Chapter Nine:
Emerson
Braxton and I had somewhat of a breakthrough the other night when he promised to stop meddling in my life and let me make my own decisions. I know it mustn’t have been easy on him, being my brother’s best friend and all, but it proved to me that he cares about me as a human being apart from Cade.
The Phoenix show had such a weird vibe after everything went down. The band members could feel the tension, so I can only imagine what the kids at the show thought. Glass Houses has been avoiding The Deafening Silence, and with only a couple more dates on the tour left, I’m hoping it can continue like this without any confrontations.
I am picking Breigh up at the airport today so she can spend two days with us in California. She’s never been here before. I spoke with her prior to her boarding the plane, and I know she’s stoked to be coming out. I haven’t told Cade or any of the other guys about her, but I know I’ll have to break the news when I show up with her at the venue. The guys think I took the van to run a few errands.
She’s easy to spot with her large cheetah print suitcase. She looks like a hot babe ready for the gym in her gray tracksuit and her red hair pulled up in a high ponytail. I honk at her a few times before pulling over and hopping out. She tackles me in a hug, and we almost topple over. “I can’t believe you’re here!” I say giggling.
“I can’t believe I’m here either. It’s like we’ve been planning this forever!” She wrestles with her large suitcase before tossing it into the back of the van on top of everything else.
“Be careful,” I warn her. “If anything comes up broken they’ll blame me.”
We hop back into the van and are on the road in no time. “Oh my God, I am so excited!” Breigh squeals, her emerald eyes glistening. “You have to tell me everything. Spill.”
Although Breigh and I have caught up on most of the gossip there is to tell with the tour, I haven’t talked to her candidly since the beginning of the tour. She doesn’t know anything about what went down between Aiden and me. “So…” I say, pausing, “a lot has happened.”
Breigh’s eyes widen. “I knew it! You hooked up with someone in one of the bands, didn’t you? Oh my God, who is it?”
I can’t help but laugh at her prediction.
“Oh my God, woman, just tell me already!” she shouts at me.
“Okay, okay,” I say, throwing my hands up in surrender. “I was kind of sneaking around with this guy, Aiden, from Glass Houses.”
“Kind of…?” Breigh pries, salivating from the drama.
“I sort of found out that he has a wife,” I say softly, hoping she doesn’t make as big of a deal out of it as I think she will.
“A WIFE?” Breigh screams. “Holy hell! Tell me more.”
“Well, would it make it any better if I told you that Braxton almost hooked up with the wife?” I joke.
Breigh looks at me like I have two heads. “Braxton is such a man-whore. Why am I not surprised?”
I nod. “Yeah, he’s actually the reason I found out about Aiden’s ‘open marriage.’” I use air quotes to get my point across.
“Wow,” she says, still in shock. “Nothing like this ever happens in Camden.”
I stifle a laugh. “You love the drama, always have.”
“Duh!” Breigh replies. “Tell me something I don’t know.” Suddenly something shifts in her demeanor, and I know it’s coming. It’s been her ‘tell’ for God knows how long. Anytime she gets quiet and reserved like this, a question about Cade normally follows.
“How is he?” she asks, confirming my suspicion.
“He’s good,” I say simply, hoping it will be enough to satisfy her.
“That’s good,” she replies, wringing her hands out in her lap. I don’t know why she lets him do this to her; why she is so hung up on him. He’s never been good to her. “Has he been hanging out with any girls on the road?”
“Breigh…” I murmur, hoping she will drop it. I hate seeing the disappointment on her face when I tell her the truth about Cade and his playboy ways. He’s never been one for commitment, and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.
“You’re right. I probably don’t want to know. It’s not like I even have a chance with him anyway,” she says in a defeated tone that both breaks my heart and fills me with immense guilt. I’m a bad friend.
“Hey,” I say, placing my hand on hers. “Any guy would be lucky to have you. Any guy, you hear me?”
She nods and plasters a smile across her lips, but I see right through it. She’s in love with Cade, and has been for far too long. I wish I could say I don’t know what she sees in him, but he’s my brother, my twin, and I know far too well what she sees. His good looks, his charm, his charisma, and sometimes if you catch him on a good day you just might get a glimpse of what a gentle giant he can be. Those days have been rare and far in between since our parents passed, but I still catch them from time to time.
“How’s Mischa?” Breigh asks, changing the subject. “How has she been dealing with you guys traveling the country?”
I glance at my best friend and then back at the road. “She’s doing great. I’m sure she’s relishing in the time she gets to spend alone and with Zach.” My poor aunt never asked to be a mother at twenty-three, but she’s done the best job she could over the years. She’s made so many sacrifices so Cade and I could have the life her sister envisioned for us. I’m so thankful and appreciative for having her in our lives.
Breigh giggles. “You know, you’re not really much of a child anymore. Maybe it’s time to think about getting your own place.”
I smile at her. “That’s why you’re my best friend. You just get me.”
***
When we finally pull back up to the venue, there are less than two hours until show time. They are playing at the Satellite in Los Angeles. It’s my first time to this venue, and even though the outside isn’t the most inviting, I like it.
“What the…?” I hear as I climb from the driver’s seat and hop out of the van. It’s Cade. He’s standing with the rest of the band off to the side while most of them smoke. He is next to me in seconds. “Em?”
“Surprise!” I say simply with a fake cheesy grin on my face as Breigh emerges from the passenger seat.
“Hey, guys,” she says with a smile heading toward the band.
“Hey,” most of them respond.
“I hope this is okay,” Breigh says timidly.
“Well, we don’t really have any other choice now, do we?” Cade remarks like an asshole.
“Cade!” I shush him. “Would it kill you to be nice to Breigh for once in your life?”
Breigh’s cheeks instantly grow redder, and I regret bringing to light their love-hate relationship. “It’s okay,” she says softly.
Cade looks at me for a few beats and then walks away without saying another word.
“What’s up with him?” I ask.
“He just found out about you and Aiden,” Red says. It’s probably the most he’s ever said to me.
“What do you mean he just found out about me and Aiden?” I growl.
“Well apparently, there were some pictures he found of you two…” Red trails off. “You should really talk to him about it.”
“Pictures?” I squeal. “What kind of pictures?”
Red looks at me as if I’m too dumb to follow. “I don’t think I need to spell that out for you.”
“I’m going to kill him!” I scream, my eyes hazing over with anger. There is no way he is getting away with this.