Cole was studying me with an amused expression. “I should be leaving, but watching you question your beliefs is too entertaining,” he said. “I wish you could see your face right now.”
I stroked my beard, ignoring his chirping. “The thought of doing something like that with anyone but you guys feels completely wrong, but you’re right. We’re brothers in everything but blood. Maybe it could work if it was just us. Do you think she would be…” I trailed off, thinking back to how she’d looked at me earlier today.
“Interested in something unconventional? I’m not sure. The smiles, the lingering looks, the absolutely insane chemistry we all have with her in the studio? She’s hard to read, but I’d like to think all those things mean something. Still, we have to tread carefully. Can’t forget about the power dynamic, either. I definitely wouldn’t want her to feel like there’s some fucked-up pressure for there to be more.”
He was right of course. “And Abel?”
Cole shook his head. “Whatever you’ve observed, he won’t admit to himself that he likes her. He’s got shit to figure out, and we need to let him.”
“It might get messy,” I observed, “if he’s not on board.”
“What did I say about what-ifs?” he asked, getting up. “And anyway, we’re getting ahead of ourselves given that we don’t know where Adeline’s head is at.” Plucking his suitcase off the ground, he added, “We need to let her take the lead, but we also need to show her that we’re open to it. Maybe you can hint at something when you see her this weekend?”
Suddenly, I felt nervous. “Because I’m the king of subtlety? Ezra is way better at that shit.”
Cole shrugged. “Well, you’re seeing her first, so give it a try. Just make sure to take it easy.”
Famous last words.
9
ADELINE
The next morning,I skipped breakfast and went straight to the gym. It had been almost a week since the performance in the Barnyard and I decided to call Liam on my drive over to catch up and see when he wanted to rehearse next.
He picked up on the fourth ring. “Ade?” He sounded rushed, and I could hear his fiancée talking to someone in the background.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Van’s folks are visiting up for the weekend. Give me one second. I’m going to find a quieter place to talk.”
“Okay.”
I could imagine him walking through the house, and the click of a door being shut sounded over the line.
“Give me strength to survive this week,” he said in a low voice.
I snorted. “Why are they here? Helping to get the baby’s room set up?”
“Yeah, and babyproof the entire house. They’ve been on my ass since they arrived an hour ago about retiling the bathroom. Now Van, who’s never said a word about the tiles, is nodding like it’s the smartest suggestion she’s ever heard.”
I stifled a laugh, “Hang in there. They’ll be gone soon enough and maybe Van will forget all about the tiles.”
“Can only hope you’re right. Anyway, what’s up?”
My question about our next practice suddenly felt inopportune. I decided to cushion it with some news first. “You know how Bleeding Moonlight came to the show last week?”
“Not something I’m likely to ever forget. We chatted to them for a little bit after you left. They were really cool, and they said they liked our set.”
“Right. They asked me to help them record a new album, as a session guitarist. We’ve been working on it for a few days now.”
There was a silence on Liam’s end, and I fingered the wheel nervously. “Liam?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just…wow. That’s incredible, Ade. You must’ve really impressed them.”
I sucked in a breath. “I guess so. I’m learning a ton from them, even in just the past few days. When do you think we can get together next? I have some ideas for covers we can rework.”
“How long is this for? I’m guessing you’re pretty busy while you’re working with them. Did you quit your gig at the bar?”
