Ace (Band of Brothers #1) Page 10

  Nik stood in the kitchen and poured water into the coffeepot.

  "You seriously got Starbucks and didn't grab me one?"

  "Sorry." I took a huge swig. "Want this one?"

  "No, you have slut germs," Nik said with a little rasp in his voice.

  "I have as many slut germs as you do, douche." I laughed it off and sat at the table and Nik sat in front of me.

  "If you want to date again, I support it. After Misty I thought you'd never consider it again," he said.

  My mind wandered back to my life five years ago. Misty had broken my heart into a million pieces when she gave me an ultimatum: music or her. Never in my life did I imagine anyone would ever make me give up a part of my soul. I loved her so much and would have done anything for her, but I couldn't stop playing and touring because she wanted to be number one.

  For days I thought about her words. If she had cared about me as much as she said she did, she would have supported my dreams. But she was too jealous to handle me touring even though I was a one-woman man. Misty destroyed me and I hadn't been serious about anyone since. Once we became famous and she realized that my pipe dreams were a reality, she came crawling back. But I wasn't the same man she’d left behind. I was harder and calloused…the way she’d made me.

  "Misty." I shook my head. The thought of her sickened me.

  "I know. She's such a bitch. Honestly, you two breaking up was the best thing that ever happened to you. Totally dodged the bullet," Nik said.

  "Thank God." I sipped my coffee. "You know, that’s something I like about Elizabeth. She understands music and my life and she's not throwing herself at me. It's so hard to admit that."

  Nik was beaming. "I'm happy for you. Don't fuck it up."

  "I don't plan on it."

  There was a knock on the door and Jex and Rex loaded up on the bus. They had the white cups with green mermaids in their hands too.

  "Are you fucking kidding me? Was it a Hathway trip to Starbucks? You all know what I drink. Geez. I can see that I'm the least favorite brother," Nik said.

  "You are," Jex said, sipping his coffee with a smirk on.

  "Any plans tonight?" Rex asked.

  "I've got a show to play but after that I'm free," I said, reminding them that they had a show to do as well.

  "No skank to do afterwards?"

  My face contorted. "I think I'm done with that."

  Rex sarcastically gasped. "Ball bustin’ journalist is making you change your ways. I like this side of you little brother."

  Everyone in the room burst into laughter. They sounded exactly the same.

  "Listen to you all. You sound like a bunch of programmed robots when you laugh together," I said.

  "I actually have plans," Nik said.

  We all turned and looked at him, confused.

  "Spill," Jex said.

  "Don't have to," Nik said as he turned the coffeepot on, envious of our coffee.

  Jex stood up and put Nik into a headlock. Nik glared at me and I gave him a wink then sipped my coffee.

  "I'm not involved in this. I don't give two shits what you're doing," I said.

  "Okay, okay," Jex said, loosening his grip on Nik.

  "Mom and Dad want to meet us for dinner after the show since we're only a few hours away. We kind of have to be there," Rex said, "so can you postpone your plans until tomorrow or something?"

  I stood there watching. Nik was already annoyed, but now he was openly agitated.

  "Okay. BUT only because it's Mom and Dad. It's not for you fools," Nik said.

  "After the show they're going to pick us up by the bus. So be there. Don't make Dad wait. He doesn't give any shits about who we are. I think they want to go to some diner that serves malts and breakfast twenty-four hours a day or something," Rex said.

  "I'll be there." I finished my coffee then walked over to the pot and poured my carry-out cup full.

  Nik glared at me and I couldn't help but chuckle. For once, I wasn't the one who rolled over on the wrong side of the bed.

  "I've got some work to do," I said, walked from the living room.

  "Uh-uh, not so fast little bro," Rex said, pulling me by my shirt.

  "We all heard about the post on the bitch page. So, fill us in," Jex said.

  "Mom and Dad even asked if you were dating her," Rex said.

  "Are you serious?"

