Chapter Three:
Emerson
“Alright all you lazy fucks back there, we’re here.” I hear Cade’s booming voice announce as the van comes to a stop.
There is a lot of groaning, shifting, stretching, and overall irritability coming from the rest of the band who took the liberty of sleeping, minus Spencer, who is an insomniac. I don’t think he sleeps more than a couple of hours a night.
The van doors are opened, and a cool breeze seeps through. I yawn, my eyes are blurry. I’m groggy tired; I hate road trips and I’m annoyed that I was forced on this trip. I could be in my bed right now drinking a glass of wine, but instead, I’m here with my brother and his friends.
I mean, it’s different for me because I am Cade’s sister. In a way, I get special treatment from his buddies, but it also sucks because it’s like having five overprotective big brothers rather than one. Not that Cade is much older than me; he was only born eight minutes earlier.
Once I am out of the van, I take in their venue for the gig tonight. “Wow, you guys really chose a classy place here, didn’t ya?” I mock as my eyes rove over the bars on the windows.
“Actually, you’re about to eat your words because this is one of my most favorite venues to play at in Washington,” Geo says with a smirk.
“Really?” I turn around, my stare leaving the front of the venue, shifting to Geo’s dark skin and black hair.
He stops unloading and then pulls out his phone from his back pocket. “Check it out,” he says quickly initiating a Google search of the place. He hands the phone over to me when the image results load. “It’s like a Speakeasy inside, and they have an outdoor backyard area that is a fun place to hangout. Every time I’ve ever been here, it’s been a packed house and a fun show.”
I smile at him, handing the phone back. “I take it back then. I can’t wait to see inside.” Geo nods and then goes back to the task at hand.
“What can I do? How can I help?” I ask Braxton as he passes by carrying band equipment.
“You can leave this job up to the men, we wouldn’t want you to mess up your manicure,” he jokes snidely.
I huff, my cheeks reddening. Looking down at my fingernails, I’m actually ashamed of what they look like. I’ve never been one for flashy things and honestly, growing up with Cade, I ended up more of a tomboy than anything else. I mean, besides my long hair, I am the least high-maintenance girl I know. I don’t wear makeup, minus a little eyeliner, mascara, and blush. You’re lucky if you catch me in a dress and heels, and I don’t mind getting down and dirty. It’s all a testament to the tragedy I had to overcome at such a young age and just how quickly I had to grow up… but if he’s going to be an ass about it, then I’m not going to lift a finger, just like he suggested.
I grab my small purse and throw the strap over my body. Glancing one more time at the awning with the name of the venue, I begin trudging in the opposite direction.
“Hey, where ya going?” I hear a voice shout from behind me. I don’t have to turn around to know that it’s not Cade asking, so there’s no reason to answer. Instead, I flip a bird and hope that it’s enough to answer their question.
“Ouch, Em, I thought we were friends,” Braxton calls out to my back. I ignore him. It’s the nature of our relationship. We each give each other crap, but at the end of the day, I know he’d have my back. They all would.
***
After a couple of hours exploring Washington on my own, I return to the venue an hour before the show is to begin. There is a handsome devil stationed out front smoking a cigarette. His eyes watch me approach, taking in my oversized gray sweatshirt and blue jeans. He has dark, long hair with tattoos on display all over his arms and neck. His long hair is slicked back, and he is wearing a black band t-shirt and skin-tight black jeans.
“You here for the show tonight?” he asks, motioning with his head toward the black front door of the venue.
I nod. “You could say that.” I approach him slowly. “My brother is in one of the bands playing tonight.”
This seems to pique his interest. “Oh, yeah?” he asks as his gray-blue eyes light up. “Which one?”
“Um, The Deafening Silence,” I answer, fidgeting with my hands inside my sweatshirt pocket.
“No shit?” the handsome stranger responds. “What’s his name?”
I pull one of my hands out and run it through my long blond hair uncomfortably. I’ve never done so well with flirting because I’ve never gotten a chance before. Most of the time Cade or his buddies ruin my chances, so I stopped trying a long time ago. “Cade.”
He laughs, blowing out smoke from his lungs and then drops the cigarette he’s holding to the ground. “I’m Aiden; I’m in The Glass Houses, we asked The Deafening Silence to be on this tour with us. After we had them open for us back in Portland, it just felt right.”
“Yeah,” I reply, “I remember that show. It was a fun night.”
“You were there?” he asks surprised as he leads us both into the venue.
I nod my head. “Yeah, I’ve been to every one of their shows.”
Aiden looks me up and down, making me self-conscious in my lackluster choice of clothing. “What’s your name?”
“Emerson.” I can feel multiple pairs of eyes on me before we are even ten feet into the venue. It’s something I’ve become accustomed to.
“Em.” I hear Cade call out for me from the side of the stage. He gives me a ‘what gives?’ look, but I don’t want to be rude.
Aiden glances at Cade, nodding at him before he walks off.
I saunter over to Cade, already annoyed with his brotherly antics.
“What was that all about?” he asks, watching Aiden like a hawk.
I shrug. “Nothing, we just met outside.”
Braxton walks up to us, giving me the same look Cade did.
“Oh, come on!” I throw my hands in the air for effect. “I didn’t fuck him if that’s what you want to know,” I say bluntly.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Cade says, covering his ears. “First of all, you’re sick. Secondly, if he put his hands on you in any way, I’d kill him. I’d tear his balls off one by one and then make him eat them for dinner. Don’t play with me, Em.” His eyes are becoming manic, his skin color growing red.
“Calm down, Dad,” I say, knowing that it might be too low of a jab. “Nothing happened. I know the rules – no boyfriends until I’m free of you. Got it.” I can’t help myself, it’s flowing freely out of my mouth like word-vomit. I turn on my heel and march my way back toward the front door I came through.
“Where the hell are you going?” Cade’s voice booms behind me.
I turn around slightly. “Out. I’ll be back to hitch a ride to the next town.”
Cade’s eyes are wide with panic and I know I’m taking it a little too far. I’ve never missed one of his shows before.
“You’ve never missed any of our shows before,” he says softly, almost defeated; our twin connection kicking in.
I nod. “There’s a first time for everything. Plus, it’ll be good for us to spend a few hours apart.” I wink at him before glancing at an equally shocked Braxton and then heading through the door.