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He’s being a dick. He’s never been here, and the place looks like a generic gray square.
“Come on, man,” he continues. “Lighten up a bit. I’m your brother, not your fucking enemy. Can’t we just shoot the shit like old times?”
I relax my shoulders, taking a sip from my drink before placing it onto a coaster. Mom made me get coasters. I wouldn’t have ever thought about it otherwise. Rings on the table? What man thinks of that shit?
“What’s been up?” I ask, trying to force conversation.
Kade shakes his head. “I’m fucked, man. I’m so fucked, it feels like a fucking nightmare.” He lets out a deep breath, letting his head fall backward against the chair. “Melanie is seeing someone else.” He straightens, his face falling. “She’s apparently in love with him and she’s done with me.”
Shit.
My initial reaction is to be pissed that she hurt my brother. But the second thought that creeps into my mind… What did he do to turn her away? He must have done something. Kade has always been a compulsive liar. Even when we were kids, he would lie about silly, stupid shit like stealing cookies. It just progressively got worse as we got older. Part of the reason I never liked him dating Declan was because I knew he had to be doing shady shit on the side. I couldn’t prove it, but I had a feeling deep in my gut that he couldn’t possibly be honest with her. There’s no way he could be a good man for her. I want to feel bad for him. Want to pat him on the back and tell him things will be okay. But something isn’t sitting right with me.
“You know when I met Melanie, Declan and I had only been broken up for three months. I wasn’t ready to date, but I forced myself to take her out when she approached me. She wasn’t Declan, she wouldn’t ever be Declan. I left, moved to Minnesota, and didn’t look back. You know why, little brother.”
A chill runs up and down the length of my spine when he speaks those words.
Because I do know why. And I’ve had to portray the fact that I haven’t understood it—that I’m pissed off about it—for the past five years. But I know exactly why Kade fled to Minnesota, and I’ve never told a single soul. Not my parents or Noelle. Sure as hell not Declan.
No one.
Because if I did…I’m willing to bet she would never speak to me again.
“Don’t worry,” he says. “I’ve kept that secret of yours for all of these years. It’s still safe with me. I won’t even ask for details about what happened with that. It doesn’t matter now.”
***
11
***
DECLAN
I hold the itinerary for the next few months in my hands, my anxiety flaring before settling itself into a pit in my stomach. My schedule is pretty packed for the next couple of weeks before the tour starts, and I need to go see my mom before we leave. I look the paper over, focusing on my bolded items, things I am solely responsible for.
Hottest Female in Rock Shoot October 25th
Spin Magazine Feature November 3rd
KISS FM Interview November 7th
I scan the paper for when our tour dates start, even though I’ve committed the day we’re leaving to memory. It isn’t hard to do, seeing as we take off on our tour bus on December first. My dad’s birthday. I make a mental note to not think about the fact that I haven’t spoken to my father since I was fourteen. I don’t want those old memories resurfacing, not right now. Not ever.
“What do you think, Dec?” Isla asks, throwing herself onto the sectional next to me. It’s girls’ night, and we’ve both already had two glasses of wine. My cheeks are already rosy and warm as I force thoughts of both of my parents out of my mind. We’re waiting on Mia, who is forever late for everything, so Isla broke out the band’s agendas for the next two months and let me take a peek at mine.
“I think I can’t wait to be out of this city and back on the road again.” I lean back into the sofa and set the paper down next to me, shrugging.
“We still have time to back out from hiring Kade, you know. You aren’t yourself. You haven’t been since the other night when we all went to Jaded. Can you talk to me? Are you just doing this because you’ve got a big heart and you can’t say no? Don’t feel bad for the prick, Dec.”
Tell me how you really feel, Isla. I smirk at her.
“No, this has little to do with Kade and everything to do with the fact that I miss being on the road. I miss playing live shows. There’s nowhere I feel more at home than on a stage, Is. Nowhere. That, plus the fact we’re leaving on December first, and that just so happens to be my dad’s birthday—and he’s just another prick in my past.” I let out a quick chuckle and toss my head back, taking another long drink of my red wine.
I look over at Isla after I set my glass down on a coaster, and she’s giving me the look. Her look. The one she gives when she knows there’s more to the story. Her dark eyes narrow, focusing in on me.
“I swear, I’m fine with Kade being employed with us. I’m not even the slightest bit worried about it. That’s part of the past,” I tell her.
“Declan June Rothschild, do you take me for an idiot?” She smirks at me, but I know she isn’t messing around.
