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“Thanks.” I drape my arm over Brianna’s shoulder.
“I was just apologizing to your lady. I shouldn’t have come on so strong with her and your sister the other night.”
He’s a little late to the apology game. Jett apologized right away. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say, so I decide to be frank. “No, you shouldn’t have. But I appreciate the apology.”
“And I was just telling Zane,” Brianna says, “that it wasn’t his fault. Maddie and I were both plenty into it at the time, for our own reasons. But all three of us agree that it’s best that it didn’t happen.”
“Absolutely,” Zane says, holding out his hand.
I take it and give him a firm shake. My feelings aside, I don’t want to make an enemy of Zane Michaels or anyone in Emerald Phoenix. “Thanks. I’ll never be able to pay you and the rest of Emerald Phoenix back for what you’ve done for us. I will always appreciate that.”
“Good, man. Because you guys rock, and Jett and I knew that night we heard you and Rory that you were going to make it big. I’m sorry I threatened what will still hopefully be a great friendship by trying to… Well, you know.”
“It’s over and done,” I say.
And with those words, I let it go. It’s much easier to let one incident go than a lifetime of envy and resentment of the Steel family.
Zane is Zane. He’ll find other groupies to bed. But not my sister and not my woman.
It’s probably partially my fault that Brianna was in that situation. And as for Maddie? Maybe she was trying to be something she wasn’t. Or maybe she was feeling left out.
I need to be more present for my youngest sister. Let her know that she’s just as wonderful as Rory and Callie. Just as beautiful, just as smart, and just as talented.
And God forbid, if she and Dave Simpson end up an item? He’d better be damn sure to make sure she feels the same way.
“I was actually looking forward to taking the Chunnel to Paris,” Brianna says to me as we’re waiting outside the venue for the limo that will transport us to the airport.
“Are you kidding me?” I say.
“I know, I know. Emerald Phoenix invited us to share their chartered flight, and you think as a Steel I should be fine with such first-class digs.”
“Yeah. I’m the one who shouldn’t want to be taking their hospitality.”
“You’re okay with it?”
I press my lips together and then sigh. “I have to be, Brianna. I have to be willing to accept help when it’s offered. It’s hard for me, and it probably always will be, but I have to do what’s best for the band. When Dragon decided not to come back, to go to rehab, which I admit was the right decision for him, I had to be okay with Brock paying for Derek’s services for the rest of the tour. I had to be okay with that because Dragonlock just can’t afford it. But we also can’t afford to kill this tour.”
“So that makes you okay with this plane trip?”
“It takes about a third of the time, and because it’s a chartered flight, I don’t have to worry about them losing my luggage.”
She chuckles at that one.
“Yeah. I know I was an asshole those first few days.”
“And just think, Jesse, if you had taken Brock up on his offer to upgrade you in the first place, it probably never would’ve happened.”
“They could’ve still lost my luggage.”
“But they may not have. When you fly first class, your luggage gets priority.”
I don’t even reply. I didn’t know that, of course. Not that it would’ve changed my mind at the time.
“Whatever,” I say. “You ready? Here’s the limo.”
Emerald Phoenix brings all their own equipment on tour. As the opening act, we didn’t have that luxury. We’ve been renting equipment at each venue. Jake did bring his guitar. But Cage and Dragon—the first night—both said that the keyboard and drums we rented in the UK were better than the instruments we have at home.
I suppose I have to get used to traveling without my guitar. Feels weird being just a vocalist, but Rory and I singing together was what made Emerald Phoenix first take notice of us, so that’s the way we will do it from now on.
