AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let it go, Shay,” Cathal warned her. “It’s not for us to interfere.”
Shay wanted to protest, to say something, however, the look on Cathal’s face was enough for her to remain quiet. And Cathal was right...Rhys Collins wasn’t her responsibility. It would probably be best if they stayed away from one another.
ChapterSix
Rhys
Rhys had done exactlywhat he had said he was going to do last night. He’d gotten into the taxi and gone straight home, throwing himself on the bed, and had fallen into a deep sleep without even trying. He still woke feeling exhausted this morning, laying in bed with no clue what he was gonna do for the day.
His usual routine, pre the window incident, had been to walk at like noon after getting in maybe at four in the morning, rehearse with the band or record, then hit up any party that might be happening if the band had no gig. But since Rhys was trying to stay away from all that crap, and it was just after nine, the day seemed to him like it was gonna drag.
When he was in the retreat, getting up early hadn’t really bothered him because their day was filled with things to do, and he didn’t have time to sit and fester. And yet here he was, not even twenty-four hours home and he was bored and unsure what to do with himself.
What he really wanted was to sit down in front of his piano and play, but his piano was at Declan’s studio, and going there might mean running into Declan or one of his bandmates. Rhys had a few keyboards here at home, but he had gotten used to playing the piano every day and now it felt like part of the routine he needed to keep in order to clear his head.
After staring at the ceiling for a good hour, Rhys heaved himself out of bed and went and had a shower, throwing on jeans and a t-shirt, before going to make some breakfast. He was a terrible cook...a skill he never thought a rockstar needed, and he had been spoilt with his mam’s cooking and then, grabbing fast food when he was dying with a hangover. This meant his choices were slim this morning.
After a breakfast of dry cereal and some toast, Rhys brushed his teeth and grabbed a hoody before he spied his car keys hanging up. It had been months since he’d been in any condition to drive it, and Rhys wasn’t sure if the car had any petrol in it.
He was pleasantly surprised to see not only did he have a full tank of petrol, but it was spotlessly clean. Someone must have cleaned out all the rubbish and made sure it was running before he got home from the retreat. Rhys would have shot off a text to the band’s group chat, however, he was still minus a phone.
Declan probably had it...
That was Declan all-out – making Rhys come to him and ask for the phone back so Rhys would have no choice but to talk to him. Rhys knew it was probably childish of him to not want to have Declan in his face right now...where Declan would be all up on his high horse and lay down the law to him about his behaviour and his future with the band.
But Rhys knew that Declan was a massive trigger for him. That’s what they had called it. it wasn’t exactly his relationship with Andi that set Rhys off, but Declan himself. When the therapist had told him that, Rhys had laughed, shaking his head, clearly disagreeing with the woman who was way smarter than he was.
“Just think on it for a moment, Rhys.” Dr. Shannon asked him, making him shift a little in his seat. “When you were young and struggling with your dyslexia, Declan was there to help keep the bullies away. You looked up to him and he was your best friend first. But you’ve always wondered if Declan stayed your friend because he was in love with your sister.”
Was that really what was eating Rhys? He hadn’t been sure at all during his thirty day holiday but when he had walked out the main door and seen that it was only Andi waiting for him, Rhys had been relieved. So maybe the doctor wasn’t talking all shite, like Rhys had told her.
“You’ll never be able to move on and be exactly who you are supposed to be if you do not explain to those around you how you feel. The healing comes from speaking the truth to those who love you.”
Rhys parked the car in a spot outside Declan’s and rested his head on the steering wheel for a minute. The problem was he didn’t know where to start. Any conversations Rhys had to have wouldn’t be easy ones, and he wasn’t good at apologizing for shit he’d done. His actions had put the band at risk, delayed their album release which cost a hell of a lot of money, and jeopardized the livelihoods of the entire band.
It also messed with his sister’s reputation, and even being a complete idiot, Rhys knew Andi was good for the band...more than good. His sister was this powerhouse PR mogul, who knew music and understood what it took to get them attention. While he wasn’t sure how he felt about Andi and Declan together, Rhys was actually grateful that Andi was part of the band’s success.
Now, if only he could find the right words to tell her.
Getting out of the car, Rhys locked it, then opened the main door. There were stairs to the right that led up to Declan’s loft apartment, where his sister currently lived. Straight ahead of him was the door to the studio, where the band rehearsed, where they hung out, and where they recorded a lot of their songs. Rhys considered heading up the stairs and trying to make amends, and yet, the nausea in the pit of his stomach made him key in the code on the studio door and head inside.
Thankfully, the space was empty, the hang out area was very still and quiet compared to how it usually was. Rhys headed straight back to the recording areas, checking first to make sure no one was hiding out in one of the spaces, and considering Oli Scott liked to show up whenever he liked recently, finding someone in one of the rooms wouldn’t have shocked him.
It was blissfully quiet, thankfully as Rhys went into the wide open room where he had recorded a lot of the piano for the album. Himself and Declan had picked it out, Declan waving him off when Rhys offered to pay for the piano by himself. Rhys had fallen in love with it the moment he had laid eyes on it in the shop.
It felt like ages since he had sat down and played it. The last time was probably when Luna and Cathal had brought MJ, the little girl of one of the tattoo artists, and he had sat with her and helped her play a little. It had been the most fun he’d had in a long time.
Closing the door behind him, then he slipped off his hoodie, tossing it aside, Rhys sat down in front of the piano and traced his fingers along the ivory keys. A sense of peace washed over him, and he exhaled, closing his eyes, letting the silence linger for a fraction of a heartbeat and then his fingers glided over the keys.
The first bars of Harry StylesAs It Wasrang out in the room before he switched it up and started Ed Sheeran’sBad Habits. He had never liked learning to play the classical music his tutors had forced him to learn, preferring to learn how to play other songs like Meatloaf’sI would do anything for loveor anything current.
Andi had always loved to play anything. Their music teachers had adored his sister, who had been the more talented of the Collin’s siblings by all accounts and Rhys would always be second where Andi was concerned.
Rhys could feel that sliver of anger inside his chest as he switched songs and started The Fray’sBe Still, hoping the song would alleviate his errant thoughts and stop his destructive train of thought. He always did this, made himself the runner-up where Andi was concerned. He never felt he was good enough, never felt like he was talented enough.
His struggle with education due to his dyslexia had always felt like it crippled him, but somehow, reading music and understanding music had never been hard for him. It saved him really. Even now when nothing in his life felt certain, music had saved Rhys.
The song finished and as Rhys considered what song he would play next, a polite cough alerted him that he wasn’t alone anymore. Slowly opening his eyes, Rhys angled his face toward his sister, who lingered in the doorway with a grin on her face. Andi stepped into the room, making to come towards him but then she stopped, a hesitation that hurt Rhys more than he cared to admit.
