, the goofball who cruises through life, but now something — or someone — has screwed with his head.