Brooklyn & Beale (14 page)

“Remember tequila night? When I went out with Josie and Anders?”

“Yeah . . .”

“During our club-hopping, we ran into a friend of Anders’s. When Anders introduced us, he told his friend that I was going on tour with you. His friend mentioned that he knew you. From rehab.”

“Walker?”

Chloe grimaced. “Yeah. I swear he didn’t say anything else, only that he remembered you from rehab and that you two shared a mutual fondness for cocaine.”

“I believe you. Walker stayed just as high in rehab as he does out. I don’t think he even knew why I’d gone there in the first place.” He scrubbed his hands down his face and let out a heavy breath.

“When I left rehab, I went back to Memphis. I needed to get my head straight, get my life back in order. That’s when I saw Jess again. After more than three years, it was like coming face-to-face with the memory of a better version of me. Who I used to be. We started spending a lot of time together and eventually decided to give it another shot. Since then, aside from being completely unable to create any kind of music, I’ve held it together. But this tour, the reminders of who I became, it’s starting to take a toll on me.”

“How so?”

Reid rubbed his palms over the tops of his thighs and dropped his chin to his chest. “I haven’t told anyone what I’m about to tell you. I know that I can trust you, but for my own peace of mind, I have to ask you not to repeat this. I need you to promise.”

“I promise,” Chloe said without hesitation.

“The night of the first show . . . I was in my room and I emptied my pockets. There were several scraps of paper that girls had put their number on and shoved in my pocket after the show. Which is . . . whatever. But apparently one of them added a little something extra. There was a small baggie of coke, too. I tried to flush it, I swear to fucking God I did, Chloe.”

“Oh, no.”

“I didn’t snort it,” Reid added quickly. “I wanted to. Christ, I wanted to, but I didn’t. I opened it, I dipped the tip of my finger in the bag, and I rubbed it across my gums. I thought I was going to throw up. I flushed it down the toilet right after, but I was so ashamed of myself. Disappointed.” Reid turned to Chloe and grabbed her hand. “I know I didn’t kill that girl, but every time a craving hits me and I start to rationalize that one line wouldn’t be that big of a deal, I feel like a failure.”

“You’re not a failure, but you need to be stronger than your addiction. Look how far you’ve come. You’re on tour—” Chloe waved her free hand toward the pile of pages on the table. “—you’re writing music, and instead of going out with Drew and Greer to do God knows what, you came here.”

“I knew her. The girl they left with. Well, I don’t know her. I don’t remember ever seeing her before in my life, but she knew me. Apparently, we partied the last time we played here. She invited me for a repeat. Told me she had her cousin score some killer snow, just for me.”

Chloe grimaced. “That explains your reaction to the guys leaving with her.”

“Yeah. The truth is, I can’t be mad at them. They’re the same guys they’ve always been. But when I saw them leave, knowing what they were going to do . . . Jesus, Chloe, I wanted to beat the shit out of something.”

“I’m so happy I didn’t go now.”

Reid’s posture stiffened. Chloe gasped when Reid tightened his grip on the hand he still held. “They invited you to go?”

Chloe tried to pull away. “Ease up there, Padawan.” When Reid didn’t loosen his grip, Chloe snapped her fingers in his face. “Reid, unless you want to find another violinist, you need to let go of my hand.”

Reid’s eyes widened as he released Chloe’s hand like he’d been burned. “Shit. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, but I figured if I wanted you to release me from your death grip, I’d have to turn the girl dramatics to high.”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Of course not,” Chloe laughed. “I’ll admit it wasn’t pleasant, but if you were really hurting me, I would have skipped calling you Padawan and gone straight to dickhead.”

“Shit,” he exhaled. “I’ll have to remember that I’m in the clear as long as you’re using
Star Wars
references.”

“That’s an excellent guide.”

Reid opened and closed his mouth before his eyes widened. “You did that on purpose.”

Chloe shrugged and looked away. “Did what?”

“Distracted me with your girlie dramatics to keep me from getting pissed about Greer and Drew inviting you out.”

“Okay, first, I didn’t keep you from getting pissed. You were already well into that emotion. And second, their invitation was completely acceptable. They’re my bandmates. They were going to party and extended an invitation for me to come along. I’ve toured with a lot of bands, Reid. I know what goes on after the show ends.”

