by Hilary Storm
I use my phone to search for available apartments or houses for rent in this area. I see a few and take screen shots so I'll have them tomorrow. Maybe I can get Eaven to take me around until I find something we can get.
Luke begins to stir, so I lay my phone face down on the bed next to me. He stretches his arms over his head and I find myself watching his chest and stomach. This man is perfect.
"Are you watching me sleep?"
"Yeah. Is that okay?"
"No. You should be sleeping too." I don't respond to him. I can't say I already have, or I will, because chances are I won't. The sunlight coming through the curtain tells me it's time to get out of bed anyway.
"I'm good. What's the plan for today?"
"I think I want to meet the guys at the sound house. I listened to what you said last night and I think I may give it a try. Maybe if I work on it with the guys, it'll go over a little better."
"That sounds perfect."
"Do you want to come with me?"
"No. I think I'm going to look for us a place to stay for awhile." He sits up in bed and runs his hands through his hair and down his face.
"I don't know what to do about that. I don't really want to let my house go, but I'm not ready to move into it."
"I'll look for a simple apartment for us until you're ready to decide what you want to do. There's no reason to rush into it."
"I guess that's the best thing then."
"I'll have Eaven help me."
He slides to the edge of the bed and stands up, continuing to stretch his gorgeous body. "What time did she say she'd be by this morning?"
"She said to call her and she'd be right over."
"I'm gonna go for a run."
"Okay. Have fun." He closes the door to the bathroom and I roll over, wrapping myself up in the sheet. He seems to be better this morning; maybe I can catch an hour of sleep before things get started.
~~~~~~~
I roll over to an empty room. Glancing at my phone, I see his note laying on the bed.
Kimber- I'm going to meet the guys at the studio. Eaven will be back for you when you call. I hope you got some rest, I tried to be quiet when I got back from my run. Thank you for being there for me last night. I'll see you soon. ~Luke
This is promising. He's going to the studio. I'm going to take the day to get to know the girls a little better and hopefully Luke will be able to move forward with the guys and the band.
I text Eaven at the number she gave me last night and jump in the shower to freshen up.
Luke
Talon picked me up on his way to the studio this morning. I noticed the change in his voice when I asked for a ride. I know he wants nothing more for me than to join them once again, but I'm not sure if it's in the cards for me anymore. My life is so different now.
"Just so you know, Zander is coming in today. He's one of the bass guitarists we've been looking at. His experience is lacking, but his talent fits what we're needing." A ping of hatred flashes through me. He'll never be good enough to replace her. Lilly was the best of the best.
I just sit back and listen to him tell me how they came across his work. I can tell Taron has been in the forefront of trying to find someone to replace her. I can't blame him, I've had them waiting six months as it is. They need to get back on tour and if I'm not ready to go with them, I need to be ready to let them fill our spots.
Channeling my inner love of music will be important today. I can't be selfish when it comes to the guys anymore. They deserve the chance to get back on top.
"Can we make a stop at the bank on the way?" I need to see what my account looks like. I haven't touched it in months and hell, I don't even remember my password anymore. My royalties should've been deposited every month, but I have no idea how we've done.
"Sure."
"I don't have any idea what I have in there."
"Well, the past few months have been kick ass, so you should be doing alright. The songs you and Lilly wrote really took off and the pay checks have definitely reflected that."
"How much are we talking?"
"Let's just say you won’t be worried about money any time soon." I slide out of his truck and go inside. He has me curious.
The lady at the teller window must think I'm crazy when I ask for my balance and I don't have the account number. She hands me a piece of paper showing over two million dollars and I look at her like she's the insane one.
"You must have the wrong account."
"Luke Jacobs. Account number 1921508."
"Uh. Yes, that's the one."
"Sir, that's your balance." I stare at the piece of paper in shock. We always made decent money on the road, but to make this kind of money when we're not on tour is just completely crazy.
I must still have the look of surprise when I get in the truck with Talon.
"You alright, man?"
"What the hell happened? Shit, our royalties have blown up."
"Lilly dying sparked a lot of interest in our music and things just went well from there. Taron wants to put out a CD in memory of her, showcasing her talent. We were thinking of giving all the money to a charity that advocates against drunk drivers." I don't know what to say.
"That sounds awesome. I'd love to be a part of that."
"That's why we waited for you to do it. We knew it would be something you'd want to work on with us."
"I'll start pulling recordings and see how we can best represent her." This will be torture, but I need to do this. She needs to be remembered in the best light and doing something like this is exactly what she'd want us to do.
We arrive at the studio to a shit ton of vehicles. Why do I have a feeling there's a few people here who can't wait to see me with a guitar in my hands?
Stepping out of the truck, we're approached by paparazzi and groupies trying to get close to us. I take a deep breath and try to remember what it was like. Knowing this was my favorite part, I decide to take a chance and sign a few autographs.
"Oh. My. God. Luke. Thank you for signing my shirt. I've missed you so much. You were always my favorite." I leave her with a smile and move to the next girl.
