19: SISTERS
Amazingly, Sophia still wants me to play her wedding. The plan is to use Limelight as a cover, so I crash on the couch and give Jesse Everett a ring with my brand-new phone.
“Hey, man. How’s life since the tour?” I ask when he answers.
“Better than yours. I don’t have a rap sheet.”
I smirk. “Yeah, well, I don’t either. Mila Taylor, man.”
“Is any of it true?”
“Just that I left Tracing Holland. The band is still intact. Holland is hiring Sylvie’s new boyfriend.”
“Wait, Shandor?”
“You know him?”
“Yeah. Met him at the Bahamas gig. Cool dude. Guy can play. Total flamenco vibe.”
“Flamenco? Holland will have fun with that.”
Jesse laughs. “I’m sure if he can play like that, he can manage the rock thing. Plus, she’s got Luke and NSB behind her.” Apparently cringes are audible. “Shit. Sorry.”
“It’s cool. I’m over that. Bigger shit on my plate right now.”
“Obviously. What’s your next move?”
“That’s why I’m calling.”
“You want in on Limelight?”
“Ha! No, dude. I wouldn’t do that to you. Remember my sister Sophia?”
“How could I forget? Did she like the swag?”
“Loved it. Listen, I’ll save you the background drama, but can you pretend you’re playing her wedding in April if it comes up?”
“Um… sure?”
“I know. Totally messed up, but she wants me to play and our family would freak. Everyone would with what’s going on right now. Better that they think it’s you, then we show up last minute.”
“Makes sense. We got your back. Hey, does she want us to play it for real?”
“Seriously?”
“Wouldn’t that be better? You can still do your thing, but we’ll play too. Then we’re officially booked.”
“I’ll ask her. I have a feeling she will lose her shit.”
“In a good way?”
“In a ‘never mind, big bro, I only want them’ kind of way.”
“Sweet. We’re in. I’ll talk to the guys.”
“Dude, you’re the best.”
“You got it, man. Mila Taylor is on my shitlist too.”
“Wait, did she go after you too?”
“Eh, we’ll talk about it another time. Let’s just say, right now your sister’s wedding might be our biggest show this spring.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Jess. You guys are legit.”
“Whatever. Hey, I’ve gotta run, but it’s been good catching up. Send me the details.”
“You got it.”
I swear, the universe is confusing as fuck sometimes.
∞∞∞
I’m rewarded with an ear-splitting shriek for my announcement that our Limelight lie is now the truth. It’s going to be the “best wedding ever,” according to my sister, although the band’s instant availability isn’t as much of a surprise to Sophia as it was to me. She’s aware of Jesse’s clash with Mila Taylor. Apparently, it’s now a public feud since he made the rookie mistake of fighting back. I’ll have to address that with him at some point.
“You’re still doing my processional, right?” she asks.
“Is that what you want?”
“Duh.”
“Then I guess that’s a yes. Hannah and I are working on something.”
“Hang on. Hannah Drake?”
“Yes.”
“Wes... really?”
“What? I thought you liked Hannah.”
“I freaking love her. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to be spending so much time with her.”
“Why not?”
More silence. “Well… gah! I can’t tell you.”
“Tell me what? Come on, Soph.”
“Fine. Wes, she’s had the biggest crush on you for, like, ever.”
The snort escapes before I can stop it.
“That’s not funny! I’m serious. She’s an amazing person and… Don’t say anything. She’ll kill me.”
“Sophie, relax.”
“This is serious, Wes. She’s not the kind to play around.”
“I know, okay? I know.”
“You know? About her feelings?”
“Yeah. Look, enough good people have been dragged into my thing. Just trust that it’s fine if Hannah and I perform together at your wedding.”
“Wait, are you dating her?”
“Sophia…”
“What? Are you?”
“No.” I clear my throat. “Not officially,” I add because by her silence, she doesn’t believe me anyway.
“Oh my gosh. Have you slept with her?”
“Sorry, gotta go. Oven’s beeping. My brownies are done.”
“Bullshit!” she laughs.
“What? I bake now that I have so much free time.”
“You bastard!”
“I wish.”
“Fine. Keep me in the dark. I’ll just have to get it from Hannah.”
