Piecing Together Sydney (A Sydney West Novel Book 3) (12 page)

July was finally upon us. Last night, we watched the fireworks from the Queen Mary while hanging out at Long Beach. Today I was browsing online for heels to match my wedding dress as Amelia threw up in the bathroom for the fifth time this afternoon.

“Black pumps would be cool, right?” I asked as Amelia dragged herself into the living room and laid down on the couch as if she was dying.

“What? Oh, for your wedding…yeah.” She sighed and put an arm over her eyes. “Sydney, I don’t know if I’m going to make it! I’m not even halfway, and I’m sick all the time, and—”

“Isn’t the first three months the worst?” I glanced over at her. She sat up and gave me a death glare.

“You an expert now?” She rubbed the small bump. It had grown some, but not a lot.

“No. Just saying that’s what I heard.” I held up my hands. The last thing I wanted was a soon-to-be mom biting my head off.

I kept looking through heels until the brightness of my laptop’s screen made my eyes burn. “They don’t have anything fancy. I might wear a pair of my black heels. They’re already broken in, so they won’t hurt, and there’s no risk of falling on my face.”

Amelia grabbed the remote from the coffee table and flipped through the channels. “Yeah, just polish them up. Your dress is long enough that no one will be staring at your shoes.”

I twirled a piece of hair around my finger. “Do I have to wear a veil?”

“Ugh, Syd. You make a big deal out of everything. First, you don’t want a white dress, and now—”

“Hey! I don’t want a white dress because that’s boring, overdone, and for virgins. I want to stand out.”

She adjusted her new maternity bra. “I know. I’m your best friend, remember? Call me boring, but I’m going to have a white dress, and God knows I’m not a virgin.” She looked down at her little belly.

“On the bright side, you’ll have a cute baby to dress up.” I gave her a sympathetic smile.

“I guess.” She moved her bra again and moaned. “My breasts are going to be tender forever, and veins are appearing on my hands and feet now. Ugh.”

I glanced down at my own breasts. They were perfectly sized double Ds. Big enough to get me free things from boys, yet not so big that my back always hurt. What would happen to them when I got pregnant? I didn’t want to imagine that right now.

“I want to go out. Maybe Gaby knows—”

Amelia muted the TV. “To what, hit a nightclub? Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“I can invite Jason. I’m tired of being cooped up here.” I leaned back in the rocking chair, watching the crack in the ceiling move as I did.

“The wedding is in a few weeks. Don’t you—”

I rubbed my temples with two fingers. “Amelia, why do you keep saying things I know as if I’m a small child who doesn’t listen?”

“Just the mom gene kicking in.” She shrugged and unmuted the TV again.

I got up and grabbed my phone from my purse on the floor. “I’m calling Jason. You going to be okay tonight?”

She nodded. “Yeah, we’ll order something I can eat and watch a movie.”

Though Amelia didn’t know it, she did have a glow like pregnant women were said to have. She was full of color and looked happy, even though I knew she didn’t feel good. Pregnancy was very strange.

I entered the kitchen and sat on top of the island. Jason was the last person I called, so it was easy to dial his number. I heard the phone ring past the normal rings it took him to answer. It was almost time for the answering machine to pick up when he finally caught the line. “Hello?”

“Hey, Jason. What are you up to? I was thinking we could hit a club tonight. Maybe see if any good bands were playing in Hollywood or something.”

The background was extremely loud as if he was already at a bar. “Syd? I can’t tonight. I ran into an old friend. I’ll probably crash at a motel. I’ll see you in the morning. Okay?”

Motel? What the fuck?

“What are you—”

The line cut off before I could finish my question. What the hell was going on?

Maybe he’s planning a surprise for you.

Or he has cold feet and is drinking his troubles away and fucking someone’s brains out.

My stomach twisted. I prayed he wasn’t cheating on me after everything we’ve been through.

There were countless questions running through my head, and I had no answers.

I stumbled back into the living room, feeling a bit numb.

“What’s wrong, Syd? You look a little pale.” Amelia tilted her head, studying me.

“I’m thinking the worst. Jason blew me off and said he was hanging out with an old friend. Didn’t say who and said he was crashing at a motel and that I’d see him tomorrow. He was somewhere loud, like a bar, and I…just don’t know.”

“Come here.” Amelia sat up and moved her feet so I could sit next to her.

I forced my stiff body to walk over and laid my head on my best friend’s shoulder.

“Shh. You always think the worst. He’s just a boy hanging out with a friend and maybe planning a surprise for you. Jason has never given you a reason not to trust him. Remember, this is the boy who moved to Arizona to be with you.”

I nodded. “You’re right. I think I’ll still go out and maybe—”

She clicked her tongue. “You might not be in the best mood, and you don’t want to—”

I placed my hand on her growing belly, rubbing my hand in a circle. “Stop. I won’t do anything foolish. I’m a mean bitch, remember? I just want to drink and dance.”

“All right, Syd. Whatever you say.”

I stayed next to my best friend. She was basically my sister from another set of parents. She had become my touchstone and my voice of reason. Crazy to think she wanted to party last summer with me, and instead she fell in love. Now this summer I was getting married and she was expecting. At least, I hoped I was still getting married. I hated not knowing stuff. What was Jason up to?

I went to Club Black and went straight to the bar for a Sex on the Beach. I wanted to drink at least three drinks and get loose and forget about what Jason was doing. Tonight, I wanted to dance like the carefree Sydney used to. I did love partying and could still do it. I only cut out the one-night stand part of the evening.

It was strange being back with the pounding music and the swaying bodies. Nothing changed, yet everything did. Maybe it was just me. I looked down at my ring sparkling in the rainbow-colored lights. Yes, it was definitely me who changed.