"Tell me when I get to see you again in concert!" I sign the CD she hands me and smile. I won't promise them anything I can't guarantee will happen.
"Luke. Over here!" I see a blonde waving a magazine in the back, so I move toward her. She has me intrigued.
She hands me a magazine with Lilly and I on the front cover. I don't remember posing for this, but it's badass. I look at the date and see that it was released right after her death.
'Tragedy Takes Two' is the headliner across the top. I hand it back to her without signing it and ask her if she has anything else I can sign.
"This is all I have with me."
"Give me a few minutes. Let me see if we have something in the studio. I just don't want to sign that if you don't mind."
"Sure. I'm so sorry." I look up to Holden, who just opened the door to the studio for us. When I get closer, he starts to hold the fans back.
"Do we have a t-shirt or something in here that I can give away?"
"Sure, grab what you need." Taron is sitting with his feet up on the sound board, kicked back holding his baby on his chest.
I take a t-shirt and a few CDs that I get my hands on, signing them before opening the door. The blonde seems happy with my compromise. I've never done a search to see what everyone was saying when I left. I don't want to know, but if I keep making appearances with the guys, I'm going to have to do some research. I can't be surprised every time I'm approached with something like this.
I'm about to close the door when I see a guy walking up to me outside. He extends his hand for a handshake and I realize it must be Zander.
"I'm here to meet the guys of Rebel Walking. You're Luke, right?" His hair is all over his fucking head. It looks like he's never brushed it in his life. His body is covered in black clothes and this mother fucker is wearing skinny jeans.
"Yeah, the guys are in here."
"It's great to have you back, man. It's an honor to meet you." I don't return his greeting, but lead him into the room where the guys are congregated.
"Z! I'm glad you decided to come check us out. Z, this is Talon, Luke, and Holden." I sit down on the couch and watch them all talk about how Taron met him at a concert and wait to see what this guy is all about.
Taron places a guitar in his hands and starts one of the recordings of our most popular song, without the bass section. He kicks in and begins to follow our rhythm and I feel the itch to correct a few of his additions. It's not the same; not that it's terrible, he's just messing with the original and it's not setting well with me.
"If you're going to improvise, you need to make it worthwhile. We have the music written how we want it to be." I find myself standing in front of him before I have the chance to think twice about what I'm doing.
"I don't mean any disrespect, but I'll always play what I'm feeling. If that's an issue, then I'm not the right guy for the job." He steps closer, challenging me face to face.
I step closer and territorial vibes begin to flow through me as I try to reel in the anger I'm feeling about all of this. I have not right to be angry. I have no right to hate the way he plays. I have no right to question who they decide to bring in here.
Then why do I feel like I do? Because the fuck if I'm going to let him just feel some bullshit and change the shit I worked so god damned hard to perfect with Lilly.
"Then you can set that fucking guitar down and walk." I feel hands on my shoulders as I lean in closer to this idiot.
"Luke. Calm down. I asked him to show us his talents. Talents include playing without music. I want him to show us what he's got."
"If you want to see what he's got, then fucking give me a guitar. If he can't keep up with someone who hasn't played in six months, he needs to walk the fuck out of here."
Taron gives me a stupid ass grin and starts some music. I hand Zander a new guitar and pull mine off the wall. I stroke the strings a few times, getting the feel of it all again as the intro plays. I notice Taron hitting the sound board and Talon takes a seat at the drums.
My focus is this 'Z' fucker as Black Sabbath begins to echo through the studio. 'Paranoid' is fast paced and such a classic that I have no problem leading the way. Talon's drum's kick in and we rock through the entire song, not pausing before 'Iron Man' begins to play. Taron keeps the music coming, letting Ozzy sing while we battle it out.
I hate to say it but this fucker is keeping up. I need something more challenging. 'Hail to the King' kicks in by Avenged Sevenfold and I start to finally feel the adrenaline that I've missed so long. Zander sits the guitar down and picks up the bass guitar, joining in to complement me instead of competing with me.
'This Means War' starts next and I literally get chills when Taron joins us. His new gritty sound is badass and a few ideas for new lyrics begin to form in my head as I play on.
We play for a few hours, never pausing. I'm drenched in sweat when the last note plays through the studio. Holden has now moved to the couch, along with everyone in the studio. I don't know everyone, but right now I'm just loving the feel of my heart racing.
"Let's do 'Critical Acclaim'." I start playing before the rest of them have the chance to, but they all file in and before long, we sound perfect. I watch Zander, looking for mistakes, but he has no idea I'm watching. He's lost in his music, just like a true musician.
We end and I have to give him props. He fits in well with Rebel Walking. I love how I feel right now, and maybe a hard session did me some good.
"Fuck, that was amazing." Taron slaps me on the back and then follows on Zander.
"Z, I need to talk to the guys, but shit you're definitely my top choice."
"That was a blast. You guys are badass and I'd love to do more with you. Luke, I hope you think I can hang with you."
"You did alright. I could see you working well with the guys."