Reid sighed. “This whole calling me on my bullshit thing . . . Will this be a common occurrence?”

Chloe grinned. “You better believe it.”

Reid relaxed against the back of the sofa, his eyes beginning to droop. Chloe looked at the clock, unsurprised to see that it was almost five a.m. Pushing off the sofa, she moved to the small closet and pulled a blanket from the top shelf. “Why don’t you get some—” The words died in her throat when she turned to find Reid’s eyes closed. With a sigh, she walked to the couch and draped the blanket across him. There was no way he would sleep comfortably, but she couldn’t bring herself to wake him.

Crawling into bed, her body melted into the soft mattress. A million thoughts bounced around inside her head. There was no way she could sort through the events that had taken place tonight, but as sleep closed around her, one thing was clear: her relationship with Reid had irrevocably changed.

Lightning flashed across the sky and dark clouds stretched as far as the eye could see. Strong gusts of wind rocked the bus as it sped down the empty highway. In the tiny bedroom at the back of the bus, Reid sat on the edge of the bed with a smile on his face. He flipped to the front page of the notebook he’d found on the table and read Chloe’s note again.

Things will only be as awkward as you make them. Don’t be awkward, be awesome, Padawan.

Never in a million years would he have believed that he’d be sitting on the bed grinning after the gauntlet of emotions that had barraged him since he crept out of Chloe’s room at dawn. Filled with apprehension and guilt, a million thoughts wreaked havoc on his mind. Sleep evaded him. Jess called nearly a dozen times before he found the courage to answer. At the sound of his voice, she yelled once before breaking down in a fit of tears. She was worried, scared, and completely in the dark. His guilt increased tenfold.

He reassured her the best he could, explained how he stayed up all night working on music with Chloe then crashed the moment he returned to his room. Her relief was obvious, but he didn’t miss her change in demeanor. The melancholy tone of her voice left no doubt that, as happy as she was he hadn’t made any stupid decisions, she hated that someone else had given him the support he needed. The thing was, Chloe had given him so much more than support. It was the reason his guilt swelled and crested throughout the day.

He was dishonest with Jess. He lied by omission. When she’d asked if Chloe knew about his addiction, he said yes and changed the subject. He didn’t tell her how he’d given Chloe a blow-by-blow of not only the night his life went to hell but also how he ended up there in the first place. In all the years he and Jess had been apart, never once had he expressed how angry he was that she couldn’t find it in her heart to forgive him. People only knew of his heartbreak. They heard it in every track he recorded. On top of all of that, he told Chloe about what he’d done the first night on the bus. He hadn’t breathed a word about that night to Jess, and he had no intention of doing so.

This, among other things, was the source of his apprehension. He felt vulnerable, exposed. More than a dozen times he questioned why he told Chloe such personal things, but in the end, the answer was always the same. He trusted her. She made him feel safe. A sudden dryness formed in his throat, forcing him to swallow several times to relieve the discomfort. Over the past twenty-four hours, Chloe had made him feel far less innocent things than safe. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the notebook. Music notes covered the pages, an organized version of the chaotic mess he’d left in Chloe’s room that morning. She’d copied every note, every thought, creating a similar version of the notebook she carried everywhere.

A sudden burst of laughter from the living area broke his concentration. The sound made him smile. Closing the notebook, he cast a fleeting glance at his cell phone before turning to join the others. Moving down the short hall, Reid leaned against the wall and looked around the room. Chloe and Inky were stretched across the bench seating surrounding the kitchen table, while Greer and Drew kicked back on the sofa and chair. He hesitated, his gaze drifting to Chloe, before he walked to the sofa and knocked Greer’s feet to the floor.

“Hey!” Greer protested, scrunching his face in annoyance.

“Shut up,” Reid laughed as he fell heavily onto the furniture. He’d wrestled with how to approach the guys about the night before, but in the end, he knew it wasn’t his business. They were the same guys they’d always been, and as difficult as it was for him to accept, they’d done exactly what he asked. Kept it away from him. “So what are you guys up to?”

“Nothing,” Chloe answered, averting her eyes.

“Well, that wasn’t convincing at all.” Reid threw his arm across the back of the sofa and slouched farther into the soft leather upholstery, the new position straining the ripped and worn material covering his knees.

