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Chapter 21
Knox
Bash’shouseinthesuburbs was nice. It was nowhere near as fancy as Ghost’s luxury apartment or the penthouse Sid and Kaylie just moved into, but he and Kody had a lot more space and the neighborhood location was undoubtedly more kid-friendly. One of its cooler features was a kick-ass pool house.
I reclined on the leather sectional sofa as Bash handed me a cold beer from the refrigerator. The small kitchen had a pass-through window overlooking the backyard pool area. Outside, four barstools were pulled up to the counter below the window for a makeshift outdoor bar.
Inside, the space had become Bash’s man cave. Besides the kitchen and lounge area in front, there was a full bathroom and a guest room, which he’d converted to a music space. He had a full drum kit permanently set up, with enough room for the rest of the band to practice. The main room was equipped with a fireplace, a poker table, and a large screen television with theatre surround sound and a gaming console, all separated from the backyard swimming pool area by large sliding glass doors that could be opened to create an indoor/outdoor effect. A few of Kody’s toys were lying around or tucked into corners, but overall, the space was very masculine and comfortable.
The band had gotten together to practice today and whenever we could; we liked to come here. It was a bit out of the way, but that was part of its appeal. Ghost and Sid had left together to head back to the city. I wasn’t in a hurry, so I’d stay and hang out with Ryder and Bash for a while.
Ryder sunk down on the couch next to me. “None of the houses we’ve been looking at have pool houses like this. I kind of like the idea of having a place to escape.”
I watched Bash pull out a few bags of snacks for us in the kitchen. “How’s the house hunt going? Is Talia still dragging you up and down the coast, looking for the perfect place?”
“Yeah. She’s trying to find some mythical bargain house, but we’re going to have to pay a pretty penny if we want to live right on the beach. I think she’s finally starting to figure that out.”
Soon I was going to be the last one in the band left who hadn’t traded up to better digs. Did I want to go somewhere bigger and better? Maybe if I had a family, a wife and kids, but for now, my small apartment was fine.
Ryder continued, “We’re ready to pull the trigger as soon as we find the right house. The really nice ones don’t even make it to the market before they’re snatched up. It’s insane.”
Bash joined us with a few bowls of snacks. “Josie took Kody to the park, so I’ve got a couple of hours to kill. Call of Duty or Madden?”
I sat back against the cushions. “You guys go ahead. I’ll watch. I just need to unwind for a bit.”
Ryder gave me a shove. “You need to unwind? From what? Try buying a house while you’re planning a wedding.”
Bash piled on. “Try being a single dad and then you’ll really need to de-stress.”
“It’s nothing. Just a lot of shite on my mind lately.” I shrugged it off with what I hoped was an indifferent answer.
“Are you ever going to get out of that dump you’re living in?” Ryder asked with a trace of amusement. “You’re living like a pauper and that neighborhood isn’t the greatest.”
I replied with fake indignation, “It was just fine when you were slumming on my couch. Both of you, if I recall correctly.”
Bash sunk into a recliner and swiveled to face us. “I thought you were going to get an apartment in the building Ghost is in?”
“Nah, it’s too much work.” I took a healthy gulp of my beer. “Besides, why should I pay all that money if we’re going back out on tour? It’ll just sit empty. It makes sense for you two. You have a kid and you’re getting married soon. I have nothing.” I cringed, hoping a didn’t sound like a loser.
Bash pulled a handful of pretzels out of a bowl and began munching on them. “There’s nothing tying you down. I miss that. I wouldn’t trade having Kody for anything in this world, but going on tour with him in tow wasn’t easy.” He shook his head. “Man, I struggle to try to make sure I’m always doing the right thing for him.”
“You’re doing a pretty good job of it, mate,” I reassured him, and Ryder agreed.
Bash turned to him. “What about you? Do you miss the single life? We had some wild times.”
Ryder shook his head, laughing. “We did, but I don’t miss it. After a while, fucking random groupies got old. Somewhere along the way, it lost its appeal for me and just became a habit. Then Talia showed up and I could never go back to that. It’s hard to explain to two assholes like you, but having sex with a woman you love is a thousand times better than fucking a random groupie.”
Bash threw a pretzel at him. “Talk to me in five years after you’re married and have fucked the same chick hundreds of times. Tell me how much better it is then.”
Ryder picked the pretzel off his lap and winged it back at Bash. “Why don’t you ask Vicious? He’s engaged now and has been fucking the same woman over and over again. Oh, wait? Isn’t that your little sister he’s fucking?”
Bash flipped Ryder the middle finger and then chugged down the remainder of his beer.
I’d probably regret it, but I asked anyway, “How did you know Talia was the one?”
He studied his beer bottle for a moment and then ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t really know. We had sex before we even knew each other — you know the story — but it felt different. The chemistry was just off the charts. Right away, I knew I wanted to be around her and not just for sex. I was thinking about her all the time. Everything was more exciting when she was there.”
Of course, I was thinking about Summer. It had been weeks since she left me at the airport and I still couldn’t get her off my mind.
