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“Okay looking I can work with.”
Damn, that look he was giving her was nearly enough for Shay to forget that they were in a room full of people who were studying them with curious eyes. Rhys relaxed into his chair, lifted his coke in greeting to Andi, who smiled warmly back at her brother.
The same thing couldn’t be said for Declan though, who was glaring at Rhys like the devil himself was sitting in the room, and he only looked away when Andi said something sharply to him. He then stalked over to where Noah was holding out a beer to Declan.
“Well, this should be fun.” Rhys said drooly to her, rubbing his hands on his jeans as he pointed at the makeshift stage. “If I’d known I’d have to spend the night listening to everyone sing, I might have stayed at home.”
Rhys didn’t bother to mask the bitterness in his tone, but Shay knew that it was only because he didn’t feel like he could hold his nerve yet and get up on the stage and sing in front of the rest of the band.
“You could still play the piano, yano...if you didn’t want to sing.” Shay told him softly, flashing him and encouraging smile.
“Nah,” Rhys sighed after taking a sip of his coke. “I’ll stay for a bit and then make an Irish exit. Not like anyone will miss me anyways.”
Well, there was no way Shay was going to waste the opportunity to help Rhys. He might be mad at first, but once he got up there and sang, it would take away some of the pain Rhys was carrying inside him.
Maybe, just maybe, Rhys Collins needed a little push in the right direction and she would be the one to help him face his fears. It would all work out in the end....right?
ChapterEighteen
Rhys
Rhys was justabout ready to shoot himself right in his skull to numb the tension headache that had been pounding in his head all afternoon and had gotten progressively worse since Declan and Andi walked in the door. Everyone was having a good time, singing, and dancing, and drinking, and he just wanted to fuck off home and leave them too it.
Thank fuck for small mercy’s that Andi and Declan didn’t decide to duet yet.
It helped having Shay sitting beside him, and Rhys was aware of the heat of her body next to his, the way her shoulder nudged his whenever Declan or Andi got up to sing or whenever he felt Declan’s eyes on him. It normally was super overwhelming for him, being one of the only members of the band that was now alone and having Shay with him, even if they weren’t together, made a big difference.
“Hey, you doing okay?” Shay asked him quietly.
“Just ready to get out of here. This shit isn’t as bearably when I’m stone cold sober.”
Shay brushed strands of her dark hair out of her eyes and Rhys’ fingers itched to brush along to silken strands. “I mean, we could leave.” She started, glancing around the room. “Or you could get on that stage and shut them all up.”
Rhys was already shaking his head before Shay had finished her sentence. “Nope. Not gonna happen. I’d probably make a fool of myself and unless you already told Cathal that you wanted to apprentice, you’ve got no leverage.”
Truth be told, he had considered it...walking up to the stage, sitting down behind the piano and opening his mouth. It would floor Declan, that’s for sure and maybe he’d stop glaring at Rhys every five minutes.
“What are you two whispering about over there?” Sinéad, Jameson’s girlfriend and Shay’s best friend asked with a smile. “It looks very serious.”
Rhys flashed the woman a cheeky grin. “I was asking Shay how the hell a gorgeous woman like you ended up with a troll like Jamie. He’s definitely punching.”
Sinéad laughed as Jameson rolled his eyes, reaching round with his long arms to give Rhys a little shove. “Hey, don’t you be trying to charm her. She’s immune to the Rhys Collins seduction.”
Flashing Jameson a light-hearted grin, Rhys shrugged his shoulders. “No one is fully immune, man. Besides, what is it that Taylor Swift says...I go on too many dates but I can't make 'em stay.”
Jameson barked out a laugh, with both Sinéad and Shay rolling their eyes as Jameson asked. “Since when have you been delving into the wisdom of Taylor Swift, Rhys?”
Rhys took a sip of his coke. “The patient in the room next to mine used to play the song all the time. The lyrics stuck in my head.”
When pity flooded into Jameson’s eyes, Rhys had to look away, unable to see it. how long would it take before people started to forget his mistakes and appreciate that he was just trying to do better? When would things just go back to being normal again?
Rhys pushed off the seat, waving off the look of concern in Shay’s eyes as he went to get himself another drink. It would be so easy to just head out to the bar and get Luna’s dad to add a something stronger to his drink. Instead, Rhys leaned against the wall and watched as Jameson got up to play his guitar and sing along to the Verve’s,The Drugs Don’t Work.
Rhys admired how easily Jameson adjusted the song to his tone of voice, how he played the guitar with an ease that Rhys had always envied. His friend had always been uncomfortable with the spotlight, but seeing Jameson on the stage now, smiling as he sang, Rhys was happy for him.
If anyone deserved to be happy it was Jameson.
Rhys watched as Andi got up from her seat next to Declan and walk towards him. Andi leaned against the wall beside him, wrapping her arms around her waist. “You okay?”