“How old are those jeans?” Chloe asked, deflecting.

Reid looked at his pants and scrunched his brows. “I have no idea. I think I found these in a drawer at my parents’ when I visited a few months ago.”

“Vintage. Nice.”

“Why are we talking about my jeans?”

“Yeah, Chloe.” Inky extended her leg and nudged Chloe with her foot. “Why are we talking about Reid’s jeans?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “It was my pathetic attempt at avoiding my turn in this stupid game. Clearly, you guys aren’t interested in sparing me from embarrassment.”

Reid grinned. “I like this game already.”

“Not you too,” Chloe groaned.

“What are the rules?”

“Well, they’re pretty simple—”

“And dumb,” Chloe interrupted causing Greer’s face to twist into an expression of mock annoyance.

“Don’t be a sore loser. You’re the only one who has managed to avoid embarrassing yourself.”

“Will someone clue me in on what’s going on?” Reid asked again, his eyes darting between Chloe and Greer’s stare down.

Inky sighed and rolled her eyes. “Two people roll a die. The one with the lowest number has to tell the story behind a tattoo of the winner’s choosing. Chloe hasn’t lost a match yet. Until now.”

“See,” Chloe muttered. “Dumb.”

“The more you protest, the more intrigued I am about what you’re hiding,” Greer said with a smirk.

“I should have worn a turtleneck,” she sighed before holding her arms out, the thin tank top exposing the tattoos on her arm as well as the ones wrapping around her shoulder.

“What are the rules on tattoos that aren’t exposed?” Reid asked, a sly smile pulling at the side of his mouth.

Chloe gasped. “You’re not helping!”

Reid shrugged and looked at Greer with an innocent expression. “If I’m going to get in on this game, I should know all the rules, right?”

Greer laughed before looking at Chloe with a face that was anything but sympathetic. “Sorry, Chloe, but he does have a point. Inky, what’s the rule concerning hidden tattoos?”

“Dogs and bones,” Inky muttered before giving Chloe a reassuring look. “Sorry, guys, but you can’t ask about a tattoo you haven’t seen. You have to describe the tattoo you want to know about. That means it would have to be one you’ve seen.”

“No more midriffs for me,” Chloe snarked.

“Hey, now,” Drew cut in. “Let’s not get too hasty.”

“You’re all ridiculous.” Chloe turned to Greer and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, pick your poison.”

Greer leaned across the small space and studied the ink covering her arm. When he reached out and lifted Chloe’s arm to inspect the underside, Reid shifted in his seat. Greer hummed and narrowed his eyes in thought before leaning back in his seat. “Explain the glowing, battling dicks.”

Chloe’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth to hold back her laughter. Reid wasn’t as subtle as he choked on the laugh trapped in his throat. “Those aren’t dicks,” Reid gasped, his hands braced on his knees.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Chloe giggled, tears leaking from her eyes. “Those are lightsabers, you idiot!”

Drew and Inky doubled over when they got a good look at Chloe’s tattoo. She tried to compose herself, but when Reid caught her eye, she lost her breath with laughter all over again. “You’re not going to get some crazy story out of this one,” Chloe said, her words broken. “I’m obsessed with
Star Wars
. I got that one completely sober.”

“Well, shit,” Greer exhaled. “That was a waste.”

Chloe wiped under her eyes. “It really was.” She turned her attention to Reid and lifted her brow. “Okay, mister, time for you to take a turn.”

Reid started to protest, but the words died in his throat with Chloe’s challenging expression. “Fine. Who’s rolling against me?”

For the next hour, the group divulged stories that were both nostalgic and shameful. Inky, unsurprisingly, had more stories than anyone. Reid couldn’t help but wonder how much longer it would be before there wasn’t a single place on her body that wasn’t colored with ink.

“Okay, last roll. Chloe, it’s you and Reid.”

Chloe grabbed her die and looked to Reid. “You’re going down.”

“He wishes,” Greer mumbled, earning a kick from Inky.

As soon as the dice hit the floor, Reid’s arms flew in the air. “Finally,” he laughed.

Chloe grumbled under her breath and rolled her eyes. “You got lucky. Now pick a tattoo so this game will finally end.”