  "What's even scarier is Mom's reading a rumor site about us," Nik said.

  I let out an aggravated breath. "I want to see where it goes, okay? We aren't dating. Actually, she hates me. So, there's that."

  Nik gave me a smile. "Mom is so going to ask about this."

  I shook my head. "I don’t have time to explain this to her. We danced. She hated each second of it. That's it."

  "That's not what the comments said," Rex said. "An anonymous comment even listed her name and which magazine she works for."

  The room stilled and I turned and looked at Rex. I pulled my phone from my pocket and scrolled through the comments and there it was—Elizabeth Riley with PHASE Magazine.

  "I didn't see that yesterday." My voice was quiet. I couldn't stop thinking about Elizabeth and how she wanted to remain anonymous. This was an absolute clusterfuck. I had no idea someone had given out her credentials. It would only be a matter of hours before they stalked Elizabeth and had everything they could find posted on the site.

  "It was posted this morning and isn’t a good thing for her, Ace. Things like this ruin people's careers. You have to be cautious of that," Jex continued.

  "Shit," I said and hurried to my bedroom and pulled out my laptop and brought it to the table.

  "I'm going to email Maria," I said.

  Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.

  "What?"

  "You're going to email the girl that runs the site. Have you lost your fucking mind? What if she posts a screenshot of your conversation?"

  "Then I guess she posts it. I can't let this happen. It was okay when no one knew who she was, but now it will be too much," I said.

  "You're actually protecting her? Maybe you really are a changed man," Rex said.

  I glared at him over the top of my laptop and wrote up a quick email.

  "How does this sound?

  Hey Maria,

  How's things been? I have a huge favor to ask. Can you delete a comment with Elizabeth's name in it and please not repost the information? I'll be happy to tell you she actually hates me and was forced to dance with me at that party. Pictures are not what they seem. If you can do that, I'll send you some swag signed by all of us. I have a few rare posters from the grassroots days. Oh and I'll be happy to confirm some of those posts as rumor or real too.

  Love and Rock & Roll,

  Ace."

  "You sound like you shit roses this morning," Jex said.

  "Perfect," I said and pressed send.

  "Are you going to confirm the rumor or real posts?" Nik asked.

  "Fuck yeah I will. I'd rather her have a real source other than someone who thinks they know, plus it would be doing me a huge favor."

  "Pussy whipped already," Rex said.

  "Pussy is my kryptonite," I said. Before closing my laptop, an email shot across.

  Ace Baby,

  You're up early. It's been a long time. How about this, I'll remove the post completely. I read the comments and they were out of hand. We aren't promoting negativity on the page. No need to send anything over. Maybe check the last 10 posts and tell me if they're fact or fiction.

  Always Love and Rock & Roll,

  Maria.

  "Score, bitches," I said. "Maria is removing the post. See, it takes a little loving from ol’ Acey to make women do what I want," I said.

  They all groaned in unison. I walked to my room and went through the posts, all false, and replied back to Maria and thanked her for helping. I closed my laptop and laid it on my bed, proud that I was able to accomplish some good today.

  I picked up my phone next and texted Jenny. />
  Me: The post is being removed.

  Jenny: Good. I don't want to know how you accomplished that.

  Me: I confirmed real or rumors.

  Jenny: Sell out.

  I laughed and walked back into the living quarters where my brothers were arguing over who was hotter: Bette Paige or Marilyn Monroe.

  "Neither. You're all so lame."

  They looked at me like I’d said something sacrilegious.

  But they were my brothers whether I liked them or not, but the truth was I loved them dearly.

  17

  Elizabeth

  I wanted to sleep for weeks. My days were running together and I couldn't tell if it was a weekend or weekday. The constant shows made each day seem like a Saturday, but I knew that couldn't be.

  I went back to the bus, closed the curtain, and fell asleep for hours. I woke to the sound of Frodo making obscene hobbit jokes, and I couldn't help but laugh. When I rolled over, there was a single piece of paper in my bunk with scribbled hard-to-read handwriting on the outside of it.

