Seattle Sound Series, The Collection: Books One to Five

by Alexa Padgett

  “I don’t,” I said, scowling.

  “Yet,” Kai said. He stretched out in his seat, eyes wandering to the few girls already in their seats. Dismissing them, he turned back to me. “I’ve never seen you wound so tight about a chick before. And you didn’t even talk to her.”

  “Yet.” Dane smirked.

  “Drop it. Both of you. I don’t want to talk about her anymore.”

  The instructor came in, and I was glad for the interruption. But Kai had made a point, much as I hated to admit it. Something about Abigail had gotten to me. And I didn’t like it—not one bit.

  2

  Abbi

  “Good class today,” Mr. Rippey told us. He smiled, a dimple winking from his left cheek.

  A girl next to me sighed. Really? He was our teacher.

  “Don’t you think he’s super hot?” she tittered. “I mean, he’s so young and cute. I totally would become a scientist if most of the men looked like him.”

  I looked back at our TA. He was tall, fit, in his mid-twenties. He had twinkling dark eyes and curly dark hair. I shrugged, agreeing he was attractive in a rumpled professorial kind of way. He caught my eye and dipped his head in acknowledgment. I looked away, so not interested.

  “I’m looking forward to those reports on Wednesday. Great first week of class. Enjoy your weekend.”

  I watched, disconnected from the commotion, as the students around me, laughing and talking, packed up their bags. Many were making plans for their weekends.

  I wasn’t. Never did.

  Seth texted me last week to let me know he wasn’t going to be on campus this year because he’d decide to extend his study abroad program in order to be closer to his Italian girlfriend, Ramona.

  Seth was the son of one of Asher’s band mates. We’d met nearly two years ago at a Supernatural’s concert. He was funny and, more important, used to the less savory side of fame. He understood, to some degree, what it was like to be photographed and written about because of our parents’ accomplishments.

  I’d missed him last year while I was in Tech, and the lure of seeing Seth a few times a week was one of the reasons I’d enrolled at Northern. He’d promised to show me all his favorite spots on campus, and not seeing him was a blow—a big one.

  At least I had Aunt Bri’s standing Tuesday and Thursday lunch dates. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I was really knocking it out of the park with this college lifestyle—my entire social life revolved around my classes and lunch dates with my aunt.

  Part of the reason I shied away from making new connections was the paparazzi hung around like dirty gym socks. That, and some of the guys had propositioned me this past week, but after a few choice words, my fellow students left me alone. Mostly. The more persistent ones were a problem, but nowhere near the problem I’d had at Marin Tech. Its veterinary school was top-three in the nation, and there was no way I was going to turn down such an offer.

  If only I had.

  Much as I wanted to forget everything about my short year at what had been my dream school, I couldn’t. The scandal followed me.

  Coming home proved hard. Thanks to my stupidity, staying in northern California hadn’t been a viable option, not with Steve there stirring the pot, just waiting to do something else that would shame me and get his name in the papers and all over social media. Double win for him, but definitely not for me.

  I hated that gossip magazines and websites called him my ex-boyfriend. We hadn’t dated long. Just a handful of times back in February and March. Still, he’d licked up the mentions, making a point of responding to each claim. Keeping his name, and his band’s name, in the news.

  Asshole.

  In just another couple of weeks, I’d lay the hell of last year to rest for good. I swallowed hard. Okay, so that was the best-case scenario, and I might not ever get beyond that night at Tech. At least I wouldn’t have to live with the uncertainty much longer, and knowing was its own kind of closure. I hoped. I needed . . . something. Because I wasn’t brave anymore. Hell, I couldn’t look most people in the eye without psyching myself up for it.

  I hadn’t been willing to try another out-of-state school. My high school friends mostly stayed in Idaho; some moved to eastern Washington or Wyoming and were just starting their first year of college. I’d dismissed attending one of their schools before I finished my senior year. They’d begun to treat me differently once my mom started dating Asher, and I’d had to bail on most of the high school activities. Each time I explained I had to go to Seattle so my mom could help with her HBO miniseries, they said I was bragging. If I mentioned Mom and I were heading to San Fran for one of the Supernaturals’ shows, I was trying to make my high school friends jealous.

