by Shona Husk
“Ha ha, you are all hilarious.” He wished he’d been able to keep the relationship quiet a little longer so that it had time to get stronger before it was thrown in to the real world.
“I’m not going to be there,” Mike said.
That was more than he’d spoken all afternoon, and one complete sentence. Silence followed Mike’s revelation as they all looked at their drummer.
“But it’s what we do.”
Mike shook his head. “Not this year, man.”
“What’s the problem?” Was this Mike dropping out? Ed didn’t want to think about finding a new drummer. It wouldn’t be the same without Mike. Mike had seemed keen to go on a few weeks ago. What had changed?
“I’ve been working because mum had to stop working.” Mike was staring at the floor.
Cold traced over Ed’s skin. He’d seen Mike like this before. They’d been ready to send him off to ADFA and give up on the band when they finished high school. He wanted to be wrong. Please let him be wrong.
Mike looked up. “The cancer is back.”
“Shit.” Dan was the only one to speak.
“She’s known for months but didn’t say anything because she didn’t want me to drop out of the tour.”
Oh shit. It had been back for a while then. That wasn’t good.
“I was partying with you lot while she was getting ready to die.” He stood up. “So yeah, I won’t be at New Year’s ‘cause it’s the last one I’ll ever have with her.”
“They can’t treat it like last time?” Cancer didn’t mean death, not always. The doctors had treated her, but not cured her, before.
Mike shook his head. “She’s booked hospice care and updated her will. Telling me was just another box on her checklist.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t like that.” Mike’s mum was a lovely lady. She’d done everything she could for Mike. She’d tried to get him on that plane to ADFA. He’d refused and helped nurse her through her first battle. She hadn’t told him this time for a reason. Mike wasn’t in the mood to see it yet.
Mike glared at him.
Don’t piss off the yeti.
Because of his height Mike had rarely been picked on at school, but when push came to shove Mike knew how to fight. But he rarely lost his cool. He was popular with the women, had his own place and a fall-back career. The one thing he didn’t have was a family. It was him and his mother.
“How long have you known?” Gemma put her arm around Mike; she was able to do that without it being weird. Without her, Ed was sure the band would have fractured years ago. Next to Mike she looked tiny. Everyone looked short next to Mike.
He rested his head on hers. “A few weeks.”
“What are you going to do?” They were supposed to be in playing over east at the end of February and then recording in Melbourne during March.
“I don’t know.” He pulled away from Gemma. “I have no idea. I don’t want to leave you hanging, but I don’t want to be on the other side of Australia either.”
Everyone heard the unspoken words. He didn’t want to be away when his mother died. And no one could ask him to do that either. Ed had to say something.
The moment stretched on.
“You gotta do what you gotta do.” Lame. He never knew what to say.
“Thanks, man. I’ll let you know.” He gave a wave and walked out of the garage.
“Well, that ended today on a downer.” Dan flopped back on the sofa, chewing the gum that never left his mouth these days.
“We should send some flowers.” That’s what people did. It was the right thing to do.
Gemma crossed her arms and shook her head. “No, dumbass. We should send round meals so they don’t have to cook.”
Had Mike been doing that as well as working and coming here to write?
“Okay. Let me know how much.” Ed looked at Dan.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll put in.” Dan didn’t look too thrilled about it.
Had he and Mike had a falling out? “So you should. Are you paying any rent or board to stay at Mike’s place?”
“No. He hasn’t been there at all. I thought it was me…apparently not.” And Dan didn’t look overly concerned. Perhaps it was because he came from a big family that wasn’t particularly close—or approving of Dan’s career choice.
“Oddly enough, it’s not all about Dan.” Gemma gave Dan a pointed look.
He covered his heart with his hand. “That was harsh, Gem.”
“No bickering, kids. If Mike doesn’t come with us, we have a serious problem.”
While a session drummer could fill in for the festivals, that wouldn’t work for the recording on the next album. They fine-tuned as they went and a session drummer wouldn’t have Mike’s touch or feel for the songs.
As everything was falling into place, once again they stumbled. He had to wonder if the universe was testing their resolve.
Did they want it, if it meant losing everything else?
Once he would’ve said yes without blinking. Now he wasn’t so sure.
Chapter 14
While he could’ve headed into Northbridge to celebrate New Year’s Eve, it was too crowded and trying to get home was a hassle. He’d done it once when he’d first turned eighteen. The drunken violence had been staggering. Not only fistfights but glassings, and what was now being called the coward’s punch. Ed liked that term for it. Hitting someone with no warning, just to put them on the ground, was wrong. He’d been in a couple of scuffles, usually involving alcohol, and had decided that avoiding them was better.
Much like avoiding the city and its nightclub area on New Year’s Eve.
The barbeque was going and his parents were getting ready to go to his aunt’s. The biggest thing he had to worry about was gatecrashers. But it had never been a problem in the past. Then again, aside from a close circle of friends it wasn’t talked about and invites didn’t go out on social media.
Ed was hoping that Olivia would get here soon, but they hadn’t arranged a time and he suspected that she’d wait until Ethan had gone to bed. Would she stay the night? He wanted her to even if that had never worked well for them in the past. How many chances did he give the relationship to get off the ground? He didn’t know. It had never been something he’d had to think about.
