Chapter Twelve
Brody
I’d spent the day feeling hung over and sorry for myself. Talon was irritated with me, and Brax and Dane seemed to be at a loss for what to say. I missed Landry, but it didn’t make me pick up the phone. I was in a shit mood, and I couldn’t seem to shake it. I didn’t know how I felt or what I was supposed to do. Talon was right, which sucked. I didn’t want Travis around Landry. I didn’t want her to have to deal with him for the next eighteen years. But did that equate with me stepping in, no matter who the baby’s father was? Was that even my place? Was that what she wanted from me? Did I want her to want that from me?
I couldn’t answer my own questions; how the hell was I supposed to answer hers? I surfed for hours, then I’d played the drums until my arms ached. But nothing was bringing me clarity. The answers didn’t magically appear in the waves, I couldn’t hear the right choice in the beat of the music. I felt lost.
“You’re bringing down the vibe of the house, you know that, right?” T plopped on the couch next to me, munching on an apple. The guy actually ate an apple a day to keep the doctor away. Germ freak.
“The last thing I need is more shit from you.” I’d gotten my yearly quota in one day. And I still couldn’t figure out why he was being such a dick.
“No can do.” He took another chunk out of his fruit, chomping loudly. “I’m your best friend, it’s my job.”
“I think as my best friend, your job should be to help me through all this. Not make me feel like a piece of shit at every turn.” I was pouting. I felt like I’d earned it.
He rolled his eyes. “If what I’m saying has been making you feel like a piece of shit, maybe that’s your answer right there.”
“That my best friend is an asshole?” I sent him a sarcastic smirk.
“No. That you’re ashamed of the way you’re acting.” He took one more bite and then tossed the core into the sink, sinking a three-pointer with a loud clank. “You think this is hard for you, it’s harder for Landry.”
“Look. I don’t need another lecture from you, okay? I can’t handle it, not right now. I’ve been wracking my brain all day trying to figure out how I’d feel about the baby if it was Travis’s and—”
“And that’s your problem right there.” Talon got to his feet, looking down at me, making me feel like a child. “Stop thinking about it like that. Stop thinking about the baby and start thinking about its mother. Landry. The girl you’ve been falling for over the last month. These were your words, not three days ago: My life will never be the same from having her in it.” He did an air mic drop like a loser and then walked away.
Fuck me.
Today sucked almost as much as yesterday.
***
“Brody. What the flying fuck was wrong with you tonight? You played like utter shit. You were either too fast or too slow.” Luke wasn’t nearly as happy after watching tonight’s rehearsal as he was last night. Not that I could blame him. As he said, I played like utter shit. “You threw both your guitarists off and Brax fumbled a verse trying to keep up. What gives?”
“I don’t know. Sorry, man.” I took a deep breath then let it out loudly. “I, uh, I’ll do better tomorrow. Promise.”
“He’s okay, Luke, we all have off days.” Dane glanced at me then back to the holo-image.
Luke shook his head. “Not this close to a freaking sold-out tour.” At his words we all looked around at each other and then to Luke again. His smile was all the conformation we needed.
“Holy shit. We’re sold out.” Brax clapped his hands once then high-fived Dane.
“Yep, received word a few hours ago. So you better help your drummer pull his head out of his ass.” Luke’s narrowed eyes fell to me again.
Talon scoffed then mumbled, “If his head was up his own ass we wouldn’t be having this problem.”
Luke moved his head forward and to the right, like he was trying to see around Dane to look at Talon. “What was that?”
“Nothing, man. We’ll get it together, no worries.” Talon shot me a mean side eye, and I flipped him the bird.
“Hey, Talon, I actually need a favor from you. You got a minute? It’s about my niece Landry.” Luke made eye contact with the rest of the crew. “You guys mind giving us some privacy?”
“Sure man, no problem.” Brax and Dane headed out, and I made like I was leaving, but I walked around behind the computer projecting the holo-image. Sure, if Luke turned around, he’d see me, but there was no reason for him to; he was focused on Talon. And as pissed as Talon was with me, I knew he wouldn’t alert Luke to the fact I was listening in on their conversation.
Although he did send me a little glare before crossing his arms over his chest and addressing Luke. “Okay man, we’re alone. What’s up with Landry?”
“Well, first of all, she’s pregnant.”
Talon made his eyes go wide, giving Luke the impression that he was surprised at the news. “Oh, wow, that’s exciting for her.”
I heard Luke chuckle lightly. “Exciting and terrifying, the staples of every first-time parent. But she’s all alone in this and I’m worried about her. The baby’s father isn’t in the picture, and she works long hours.” There was a short pause. “Would you mind checking in on her? Jacks said he talked to her earlier today and she looked terrible. I think she needs a friend.”
Talon’s gaze darted to me then back to Luke. “Of course, not a problem. Is she at home or still at the hospital?”
“She’s at home, she took a sick day. Her parents said she wasn’t doing well.” Another pause. “They said it looked like she’d been crying. Landry is a tough cookie, and she’s refusing our help. She’s hell bent on doing this on her own. And she can, I know she can. But she’d doesn’t have to. That’s what family is for, right?” We’d heard it a hundred times—RiffRaff Records was all about family, your chosen family.
“Right.” Talon pulled his cell from his pocket and waved it at the screen. “I’ll shoot her a text right now.”
“Thanks, Talon, you’re a good guy.”
The holo-image blinked out, and Talon shoved his phone back in his pocket then grabbed his messenger bag from the top of the studio’s piano. “All right, bro. See ya later.” He maneuvered the long, worn leather strap over his head and onto his shoulder.
“Where are you going?” I stepped to the right, blocking his path to the exit.
“Uh, I’m going to check on Landry like Luke asked me to.” He moved to the left, attempting to get around me.
“Like hell you are.” I blocked him again and he sighed in annoyance.
“Get out of my way, Brody. Luke asked me to check on his niece, and I’m going to do it. You heard him. She took a sick day. Obviously she’s not doing real well right now. She needs a friend, she needs someone to be there for her, and I’m not going to leave her hanging.”
“No way.” I shook my head. “If any man is going to ‘be there’ for my girl, it’s going to be me.”
Talon cocked a brow. “Really? But what if the baby isn’t yours? I mean you still don’t know how you feel about that whole situation.”
“I’m not going for the baby, I’m going for Landry.”
“Oh.” Talon rolled his eyes, smacking himself in the forehead. “That makes sense. Being there for Landry while she’s going through some rough shit doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not you’re her kid’s father.”
“Asshole.” I nodded, grabbing my backpack from the floor and tossing it over my shoulder. “Exactly.”
He scoffed and I was pretty sure he called me a dumb prick under his breath. I followed him out, waving to the security guard, letting him know we were the last ones and he could lock up.
When we got to the parking lot Talon’s car door opened on its own then started up. “What are you going to say to her? After last night, she might not let you in.”
I sighed as I tossed my backpack onto my passenger seat. “I don’t know. I guess I need to convince her that I’ll be there for her. That she can count on me.”
“Can she?”
“I should’ve never left last night. I didn’t want to go. I was confused and in shock. I did everything wrong.” I hopped in my car. “But I know how to make it right.”
I’d never be anyone’s first choice for their daughter, or their niece. And I was fine with that. Generally, I was happy with who I was. But hearing Luke ask Talon to check on Landry, to be the friend she needed, had pissed me off. No doubt, Talon was a great guy. Responsible, kind, and easy-going.
But Landry was my girl.
And I’d be damned if I was going to let Luke push her into someone else’s arms.