  I was a little confused.

  I peeked outside of the bunk and looked around.

  "Looking for someone?" Frodo asked.

  "Nope," I said and crumbled the piece of paper in my hand. After a minute, I straightened and flattened it out then slid open my phone and typed the number in to send a text. Random papers with random numbers usually got thrown straight in the trash, but I was intrigued.

  Me: ?

  Call Me: ?

  Me: Text should do.

  Call Me: Elizabeth?

  Me: Who wants to know?

  Call Me: I wanted to talk to you about the article.

  Me: Ace?

  Call Me: I thought you'd never guess.

  Ace: Call me.

  I added his number to my phone and dialed it. As the high-pitched ring played, I could feel the beating of my heart in my neck.

  "Hey," he said. His voice was low and gravely. "That ridiculous article has been removed."

  "What?"

  "I took care of it for you."

  "Wow. Thank you." I wasn't sure what else I should say. It was a nice gesture and without even realizing it, I was smiling.

  Silence.

  "You're welcome. You know, I'm not trying to sabotage your career."

  "Really?" I tried to hold back my excitement.

  I couldn't help but think about the interview I wouldn't get and how pictures of my face were posted on the Internet because of him. While I'm happy the article was deleted, it didn't mean it was gone forever. Nothing on the Internet ever disappeared; even I knew that.

  Silence.

  "I suppose we're done here then," he said.

  "I suppose we are."

  The phone clicked and the call ended. I didn't even know what to think about speaking to Ace Hathway on the phone and I now had his number. That could have been one of the most awkward conversations in the world, but an exciting one. I had Ace Hathway’s number!

  Once again, I was stuck in my bunk staring at the ceiling. This had become my daily routine. I didn't know what to think about what had happened. How did he get it removed and why did he even care? I would think Mr. Playboy would be all about everyone seeing him with women, but I guess not. Maybe I didn't know who the person Ace Hathway was.

  The articles I had read and the things that were said when I was assigned to the project created a bias whether I liked it or not. Would it be possible for me to erase all of my preconceived opinions and give him a new start? I tucked my lips into my mouth and slowly shook my head. There was too much streaming through me and I couldn't deal with it all. I needed to get rid of this feeling. I needed to go for a run.

  When I felt confused or needed to clear my head, I'd either play guitar or run. Playing was out of the question considering how many people were outside and the temperature drop; I knew what I would do. Run. Run until my legs wouldn't go forward. Run until I could sort through what was happening.

  I wiggled into some shorts and a t-shirt, then grabbed a windbreaker and tied up my shoes. I tucked my iPhone into my pocket and while stepping off the bus, put my headphones in my ears. I started off slow and ran through the parking lot, rounded the corner, and took off down the sidewalk. I ran with everything I was. My heartbeat pounded in my chest. When the walk sign turned red, I rested my hands on my knees wishing I had brought a bottle of water. Dumb.

  When I ran, I couldn’t think of anything. My body moved in robotic movements, and I kept my hands loose and my pace and breathing steady. When I first started out, it was chilly outside, but I found myself getting warm and at the next crossing, I took off my windbreaker and tied it around my waist. I turned around and couldn't see the fence line that surrounded the venue. I decided against going any farther and turned around to head back. The music, my breathing, and the beat of my heart took me to a place I needed to be. Calm. A small smile hit my lips as my body fought back in protest to stop. Years ago I learned it's all mental. I can go as far as I need to go, it's natural to want to stop, but I wouldn't. It was like learning to play guitar. The first few months, my fingers were raw from the strings. It hurt to write with a pencil and it hurt to do anything with my hands. My fingernails were basically nonexistent because they would break from playing. Instead of growing them, I started cutting them short. My fingers hurt until one day they didn't. I had grown a tolerance and my fingers had become tough. No longer did they turn pink and throb; they were calloused over from my determination.