“You better not. She’s going through some major shit too. She doesn’t need more drama. I’m trying to protect her.”
“Of course you are.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s what you do, Wes.”
“Huh?”
“It’s your excuse.”
I shake my head and consider hanging up on my sister for the first time in my life. “Excuse for what?”
“Excuse to ignore your own issues. You define yourself by pouring all your energy into other people. The problem is, it’s not your job and it blinds you. It’s why you cross lines.”
“How the fuck did we get to this?”
“Don’t get mad. I’m just being honest. Hannah is my friend, and you’re my brother. I love you both, and I just don’t see this ending well. You’re going to go all superhero on her perfect ass.”
“I’m hanging up now.” Although her ass is perfect.
“You know I’m right. All I’m saying is you need to keep your head on this time, okay? Don’t do anything in her name that she wouldn’t want you to do.”
“Like?”
“Punch her boyfriend in the face?”
I let out a grunt.
“I love you, bro. I want you to be happy. But that’s not going to happen if you keep wanting to control everyone around you.”
“Wow. You’re welcome for booking Limelight for you.”
“Oh, stop. Go brood and punch something. Later tonight, you’ll think back on this and know I’m right.”
Whatever. “Are you inviting Luke?”
“No, but I’m sure he’ll be Holland’s plus one.”
I sigh. “I swear, that dude …”
“That dude could be your brother-in-law one day at the rate you’re going. Ever think of that?”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Exactly. You better figure it out.”
∞∞∞
Once again, the universe decides to screw with me. I’ve barely had time to process Sophia’s speech before I get a message from Holland. She’s in town. She wants to meet. Is Luke with her? Yeah.
I almost call Sophia next to see if she had anything to do with it, but it’s Hannah’s number that I dial.
“Holland’s in town?” I ask.
“Yeah. For a couple days before the winter tour.”
“She wants to meet up. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Didn’t know I had to.”
I’m pacing my condo like it’s an Olympic event. My hair is a mess from shoving my hands through it.
“Do you know why she wants to meet?”
“No. I didn’t even know she contacted you.”
“Does she know about us?”
“What’s there to know?”
“That we’ve been hanging out.”
“Hanging out, huh. Naked?”
The smile in her voice finally draws one from me. “You know what I mean.”
“And if she does?”
“Then that explains why she wants to meet up.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
I lean against the wall and force my fingers into a steady rhythm against the paint. “Be my date for the meeting?”
“Are you serious?”
“I need you.” Ah that sounds so permanent.
I can’t tell if she sighs with relief or something else. “Okay. Should I just get a ride with my sister?” she asks dryly.
Another quirk of the lips. “Not a bad idea.”
“You know this is nuts, right?”
“This whole situation is messed up.”
“Well, yeah… Where is it?”
“My place.”
“Yep. Totally messed up.”
∞∞∞
I text Hannah right after we hang up and ask her to come early to make sure she’s here first. I don’t even know why I invited her. Am I planning to disclose our relationship to Holland and Luke? Why the hell would I do that? And now of all times? We haven’t even figured out what we’d be announcing yet.
But there, in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t imagine fighting my way through this situation without Hannah. We’ve been through too much together to start compartmentalizing our trials. She’s given me everything; I’m still holding back so much. Maybe Sophia’s right. I’m not giving Hannah enough credit by assuming she can’t handle my shit. And there it is: the truth my subconscious understood without me. It’s time for her to understand what she’s getting into. She thinks she wants me, but she needs to see the real Wes Alton, the asshole who deserves the destruction in his wake.
She must have left right after my message because there’s a knock twenty minutes later. She’s back to knocking again, and something constricts in my chest.
I buzz Holland and Luke in fifteen minutes later.
∞∞∞
“Thanks for letting us come over.”
Holland is as beautiful as always. Luke wears that scowl he reserves especially for me.
“Luke.”
“Wes.”
“Come in.” I wave them toward the couch, and Holland stops cold.
“Hannah?”
“Hey, sis.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I invited her,” I say, accepting the eye darts.
“I thought you moved back in with Mom and Dad.” Suspicion drowns her words, and Hannah’s, “We’re friends,” doesn’t help much.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Holland directs back to me.