  So I quit hanging out with them long before we moved to Seattle, unable to endure the stilted envy that cropped up the summer between my junior and senior year. Losing my best friend Sally during that time was hard but probably for the best. When she quit talking to me, I’d agreed to transfer to a Seattle-area school for my senior year, which was really just a semester. Sally never bothered to say goodbye in those hectic weeks before we moved. In fact, the only person I saw before I left was Luke, my ex-boyfriend, who wanted to get back together . . . only because my mom was shacking up with a famous rock star. Um, his request met with a big fat no way.

  Those last summer days in Rathdrum, bad as they felt, were so much better than the outright lies and vitriol Steve and his friends spewed.

  “Hey, Abbi, want to grab a drink?” Jeff asked. He was a year or two older than me—as most of the students were. Even though I was classified as a sophomore, I was still eighteen, making me the youngest student in the program. He stood over six feet of mostly arms and knees. His glasses were always smudged. How could he see through the lenses?

  He was probably nice, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

  “Sorry, can’t,” I said, keeping my face neutral. “You have fun.”

  “What about studying on Sunday?” he asked, voice rising in desperation.

  “Busy with my family.”

  I didn’t flash the smile that used to come so easily because that only encouraged attention. I settled for a small wave before I pulled on my messenger bag and trotted out of class.

  I headed down the wide walkway, considering my options. I should go to the library. I needed to get a jumpstart on the biochem assignment Mr. Rippey just gave us. I wasn’t confident I’d understood the material well enough, and because of Jeff’s clinginess, I didn’t stick around long enough to see if the other students were setting up study groups.

  As usual, I crossed campus alone. The only time I didn’t was when my aunt Briar was with me. I’d be embarrassed by my lack of friends if I wasn’t thankful no one knew me well enough to hurt me. Again.

  No matter how far my situation deteriorated, I couldn’t blame my difficulties on Asher. He was awesome, and I was really lucky to have such a thoughtful father figure in my life. I just wished I could tease out the people who actually liked me from those who wanted something from me. Asher said it got easier. While I believed him, I was too busy trying to protect myself to suss out people’s reasons for showing interest in me.

  Being wanted, liked . . . that used to be easy. Until Sally refused to speak to me again. But now, a year later, she’d started texting me. Asking to meet up. To talk.

  I’d considered doing so because I was lonely. But that made me an even bigger loser, and I just couldn’t face Sally, letting her see what her defection had done to me.

  Time to forget those golden days and focus on important details: enzymes and nucleic acids. Woo hoo. Exciting Friday night plans.

  3

  Clay

  Footsteps pounded down the stairs. I braced myself at the bottom, legs spread and arms open. Cassidy hurled herself into my arms as she’d done every time I came home. She seemed even lighter than she had the last time I’d held her in my arms two weeks ago.

  I rubbed her back, counting each of her vertebrae on
the way down. I hated the physical manifestation of her illness. I squeezed my eyes shut, heart aching, as I held my baby sister for a long moment.

  “Missed you, ladybug.”

  She wiggled free from my arms and set her fists on her little hips. “I told you not to call me that anymore. I’m fourteen. Do you want to embarrass me in front of my friends?”

  “Course not, Cassidy. Just, you know, it’s hard for big brothers to remember you’re growing up.” Sort of. I was beyond thankful she was home for her fifteenth birthday next week. Four years ago, Cassidy was healthy and even bubblier than she was now.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  “You sound like Mom. All she did after our appointment yesterday was cry.” Cassidy rolled her eyes.

  Like me, Cassidy had inherited our mom’s green eyes. But Cassidy’s were darker than mine, more uniform in color, and looked way too large for her thin face. The second round of chemotherapy had been so hard on her, but her hair was finally growing back and she looked cute with the dark fluff swirling around her head. I was still trying to get used to the color—Cassidy used to have dirty-blond hair.

