“Not likely,” he mumbled.
A smile curving my lips, I asked, “What were you doing before you called me?”
“Helping Miriam with her homework.”
“Does she still have trouble reversing her letters and numbers?”
“Yes.”
“That must create a lot of difficulties for her.”
“It does, especially at a school because she refuses to allow her teachers to give her any special treatment.”
“She’s embarrassed.”
“Proud. Her personality reminds me of someone else I know.”
“Me?” I asked.
“Definitely.” Bryan cleared his throat. “Are you feeling better after a nap?”
“Yes.” I was also in a better frame of mind because things were better between us.
“Do you have any plans this evening?”
“Yes,” I said.
“What? With who? You just broke up with War.”
“He broke up with me.” Totally blindsided me, in fact, but I kept that part to myself.
“He’s an idiot. I mean, he’s too hotheaded. Who are you going out with tonight?”
“Chad.”
“Ah.” Bryan let out a breath. “Your friend, the basketball player. Mind if I tag along?”
“No, of course not. But we’re just going to the movies, eating lots of junk food.”
“Junk food for you means popcorn when you’re stressed.”
“You remember.” My eyes widened.
“Not likely to forget the only thing guaranteed to stop you from crying when you were a kid.”
“I didn’t cry a lot.”
“No, you didn’t, even though you had plenty of reasons to.” He exhaled. Wherever he was, it sounded like he was smoking. “The way you lived in that apartment with your mom, the things you saw and endured, you were very brave.”
“I just did what I had to survive.”
“I don’t think that’s true. But, man, you were so little when I first met you.”
“I was a frightened shivery mouse,” I said. “Afraid to even look at you.”
“I got you to laugh.”
“Yeah, by acting like a dork.”
“Anything to make you smile,” he said softly.
That right there was why I couldn’t put my feelings about Bryan to rest. Why I probably never would be able to.
• • •
“I’m buying the popcorn tonight,” Bryan said, elbowing me out of the way at the movie theater counter. “Quit scowling at me and put your wallet away.”
“Okay.” I sighed and tucked it back into my slouch bag.
“You can buy my snacks.” Chad slid his humongous pile of candy and a bladder-busting-sized soda toward the register.
“No way in hell, Phillips,” Bryan said. “I’d need to take out a loan to pay for all that. Here, Lace.” He transferred my tub of popcorn from the counter to my greedy outstretched hands, then grabbed his soda and mine.
“Hey, Bry.”
I turned around and saw Missy Rivera waving at Bryan. She leaned into the guy’s arm she was with, said something, then abandoned him. I glanced at Bryan as she approached. His gray-green eyes widened, and mine narrowed as I looked back at her.
“I thought you didn’t like the movies.” Missy flicked a long strand of her dark hair over her shoulder, a practiced move that drew attention to her boobs.
I recognized the maneuver, having employed it myself. And I knew without checking that it had worked on both men beside me.
“I like ’em okay,” Bryan said in a tone that rang false.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends,” she asked.
“I’m Lace Lowell,” I said, giving her the same sizing-up scan that she gave me. I looked pretty good in a vintage sixties purple dress that was tight on top but swung loose around my upper thighs. She looked better in tight jeans and a modern crisscross top that showed a lot of her significant cleavage.
“But I thought you were with War—” Her ice-blue eyes widening, she glanced at Bryan, obviously noting the two sodas. “Aren’t you exclusive with him anymore?”
My hands curled into fists at my sides. “That’s none of your business.”
I really didn’t want to get into any specifics of my relationship with War. Whatever I told her was likely to cost me, as in her having the opening she needed to pursue him. She was already after Bryan, not even hesitating to approach him with me standing right beside him.
“I’m Chad.” He stretched out his long arm. His wingspan was impressive, which the college scouts were excited about, as well as his shooting percentage.