Reid scooted to the edge of the couch and, like Greer, he lifted Chloe’s arm to look at the tattoos hiding on the underside. Not satisfied with the angle, he stood and pulled Chloe to her feet. His swept his thumb across her skin and tried to ignore the way she shivered from his touch. Clearing his throat, he dropped her arm. “I wanna know about the one with the zodiac signs. What’s the story behind that one?”

“Shit,” Chloe groaned and fell back onto the bench. “I was really hoping I’d be able to avoid this story.” Chloe traced her finger along the tattoo. “Although, I am impressed that you knew they were zodiac signs. Most people think it’s some kind of weird cave drawing.”

Reid laughed. “I can see that. You have two girls holding hands while they stab a ram and then the same two girls kissing each side of a lion’s face. It’s weird, but there’s a story there.”

Chloe sighed. “A drunk one, at that.”

“About damn time,” Greer complained. “You have far too many sober tattoos.”

Chloe stuck out her tongue and threw a pencil at Greer. “Shut up.” After repositioning, she took a final deep breath and told the most embarrassing tattoo story Reid had ever heard.

“A few years ago, I was obsessed with zodiac signs. I spent way too much time researching personality traits, compatibilities, who was a sun sign, water sign, you name it. After a particularly bad date one night, I decided to listen to my sign.” Chloe rolled her eyes, her expression colored with annoyance.

“I read that my most compatible sign was Aries. So I decided not to go out with anyone who didn’t fall under that sign. I would literally ask a guy his birthdate and tell him yes or no depending on his answer. God, I was an idiot. Anyway, eventually I met an Aries and we dated for a while. He was a total prick and it didn’t take long for things to fall apart. I assumed it was just a run of bad luck. At the time, I’d had my fair share, so I wasn’t going to give up. Two Aries later and I thought I’d found the one. That is until I went to his apartment unexpectedly one day and found him bent over his sofa. Apparently, had my name been Ian, we would have lived happily ever after.”

“No,” Inky gasped, her face split in a wide grin.

“Go on,” Chloe groaned. “Laugh. I can see it’s killing all of you to hold it in.” The moment the words left her mouth, the entire group exploded with laughter.

“Shit, Chloe. Of all the directions I expected your story to go, this wasn’t it.” Drew braced his elbows on his knees and tried to catch his breath.

“Oh, I’m not to the best part yet,” Chloe said, her voice thick with sarcasm. “After I left, I went to a bar down the street from my apartment. A friend worked there, and I knew once I told her what happened, she’d make my drinks strong enough to knock out an elephant. As the night wore on and alcohol started making decisions for me, I came up with this genius plan to make sure I never dated another Aries as long as I lived. I decided to get a tattoo of my sign murdering Aries. The guy next to me thought it was an awesome idea. Never mind that he was totally shit-faced; we were brilliant in our drunkenness.

“After my friend closed the bar and started downing shots, she asked if there was another sign I should have chosen. I explained it had been a toss-up between Aries and Leo, and that clearly I’d made the wrong decision. That’s when everything went to shit. I convinced her to go with me to see my guy, the one who does all my ink. Together we came up with this,” Chloe said, waving her hand at the tattoo. “It’s Gemini killing Aries and finding love with its true match, Leo. The one it should have been all along. I have never felt more like an idiot in my life. The only way this won’t be my biggest tattoo regret is if I fall in love with a Leo and we live happily ever after.”

The sound of Chloe’s soft laughter floated in the background as Reid stared blankly toward the wall, his mind fighting to understand the strange sensation flying under his skin.

“Okay, what the hell just happened?”

Reid jumped at the sound of Chloe’s voice, his eyes sweeping around the room. Beside him, Greer sat with a scowl on his face while Drew and Inky shared a mischievous grin. He didn’t need to ask why they wore matching Cheshire-cat smiles, he already knew.

Inky turned toward Chloe and hooked her thumb in Greer’s direction. “Well, if you’ve really sworn off Aries men, Greer’s chances just dropped from slim to none.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I don’t recall his ever reaching slim in the first place.”

Reid let out a sharp laugh, causing everyone to jump in surprise. “Sorry,” he mumbled, avoiding Greer’s glare when a sudden thought hit him. “Wait a second. You’re a Gemini?”

“Yup.”

“Then you have a birthday coming soon. When is it?”

“June thirteenth. Feel free to shower me with bags of Starbursts.” Chloe grinned while everyone else shook their heads.