Page 74 of Electric Touch

“What’s going on there?”

I lean back and close my eyes. The sun is so bright behind my lids, all I can see is orange light. “I liked her,” I say.

“Liked? It’s done?”

“I didn’t leave it in the best place after Riley’s outburst.”

“You haven’t spoken to her since?”

“Nope. Can we not talk about this?”

“That’s why we’re here, to talk about everything.”

“Not her.”

“Okay. Riley then.”

“Fuck.” I shake my head, shading my eyes as I look over at him.

He grins. “The quicker we deal with what we’re here for, the quicker we can enjoy this place without it hanging over us.”

I sit up, straddling the lounger. Setting the beer bottle between my legs, I hold on to the cold glass with my thumb and forefinger. “So from what you’re saying, the label are worried Riley is going to cause more problems. Are they likely to drop us?”

“No, they’ve invested in you guys and you’re contracted for this tour and another album. They won’t break that contract, despite me threatening you all with it the other week,” he smirks. “They don’t want any adverse publicity. The viral video,” he shrugs. “Didn’t bother them because it didn’t bring unwelcome attention to the band. A bust up between the new woman and the ex? That can also bring interest, but it can backfire too if the wrong people get hold of it. It’s why they have PR machines you don’t want to mess with. And more money than I can ever fathom, because they did something that got the complete debacle quashed.”

He's right. I had seen no news reports or photographs of Riley arguing with Adrestia. Shit, my brain goes back to her. What must she be thinking about me right now? I’d not only walked away after my ex treated her like shit, but I’ve also ghosted her with the guitar lessons.

“Look, we’ve been around the damn houses with this more times than I care to think about. It’s been a tough ride for Red Alert. You guys should have hit the mainstream over a year ago and be way further along than you are now. You had setbacks,” he flaps a hand at his leg, not needing to elaborate on what that means. “I want to see you succeed. I may work with other bands at the label but I cut my teeth with Red Alert. This band means something to me.” He frowns and stops speaking.

I turn to him. His jaw is tight, but I can’t see his eyes behind the sunglasses.

“This band saved me,” he says, his gaze out to sea. “I don’t want to see it fail.”

“You know I’m with you.”

“Yep, and I know none of this is actually your fault. The thought of spending a weekend with Riley made me want to jump in front of a subway train though,” he laughs.

“Drastic.”

“Look, I won’t tell you what to do. I will say Riley’s issues are hers. They’re not your concern anymore, unless she fucks things up for Red Alert. You have a whole machine behind you to prevent that from happening. What you need to worry about is what it will do to you. If you let it.

“If you tell anyone I said this, I’ll deny it till the day I die, but you’re a good guy, Nash. You deserve better than what you’re getting. She can’t offer you anything anymore. She won’t learn that if you keep trying to help her.”

“No one will let me help her,” I point out.

“But she knew you wanted to. I know you sent her a few texts.”

I grit my teeth so hard they may crack. Yeah, I did. How the fuck Declan knows is anyone’s guess.

“It’s hard to turn it off, Dec. I’ve known her most of my life. I couldn’t stand seeing her like that the other night.”

“So you’ll let her mess with your head? With whatever it was you were moving on to?”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“How will you ever know if you keep living in the past? Not to keep twisting the knife in my own fucking gut, but Wave is with someone else and she’s happy. I don’t know their story, but I know it didn’t take her long to find it. Just saying,” he finishes his beer and leans back, pushing his sunglasses on his head. “Stop letting her fuck with you. She made her choice. You make yours.”

He’s done dispensing his advice. I set the beer down and walk to the pool, diving in at the deep end and staying under until my lungs burn.

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