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Before I got outside, I heard voices. Pete and Alex. My heart jumped. Was Alex here to see me? I smoothed my hair. The guy obviously couldn’t pick up a phone but he’d manoeuvre his way into my life.
“Thanks for that,” Alex said to Pete. “You managed to get the sound just the way I wanted it.”
“Any time, mate.”
Huh? Pete had been playing with Alex? Was Alex intending to steal my band? The two of them had become best buddies again and Pete stuck up for Alex every time I said something bad about him. Of course, Pete didn’t know what had happened in Sally’s office.
“What’s going on?” I glared at Pete, not even wanting to acknowledge Alex with my eyes.
“Alex asked me to help him out with some stuff.”
“Oh, Alex asked you. Well, that’s fine.”
I was going to storm into the rehearsal room but Alex caught hold of me.
“It’s just a one-off. Don’t get worried.”
His hand was on my arm. I was so aware of his hand on my arm. I couldn’t bring myself to shake it off but I didn’t want it there. I wanted it anywhere but on my body.
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, because trusting you has worked out so well in the past.”
This rehearsal studio wasn’t big enough. It was filled with Alex. Even when he wasn’t around, I could smell his cologne and notice touches of him. As soon as the cash from my job started rolling in, I’d get another rehearsal space. All part of my easing away from Alex plan.
Alex dropped his hand but he still stood close enough that his body almost brushed against mine.
“Alex just wanted me to fill in on a demo track he’s putting together. It’s not a big deal.”
“Yeah, well, Pete, you were the one who dragged me into this whole band thing. If you want out, let me know. There are plenty of other bass players in the world.”
“It’s just one track, Dee. Don’t get hysterical.”
I backed away from Pete. Since he’d been hanging out with Alex, his whole “nice guy” facade had really fallen. I wasn’t sure if it was because Alex had some hold over him. I did know that we were small fish and Alex was a much bigger fish, maybe even a barracouta. If Pete got the chance, he’d ditch me for Alex in no time.
“I’m not hysterical,” I told him. “I just like to know what’s going on.”
“You really need to be a bit nicer to Alex.”
“Nicer? I think I’ve been nice enough. Considering.”
Pete tried to touch me, to calm me down but I recoiled.
“You’ve been a bitch to him, Dee. Alex isn’t the bad guy you make him out to be. And Jake sure wasn’t that saintly. If you knew the truth, you’d not be so harsh.”
Alex didn’t move but an energy came off him, something that made me turn toward him, and I saw him wince. How could he make me want to comfort him at a time like this? It was hard enough to shore up my hate against him. Luckily, I had Sally to help me out.
Pete grinned at Alex, but Alex just grimaced.
“That’s enough,” he said to Pete.
There was a weird tension between them. I think Pete wanted a pat on the back for taking Alex’s side but Alex didn’t want that. For someone who tried to avoid any of the blame, it surprised me that Alex didn’t align himself with Pete.
“No. Tell me. Tell me how it was Jake’s fault that a van, in which he was a passenger, rolled down an embankment and killed him.”
“Why wasn’t Jake driving, Dee? Ask yourself that. If Alex was so shit-faced, why didn’t Jake drive?”
“Probably because Alex was being a giant douche.”
Alex had a weird look on his face, hurt and twisted. It wasn’t just from me calling him a douche, because I’d done that often enough. I’d never questioned why Alex had been driving the van. Only, Jake rarely drank, as far as I knew. Alex never drank now but he used to hit it hard.
“Pete is just causing trouble, don’t worry about it,” Alex said. He smiled at me. I didn’t want his smiles. I didn’t want his sympathy. He was dangerous and I’d never let him close enough to infect me again. I was in Alex quarantine.
“Listen, mate, why should she make you out to be the villain? Tell her the truth.”
