CHAPTER 26

JARED

Silence descended on the studio as my last note faded away during our recording session. I opened my eyes and focused on a faded scuff mark on the floor, soaking up the feeling of transcendence that lingered in the room after that song.

The lights in the studio were dim, and combined with the electric atmosphere in the air left by the song we'd just finished, it felt almost magical in here. Like anything was possible and everything could happen. Moments like this one made all the shitty practices, the failed takes, and the inflated egos in the industry worth it.

"Fuck, yeah!" Matt cheered, Nick and Caleb joining in.

Dom played a corny drumroll, grinning from ear to ear as he tossed his sticks in the air and rose only to dip into a mock bow. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week."

"Not bad, boys." We sounded much better than yesterday. I still didn't think it was perfect, but I was clearly in the minority.

Half a bottle of scotch in yesterday afternoon after I went home, I'd accepted that perhaps my aggravation about the whole Alicia situation had been clouding my judgment in the studio. The mood in the studio was much better today, and I wasn't about to be the one to ruin it. Not again.

I wasn't that guy in this band. Caleb and Dom, they were a different story. Both of them had been responsible for raining on our parade and pissing on our batteries numerous times. I'd already fulfilled that role a few times this week, but it ended here.

All eyes in the studio traveled to mine, and Nick raised a dark brow. "Not bad? We fucking rocked it that time."

Lifting my hand to tilt it from side to side, I winked and put the mike back in its cradle. "It was okay."

Caleb reached out to punch my shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that. Even I thought that rocked."

"You would," I joked, enjoying the lightness of the banter. I'd missed it. Some of the tension I'd been carrying around all week had dissipated while we'd been playing, and I was feeling more like myself.

A feeling that turned out to be short-lived when the door opened and Gerry entered followed shortly by Alicia.

And fuck. She looked fucking fantastic. Golden curls tumbled down to her waist, accentuating her petite hourglass figure. Wearing a black wrap dress that tied around her narrow middle and showed off the tops of those creamy breasts my hands were suddenly itching to be on, it was like she'd chosen it specifically to flaunt what I couldn't have.

Long lashes framed startlingly blue eyes that, trying as hard as she was to hide it, kept drifting my way. Each time they met mine, I felt some kind of pang in my gut. Longing, maybe. Any lightness I'd been feeling vanished, and my mood darkened. Seeing her today was the very last thing I needed, yet Gerry was ushering her into the studio and told her to make herself comfortable.

Great, that means they’re not going anywhere.

"Great work." Gerry flashed us a genuine grin, a rarity coming from our serious, businesslike manager. The man was good at his job, but it was no secret that he was only in it for the money.

Most people did their jobs only for the money, I got that. However, some were lucky enough to also have a passion for it. He wasn't one of those. Passion for music was a quality he was severely lacking in.

"Thanks, Gerry," Dom said, usually the cordial one when it came to our management. "We should keep going while we’re feeling it. Did you need something?"

Our manager beamed at him, also not something I was accustomed to seeing. It was a little scary seeing Gerry like this. "The hype on this album has surpassed anything we could have thought it was going to be. We've just gotten news that a nationwide news station wants to have all of you in New York next week for a live television interview."

Nick and Caleb high-fived each other, their grins threatening to split their faces in half. Matt launched into a slow clap, and Dom joined him, excitement rolling off them all in palpable waves. Live television interviews weren't unfamiliar to us, and it wouldn't be the first time we were on TV, but it'd been a while since we last been invited. It was always a good sign.

"We don't have time for that," I said. I’d promised myself I wasn't going to be the downer, but I wasn’t about to walk away from the building momentum we had going. "We need to finish this album. Taking a trip to New York now is going to push it back."

If the live interview requests were already coming in, the networks would keep asking. Finishing our album before starting promotional stuff like this seemed like a no-brainer to me.

Apparently, I was alone in that sentiment. Once again, all eyes in the room were on me, this time wearing varying expressions of disbelief, irritation, and in Caleb's case, worry.

"This interview is huge. The show books acts and interviews months in advance. Their viewership is massive. Doing this now will push you further up the charts later, even if it means pushing the album back for now." It didn't surprise me that Alicia was the one who took up the gauntlet I'd thrown down. We were at odds about a lot of things lately.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Squaring my shoulders and setting my feet apart, I braced for the arguments I knew was about to come. She'd never taken my opinion lying down, and there was no doubt in my mind she wouldn’t start now.

"Come on, Jared." Nick chimed in, his guitar still hanging from his shoulders as he stepped across the figurative battle line Alicia and I had drawn between us and right into my line of sight. "We'll take a little vacation in New York, do the interview. Recharge and come back ready to go."

"We haven't been to New York for a long time," Matt said, tapping his fingers on his guitar thoughtfully as he walked to stand beside Nick.

My little brother took his shot next, his voice much quieter than the others. "Maybe it would be a good idea to get a break for a bit."

I'd seen the worry in his eyes earlier, but I dismissed it. Hearing it in his voice now, feeling it aimed at me, I wanted to throw up a shield to keep it from getting to me. But it was too late.

The world knew Caleb as a moody rocker, one of their favorite sons of guitar who dominated on stage but never smiled much anywhere else.

To me, he was the same annoying dickhead who'd followed me around while he was in preschool, always tried to crank his music up higher than mine in high school and who had gotten splinters and bled while building his own treehouse but never gave up.

Above all else, he was my younger brother, and it wasn't his job to worry about me. The role reversal didn't sit well with, and for that reason, I heaved out a sigh and caved.

"Fine, we'll go, but don't come crying to me when the album isn't ready to drop by the time we said it would be."

Gerry didn't give the others time to react to my changing my mind and clapped his hands together. Gerry gleeful as he was now was a sight I never thought I'd see, and if I was being honest, one I didn't really ever want to see again. Pissed Gerry was one I knew. I could handle that. This was just weird.

"Excellent. I knew you'd make the right choice. We're going to dinner to celebrate. I'll have my assistant send you details."

"You're taking us to dinner?" Nick sounded as incredulous as I felt.

Gerry sighed, instantly looking more like himself. Much better.

"I know these dinners don't always go well with your reputation, but I made reservations. We're all going, and that's final."

I looked over to Alicia, catching her eye. She flushed and tore her gaze away from mine. God, she was beautiful. And adorable when she blushed. Strangely, she also didn't look pissed at me anymore. Interesting.

Waiting until she snuck another peek my way, I made sure I was looking right at her when I gave Gerry my answer. "Okay."