Page 100 of Tease Me


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I wanted, more than anything, to spend time with him, but it didn't matter what I wanted. What mattered was what he needed and what I needed. And what our baby needed. That was a stable home. Not one where there were going back and forth like I did when I was a kid.

What would I do, then, if I had to admit the test was mine to stop Melanie from being scrutinized? That was going to have to be a problem for future me. Present me had enough on her plate as it was.

Not to mention the sinking feeling that while trying to make everyone else happy, I might end up making no one happy, including myself.

19

Axel

"Your game is not on point this afternoon, my friend." Jude patted me on the shoulder on the way past. "You look like you're in another universe. What's up, bro?"

"Yeah, he's definitely off, isn't he?" Mel tilted her head at me and frowned with undisguised suspicion. "You're not trying to let Jude win are you?"

"No, that's not it." Jude squinted at me. "He's too competitive for that. He's got that, ‘I'm troubled about something but don't want to bother anyone,’ look about him."

"You're right, he does." She nodded slowly.

"Can you stop talking about me like I'm not here, please," I said. "I'm fine. Leave it alone."

"If either of us were troubled, you’d keep asking until you got an answer," Jude pointed out.

"You make me sound like a nag," I protested. "I tell you I'm here for you and usually just spill everything. I don't have to pressure you. And if I did, I wouldn't."

"If you think that means in any way that we won't pressure you, you need to think again," Mel said. "You're my big brother and like you said, you were there for me when I needed you. Now it's our turn to be here for you. What's up?" She gave me a look like she wasn't going to leave it alone.

"Is it about Hales?" Jude asked. "I saw you talking to her on the bus and you didn't look happy about something."

"He didn't, did he?" Mel said. "I thought it was about the interview, but was there more to it? I know you like her. I know she likes you."

"Should we lock them in a closet until they work out?" Jude joked.

At least, I hoped he was joking. Now I thought about it, I realized that was the kind of thing he would do.

"Don't even think about it," I growled. "Knowing my luck, you'd forget about me and leave me here. Someone would open the closet in a years time and find it very skinny, hungry, thirsty bass player."

"Or a dead one," Mel said. "We would never leave you behind anyway."

"Speak for yourself," Strike said from the other side of the ping-pong table. He grinned and toasted me with his beer.

I flipped him off. "Love you too, dude."

"I didn't say I don't love you, I said I'd leave you in the closet." Strike grinned.

"All who vote we leave Strike in a closet." Cord raised his right hand, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Hey." Strike batted his hand down. "No leaving the lead singer in a closet. That wouldn't be cool."

I left them to discuss whether or not it would be cool and went to the bar to get a glass of cola. I wasn't in the mood beer right now and we had to catch a plane in a couple of hours. Air crews didn't tend to like drunk rock stars. If we weren't careful, they wouldn't let us on in the first place. That would really ruin our plans for the Australian leg of the tour. Not to mention piss the label off. We could get away with a lot, but not missing a whole leg of the tour. That would cost the label a fortune.

"What's really up, bro?" I didn't know Jude had followed me until he was standing at the bar beside me.? Is it about Hales? Did you talk to her and she turned you down?"

"No." I frowned. "Yes."

"It's one or the other." He put out a hand to the side, palm up. "Which is it?"

"We haven't had a proper talk, but I suggested she come and watch us play and she decided against it. So it's both." I curled my hand around my glass, the condensation wetting my fingers and trickling to the bar top.

"And?" he prompted.

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