“There are no other girls! Not anymore! I haven’t fucked anyone else in over six months, Viv! No one but you!” I swore.
“Do you want a medal? How about a sticker? Because you may not have done the deed, but your tongue has still been down a lot of throats. I should know. I’m usually front and center for the entire show.”
Okay, so she had me there.
I folded my hands in front of me in a pleading gesture. “Please, Viv. I don’t want anyone but you. What can I do to make you believe me?”
Vivian shook her head. “It’s hard to have faith in someone who has proven time and time again to not be trustworthy. Not only with me. What about your band? Cole, you’re planning to step out behind their backs as well. What does that say about you? How can I ever be comfortable in a relationship with someone who doesn’t honor his commitments to anyone? Not me, not your friends, not your label, not even your fans.”
I opened my mouth to deny what she was saying. But she was right.
Fuck me, she was right.
“You need to make things right, Cole, if you ever want anything to happen between us. I can’t let myself love someone who hasn’t proven that they deserve my heart.”
We stood there, staring at each other for an endless moment. I wanted to yell that she was wrong. But how could I when every single thing she uttered was the total and honest truth?
I picked up my clothes from the floor and got dressed. “I get it. I’ve got a lot to make up for.”
I started to walk past her when she grabbed my arm. “Don’t do this for me. Or because you want to prove something. Make it right because it’s what you want to do. I understand if the band isn’t your passion anymore. That maybe you need to go do your own thing. Whatever. You still owe it the people who have stood by you to talk to them about what’s in your head.”
I nodded, covering her hand briefly with mine.
“I’ll be back,” I promised. And I meant it. I wouldn’t leave her now.
Vivian gave me a sad smile.
“I hope you will be.”
I wasn’t sure what I’d say when I walked up Garrett’s front porch. I had no idea if this would be some sort of reconciliation or whether it would be the final severing.
But with Vivian’s words swimming around in my head, I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer.
I thought about knocking. I hadn’t knocked in years. I could hear music from inside, the familiar strains of Fuck Me along with Jordan’s voice.
I turned the doorknob and walked inside. I followed the music to the stairway off the kitchen. The light was on in the basement so I went down the steps.
Maysie was on the couch talking to a girl I recognized as Sophie McMillian from high school. Mitch, Garrett, and Jordan were playing a set I knew all too well.
I sat down on the bottom step and watched them. They didn’t realize I was there until there was a break between songs and Jordan glanced toward me. He put his sticks down. Mitch and Garrett frowned at him.
“What the hell?” Mitch asked.
“Looks like we’ve got company,” Jordan said coldly, nodding his head in my direction.
Maysie looked startled. They all did.
“If it isn’t the providential son,” Mitch sneered.
Garrett snorted. “It’s prodigal son, dumbass.”
Mitch puffed up his chest. “Whatever. What are you doing here, Cole?” he asked, setting his bass in the stand.
“I was driving by and heard some fucking amazing music. I wanted to check it out. Had no idea it was a bunch of raging douchebags,” I joked, trying for humor to lessen the tension.
It didn’t really work.
No one smiled. Not even a little.
Tough room.
I stood up and walked over to my mic stand that had been pushed into the corner. I kicked it with my shoe. No one said anything. They weren’t going to make this easy for me.
“Seriously, man. What are you doing here? We all got the impression we wouldn’t see you until Tuesday.”
Tuesday. D-Day. Aka, the day we lost everything to the label.