Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
I take the bait, already knowing I’m going to regret it. “What?”
“She’s a fucking maniac.”
Nikki whacks him on the arm. “Don’t say that. She could have been.” She looks over her shoulder toward the door, seemingly to make sure the woman is gone. “We should call security just in case. Remember what happened to me?”
I was ready to crack a joke with my cousin, but Nikki’s right. Her situation may have been different, but shit happens to celebrities all the time. It’s not all sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll. Though that was what I imagined would happen once our band hit it big. “I’m okay, Nik. She’s gone. I’m here. Let’s order. I’m starving.”
As soon as the server leaves after taking our orders, Shane slurps the dregs of his soda. Nikki rolls her eyes. “We can’t take you anywhere.”
“Who are we trying to impress?” he says, chuckling.
She hates attention offstage. He loves it.
She adds, “Can we just enjoy a meal out without having the entire place staring at us?”
“They’re going to stare,” he says. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but we’re kind of a big deal. Even famous in some circles.” He laughs. I’m glad to see her laughing as well.
Leaning forward, I rest my arms on the table, ready to get down to business. “What was the emergency?” Not laughing anymore, Nikki and Shane exchange a look, putting them on the same page. That in and of itself is unusual. “Care to fill me in, guys?”
Shane remains silent. Figures. I turn to my twin sister, who looks nothing like me—she’s blond to my dark hair, and her blue eyes are even a deeper shade than mine. She takes after our mom in looks and stature. Some say I twin my dad. I say, “Looks like you’re it, sis.”
“It’s about you and the tour.” She dives right into the deep end.
“And the album,” Shane interjects.
Should have known this was why they suddenly wanted to go to lunch. I sit back again, scrubbing my hands over my face before dropping them to my legs to hang. “What about me and the tour?” I pivot my attention to Shane. “And the album?”
Nikki takes a sobering breath. “You’re not ready, and we’re about to lose our spot on the tour because of it.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I stare at her. “Who says?”
“Everyone.” Shane may act unbothered, but his shortened tone says otherwise. “That’s the problem.”
I glare at him. “As in Johnny Outlaw, Tommy, Jet—?”
Holding up his hand, he ticks off every member of the headliners, The Resistance, The Crow Brothers, and has the balls to include the two of them in the count before adding, “Even Dare and the Rock Star Heroes.”
“They shouldn’t have shit to say since they’re playing before us on the ticket.”
Shaking his head, he replies, “They do. You’re just blocking it all out, and we’re dealing with the bullshit.”
“Traitors. All of you, especially you two.”
Shane goes on like he’s had a red carpet rolled out for him to get everything off his chest. “Admit that you’ve not been yourself for a while now. Whatever it is, it’s time to put it behind you and focus on the music again.”
I glance at Nikki because my sister knows, even if my cousin doesn’t. It’s not an “it” but a woman I can’t get over.
Our food is delivered, and our drinks are topped off. Shane digs right in, but I’ve lost my appetite.
By how Nikki pinches her brows together, she might have as well. She’d say it’s a twin thing—twin intuition or how she calls it “twin-tuition”—some imaginary connection between the two of us. What affects me affects her, and vice versa. It’s all bullshit, but I play along for her sake.
Being called out for a few bad months . . . or years did the trick.
“Listen,” she starts, sounding a lot like our dad. He’s always been the kind of dad who’s a friend who sets boundaries instead of rules. I can’t tell you how many times we went home drunk because he was trying to teach me the dangers of drinking and ended up wasted himself. Good times.
This so-called lunch . . . not so much.
She says, “We all go through challenging times. You know firsthand that I did. Both of you do, but I kept moving toward our goals. I had to for the band despite the personal setbacks.”
“Basically . . .” Shane waves his next bite in the air with his chopsticks. “It’s time to shake it off, fuck it out of your system, or do whatever needs to be done before we’re kicked off the ticket this summer.”
“I’ve tried that route and all it did was land me in jail. I think I prefer Nikki’s approach.”
She adds, “The past aside, we need to finish the album. You missed the last three studio sessions we had booked to rehearse.”