Missy shook his hand, his engulfing hers, then tilted her head back to meet his gaze like I had to the first time I met him. Dressed in a white oxford button-down, jeans, and suede chukka boots, there was a lot of him to take in.
“Chad Phillips.” She licked her thickly glossed lips. “First-string varsity on the basketball team. I know you. I’ve seen you around school in your letterman jacket.”
“I’ve seen you too. Impossible not to. You’re so pretty.”
What the hell? I shifted to look at Chad, but he was so totally into her, he didn’t even notice me. Did she have magical pheromones or something?
“Thank you,” she said, her voice husky as she batted her sooty lashes at him.
“You’re welcome.” He stared at her like he wanted to skinny-dip in her blue gaze.
I rolled my eyes.
“The movie’s about to start,” I said. Moving my popcorn to my side, I freed up one of my hands and poked Chad in the side.
“Ow,” he said, releasing her. The pheromone spell broken, he rubbed his side as he frowned at me. “That hurt.”
I’d meant it to. How could he drool over her when he knew how I felt about her?
“Better get your snacks.” I stamped my hand to my hip and swiveled back to face her. “As you can see, we’re busy. You should go back to your date. He looks a little put out that you’re not, you know, putting out.”
Her eyes narrowed. “He’s not my date. We’re just friends.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said cattily. “You have a lot of those.”
“Sadly, yes. They never seem to get over me. Once they have a taste, they keep coming back for more.” She lifted her chin and gave me a withering glare. “War and Bry both, but then apparently you know all about it.”
I knew that I wanted to claw those ice-blue eyes out of her head.
“Lace, hey.” Bryan put his arm around me, and his touch smoothed the bristles. “Let’s go see the movie. Eat some popcorn.” He turned me away from her. “’Bye, Missy,” he said, dismissing her without looking directly at her.
“I don’t like her,” I grumbled.
“That’s obvious.” His voice was funny. Glancing at him, I saw that he was amused. “It’s not funny, Bry.”
“It is, Lace. It’s cute that you’re jealous of her. But I mean, c’mon.” He shrugged a thickly muscled shoulder. “She’s okay, but she’s not even in your league. No guy is going to look at her twice, let alone choose her, if his other option is you.”
My previous irritation drained away. “You truly think so?”
“I know so.”
“Thank you.” My lips curving, I shook my head at him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
“I had an awful day. Bombed the SAT. Nearly got into it just now with my ex-boyfriend’s side piece.” Bryan’s too, unfortunately. “But somehow, despite all that, you managed to make me feel better.” I let out a breath and then gave him a little more truth. “In all my worst moments, you’ve made a difference just by being there.”
“Anything for you, Lace,” he said softly, and I wished with all my heart that were true.
I didn’t want just any guy to choose me.
I wanted Bryan to.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Lace
“Thanks for the ride, m
an,” Bryan said to Chad, leaning in the open window on my side of the truck.
“No problem. It was fun. Let’s do it again. Soon.”
“Absolutely.” Bryan tipped his chin to me. “Lace, you wanna come up? See my mom and say hi to my sisters?”
My eyes brightened. “Sure, but . . .” Conflicted, I turned to Chad with the question in my eyes, and he waved me off.
“Go ahead. I’m beat. Sugar coma from too much candy. Just gonna go straight home after this and crash.”
“Okay. Thanks for tonight. It was just what I needed.” Unbuckling my belt, I laid one hand on Chad’s cheek and kissed the other. “You’re a great friend.”
“Just following your example,” he said with a grin, his eyes twinkling.
“C’mon, Lace.” The wind lifting his brown hair, Bryan flipped up the lapels of his black leather jacket to cover his ears. “I’m freezing out here.”
“Okay.” I scooted across the seat.
Bryan opened the door for me, and I got out. We both returned Chad’s wave, watching the truck headlights for a moment as he drove off.
“I like him,” Bryan said.
“Me too.”
“Good you have a friend outside the band.”