  When I first started, my strumming was terrible. The pauses between chords made for a choppy song. But I kept playing until it all came together. Years passed and I could finally move up and down the neck naturally. When a person wants something in life, they go after it with everything they are and keep at it, no matter what. True musicians keep playing if they suck, and they keep playing if it hurts, until one day, those things don't represent them. Because once the music is inside someone, it can never be removed.

  I ran into the parking lot releasing heavy breaths, and when I turned the corner, I tripped over a small rock and tumbled to the ground. But it happened too fast and by the time I put my hands out to catch myself, my palms skidded across the ground. The pain hit me all at once. I looked down at pavement then at my bloody palms and skinned knee. I tried to wipe the little pebbles from my skin. When I turned my head, I saw Ace running toward me.

  Fuck! It's all I could think. He must have seen the whole thing. Heat touched my cheeks and before I could stand, he was bending down looking at me with concern written across his face.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  I nodded a yes, but didn't speak in case the embarrassment was evident in my voice.

  I tried to stand and winced from the throbbing burn of the road rash. How clumsy was I?

  "Here, let me help you." Ace didn't even give me a chance to respond before he was lifting me up. I stood there for a few seconds, trying to compose myself. When I tried to put weight on my ankle, it was too much. I’d sprained it. Ace switched sides and I wrapped my arm around his waist as he acted as my human crutch.

  "I'm such an idiot," I whispered, with a parched mouth. Next time, instead of going for a run, I'll choose music.

  The pressure was too much on my ankle and I stopped my hobbling for a second. He looked over at me and smiled. I was waiting for him to start laughing at me, but it never happened.

  "You're so stubborn."

  If he only knew how stubborn I was.

  "All right. No more of this."

  Seconds later, he was reaching his arms behind my legs and lifted me into his arms and carried me across the parking lot toward his bus.

  "Type in 1999," he said. I reached my arm over and typed in the code and the door clicked open. Ace carried me up the stairs and sat me down on a black leather couch in the bus. I looked around, amazed at how large and fancy it was. He handed me a glass of water, then walked to the back and returned with a red first aid kit. I couldn't help but w
atch his movements.

  18

  Ace

  "Are you okay? You've only said a few words since the accident. Did you hit your head?"

  She gave me a look and it took everything I had not to smile, because I was genuinely concerned. She’d hit the pavement hard.

  "I'm not being sarcastic. I want to make sure you don't have a concussion."

  She took another sip of water and sat up straight.

  "No, I didn't hit my head. I'm dying of embarrassment at the moment."

  I chuckled. "It could have been much worse."

  I got down on my knees and took off her shoes and socks and looked at her ankles.

  "Okay, they aren't swollen or bruised from what I can see. That's a good sign."

  When my hand brushed across her skin, I could feel her tense under my touch. We were at eye level and I couldn't help but look into her eyes. She swallowed hard.

  "Don't be embarrassed. Honestly, only a few people were outside when it happened. It's not a big deal. I want to make sure you're okay."

  She let out a sigh as I unwrapped a few alcohol wipes. Sitting beside her on the couch, I wiped the dirt from the scrapes on her palms. She tensed and from the look on her face, I knew that it hurt. Carefully, I cleaned her hand then grabbed another wipe and worked on the other one.

  "It looks painful," I said.

  "It is. What's worse is it's going to hurt to play for a few weeks."

  She shook her head. "I'm so pissed at myself. I should have paid more attention."

  Elizabeth moved her eyes from mine and looked down at the floor, defeated. I grabbed her chin between my fingers and turned her head toward mine.

  All I wanted to do was kiss her.

  Kiss away her pain.

  Kiss away her worry.

  Kiss away her embarrassment.

  I slowly traced her jaw and laced my fingers through her hair. Instinctively, I tilted my head and she tilted hers. Her eyes fluttered closed and so did mine. We moved closer to one another, but took our time. When our mouths were only an inch apart, I could feel her warm breath on my face.