"Luke, you have to join us again. That shit was amazing." Taron continues to push, although right now he's probably the closest to me saying yes than he's ever been. I miss this feeling. I miss being able to let loose of my passion and play until I'm dead fucking tired. There's nothing like that feeling. I used to go to the gym for hours in search of this feeling, but it never came.
"We'll see. Don't rule me out yet."
"Fuck yes! I knew once you were in here, you'd come around. God, I missed you, man." I start to strum the strings a few times, slowly winding down my beating heart.
I may try to deny this part of my life, but there's one thing I can't refuse. The way I feel right now is something I've missed with everything in my soul. I need this back in my life one way or another.
Chapter Eight
Kimber
I’ve spent an entire day looking at places while Eaven and Ivy insist that we just stay with them. I'd never impose on someone like that and besides that, Luke and I need our own space to start this new life we both need so much. We deserve our happiness.
Luke messaged me saying he wants to meet me at his house. I hope this means he's doing better and is ready to work out some of the issues he has last night when he tried to go inside.
Eaven and Ivy are amazing and I'm very lucky to have them helping. Ivy was at the studio this morning with Heaven and she said Luke actually started playing guitar before she left. That's a huge step for him and it makes me feel hopeful that he's in a great place.
We get to the house before he does and Eaven lets us in. Ivy went home to get Heaven a nap in. We decide to sit at the table and wait for him to show.
“You may have to help him go through some of this mail. I should've opened all of it and pulled out any that referenced the accident. I know so many of them are fan girls because most of this came from his private post office box.”
“Yeah, I will for sure. He won't want to deal with all of that.”
“There's a few in there that I really wanted him to see. Hell, one claims to be carrying his child.” Her words surprise me and I begin to move toward the box to pull a few out. What are the odds he does have a baby out there? I can't help but be a little jealous of that idea because I'm hoping one day that will be us.
If he’s going to be a dad, we’ll manage. He would've treated mine like his, there's no doubt in my mind.
I’m opening the second envelope when I hear the sound of a truck in the driveway.
Luke comes in the door and walks quickly toward me. I drop the letters back in the box and watch for his behavior. He's direct and focused on me. He leans down to give me a deep kiss the second he reaches me. What in the hell has gotten into him? I don't want to ask, because I don't want to jinx it.
He's obviously in a great mood and I need to let him have this.
“How was your day?” He's asking me the question I'm dying to know about him.
“We had a great time! How about you?”
“I tore it up with the guys and I feel great!” I’ve never seen him like this. Not even last night was to this level. He seems so carefree and without stress. I'm going to love this side of Luke.
“I want us to go out with the gang tonight to dinner, but first I'm going to go through a few things here. How did your search go today?”
“Luke, don't be ridiculous! You can stay with us. I'm not letting you rush into some apartment while you're in limbo trying to decide where to live.” Eaven is very determined as she stands to face Luke in all her sass.
“Ev, I love you, but I'm not living with you. We’ll work it all out. Plus, I'm going to try to work through a few things and this place may work for us.”
“Alright, well if we’re gonna meet you for dinner, I need to go get ready. I'll leave you my truck and catch a ride with Talon.” She tosses Luke the keys. “We cleaned your shit up at the hotel, because you're not staying there again. Family doesn't let family sleep in fuckin’ hotels Luke. We have an extra bed, so get over yourself.”
He pulls her close and kisses her forehead while she continues to talk.
“Thank you, Ev. We’ll either stay here tonight, or we’ll take you up on that offer. Now go get cute, because we’re going out.”
“Alright. But do you need me to stay here for a bit?”
“No. I'm good. We’ll see you soon.” Eaven leans over me giving me a tight hug, then she walks out.
Luke sits next to me and starts looking around. He's taking it all in and I don't dare move anything until he’s had the chance to accept it all.
He stands and walks into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator. I'm not sure what he expects to be in there after six months, but I make a mental note to go to the grocery store tomorrow.
“Eaven is the fucking best. She stocked my fridge. I'm gonna have to do some cool shit for her one day soon.” Cool shit? He's starting to change the way he words sentences. In California he was so reserved and calculated, I never heard him say ‘cool’.
“She really cares about you.”
“Yeah, we’ve always been close cousins. I can't imagine most of my childhood without her.”
He pulls out a beer and pops the lid off. I watch him walk around the house, slowly taking it all in. He sits on the couch with a picture frame and I let him have his space.
“She was killed by a drunk driver. We were leaving a party and some asshole came in our lane and killed her.” He pauses and I wait, allowing him as much time as he needs.
“We’re going to do a CD in memory of her and donate all the money to a charity that advocates against drinking and driving.”
“That's a great idea, Luke.”
“She would want that. She would expect me to do something with her memory to help others.”
“Tell me how I can help and I'd be glad to.”
“Did you find anything today?”
“A few apartments. One rent house, but I didn't care for it.”
“We can buy a house.”
“I thought of that, but I only have a little over one hundred grand, and with no job out here, I'm not sure I can get financing.”
