Page 51 of 4-Ever

I nodded. Before, I automatically trusted in our label and their staff. But not anymore.

Averell leaned forward. “Any other pressing questions before we move on to meet with the PR team?”

“I have another one for Jesse.” Brodie crossed his arms. “What song of ours is your favorite, and can you sing it, right fucking now?”

Jesse scoffed, then cleared his throat and belted out Filthy Pain like he was the rockstar and we were the audience.

When he finished, we were all too shocked to do anything.

“Why the fuck aren’t you on stage?” Brodie asked with wide eyes.

It took a lot to impress our lead singer.

Jesse shrugged. “I was, fifteen years ago. I played lead guitar and backup vocals in a band called Ruthless Kane. I had longer hair back then. And no glasses.”

“Holy shit, why didn’t I make the connection!” Holloway exclaimed. “Your lead singer was Landry Soames. Didn’t you guys have a song called Take Me Under?”

“That’s right, it was our biggest—and last—hit single. Unfortunately, after three years together, we broke up. My desire to be on stage after that wasn’t the same. But music is still my passion, so I started to work behind the scenes.”

“What caused the breakup?” Brodie asked point blank, cocky as ever. “I’m a nosy fucker so get used to that, too.”

Jesse let out a sigh. “I fell in love with my bandmate. He didn’t feel the same. I couldn’t move past it, and neither could he. That was that.”

Suddenly, Faise’s arm jerked and he knocked a glass of water off the table. The accident broke the awkward tension in the room as Faise made his apologies.

I hadn’t been expecting that revelation.

That was that, all right.

The broken glass was a premonition. The day would only get worse from there.

I couldn’t focus on what anyone was saying. Every time Faise and Averell made eyes at each other, or traded flirty jokes, I wanted to puke. All my appetite vanished as I watched my best friend act like a horny teenager with a crush.

Someone was going to get crushed, I thought as I glared at Averell. The guy was too fucking smooth for his own good.

My head was so messed up. Ever since Jesse told us about his band breakup, I couldn’t focus on anything but that. Couldn’t make conversation or anything. Jesse probably thought I was being a dick, but it wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk. I was too much in my head. There were lots of conversations going on around me but I had no idea what anyone said.

When me and the guys finally had a moment alone, they asked me what I thought of our new manager.

“We asked questions and he answered, no hesitation,” I replied. “That’s gotta count for something. I say we give him a chance.”

Brodie, Faise, and Holls liked Jesse, too. I guess we’d see how the next three months rolled out.

We’d finished up our day with PR, had dinner out, then changed and headed over to the launch party at a club on Brooklyn Street.

I glanced around the packed venue and spotted Jesse chatting up Van, Holls, and Dawson.

Things with me and Faise were still tense, though. And my sister hadn’t arrived yet.

Faise spent the whole time glued to Averell’s side, hanging on his every word. And I spent the whole time following them around. So much that an hour into it, Brodie and Holls intervened.

“You’ve been like this all day, Ro. Don’t you think it’s time you get that stick out of your ass?” Brodie quipped.

I scoffed. “If our record deal gets thrown out next week, don’t come running to me.”

“It’s already signed and sealed. A done deal. No backing out. Now, it’s time to celebrate,” Holls reminded me as he passed me a glass of bourbon. “Remember? That’s when you talk and joke around with your friends and have fun?”

Across the room, Averell let out a loud laugh and Faise soon followed. I shot up off the lounger.

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