“He’s my only one outside the band.” Shivering, I wondered if being cast out of the group would cost me all my friendships with the guys. Uneasy, I pulled the unbuttoned edges of my wool car-length coat together.
“You look cold.” Bryan’s brow creased in concern. “Better get you inside.”
“Yeah, that would be good.” I hitched the strap of my bag higher on my shoulder, and Bryan put his hand on my lower back.
“This way.” He guided me toward the building, a high-rise. Opening the door, he gestured for me to precede him. As we crossed the lobby, I had the thought that he might have grown up without a father around, but he wasn’t lacking in gentlemanly manners. He always treated me with respect and care.
“Our apartment is on the second floor.” At the elevator, Bryan pushed the button and returned his hand to the small of my back.
It wasn’t possible for me to feel the heat of his palm through my wool coat and the dress I wore underneath it, but somehow, I did.
“I’ll bet you hear a lot of street noise.”
“Yeah, but we got a three-bedroom for half the rent of the units higher up.”
“That’s a good deal. Do you have your own bedroom now?”
“I do.”
“That’s cool.” I gave him a furtive look. “Do you think your mom will mind you bringing me up without telling her first?”
“She’ll love the surprise.”
The elevator dinged, the door slid open, and he steered me inside. Not as certain as he was, I avoided my anxious reflection in the glass.
Bryan’s mother had been more like a real one to me than my own. She’d often invited Dizzy and me to share meals with Bryan and his sisters, meals that had kept us from starving. She’d also been the one to call the cops the night of the Metallica concert. If it hadn’t been for her, I might have been raped.
She’d cared for Dizzy and me when no one else had, treating us like we were her own children. But maybe we’d only been a burden. Why had she never invited us—me—to visit here? I suspected she thought I was a bad influence on her son, that being associated with me would lead him away from his goals, rather than helping him achieve them.
Bryan pointed. “Just to the end of the hall.”
“Okay.”
I kept pace with him. At the door, he stopped to pull out his keys. I heard laughter inside and his mother’s voice.
“Hey, everyone,” Bryan called out after throwing open the door. “I have a surprise for you.” He gave me a gentle push to put me in front of him.
“Hi. Surprise.” Holding up my hand, I waved it in the air.
His sisters shrieked.
“Lace!” Miriam shouted, flying at me, her ebony hair trailing behind her.
I rocked back on my booted heels as she threw her arms around me. “Hey,” I said, warmth filling my chest. “Let me have a look at you.”
“Sure.” She drew back, and my eyes widened.
“You’re beautiful. Practically grown up now.”
“Thank you.” She beamed a smile at me, then turned to gesture to her sibling. “This is Ann.”
“Oh my goodness, so it is. Are you little Annie?” I asked, the blond girl hanging back behind her taller, black-haired sibling.
“Not little anymore.” Beneath her wire-rimmed glasses, Ann’s cheeks blushed.
“No, you’re not,” I said. “You’re practically grown up.”
“So are you, Lace.” Bryan’s mother came forward. In her mid-thirties and still strikingly pretty, she had a dish towel over her shoulder and was wearing her hospital scrubs. “You’re as beautiful as Bry said you were.” Her brows drew together between gray-green eyes like her son’s.
“Thank you.” I glanced at Bryan, surprised that he’d been talking about me to her. He only shrugged.
“Come in.” His mom turned. “Don’t just stand in the entryway. Have a seat in the living room. I was just getting ready to take a cake out of the oven. Would you like a piece?”
“No, thank you,” I said, walking beside Bryan as we followed everyone in.
“Let me have your coat,” he said.
“Sure.” Turning, I allowed him to help me get it off.
A warm shiver rolled through me as his hands, feeling like a caress, skimmed my shoulders. Inside the kitchen, his mom frowned as she watched us.
“We ate a ton of junk food at the movie.” Bryan arranged both our coats, his over mine, on the back of one of the dining chairs while I took a seat on the couch. The shape and feel of it was familiar, even after all these years, but it had a new slipcover on it.
