Listen To Me (Fusion #1)(9)

“I was thinking it might be fun for you to come with me sometimes. We can perform some acoustic versions of some of the old songs. Show off our harmonies.”

“Are you sick? Should I call an ambulance?”

“Fuck you,” I reply and turn to walk away. I don’t need his shit. I should probably call Addie and tell her I’ve changed my mind. This is a ridiculous idea.

“Jake,” he says. “Talk to me. You hate to perform.”

“No, I just can’t perform the way we did,” I reply and turn around, hands in my pockets. “It almost destroyed my life once. And I’m sorry that when I lost it, so did you.”

“I didn’t have to,” he replies matter-of-factly. “I’ve been offered other lead guitar gigs in other bands. You know that. I don’t want to do it without you.”

“Let’s not talk about our feelings. We’re dudes.”

“Tell me about this gig. What made you decide to look into it?”

“Christina told me about it and asked me to.” I drop into a leather couch and sigh, my head leaned back on the cushion, and stare at the ceiling. “I love producing and writing with you. I don’t miss touring. I don’t miss the booze or the girls. We still have the same friends, and we still make music, so I have nothing to complain about.”

“What do you miss?” Max asks.

I chew my lip, and immediately remember Addie doing the same, and wonder what it would be like to feel her full lips under mine. To feel her full everything beneath me.

“I miss singing.” I glance over at Max and see him nod. “I miss watching the crowd sing along with our songs. I miss the feeling I get when I’m singing so hard and long that my lungs are screaming and my throat feels raw, but I don’t even care because it’s just the music that matters.”

“I know.”

“And when I did the open-mic thing last weekend, it just hammered home how much I really do miss it.”

“I know.”

“So, for a couple hours a week, I want to sit in a room of people and strum my guitar and sing.”

“I think that’s awesome.” He grins. “And I can’t wait to show off our harmonies. Because we kick f*cking ass.”

“Of course we do.” I sober and link my fingers behind my head. “So, tell me straight. You don’t think it’s a bad idea?”

“I think it might be the best thing you’ve done for yourself since you quit the band.”

I nod thoughtfully, but then shake my head no. “This studio is the best thing I’ve done.”

“It’s a great thing, and it’s making us a shit-ton of money, and we love it, but I think the music, singing, is going to heal you. And I don’t think you’ve done that quite yet.”

“Have you?”

“I was never broken, friend. That was your journey. And it makes me f*cking happy as hell to see you in this place, because I haven’t seen it in a long time, and I’ve missed it.”

“Feelings. No feelings.”

“Yeah, yeah. If you’ve finished being lazy, you can help me with this song. I can’t figure out the second verse.”

I stand and return to the piano, feeling better after hashing the Seduction gig over with Max. He’s right. I need it.

“We talked about the second verse building in intensity, and then falling abruptly at the end. That’ll make the chorus that much more powerful, remember?”

“That’s right,” he says and swears under his breath as he erases what he wrote earlier. “You think you’re so damn smart.”

I smirk. I’m not smart, or special. I just know music.





Chapter Three


Addison


“This asparagus wasn’t grilled long enough,” Mia announces and wrinkles her cute nose. Since she’s not in the kitchen tonight, her long, dark hair is loose around her shoulders and down her back in long, natural curls. Her makeup is done and her curvy body is rocking in a fun little outfit. Riley grabs Mia’s hand and shakes her head.

“You’re not going in the kitchen tonight,” she says with authority, making the rest of us smile. “We’re having fun.”

“I know,” Mia replies and takes a deep breath. “I’m holding myself back. But I’ll be having another meeting with my chefs on Monday. I wish I could work every day, all day.”

“You’d kill yourself, and we won’t allow that,” Cami says and takes a bite from her plate. “Does anyone else find it ironic that we’re all sitting here, eating aphrodisiacs, and not one of us is getting laid tonight?”

We’re sitting at the table right in front of the stage, eating dinner, waiting for Jake to show up. When the rest of the girls found out that I’d hired Jake to be the weekend entertainment, you’d have thought we were fifteen again. So of course we’re all here, front and center, for his opening night.

And we’re all dressed to the nines.

Because I hired Jake freaking Knox.

I mean, Jake Keller.

“Two girls got very lucky last night,” I reply, the words still bitter in my mouth.

“Okay, I didn’t hear the story yet,” Kat says and sips her wine.