“What I want to know,” Greer said, pulling everyone’s attention in his direction, “is if you’re going to stop being such a moody bastard all the time?”
Wide-eyed, Chloe looked from Reid to Greer. They had a way of setting each other off, and Chloe worried how this would shake out. Reid slid his arm around Chloe’s shoulder and leaned forward to look Greer in the eye.
“That depends,” Reid answered, his words clipped. “Are you going to stop hitting on Chloe?”
Greer looked at Chloe and winked. “I’ll do my best.”
Chloe laughed and leaned into Reid. “That’s really the best you’re going to get.”
With a sigh, Reid nodded as the server entered the room. “Let’s eat.”
For the next hour, the group ate breakfast and talked about the upcoming tour. Completely at ease, they laughed as they told Reid and Chloe about their night of drinking. No one looked at Reid twice when he rubbed his hand over Chloe’s shoulder or when he leaned closer to press his lips against her temple. It made her earlier worries seem silly. When the plates were empty and the table was clear, Tom clapped his hands.
“Okay, guys. We’ve got about an hour before we need to leave for the venue. Get your things together and meet back in the lobby.” With nods of agreement, everyone went their separate ways except Chloe and Reid, who walked hand in hand to her room.
“Did they replace that speaker from sound check?” Reid asked, adjusting the tuning pegs on one of his guitars.
“Yeah. They brought one over from another venue. We’ll have to get a replacement for the rest of the tour,” Tom answered as he typed out a message on his phone. “I’m going to go check on Drew and see if he found his extra set of sticks. This is what happens when I drink with you assholes; everything falls apart.”
Reid laughed. The entire building could have collapsed and it wouldn’t ruin his mood. Not now. “I didn’t drink shit. That was all you.”
“I still blame Greer,” Tom mumbled, shooting a glare at Greer before disappearing into the hall.
Greer sighed. “It’s not my fault he can’t hold his liquor.”
Reid laughed and slapped Greer’s outstretched hand. “He’s always been a bit of a lightweight.”
Greer shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. “Just so you know, I really am happy things worked out the way they did.”
Reid raised a brow. “Are we going to have a bonding moment?”
“Fuck you, Reid,” Greer chuckled. “I’m just saying. I always knew you getting back with Jess was a bad idea. You did it for all the wrong reasons. I was there the night that kid died. I know how much you blamed yourself. You might have thought Jess was the answer, but I knew better. It’s why I busted your balls so much. When Chloe came along, man, a blind dude could have seen how bad you had the hots for her.”
“Yet, you hit on her constantly,” Reid pointed out, annoyed and guilty at the same time. As much as he hated to admit it, Greer was right.
“She’s fucking hot,” Greer shot back. “If you wouldn’t have been with Jess, you would have been all over her. You can’t blame me for taking my shot. That being said, she’s also a cool chick to joke with. She never made it a thing. I like that about her.”
Again, Reid couldn’t argue. That didn’t mean he had to like it. “Well, I’d really appreciate it if you could stop taking your shots. My head is completely out of my ass now.”
Greer laughed. “I’m just glad to have you back, man. I’ve missed you.” He stepped forward and gave Reid a quick hug, slapping him on the back before stepping back. “Also,” Greer said, his eyes filled with mischief, “I knew you’d hit that.”
Reid laughed and punched Greer in the stomach, “You’re such a dick.”
“Yeah, well, so were you. But in all seriousness, I’m really looking forward to this leg of the tour. We’re gonna blow this fucker up.”
“Hell yes.” Reid pushed his hair back and cupped his neck. “I’ve got some things I want to talk with you and Drew about, but we’ll worry about that later. Let’s go do this.”
Reid stood center stage, inhaling deeply as his gaze swept across the venue. Behind him, Drew worked the crowd with his rhythmic drumbeats. The energy on stage was electric and it bled into the audience. Reid pushed his sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes as he leaned over his guitar and he began to sing. The melody of the song and the feel of Chloe standing so close caused a roughness to his voice he’d never heard. With heavy eyes, Reid twisted his head in her direction. Her body glistened with sweat and her chest heaved with every breath she took. All at once everything felt too big, too much, and not even close to being enough.
Adrenaline coursed through his veins like a drug. For the longest time, Reid thought he’d experienced every high that came with playing on stage, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Now there was no holding back, no pretending the way Chloe affected him was all part of an act. It was just the feel of the music, the excitement of the moment, and it was only the beginning.