Jacob had reached the bus before them all, heading straight for the back to be alone or avoid them or who knew what. Kellen was having a hard time reading Jacob tonight. Something was bothering him. Maybe it was just the situation with Adam, but Kellen got the feeling there was more to it than another disappointment. This wasn’t the first show that Adam had derailed. He’d once passed out in the middle of a performance from an overdose of whatever junk he’d shot into his veins. At least Adam was clean now. Or was he?
Jacob sauntered in their direction. “Anyone hear from Adam yet?” Jacob asked.
That strange vibe Kellen had been getting from Jacob all night intensified as soon as he and the others admitted they still hadn’t heard from Adam.
“I’ve had it with his bullshit,” Jacob said. Without taking a breath, he blurted, “Adam’s out of the band.”
Owen stiffened beside Kellen. “What?”
Kellen was too shocked to even get a word out. They couldn’t do that to Adam. They couldn’t do that to Sole Regret. Neither would survive.
“He’s toxic,” Jacob said. “We need to get rid of him. Replace him with someone who takes our success seriously.”
There was more than one problem with getting rid of Adam.
“Adam writes all of our music,” Kellen reminded them. Maybe Jacob didn’t realize how important a composer was to the success of a band, but he sure as hell did. “We can’t just kick him out.”
Jacob shrugged. “We’ll write the music ourselves and if necessary, hire songwriters.”
Uh, no. That wasn’t going to happen.
“This is bullshit,” Kellen said. Jacob was the self-proclaimed leader of the band, but he did not get to make all the decisions without input from the rest of them. “Adam is one of us. He’s always been one of us. We can’t do this to him.”
“We don’t even know why he took off,” Owen said, obviously still focused on the idea that Adam was hurt or in danger. “I’m sure he had a good reason.”
“More than two hours later, and he still hasn’t checked in to let us know what the fuck is going on!” Jacob yelled. “He obviously doesn’t give a shit about any of us or the fans or the music. All he cares about is himself. It’s time to cut him loose. If he wants to destroy himself, fine, but I’m not letting him take the rest of us down with him.”
“I want to hear what he has to say before I weigh in.” Gabe finally broke his silence. “For all we know, he’s dead in a ditch somewhere.”
Owen flinched and leaned closer to Kellen, as if he could guard him from that possibility. “Don’t even say that.”
“It would save me the trouble of telling him to fuck off,” Jacob said in a growl.
This wasn’t the Jacob they knew. There was a line a man should never cross and then there was a line past that one. Jacob had leapt over all the lines and was so far beyond acceptable behavior that Kellen had a mind to punch him.
“You’re such an asshole,” Owen said.
Exactly.
Jacob further demonstrated his assholery by getting right into Owen’s face. “I’d rather be an asshole than a spineless wuss,” he growled at him.
Kellen bristled, fighting the urge to wallop Jacob. He knew if he fought Owen’s battles, he’d be giving credibility to Jacob’s insults, but fuck, Jacob was pushing all of Kellen’s anger buttons at once. He couldn’t remember ever being this pissed at anyone, much less someone he considered one of his best friends.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Owen shoved Jacob away.
“You’re a pushover, Owen,” Jacob said. “You always have been.”
“Don’t take your frustration with Adam out on Owen,” Kellen said. He squeezed Owen’s leg to keep himself from punching Jacob. He refused to stoop to that level just yet. Jacob was under a lot of pressure. And though it might make Kellen feel better, beating the crap out of Jacob would only make things worse in the long run. “You’re the one who never bends. You’re the mighty oak, standing tall and rigid against any force that threatens your position.”
“Someone has to be strong.”
“Listen to what Kellen is trying to warn you about,” Gabe said. “If you never bend, you will break, Jacob. Don’t you see that? We’ll figure out what to do after we talk to Adam.”
“Kellen could play lead,” Jacob said.
So now that was his solution? Not when they performed, but afterwards? Kellen couldn’t believe Jacob had the nerve to suggest it.
“And Adam play rhythm?” Owen asked. “He’d never agree to that.”
Jacob gaped at Owen as if he couldn’t figure out how someone so clueless could find the mental capacity to breathe. “No. We’d get a new rhythm guitarist.”
“I prefer rhythm guitar,” Kellen said. It linked him with Owen in a way he wasn’t willing to give up. And he knew Adam would be back soon. Adam always came back. And Kellen refused to give Jacob what he thought was an easy solution. It wasn’t a solution at all, just a different set of problems.
“Then we get a new lead guitarist,” Jacob said, tossing his hands in the air and shaking his head. “I don’t care either way, I just want Adam gone. And not temporarily. For good.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Owen said, again mirroring Kellen’s thoughts. “I’m sure he’ll explain everything when he gets back. He deserves a second chance.”
“A second chance?” Jacob sucked in a harsh breath.
Kellen nodded. Yes, Adam deserved a second chance.
“He’s already had a hundred second chances,” Jacob said. “Or more! He’s gone too far this time. I’m not putting up with his shit anymore. So if you won’t get rid of him, then I’m out of here.”
Did he really mean that? Or was he drawing a line he thought they wouldn’t cross?
Gabe’s breathless what actually forced Jacob to turn away.
“There’s the door,” Owen said, pointing in case Jacob had forgotten where it was.
Jacob stared at Owen for a long moment as if measuring the weight of his words. He bit his lip and nodded slightly before he said, “So Owen chooses Adam over me.” He turned his attention to Kellen. “What about you, Kellen? I’m sure you’ll go along with whatever Owen says since you can’t live without each other.”
Of course he’d think that was why he sided with Owen. Not because Owen was right—in Kellen’s opinion Owen was right to show Jacob the door if he wanted to leave so bad—but because he thought Kellen was incapable of forming an opinion of his own.
“Fuck you, Jacob,” Kellen said.
Jacob turned to Gabe, who was still trying to reason with the bastard.
“Don’t do this, Jacob. It isn’t worth it,” Gabe said.
Jacob crumpled, defeated by the one he likely considered a guaranteed ally. “I guess this is goodbye, then. Good luck with Adam. He’s only going to drag you down with him. I guess you’ll just have to see it for yourself. I’m through being his buffer. None of you have any idea how bad he can get—you have absolutely no clue. But you’ll figure it out soon enough, and I might have already moved on.”
Jacob took his bag to the front of the bus and talked the driver into pulling over onto the shoulder of the road.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Gabe asked.
Kellen cringed. He wouldn’t really take it this far would he? Based on Owen’s concerned grimace, he decided they were still thinking alike. They wanted Jacob to back down, not hitchhike himself into a grave.
“I’m leaving,” Jacob said.
“Be reasonable, Jacob.” Gabe went after him, grasping his shoulder, but Jacob shrugged away. “We can work through this. Stay. Let’s talk about it.”