Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“You really think I should?” Rory asks.
What are they talking about? I’ve only been listening with one ear, and all the noises sound like they’re coming through water, as if my ears are clogged. All I can think about is Jesse. Jesse, and how his big chance may have been ruined.
We had a big talk about distractions last night.
I was determined not to be one.
But in reality? It may be too late for that. Because if he hadn’t been with me last night…
No. That wouldn’t have mattered. He would’ve been in his own room. He had his own room.
But still…
I can’t help feeling a huge amount of guilt.
The conversation around me keeps going on. Should Rory do something? She doesn’t feel right. Right about what? Maddie and Callie keep asking her what they can do for her, and she keeps saying nothing, that it’s not their problem. It’s hers. Then they move on to something else, and I stop listening again.
Until—
“I’m not sure you have a choice, babe.” Brock’s voice.
Rory crosses her arms and looks around the table. “I suppose I don’t. We owe them an explanation. Excuse me for a minute.” She scoots her chair away from the table, rises, and pulls out her phone as she walks away.
“You okay, sis?”
I widen my eyes at my brother’s voice. “Yeah. I suppose.”
Donny cocks his head. “You look kind of…out of it.”
“What’s going on? Who is Rory calling?”
“She’s calling Heather Myles, Jett’s wife. They exchanged phone numbers after the concert in Snow Creek, and they’ve kept in touch. She has to let Jett know what’s going on with Dragon.”
“You think they’ll be angry?”
“I don’t know, sis. I don’t know these people very well.”
“They’re good people,” Brock says. “Rory and I spent quite a bit of time with them. They’ll be understanding, I’m sure, but they may decide that Dragonlock can’t go on tonight.”
I gasp. “Why would they decide that?”
“Because the contract is with Dragonlock, all five members of the band,” Donny, the lawyer, says. “If all five can’t go on, they’ll be considered in breach.”
My heart plummets to my stomach. This was their big chance. Jesse’s big chance.
My heart aches for him. “What if they get a substitute drummer?”
“Where would we get a substitute drummer?” Brock asks.
I stare at him, forcing him to meet my gaze. “You.”
Brock’s eyebrows nearly fly off his forehead. “Me?”
“Yeah, you. You and Dave and those guys had that garage band back in middle school.”
“Uh…in case you’ve forgotten, Bree, we were shitty.”
“Still, you were the drummer, Brock.”
“There’s a reason I haven’t played drums for ten years.” Brock shakes his head. “I’m not an option, Bree. Believe me, I wish I were.”
Rory returns to the table. “Heather and Jett are coming down. I need you to come with me, Brock. Since Jesse’s not here, I guess I’m speaking for the band.”
“Did you text Cage and Jake?” Brock asks.
“Yeah. They’re coming down as soon as they can. Jake’s looking over the percussion arrangements.”
Brock nods, and the two of them walk away from the table. I don’t know where they’re meeting Jett and Heather, but of course they need to speak alone.
“I wish there were something I could do,” Maddie says.
“We have to fix this,” I say. “We just have to.”
“I agree with you, Brianna,” Callie says. “This means everything to my brother and sister, but how do we fix it?”
“I don’t know.” I shake my head. “I just don’t know. I feel like there’s something we could be doing. Something we should be seeing that we’re not seeing.”
“Rory and the guys figured out a way to make it happen. Jesse’s going to have to go back on guitar, and Jake will take over on drums.” Donny takes a sip of his coffee and then nearly spits it out. “Man, this is terrible.”
“Tea from now on,” I say absently.
“As long as we’re in the UK, no more coffee,” my brother agrees.
“I suppose it’s good that they’re just the opening band,” Maddie says. “I mean, if they can’t play, they just won’t. There won’t be an opener.”
Did those words just come out of Maddie’s mouth? Maddie, who’s usually so empathetic? “Maddie, this means everything to your brother and sister.”
“I know that, Bree. I’m trying to look on the bright side.” She sighs. “Although, you’re right. That’s not any kind of bright side.”
“You mean your motivational guru hasn’t trained you to see the bright side in any situation?” I say sarcastically.
Maddie’s jaw drops, and the bottoms of her eyes fill with tears.
And I feel like the lowest scum on the bottom of a criminal’s shoe, throwing that in her face. “Maddie, I’m sorry.”
She sniffles back her tears. “I’m sure we’re all just stressed out.”
“You’re letting me off the hook way too easily,” I say.
“I’m just tired of feeling like shit,” she says. “I was so horrid to Jesse last night when he wouldn’t let us go off with Zane.”