All he knew was that he wasn’t ready to give up and call it too hard.
He was too stubborn for his own good sometimes.
He turned the sausages and sipped his beer.
Dan strolled into the backyard with two cases of beer. “I owed you one.”
“Cheers, mate. Put it in the ice.” It was going to be very strange not having Mike here. Ed hadn’t heard from him since he’d dropped the bomb, not even to reply to the text he’d sent. He didn’t know if Mike needed space or his friends. This time was different. He wasn’t sure how he’d cope if he was in Mike’s shoes.
Dan helped himself to a sausage—without asking if they were done—and a bun. “Did you want a beer?”
“Still good.” He held up the bottle and took a swig to prove the point. “How are things with your folks?”
“Same. Mum loves Lisa and is waiting for me to wake up.” Dan shook his head, but there was a bitter twist to his lips as well as his lyrics. “Never going to happen.”
“Never?” Ed raised an eyebrow.
“I dodged a bullet and that is all you need to know. What I want to know is where is your girl? Does she exist?”
“Yeah, I just need to blow her up.” He rolled the sausages and moved the onion around, glad for the distraction. “She’s different…”
“Different good I’m guessing.”
Ed nodded.
“This is serious.” Dan frowned and bit into his bun.
“I’d like it to be.”
“Mmm. Right. No road trip tales. I won’t mention the German backpacker or her friends.”
Ed closed his eyes. Despite the alcohol consumed that night, he had a very clear recollection of what had happened. He sho
uld ask Dan to lie, but that didn’t feel right either. “I’m pretty sure it won’t come up in conversation.”
Dan laughed, there was an edge to it. “You never know. Can’t trust them.”
“Watch it.” Ed pointed the tongs at him. Who couldn’t he trust? Was Dan suggesting that women were untrustworthy?
“Watch her. While you’re away…”
Ed took a swig of beer and studied Dan. It had been Lisa who’d cheated then. But why would Dan let people think it was him?
“Why don’t you get me that beer?” Ed drained the stubby and handed over the empty.
Maybe he shouldn’t have invited Olivia if Dan was looking to make trouble. If he said anything, or did anything…but Dan never had in the past. He was all talk and show. He loved performing and while he and Mike had played up, Dan and Gemma had behaved and pulled them out of a scrape or three. He wasn’t going to let Dan and his issues get in the way tonight.
As the evening got going, other friends and their partners arrived. Gemma and Kirsten were acting like nothing more than friends. Tonight was obviously not the night they were going to come out and reveal their relationship. He hoped that Dan respected that.
This had been the year everything had changed. Selling the Sun had tasted success. None of them were who they’d been twelve months ago. Next year…he exhaled. He hoped it would be a good one, but he knew it was an empty wish.
He’d trade all of their success to fix things for Mike. He didn’t deserve to go through that again. But there was no magic wand he could wave. How many times had Olivia wished things were different after the accident?
Some things had to be struggled through. He suspected that next year was going to be just that. A struggle. But if they kept going there had to be something on the other side.
He’d do everything he could to keep the band together. That was his job. Gemma could only grease the wheels if he kept them on.
His cousins wouldn’t be laughing when Selling the Sun hit big.
Olivia would no doubt consider him more unsuitable. He smiled…yeah, but it wouldn’t matter because by then she’d be in love with him. His smile widened. He liked that idea more than was smart.
The volume went up as one of their songs came on the radio. Tonight everyone was happy for them and raising their drinks in toast. Still no sign of Olivia.
He tried to ignore the stab of pain that caused.
It was early. Only nine.
Olivia sat in the car with her father up the road from Ed’s house. “You don’t need to walk me in.”
“If you’re staying over, again, then I’m meeting him.”
“I’m not a kid.”
“You’re my kid. I don’t want to see you hurt. Not again.” Her father looked at her. “He’s coming to Julie’s wedding. It would be nice to meet him first.”
But the mortification of walking in with her father like she was fifteen…it was best to get it done and let people have their laugh. “Does Mum know about this?”
“It was her idea.”
“I should’ve driven.”
“There’s nowhere to park your car.” That was true. There were cars everywhere, up both sides of the street and on Ed’s front lawn. “This way you can enjoy your night.”
She nodded. She appreciated how much her parents had done for her…but it was frustrating that she was so dependant, and treated like a child. Like tonight. She wanted to be cool…not a dork with her dad dropping her off. She’d never been one of the cool kids. “Thank you.”
She opened up the car door and waited for her dad to follow. There was no one out the front and when she rang the doorbell she wondered if anyone would hear over the music.
Kirsten opened the door. “Olivia, Ed said you were coming.” She smiled and then looked at Olivia’s father, as if not sure what to say.
“Is Ed around?” Her dad got straight to the point, while she wilted on the inside.
“Yeah, I’ll get him.” Kirsten left them standing on the doorstep. That was better than going in. At least no one would see.
It seemed like an hour slipped by before Ed appeared at the door.
