Chapter Two
“I hear I’m paying for breakfast,” Kenzie said, as she glared at Brent. “You’re covered with this room, but we need to figure out what we’re going to do. Brent?”
He was staring at Riley but blinked and looked away at Kenzie’s question. Riley was gorgeous now, and it had only been a few years since he’d seen her. “We will. I’m going to eat something and clean this shit up.”
“I am going to the airport. I have a graduation to go to.” Kenzie left in a huff, and Brent glanced at the clock to see that it was still early in the morning.
“Riley, you’ve grown up since I saw you last,” Brent told her, as he walked over to her and gave her a one-armed hug. She was taller than before, just a few feet under his six foot one frame, and she had some beautiful little curves. Damn, if she didn’t smell like something sweet, as well.
“That happens when you’re a famous rock star on the road all of the time,” she replied dryly, as she gave the room a long look. “Really, Brent?” She looked into his eyes, and he turned his face to the floor as disapproval flooded her pretty face. “You’re a talented guy, and this is what you do?”
“Last time, Ri.” It sounded so weird calling this gorgeous young woman by the nickname that he’d used for years. “Your sister is going to kill me if I don’t chill out.”
“You got that right,” Declan agreed, as they heard a knock at the door. He opened it and brought in the tray himself after tipping the delivery guy, giving Brent a look as he wheeled it into the center of the room and poured some coffee. “There’s a crowd outside. Way to be low key, Brent.”
Riley walked over and looked over the platters as Brent tried to force his eyes away from her ass in the skinny jeans that she was wearing. What the fuck was wrong with him? She was like his own sister in some ways, and he pushed his hair back as it started to drip into his eyes before joining them.
They caught up on what was going on in her life and talked about Mel for a bit before Brent pushed his plate away and poured some more coffee. “I guess I should get this done and get into a new room.” They were in New Orleans for another day before they headed to Texas for a few shows. Brent cleaned up the bottles that had been cleared out of the mini bar and tossed them into the trash before he righted all of the furniture along with Declan. Riley was cleaning up the plates and getting the tray back to the door before she left it outside in the hallway. She started to clean up the little kitchen and throw bags of chips away, as well as even more bottles of alcohol, wrinkling her cute little nose.
Brent did all that he could before he dropped a few bills onto the kitchen counter and packed his clothes in a hurry. There was a crowd outside, but he hung his head low as Declan and Riley flanked him out of habit. They managed to make it to the elevator alone, and Brent glanced at the paper with the room number in his hand as he pushed the down button. “They’re sticking me in a regular room.”
“I’m shocked,” Riley told him, and he saw a small smile cross her face. “You won’t do as much damage that way.”
It was obviously meant as a joke, but Brent felt something like shame flood his veins. Brent hadn’t felt guilt or at least admitted that he felt it through most of the past scandals. There were the destroyed hotel rooms and condos, a few pregnancy reports that thankfully didn’t lead to anything, the many women that he’d been photographed with and countless rumors of what had happened with all of them.
If his mom was still around, Brent knew that she’d be furious with him. But that was the catalyst to this behavior…her death to ovarian cancer when he was just twelve years old. He’d had nothing tangible for a dad since he’d split early, and while the Kellers were amazing as step-in parents, he still slipped.
It had been school bands back then and local gigs in Oregon. Nothing big. Somehow, even while he was having trouble with things, Brent had formed Nothing Lasts with a few guys, and they had taken off. By the time he was twenty-four, they had appeared to be going places. Brent started to make real money and tour in better vehicles as he watched a few things disappear from his life. Brent only knew to fill the void, and he thought about that as he opened the door to his new room on the first floor. It was small and basic and located close to the lobby. His friends followed him into the room and snickered as they looked around. “It’s a bed, right?” Declan said, as Brent dropped his duffel bag onto the small table and looked around.
Was that even a king sized bed?
He was lucky to still be here at all, but Kenzie was a great talker when she needed to be. It might be the band’s last time here, though. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and looked down at the screen. He sent a group text to the band apologizing for the mess and, after a few minutes, only his good friend Gary responded with something along the lines of it being okay. Even Brent could see through that, and he sighed as he stuck the phone back into his shorts.
“So do you want to go out and see some of the city? We have all day and night,” Declan was telling Riley, as Brent focused on them instead of his band’s disappointment.
“Sure, I’ve heard it’s gorgeous here. I have a camera that I’d love to break in,” Riley said, as her eyes lit up. She was an excellent photographer and Brent was vaguely surprised that she hadn’t gone into that for a living.
“Want to go?” Declan asked Brent, looking at his friend. “You seem to be doing better.” Brent usually snapped back after some coffee and breakfast, and he nodded as he glanced around the tiny room.
He pulled on a baseball cap and some sunglasses before they left and went to Declan’s suite so he could shower. Brent sat at the table with Riley as the other roadie looked at them from across the room where he was working on his laptop. Rumors moved fast, particularly with anyone related to the band and their inner workings. Brent ignored him and tossed the sunglasses onto the wood between them before he glanced up at Riley. “So I like the red.” She was a natural brunette like her siblings, but this bright auburn suited her and made her eyes practically glow as she smiled at him. It was cut into a shorter bob and fell over her pale cheeks.
“Thanks. My best friend at school wanted to do it.” A dark look crossed her face, and she stared at the table. “Hers is purple.”
“I’m sorry about school, Ri. I know that Dec will find a way for you to go.” Brent said as she gave him an angry look with shimmering blue eyes.
“Dec has himself and Mel to take care of, Brent.” A tear slid down her smooth skin, and he reached for her hand.
“Fuck it, Ri. I’ll pay for you to go to school. You’re brilliant.” She tried to smile as he clasped her hand with his and gave her a soft look.
“Yeah, right.”
Declan came back in a new pair of shorts and shirt, and Riley used the bathroom before they headed out. Brent went back into his disguise, and they walked out of the main lobby and headed into the French Quarter as he let out his breath. He’d figure this out somehow and make things right again. Brent watched as Riley managed to find every perfect and odd angle before she lifted her camera to her face and shot it with such focus. Brent was jealous that she had that focus even with things going south with school for her, and he mulled over the idea of paying for it. He only had an apartment back in New York, and he could swing it.
“I have an idea,” Declan said, as they watched her take another picture of a cobblestone street together.