“You can talk in front of me,” Hannah says. “I already know everything about the band stuff. Unless this is a ‘don’t mess with my little sister’ kind of talk. In which case, he’s well-versed on the topic.”
A snicker is completely inappropriate at the moment so I bite my tongue to stop it.
“So you two aren’t…?” She can’t even say it.
Hannah taps her chin. “Dating? No. Sleeping together? Sometimes. Unless you want to date and make it official?” This one is a direct jab at me and comes with a coy smile.
Really, Han?
“You’re sleeping together?” is apparently all Holland heard.
“Okay, hold on. Back up.” I step between them. “Why are you here, Hol? It’s not to talk about Hannah.”
“I didn’t think we’d have to talk about Hannah,” she shoots back.
“We don’t,” Hannah and I say in unison, which definitely doesn’t help.
Even Luke is staring at us like we’re some strange museum exhibit. He’s unexpectedly silent, however. For a brief second I suspect he actually gets it. After all, I know he doesn’t think he deserves Holland either. And he’s right about that. Shit, no wonder we hate each other.
“We’re writing together.” All eyes rest on Hannah, whose tone has changed. Softened with the significance of that statement.
“Music?” Holland asks. I brace for a rant, unprepared for the release that settles over her.
Hannah seems just as surprised. “Yeah, it’s been really good.”
“Oh, Han!” Holland rushes in for an embrace. We can barely hear her voice muffled against her sister. “I’m so happy you’re creating again.”
Hannah’s gaze flickers to mine over Holland’s shoulder. “You can thank Wes for that. He also forced me back into counseling.”
Holland pulls back, expression confused instead of accusatory now. This new universe doesn’t make sense to her either.
“He sent me home, Hol. I didn’t want to leave.”
I feel two sets of eyes on me now. Luke’s face is stone, but Holland’s confusion has morphed into curiosity. Something else. We have to end this before it becomes something it’s not.
“So what’s up, Hol?” I move to the fridge and grab a few bottles of water. I hand one to Luke who stares at it like I’ve just tried to hug him.
“Thanks,” he mumbles. Holland cracks the lid of hers, and I have to admit the quick twitch of her lips when I take a sip of my own feels damn good.
“Can we sit?” She’s already moving to the loveseat. Luke leans against the wall behind her, arms crossed, gaze warning me that he’s not as easily impressed.
“I wanted to meet with you alone,” Holland begins. “No lawyers, no labels. Just us.”
I lower myself beside Hannah. Far enough away that we could be just friends. Close enough that she could change that impression.
“About the Mila thing?”
“About everything. I hate the way things are. Where they’re going.”
Her blue eyes hold compassion. Even her pissed-face isn’t very convincing and had lasted all of ten seconds just now. Luke once gave me permission to fuck him up if he ever hurt her. Dude’s brave to take the risk. I’ll give him that.
“I heard about you hiring Sylvie’s boyfriend,” I say. Another sip of water because what do I care?
She tosses Luke a glance for support. Maybe I’m cool with how he squeezes her shoulder, how she reaches up and laces her fingers with his. Guess their connection is sort-of natural for them.
“I didn’t want you to find out that way.”
“No? What was the better way to tell me you replaced me?” My voice is even. After all, it’s done. I’m just curious at this point. I wish Holland didn’t seem in pain about it.
“We weren’t intending to replace you. We just needed someone for our shows until we worked everything out.” She quiets, gaze shifting to the floor. “And since we didn’t…”
“But we did, Hol.” She flinches, and I try to give her as much sincerity as a guy like me can muster in situations like this. “We did work it out.”
The declaration hangs between us, heavy in its finality. This is news to her. My acceptance. She doesn’t seem to know what to do with that.
“What’s next for you then?” she asks instead.
I stretch my arm across the back of the couch. “I don’t know. I’m thinking real estate license?”
Hannah swats me on behalf of her sister, and I grin.
“Seriously, Wes. What are you going to do?” Her expression is all concern for the man who’s made her life miserable.
“I don’t know.” Let you go.
“He’s going to finish writing ‘Viper Rising’ with me,” Hannah announces. She shifts closer and pulls my arm around her shoulders. Air siphons from the room as it absorbs Hannah’s demonstration, waits for Holland’s reaction. Even Luke’s frown tenses.
