AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They finished the last song. This was one of his. During the band’s hiatus, he’d written a lot of music. It had been his outlet after Delilah went to bed and the house felt too quiet and too empty.
He’d fill it with the sound of his guitar chords and voice.
This one was poignant, though. He’d written it back in the days when Delilah would wake up calling for her mom. When she’d asked him all the questions he didn’t have answers to. And the ones he did, but he didn’t want to answer.
Cassie’s sweet voice wove around his gritty vocals, lifting them, making them feel prettier. Less emotional. Her eyes met his across the studio, and he could see understanding there. Sympathy, even.
But he didn’t want it. Hated it more than he hated anything else.
Nobody should feel sympathy for him.
He looked away, down at the chords his fingers were forming, finishing the final chorus off before they played the outro, a bead of sweat running down his face before he strummed the last note.
“Fuck, that was good,” Marley said. “Anybody ready for a drink?”
“Hell yeah.” Alex pulled his guitar strap over his head. “I’m just popping out for five minutes and then it’s all about the beer.”
“I’m gonna head home,” Cassie said softly.
“You sure?” Marley asked. “We’re just gonna take some drinks out into the yard. Shoot the breeze.”
“There’s no fucking breeze,” Alex muttered. “That’s the problem.”
She smiled at his joke. “It’s fine. Thank you anyway, but I have an early class tomorrow.”
Pres looked over at Cassie. She was tidying up the keyboard. He kept meaning to ask her if she was okay with the studio one, or if she’d prefer to bring her own.
But then she’d usually disappear after rehearsal and he hadn’t picked Delilah up from dance class after that one evening when he was late.
Probably best to let Marley do the talking, anyway. He was better at it, and he didn’t make her frown every time he spoke.
“Good night,” Cassie called out, pulling her bag strap over her shoulder. She was wearing her thick hair up in a bun. A few dark tendrils had escaped, and the heat had stuck them to her neck.
“Night.” He nodded at her. She flashed him a hint of a smile before turning and walking out.
No, gliding. She didn’t walk, she fucking floated. How was it possible to walk like that, anyway?
“You could be nicer to her, you know,” Marley said, as Alex ran out with a cigarette already between his lips.
“I am nice to her,” Pres said, frowning. “When am I not nice?”
“You could’ve asked her to stay and have a drink.”
“She didn’t want to. She said so.” He put his guitar on the rest and blew out a mouthful of air. “She has work tomorrow.”
“And so do we,” Marley pointed out.
“And?” Pres lifted a brow at his brother.
“And we’re having a drink. She leaves because she thinks you don’t like her.” Marley was walking around the drum set toward him. “If you fucking smiled occasionally…”
“I smile.”
“When?” Marley looked skeptical.
“I smiled at Delilah when she left.” Pres wrinkled his nose at him.
Marley shook his head, looking somewhere between annoyed and amused. Funny how often Pres had that effect on him.
