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Yanking open the door to her own bus, Skylar went back inside and slammed the door shut. Through the curtain on the door, she could see Elena’s silhouette, and she wondered if she would knock.
But she didn’t. Instead, Skylar watched her walk away, probably for the last time.
Chapter 1
Elena
Sound check had barely begun, and already Elena Cruz was over it. Not only was the bar much smaller than any venue she’d ever played, but it also smelled much worse. She wiped a disinfectant wipe on the microphone as her bandmates warmed up behind her.
“This place is a dump,” Gordon Raines whined from behind the drum set as he tapped out a light beat. His long, shaggy hair was bouncing along to the rhythm.
“And we thought the last place was bad.” Andy Wallace was tuning his guitar for the third time after saying he was ready to go. Elena rolled her neck, trying hard to keep from saying the thoughts that echoed throughout her mind.
But what was the use of keeping quiet? They all knew playing shitty bars was the biggest step down from the days when they were selling out arenas across the country.
Those were the days…
And they were, but there was no time for reminiscing now.
“I know, guys, but a gig’s a gig, right?” She was trying to hype up her bandmates as much as herself. “I know it’s not up to our usual standards, but it keeps us in front of the crowd.”
“Yeah, all twenty people that can fit into this bar.” Gordon’s snotty comment made Andy laugh while Elena rolled her eyes. She tossed the used wipe onto the floor. “See, even you don’t care, Ellie.”
“I do care very much about this band, which is why I booked us this gig.” She took her position at the microphone before looking over her shoulder at the boys once more. “Now, you ready to play?”
Gordon nodded his head, counted down for them, and then they were off. Elena got lost in the music. It didn’t matter to her soul if they were in an empty bar or a packed arena. Music set Elena on fire.
All her life, all Elena wanted to do was sing. She was always the first to sign up for karaoke or to audition for the school musical. It didn’t matter the genre; Elena loved singing any song set before her. As she got older, she learned to write her own music, which allowed her an escape into her own world. Writing set her free in a way Elena had never experienced.
Then there was writing with Skylar.
Skylar.
Elena didn’t dare let her heart or mind go back to Skylar. Not again. Not when she was finally getting over her messy divorce from Peter Hamilton. Damn, that had been a disaster. And definitely not when she and the boys were trying to reinvent themselves.
After Skylar abandoned them, Elena and the boys kept making music together. They enjoyed it, for the most part, but it was never the same. Erica Miller and Michael Webb quit after a few years. The last Elena had heard, Michael was the bassist for a new band while Erica had settled in California with some man she met online. She was happy for them; she truly was. But a part of her would give anything to have the whole band back together again.
Even Skylar.
Skylar.
Her mind started drifting again, and Elena motioned for the boys to stop playing.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“You’re good.”
Even if they didn’t mean it, they always understood her stopping and starting rehearsals or sound checks. The cousins had been with her through it all. They had watched her live in a loveless marriage and helped her realize she deserved more. And she did. They all did. They all deserved to be playing sold-out venues again.
“You know what we need?” Andy was strumming the tune to one of their biggest hits.
“Skylar?” Gordon joked, which made them both laugh.
“Hey!” Elena snapped. “What have I said about mentioning her name?”
The shock and borderline terror on both their faces told Elena she’d overreacted. As per usual when someone mentioned Skylar. She tried to compose herself and forced a smile.
