I was tired of being reprimanded today, so I didn’t lower my voice. “Wake up Gibson. We’re leaving.”
Anna instantly edged around Kiera to step into the hallway. “What’s wrong?” she asked me, while Kiera stepped out of the room behind her. The two sisters were pretty similar, but Anna definitely had a lot more curves than her slimmer and straighter sister. Generally I appreciated those curves, but at the moment, I just wanted to shove them into the car and get out of here.
“There’s no point being here right now, so we’re leaving. Actually, there’s no point in ever coming back here, so we’re leaving.” I opened the door closest to me, hoping I’d find my sleeping daughter behind it. Nope. Empty.
I moved to try another door, but Anna stepped in front of me. “Let’s go outside, get some fresh air.”
Dramatically tossing my hands in the air, I gave up. “Fine.” What did it matter, since nothing was working for me today anyway?
I headed back to those goddamn stairs while Anna told Kiera she’d be right back. Not waiting for my very pregnant wife, I sped down the steps and out the door. The fresh air on my face helped calm me down a little, but I was still riled up. I paced the front porch while I waited for Anna. Those sanctimonious assholes.
“Griff?” A soft touch on my shoulder spooked me, and I jumped. Turning, I saw Anna behind me, her green eyes worried. “What’s going on?” She indicated the front step, and I grudgingly sat down.
Once I was seated, my mood dropped. I’d started the day so positively, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that this tour was going to be the one. But not anymore. It was going to be the same old crap. Dropping my head, I slumped over. Anna sat beside me, and her fingers lightly caressed my back in a soothing pattern. It helped my residual anger, but not my rising disappointment.
“One song. I asked for one fucking song…and they wouldn’t even give that to me…” I studied my fingers in my lap while my dreams dissolved in my hands. “Matt just told me that he’s not ever going to give me a chance to play lead, and the rest of the guys agreed with him. I’m done…forever stuck on bass…forever in the shadows. I just wanted one song, one moment in the spotlight.” With a sigh, I looked up at her. “Four minutes? Is that so much?”
Anna’s eyes were heavy with sympathy. Reaching up, she threaded her fingers through my hair. “No…that’s not much at all.”
I nodded and dropped my vision to my lap again. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either. But they can’t even give that to me.” The anger resurfaced, wrapping disappointment around it like a blanket. “Between me and you, babe, sometimes…I really don’t like those guys.”
Anna kissed the back of my neck and wrapped an arm around my shoulder in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Griffin.”
Closing my eyes, I let her comfort wash over me. At least there was one person on earth who gave a shit about me.
Chapter 3
No Rest for the Awesome
Anna talked me into staying for rehearsal. She said I could play with her lady parts when we got home if I sucked it up and stayed. I think she was hoping we’d all get over the argument before we called it quits for the day, and then we’d all be best buds again. Her plan might have worked too, except I purposefully stoked the chip on my shoulder and goofed off the entire practice. Matt yelled at me three times to pay attention, but I didn’t care. They’d already said I didn’t respect the art form and they were never going to give me an opportunity to change their minds, so I might as well live up to their expectations. Or lack of expectations.
By the time we parted ways, everybody was frazzled and irritated. Good. I shouldn’t be the only one. Matt scampered out of the room the second we were done, Evan following closely on his heels. When I was alone with Kellan, he let out a long sigh. “Was that you letting it go, Griffin? Because you seemed to be doing everything you could to piss Matt off. You were even more obnoxious than usual, which is really saying something.”
I shook my head at him. “I never said I was going to let this go. And besides, Matt’s the one with the stick up his ass. Maybe the band should pool together and have it surgically removed.”
Kellan let out another weary exhale. “He’s under a lot of stress right now. Maybe you could see things through his eyes for once, and cut him some slack.”
Scoffing, I tossed out, “Because of the proposal thing? If just the idea of taking the plunge is turning him into such a douche, then maybe he shouldn’t propose to Rachel. Not everyone is meant for married life.”
“What?”
A soft, squeaky voice to our left drew Kellan’s and my attention that way. Rachel was standing there, holding her laptop to her chest and looking like she might pass out. Her eyes were wide as she stared at us, shocked. Great. “Fuck,” I muttered while Kellan gave Rachel a nervous smile.