“Mr Doyle?” Ed offered his hand to her father, but shot a questioning glance at her.
For a moment Olivia thought her father wasn’t going to shake Ed’s hand. He’d already given Ed an obvious once over. Dressed in faded surf branded gear, she could imagine what her father was thinking.
“You must be Edward.” There was an awkward moment of silence that was left to hang a little too long as the two men appraised each other. “It’s good to meet you. Olivia has been very cagey.”
Thanks Dad.
“I think we both have been.” Ed smiled, but it seemed rather tight.
“What do you do? I don’t think Olivia mentioned.”
She hadn’t and her parents hadn’t asked either. She’d thought they were happy she was getting out. Obviously they wanted to know more. Were they vetting him as a future son-in-law? They hadn’t managed to spend the night together and not break up, so it was a bit too early to be jumping that far ahead. If they broke up again she wasn’t sure she could keep up with the dance. Dating was hard work. Harder than she remembered.
“Musician.”
“We’re not talking orchestra, are we?” Her dad seemed less than thrilled.
“No. Selling the Sun is the band.”
“Right.” Olivia knew her father would go home and do a little research. “Rock star.”
Ed winced. “I’m doing my best to become one.”
From her father’s grunt she knew he was unimpressed. “Your folks home?”
“No. They’ve trusted me to hold a sensible party for the last couple of years. Did you want to come in?”
“No. I’m just dropping off and picking up. Nine am?” Her Dad gave her a look that suggested that she’d best be ready at nine sharp. She already knew that. This was his way of reinforcing the point.
“Not a problem.” Ed kept his smile in place. “Thank you for looking after Ethan so I can see Olivia tonight.”
That made her dad pause. Had he expected her not to tell? What would be the point of that?
“It’s no trouble at all.” Her father turned to her. “Have a good night and I’ll see you next year.”
“Next year.” She took a step forward and into the house.
Her father watched her for a moment then walked away. She relaxed a little.
“Is your dad a cop?” Ed watched him walk up the street.
“He was. Now he’s private security.”
“He’s going to check up on me, isn’t he?”
Olivia nodded. “Yeah. I hope you have no outstanding warrants.” She laughed.
Ed frowned. “No. All my fines are paid and I have nothing to hide.”
“All your fines?” He’d been so careful about drinking and driving; was that because he’d lost his licence previously?
“Speeding, twelve months ago. Nothing big. Come on in.” He took her hand and kissed her, lightly, on the lips as, if he was concerned that her father might be watching.
After locking the front door he led her through the house and out the back. It wasn’t a huge party, about thirty people all up and more guys than girls.
“I’ll grab you a plate and some food then I’ll introduce you around.”
She put her hand on his arm. “You don’t have to make it deliberate.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. There are only so many names I can remember at a time.” She really didn’t want this to feel like a big deal, but already people were noticing.
He gave her hand a squeeze and then they walked over to the barbeque where a group of guys were loitering.
Ed could feel his mates’ curious stares. They could be curious a little longer. He loaded up a bun with cheese, sausage and sauce before handing it to her. “It appears we’re out of onions.”
“That’s fine. Thank you.” She smiled at him but her gaze flicked to the guys
who had now turned their attention from the hot plates to her.
Ed really hoped that none of them remembered Olivia from the nightclub.
Luke frowned and his eyes narrowed. “You’re handcuff girl.”
Damn it.
Olivia blushed. “Yeah, that would be me.”
Luke looked at Ed. “You’re dating handcuff girl.”
“I’m dating Olivia. Olivia, this is Luke.” The first introduction was over and suddenly he didn’t want to do any more. He wanted her to himself, but that cat had fled the bag. He introduced her to the other guys standing there, pointing out the relevant girlfriends who were sitting at the outdoor setting where the bottles of wine were.
“Is she the real reason you aren’t coming to Bali? I might be able to forgive that.” Luke couldn’t drop Bali for one night.
It would be nice to go, but he couldn’t justify it and now he had something happening with Olivia. While he knew he was going to have to leave her when he went over east, throwing a surfing holiday in didn’t seem like a great idea.
“If money is really that tight, you can pay me back later. We want you there, man.” Luke slapped him on the arm. “One day you’ll be so famous you won’t have time for us. You’ll be surfing in Hawaii and Mexico.” Luke was smiling, but there was an edge of seriousness.
Ed knew he’d hardly seen his friends all year. If he didn’t make an effort, he’d lose them and next year’s party would be smaller. Now he was adding a girlfriend in the mix.
He glanced at Olivia, she really didn’t need to be involved in this. Sometimes Luke could be a tool. “Come on, you can meet the band.”
Dan was already glassy-eyed, but he managed to behave—he’d be passed out before New Year’s. Gemma smiled and acted as though him having a girlfriend was a rare occurrence.
Most of his friends were surprised. Had it really been that long? He didn’t think so, but then, he had filled in the gaps and they didn’t know that. Olivia leaned close to him. The heat of the day had faded away and the breeze was in, creating a perfect summer evening, but he doubted she was cold.
His arm slid around her waist. “I’m glad you could come. My friends might have thought I’d made you up otherwise.”