  I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. Clearing my throat, I tried again. “So that means the doctors were wrong and you’re not in remission?”

  Cassidy frowned at me. “It means I’m not dead yet, and I’d really like it if someone would remember that I have a life to live.”

  I swallowed down my follow-up question, knowing it would irritate her more. As soon as possible, I’d ask about the appointment. Right now, Cassidy needed normalcy.

  “That you do, Cassie. How about we hit the pool?”

  “Now you’re talking! Be right back.” Cassidy ran up the stairs.

  Sometimes, like now, she seemed so unaffected by her illness, it was hard to remember just how touch-and-go her prognosis had been.

  “Hey, honey,” Mom said, sliding an arm around my waist.

  “Cassidy said you cried after her appointment yesterday. Everything okay?”

  Mom’s eyes, so like Cassie’s, filled with tears again. She’d aged a lot these past few years as Cassidy sank deeper into the disease. I bit the inside of my cheek, hating the secret I’d kept from her. Seeing her now, vulnerable, I knew I’d made the right decision. For her.

  I hugged her tighter, wishing these past few years were different.

  “The PET scan was clean.”

  “That’s great.” I grinned. Damn, that was the best news I’d heard in ages. “Excellent. So why the tears?”

  Mom cleared her throat. “It’s just . . . we didn’t expect her to make it during the last round. I’m so happy.”

  I wrapped my arms around her again and let her cry. After a moment, she patted my chest. “You’re a good man, Clay. Thanks. I needed that. Your dad’s trying, but . . .” She sighed, looking away. “Nearly losing Cassie changed him.”

  More than my mom knew. The anger swelled again. We’d all been to counseling while Cassie was sick, and Dr. Thomas suggested I talk to my dad about the situation. I’d been too hurt, then too angry to broach the subject.

  With Mom and Dad stable and Cassie improving, it seemed like the wrong time to bring up Dad’s affair. Correction. His last affair that I knew about. I didn’t want to shatter my mom’s happiness. She, like Cassie, deserved the best of everything. I bent and kissed her cheek.

  “Anything for the prettiest lady I know.”

  Mom chuckled as she wiped away her tears. “You are such a flirt. Just like your father.”

  “Nah.” Horror and frustration built in my throat, clinging there. If I didn’t keep my feelings buried, my mom would notice. I looked away, pretending to be searching for Dad. “Where is he, by the way?”

  “In the hot tub with Colten.”

  “Let’s head that way, then.”

  “You go. I’m still too weepy to be much fun. I’ll join you in a bit.”

  I gave her a final squeeze before heading out to the pool. It was indoors, taking up what would’ve been the basement if we’d had one. Seattle was really too cold for an outdoor pool most of the year, but Mom had insisted we put one in when Colten and I were young. We’d had too much energy for her to run off.

  Once Dad finally figured out how to get and keep the money he’d earned from his record label, he’d hired the workers as a gift to Mom, and the natatorium turned out to be the most-used room in the house.

  My brother and Dad were there, leaning back and enjoying the hot bubbles.

  “Clay. Glad you could come.”

  Dad smiled at me. I’d searched his eyes and smile for months to see if he looked different, acted differently. He didn’t, and that led me to wonder how many times he’d cheated on my mom over the years. Had our pool been a gift to assuage his guilt?

  I cleared my throat, forcing the word asshole back down.

  “Sorry I’m late. Slept in. Cassidy told me the good news. I’m sure you’re relieved.”

  A shadow crossed Dad’s face. “Yeah, now Cassidy can enjoy being a girl again.”

  There was more to that statement, but I didn’t push it. I’m not sure I could handle another one of his secrets.

  4

  Abbi

  I shoved through the library doors, fumbling to turn down my iPod. I pulled the earbuds from my ears and headed up the stairs to the top floor. Few people liked to hike that far with all their books and the area was always deserted. Just the way I liked it.