I downed my third drink and moved to the dance floor. I wiggled my hips and lifted my arms above my head. No one bothered me, and I was thankful. My resting bitch face was painted on, and it usually kept smart guys who wanted to keep their pride away.

After about an hour, I went to sit down at a booth and saw a familiar face sitting in the VIP section.

Nikki Keys, the bass player from Dark Temptation, was laughing and enjoying a beer with his band. He was one of the two rock stars I added to my list of summer boys last summer. He was more of a way to hurt Jason because I was falling in love with him and I was completely asinine. God, why did he want to marry me?

Because of your bubbly personality?

My inner voice had it out for me. Didn’t it?

No, we had similar scars. Similar backgrounds. We were meant to mend each other’s wounds and build each other back up into stronger versions we never knew we could be.

So why the doubt?

My heart pinged. Deep inside, I thought it was all too good to be true, and everything was going to come crashing down soon.

Would we really be married in a couple weeks? Would we be happy forever? Would we drift apart? What if he got sick? What if I got sick? What if our baby got sick?

“Shut up!” I looked around, realizing I shouted that out loud. People closest to me looked at me as if I was insane. I pushed past them and ended up walking by the VIP section.

“Hey!” a guy shouted.

I paused and looked over my shoulder. Nikki got up and leaned over the wall that divided the “cool” people from the “not so cool” people. “Don’t I know you? I suck at names, but I don’t forget a face.”

All I wanted to do was escape, but two blonde bimbos were looking at Nikki and then at me. Their eyes were green with envy. A rock star called out to me and wanted to chat as if we were old friends. Who didn’t like to make bitches jealous?

“Sydney, we met last summer. We ate dinner with my friends at—”

He snapped his fingers. “At Italian Garden, yes, I remember you now. Damn, how have you been?”

I glanced over at the two girls. They were shocked and moved a bit closer to us. To add to my show, I brushed my long hair back over my shoulder, acting as if I was flirting with him. “Good. You?”

“Come over here, I can barely hear you over all this music.” He waved me over.

The bodyguard for the place moved aside and let me through the red ropes no one was allowed to enter. The people inside were to be looked at and maybe stolen a picture of, but don’t hold your breath to chat with them.

Nikki got up and moved us to a corner with a red leather couch.

“How’s the rock star life going?” I asked lamely.

What the hell was I doing? Could the old Sydney be seeping out and trying to snag a rock star…again? My stomach hurt as if I swallowed rocks.

He laughed and laid an arm behind me along the couch. “I love how you worded that. My rock star life is good. Touring is rough, but it’s worth it to see our fans.” He moved closer, his breath on my neck. “How’s your life been?”

“Very good.” I leaned back and lifted my left hand to show him my ring. “Got engaged. Can you believe it?”

Nikki grabbed my hand and studied the rock for a heartbeat before whistling. “Damn, who’s the lucky guy?”

At least he didn’t toss me away like rotten meat knowing I wasn’t going to spread my legs for him tonight.

Unless he thinks you don’t care about cheating on your fiancé.

I crossed my legs and wished my skirt was three inches longer. “Do you remember the guy we went to dinner with that night?”

He tilted his head a little. “The weird guy who stormed out on us?”

Damn, he had a good memory of a random girl and her friends from last year.

“Yeah, him. Well, we were stop and go last summer, and we got together when the semester started again in college. It’s a long story.”

“Wow, sounds like quite a story for the kids.” He nudged me. “When’s the big day?”

“July twenty-second. How do you remember all this?”

He laughed and rubbed his jaw. “I have a photographic memory. Works well when remembering song lyrics and chords. Just wish I could remember names. I usually forget as soon as someone tells me their name.” He shrugged.

“Wish I had that kind of memory for tests.” I laughed.

A girl with fishnets and a black bra came over with two cocktails. “On the house,” she said.

Nikki took them and gave one to me. “To your wedding.” He lifted up his glass.

“To…your music!” I lifted up my glass.

He smiled. “Cheers to that!” We clinked glasses.

The liquor swished around, spilling some on my hand. Nikki downed his. I looked at mine and decided to down it as well. Why would anyone want to poison me here? I worried too much.

“Why are you here alone?” Nikki leaned forward to give his glass back to the waitress.

I gave her mine and she walked away to help the other guests. “I wanted to dance. Jason is with…a friend, and my best friend is prego, so she’s not into clubs right now.” Or ever again, probably.

He nodded. “Wow, that girl at the restaurant and that boy she was with?”

“Yeah, that’s them.”

“Good for them.” He wiped his hands on his jeans. “Hey, are you busy next weekend?”

I thought for a minute.
Why did he want to know?

“Umm…I don’t think so…why?”

He leaned forward, grabbing something out of his back pocket. “We’re having a show. You should come, bring your fiancé and friends.” He gave me a card and wrote something on it. “This will let you bring in four people.”

I took the card and looked at his neat handwriting. “Okay, thanks.” That was strange yet cool. A rock star just invited me to his show and gave me free tickets.

A girl in a green dress that made her look like a mermaid missing a fin waved Nikki over. He smiled at her and turned back to me. “Gotta go. See you around.” Nikki joined the girl, and they were already laughing at something I didn’t know.

I sat on the red couch for a few minutes and decided against staying in the VIP section. It felt awkward being there alone and not having someone to talk to. Everyone else ignored me like I was a fly going by.

The two girls who were jealous earlier were giggling when I passed by them to the bar.

“Hey, you!” The blonde with a blue low-cut dress shouted.

I pointed to myself. “Me?” I played dumb. I didn’t want to talk to them. They probably wanted tips on how I got Nikki to talk to me.

“Yeah, come here!”