Holland stares. Then she takes a long swallow of water. “Can we hear what you have so far?”
“Um, sure.”
I squeeze her knee as I push myself up. “I’ll get my guitar.”
Eyes press into my back on the journey to my Martin. I remove it from the case with extra care.
“You ready?” I ask Hannah. It’s everything I can do not to put my guitar down and draw her against me at the look on her face. So much hope. So much fear. This moment began long before now. It’s eternal for her. Maybe for me too if my future is truly being rewritten.
I start to play. In E. Because I believe Hannah Drake can hit that bridge like a fucking fiend.
∞∞∞
There are too many types of silence. I’ve never been great with any of them, but the ones saturated with emotion are the worst. They drip and ooze and fill a guy’s chest with a mass of sentiment better left untouched. This one though. God, it’s painful against my ribs as tears cloud hypnotic blue irises and trickle down soft cheeks. When the shoulders of two sisters lock against each other, I need a distracting inspection of a scratch on my guitar. Luke watches from his perch, hard set of his jaw loosening slightly.
“I can’t even tell you,” Holland whispers. “That was… Hannah!”
Hannah doesn’t respond with words. She has a solid grip on her sister’s back, face mercifully hidden from me. How did I get that scratch again? Oh right, I have no idea because there’s a dozen on this piece of wood I carry around.
“Those are your words, aren’t they?” Holland again. She knows her sister’s story better than anyone. Better than I do no matter how much I like to act otherwise.
“Wes wrote the music.”
“Great tune, man.” Luke.
We all stare. His arms are still crossed, eyes still daring me to try something, but Luke Craven was not being sarcastic. He genuinely likes our song.
“Thanks.”
“Might want to think about adding a second turn after the bridge. Maybe the same as the early one but with the 6 instead.”
Luke Craven is now giving me, Wes Alton, songwriting input. Bathroom combatants to cowriters. This Twilight Zone, I’m telling you. I can’t look at Holland. I’m positive her face will make me do something stupid like take his advice. Damn, it’s good advice.
“Yeah? We’ll try it out later,” I say. Meanwhile, my brain is already playing through the progression and imagining a killer drop after the bridge followed by an epic build—on the 6. Shit. It’s fantastic advice.
“We’re going to perform it at Sophia’s wedding,” Hannah says.
This news is clearly a harder pill for Holland. Her gaze passes between the two of us, and I can almost see the headlines forming in her brain. It’s one thing to be couch buddies with her sister. Public performers?
“Wow.” Her gaze settles on me. “Your father is okay with this?”
“Ha, no way,” I scoff. “He doesn’t know. Limelight is booked to play.”
“Really?” Luke’s stance tenses again. Ah, that’s right. Jesse and Luke are besties as well. Damn, I’m never going to get rid of this guy.
“Yeah. Jesse’s a lifesaver.”
“Jesse’s in a shitload of his own trouble. Didn’t he tell you that?”
Holland shoots Luke a warning glance, and he shrugs.
“Just that it involved Mila Taylor,” I say.
Luke grunts. “That’s an understatement.”
“Okay, we’re not here to talk about Jesse either,” Holland interrupts.
“Why are we here, Hol?” I’m not trying to be a dick, but right now we’re wasting some seriously valuable talent on small talk.
“I told you. To patch things up.”
“They’re patched though, right?” Me again, sounding like a jerk.
Luke agrees and shoots daggers across the room.
I swallow and focus back on Holland. Even lean forward for extra sincerity. “Holland, I’m serious. No hard feelings. I get why you wanted the contract. I get why you hired this Shandor dude. I get it, okay? I’m not upset. All I ask is that you try to understand why I have to walk away.”
“From our friendship, too?”
“Only if that’s what you want.”
“I don’t.”
“Good.”
We exchange a smile. She fidgets with a folder, and I sigh. “Ah. You also brought the contract.”
She seems nervous and I can’t really blame her. “I was hoping maybe you’d change your mind today.” The folder stops in midair between us. “You’re sure. Absolutely sure you want out for good?”
No. Pressure floods my knee, and I glance down to find painted black nails sinking in.
“I’m sure.” I reach out and take the documents. “It’s better for both of us.”
Luke Craven actually shakes my hand when they leave.