Page 122 of Reckless

Ethan arrives first, letting himself in and wandering out to find us on the back deck. He strips his shirt off, already holding a beer he grabbed from the fridge before stepping out. Solene eyes him over her sunglasses, then reaches to the table next to her and throws sunscreen at him.

He’s tall and lanky, with a swimmer’s body. Much to his chagrin, his features are elfin and a little too pretty for a guy. He has the androgynous look that men and women find attractive. His hair is pin straight and long on the top and sides, but shaved around his ears and the back of his neck. Like his sister, it's almost platinum blonde. A color many people believe the two of them have done at a salon, but it's all natural.

The sunscreen hits his bare chest and falls to the floor. He grunts and rubs his chest.

“A little warning, sis.”

“I can at least make sure you protect yourself against skin cancer, if nothing else.”

“You’re one to talk.”

We all go silent. Ethan looks panicked as his sister looks away from him.

“Shit, sorry, Sol. I didn’t mean that.”

“Yeah you did,” she sighs. “And you’re right, I fucked up.”

“It was an accident,” I say, glaring at her stupid brother.

Ethan walks over, bends down, and kisses Sol’s head. She bats him away, but it isn’t in anger. She’s always quick to forgive him. I’m pissed at that comment, but keep my mouth shut.

“Where’s Paul?” he asks, pulling up a chair and slouching into it.

“You’re early for a change,” Sol points out.

“He’s only flying in for the meeting, right?” Ethan asks. He bends and picks up the sunscreen, popping the cap and rubbing it into his bare skin. He will always listen to his sister.

“Yeah,” I nod.

“We’ve not talked about that,” Ethan frowns in my direction. “You’ve been too busy riding around in your sex van.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I roll my eyes but look at Sol. She rubs her lips together and turns away. You can’t keep a secret in this band.

“What do you think about Paul going off to work on this solo album? I mean, I know he’s talked about it, but I figured it was just talk. I didn’t think he’d go through with it.”

“When has Paul ever said he was going to do something, then not follow through? Especially with music. I don’t think we need to worry,” I tell them. “We have more important things to worry about.” I don’t look at Sol, but hear her sigh.

She rolls herself up and gets off the lounger, walking to the table she grabs a bottle of water from the cooler. Instead of drinking it, she presses it to the back of her neck. When the doorbell rings, Ethan hops up to let Paul in.

“You okay?” I ask my best friend.

“Yeah,” she sniffs, but waves a hand, blinking a few times.

Paul follows Ethan out onto the deck. He’s wearing a jacket, black jeans and a t-shirt. He takes the jacket off and sits down, glancing between us.

“Okay, let’s get this shit out in the open,” he says. “I’m not leaving Reckless Soul. I’m making some different music and putting it out. It might flop, it might not. I may end up going on my own tour, but that doesn’t mean I’m walking away. Can you all stop looking at me like I’ve murdered some puppies?”

“No one is looking at you like that, bro,” Ethan says, sipping his beer.

“Yeah, you are. I know you too well.” He grabs a bottle of water for himself. “So now that’s out there. You can stop worrying.”

At least that is one problem dealt with. Everyone turns to me. Sol looks panicked. I guess hearing Paul say he’s not walking away puts all the strain on her now. She will have to pull out of the band eventually. Even in the short term, she won’t be able to tour with us.

“What?” I ask.

“This chick,” Ethan grins. “Is it serious?”

Might as well be honest. “Yeah. Very.”

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