Knowing your man had been with a lot of women was different from hearing all the vivid details.And after over a decade on the road, we all had plenty of crazy stories.
I glared at Jesse.But I’d thought we also had a code.
“Right.I feel like I missed something,” Xander said, breaking the thrumming silence.
“The girls just found out that Alice’s ex stole her song without any credit or compensation.Alice and Noah came out officially as a couple.And Jesse decided to celebrate it by outing Noah’s past sexual activities.”The information came rapid fire from Chase, and it took Xander a moment to process it all.
“You mean the thing he used to do with—”
“Yes,” I cut him off.“Fucking years ago.Back when we were all using and doing crazy shit.I haven’t done it in years.Don’t plan on doing it ever again.So can we stop talking about it?Fuck.”
“Yup.Forgotten.”Xander nodded.
“Done, buddy,” Chase said.
Jesse winced.“Again, I’m sorry.Would it help if I apologized to her?Maybe explained?”
“Pretty sure that’s my job.”I sighed.“But there’s something we could do for the girls, if you guys are okay with it.”
“Anything.”Chase shook his head.
“Yeah, what are you thinking?”Xander asked.
I took a deep breath then filled them in on my idea.
* * *
“So you and Alice, huh?Gotta say I didn’t see that coming.”
The voice came out of nowhere.
I spun around in the previously empty instrument storage room with my sticks in my hand and found Grady standing just inside the door with a weird expression on his face.
I knew the guy—he’d been with the band almost since day one.He even partied with us on the road back in the day, but he’d been closer to Liam than me.And he didn’t hang with us much since he’d gotten married a few years back—before Alice joined as a roadie—but we were still friendly.
“I guess news spreads fast.But yeah.I know.”I smiled to myself.“I didn’t see it coming either.”
Grady rubbed his mouth and muttered something that sounded like “something,somethingsmarter than that.”
I frowned.What the fuck?
“You know.”Grady paused and cleared his throat.“I was thinking about the old days—back when we were first out on the road—no wives, no girlfriends, no consequences—just a bunch of guys living like there was no tomorrow.Fuck, that was the life, don’t you think?”
“Not really.”I squinted as I took in Grady.He looked…unwell?What the hell was going on?“You having trouble with Michelle or something?”
“What?No, this isn’t about me.I just, I was thinking about touring with Liam and you guys and how much fun we had.Shit, we lived like we were immortal.I miss those days.And I really miss Liam.”
He talked about our friend like he was dead.But he wasn’t.Liam was in Arizona with his girl and his stable, sober life.“What are you getting at here, Grady?”
“I dunno.Just that we’ve lived a crazy life.And some really good times.”He scratched the back of his neck as his eyes looked back into our shared past.“Like that week long insanity in New Orleans.Remember that?”
“Ah, not really.”I remembered the strip clubs.And the beads.And the boobs.And then it all got kinda hazy after that.“It was a whole week?”
“Heh, right?I can’t even remember all the drugs we took that week.I know we did some coke, speed, and molly.And so much alcohol.But the girls, man.Remember those twins!Fuck.That was crazy.”
“Not really.”I grabbed another set of sticks and inched toward the door he was still blocking.“I gotta get back to set a few things up.”
But Grady wouldn’t move.He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his chin.“You know Alice and I are kinda close.I took her under my wing when she started on the road with us.She’s sweet and caring.She’s been through so much with her screwed up childhood, and all the bullshit that ex of hers did to her.Alice has true talent.”
