Page 93 of Echoes of Him

Reed tosses him a towel. “How would I know?” he replies. “I’m just as in the dark about this as you guys.”

Jaxon wipes the towel over his face and down his neck. “Should we keep rehearsing? Is he coming back?”

“I dunno. Let’s take five, and if he’s not back by then, we’ll start working again on “River’s Edge.”There’s something still not right with the introduction, and the bridge needs a little more work.”

Jaxon nods his head and climbs out from behind his kit, wiping the towel around the back of his neck as he disappears backstage.

Reed grabs a bottle of water from the floor beside the mic stand and takes a long drink.

And I jump down off the edge of the stage, wondering what the hell is going on.

For now though, I really need a piss, so I guess everything else will just have to wait.

An hour later, and still no Quinn. Or Nick, for that matter.

Reed’s had us go over “Rivers Edge” so many times it felt like we were going around in circles, but then I came up with a fresh idea, and you wouldn’t believe it, but Reed totally loved it.

Instead of coming in slow and easy, building the intro steadily into the beginning of the first verse, I suggested scrapping the introduction altogether and just have all four of us come in together right from the very first note.

Bang.Done.

We tried it out, and it sounded fucking brilliant. It was exactly what the song needed, something totally unique. It will sound awesome live on stage, and even better on the radio once the single’s released.

I’ve just pulled up out the front of Sienna’s house when my phone pings with an incoming text message. I grab it out of the console and glance at the screen, grinning when an image of Reed appears.

“Classic,”I mumble to myself.

I took the photograph of him while we were on our last tour. We were in his hotel room in San Diego, and yeah, I’d been annoying the shit out of him for days. He’s such a moody bastard sometimes. I snapped the photograph right as he lunged at me, his long hair in his face, teeth bared, and nostril flaring, good and pissed off.

Fucking hilarious.

Reed: We’re getting together at my place tonight. Seven o’clock. Tink’s cooking. Nothing fancy. You in?

Jesus, I’ve just spent the last ten hours with the band, and now they want to hang out again? I’m absolutely exhausted, and really sweaty, and was kinda looking forward to just taking a long hot shower and then spending the night curled up on the couch with Bailey and Sienna—more festive bullshit, no doubt.

They make her happy for reasons I’ll never understand, so I’ve learned to bite my tongue. On the topic of tongues, I was also looking forward to making good use of mine once Bailey went to bed. I can make my girl happy, too.

I send a quick reply back to Reed.

Me: What’s the occasion?

Reed: No occasion. Just wanted to catch up and talk about the tour. Without Nick hovering.

Me: He hovers, huh?

Reed: You in or not?

Me: Can I bring someone?

Reed: Sienna?

Me: Why’d you automatically go there?

Reed: Because I’m not fucking blind, man. You’re into her. And she’s into you. What’s the big deal? You’re not in rehab any more. Bring her. It won’t be a late night.

Glancing up at the living room window, I can see Sienna’s shadow moving around the room. She opens the curtains with the back of her hand, her blue eyes seeking me out, and when she catches me watching her from out on the street, she smiles so sweetly it makes my chest ache.

I should probably check with her first, that would be the decent thing to do, the mature thing to do, but as I stare up at her angelic face, a flush creeps up her neck, and fuck it if I don’t want the entire world to know she’s mine.

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