“This is nice.” I gestured. “Having the living-dining-kitchen space connected.”
“It works well for us.” Plates with cake on them in her hands, his mother exited the kitchen and placed the dishes on the dining table. “Come and get it, you two.”
“Yum,” Ann said, moving to the table.
“I wanna visit with Lace.” Miriam stayed where she was in the easy chair beside me.
“Miriam Diana Jackson,” her mother snapped. “Eat your cake. You can visit Lace sitting at the table.”
“Okay, Mom,” she grumbled, tapping my knee as she scooted past me. “I like your dress, and those fishnet hose with the boots are killer.”
“Thank you.” I smiled.
“Did you sew the dress yourself?” Mrs. Jackson asked, taking the seat Miriam had abandoned while Bryan sat next to me on the couch.
“No,” I said. “Just did a little hem work.”
“Looks like you remembered the stitch pattern I showed you.”
“I remember everything you taught me.”
Mrs. Jackson glanced up. “I don’t remember doing much teaching.”
“All the things I know about being a good woman, I learned from your example.”
“Thank you, Lace.” Her gaze took on a glassy sheen. “How is your brother?”
“Dizzy’s fine.”
“How is living with your uncle going?”
“It’s okay.” I dropped my chin so she wouldn’t see the lie in my eyes. “Better with him than our mother.”
“And you’re Warren’s steady girlfriend now.”
“Mom.” Bryan leaned forward and shook his finger at her. “I told you this morning that they broke up.”
Ignoring him, she said, “Warren talks about you all the time.”
“Um.” I didn’t know what to say to that. But it hurt thinking about War. I wasn’t ready to talk about him, and certainly not with her. She seemed disapproving of me, and I wasn’t sure exactly why.
“Bryan has his future tied to the dream that Tempest will be a successful band one day, and with several legitimate labels interested, we know that’s not just a dream anymore. It’s a real possibil
ity now.”
Was she worried I’d interfere with Bryan’s dream?
“He’s the best guitar player I’ve ever heard,” I said firmly. “Any label would be lucky to have him.”
“Thanks, Lace.” Bryan reached for my hand, took it from my lap, and laid it on his knee.
His mother stood. “Can I talk to you in my room for a moment, Bry?”
“Sure. But whatever it is, can’t it wait until later?”
“No, it has to be now.” Mrs. Jackson marched across the living room, her brown ponytail whipping back and forth between her shoulder blades.
“I’ll be right back,” Bryan told me, then followed her.
I flattened my lips to keep them from trembling. Obviously, Mrs. Jackson didn’t want me here. I cringed when I heard my name and then their raised voices.
“Mom and Bry argue all the time,” Miriam said, but Ann shook her head.
“Not all the time.”
Miriam sighed. “A lot since the summer our dad was here.”
Before I could wonder about that, the door to the apartment burst open and War stepped inside. He wore a white tee that molded to his sculpted chest, its short sleeves rolled up to reveal his biceps. His wallet chain hung in a long loop over his jeaned thigh.
Although he didn’t see me, I certainly saw him, and my chest squeezed tight.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
War
“Your mom made cake?” My eye on the prize, I snatched a big corner piece from Ann’s plate.
“Go away, War,” she said, hunching protectively over her plate while I chewed.
Pound cake. My favorite. It was buttery rich and delicious.
“You suck.” Miriam, her younger sister’s protector, snarled at me. “Go away, loser.”
I didn’t go away. But I breathed a little easier getting their typical response to my harassment. My life was fucked up, but this remained a constant. Here, I was almost part of the family. Besides being center stage behind the mic, this was the only place where I felt like I belonged. I usually came here when stuff got rough with my old lady, but I came tonight because the past twenty-four hours had been absolute shit.
The Complete Tempest World Box Set Page 17