  I stopped at the top. A couple of guys—fraternity brothers, I guessed from their expensive jeans, tatty T-shirts, backward ball caps, and flip flops—lounged in the space. These guys used to be part of my scene. I was still officially a member of a sorority even though I hadn’t heard from any of the girls since I left Tech nearly three months ago. I’d been told by the senior in charge of the group that I’d embarrassed the chapter. I’d barely managed to stifle my hysterical giggles.

  So much for thinking I’d find new friends at Tech.

  One of the guys smiled at me, all predatory. I turned back down the steps, taking them as quickly as I could.

  “What’s the hurry, sweetheart?” he asked.

  “Just want to do some studying,” I replied. I should’ve gone to my dorm. I had a single this year, so I could usually drown out the other girls’ hallway conversations with my earbuds.

  “Well, you can come right back up here and study my lips,” the second guy said with a snicker.

  “No, thanks. Not interested.”

  “You should be,” the first guy said. “Neal can get you into all the great parties on campus.”

  I tried to ease around them, only to get caged between their looming bodies. My heart pounded against my ribs.

  “I don’t party. I’m sure you can find someone else who does, and who’s grateful for the invite.”

  I gave Neal a pointed back-the-hell-off stare. He pressed in closer, too close. My heartbeat kicked up even faster.

  “Pretty girl like you, you’d be the life of any party. Like you were last spring.”

  Neal grinned, so close his chest brushed mine. Even as I tried to ease back, the other guy pressed up tight against my back. Tears bit into the back of my nose. I slid down a step then another, but Neal was there again, catching my forearm and pulling me against his chest. No one else was up here, and I struggled in earnest now, fear taking over.

  “Let me go,” I cried.

  “We aren’t finished getting acquainted, sweetheart. I need a kiss to see if you’re ready for my party tonight. Everyone knows you gave those away to the dicks at Tech.”

  He snickered, proud of his double entendre, and my face flamed. So much for thinking I was doing well, blending in. That the story had passed.

  I opened my mouth to scream, but before I could, a big hand shoved Neal back. “She said back off.”

  I turned to see a third guy, taller than the other two. He had light green eyes and dark, wavy hair. His shoulders were broad and his biceps thick, just
like my high school boyfriend, Luke. Instinctively, I edged closer to the new guy who used his body to nudge me out of Neal’s grasp.

  “Aw, c’mon. We were just having a little fun.”

  “She didn’t seem to be enjoying it.”

  He glanced at me, his gaze cataloging each of my features before checking out my arms and legs. My face warmed under his scrutiny, but it was a pleasant warmth, not the icky crawly feeling I normally got when guys looked at me now.

  “You okay? They hurt you?”

  I shook my head, still staring into his eyes. They were so unique. The outside was pale, almost celadon, but they darkened to a deep emerald. I’d never seen eyes like his.

  “Get out of here. You guys better not make a habit of this. Because I will report you.”

  “Fuck off, Clay,” Neal said. “Everyone knows she’s a cock tease.” But he turned to stomp back up the stairs. His friend followed behind.

  I shivered, hugging my arms tighter to my chest.

  “They really scared you,” Clay said, his brow pulling down into creases of concern.

  He had no idea, and it wasn’t like I was going to tell him. That was even worse than the press I’d already lived through. He lifted his hand like he was going to touch me. When I flinched, he dropped his hand. Something shifted in his expression; he made some kind of decision, ending it with a subtle nod.

  “Would you be willing to come with me? Just down this flight of stairs? You look like you need to sit down.”

  I nodded, thankful he hadn’t touched me again. I wasn’t sure I could cope with more manhandling. I knew I was overreacting, but I couldn’t control my response. Just like I couldn’t stand being touched by strangers since I woke up in Steve’s bedroom last May.

  Something about the way Neal looked at me, touched me, made me think he wouldn’t have stopped. No matter what I said or did.

  All because of those pictures. They were going to follow me, maybe forever. And thanks to those photos, no male in his right mind considered me relationship material.