Page 74 of Broken Instrument

“Ho. Ly. Shit.” Her light laugh makes my chest tighten. I lift my arm, and she nuzzles into me. “That was…” She pauses and shakes her head, then rests her chin on my pec and looks up at me. “How are you?”

“I’m on the fucking moon.”

With a soft smile, she prods, “I mean…how are you overall? Still okay?”

I press a slow kiss to her forehead and close my eyes, savoring the new high I experienced today. “Yeah, Hads. I’m more than okay. Thank you.”

She cocks her head to one side. “For what?”

“For pushing me without…pushing me,” I finish.

The same sweet smile greets me before she kisses my pec and settles against me. “Anytime.”

“So what now?”

“Now?” She leans up and kisses me softly. “We sleep. Goodnight, Fen.”

A quietness settles inside of me as I look down at her, surprised by the peace I feel when it was only noise and chaos earlier tonight. Yet here I am, in Hadley’s bed, after being intimate.

My arm tightens around her. I lay my head down, not giving a shit our feet are where our heads should be, and close my tired eyes.

“Goodnight, Hads.”

25

FENDER

My hands shake as I open the Broken Vows group text thread I’d been blocking since getting out of rehab. After tweaking the settings to allow messages to come through again, I type a quick note to the band.

Me: Hey. I heard you guys are back in town.

I hit send and tuck my phone in my pocket as Pixie sniffs a fire hydrant next to the sidewalk. With a gentle tug on the black leash, she goes back to walking, matching my pace while the knot in my stomach tightens.

My phone buzzes a few seconds later, and I pull it back out. I’m nervous. Why the hell am I nervous? I shouldn’t be. It’s Phoenix. And Stokes. Dove was added shortly after she sang with Sonny while I was on a bender, and of course, there’s Sonny on the thread too. But I know these guys. They know me. All of me. The good. The bad. And the ugly. So much freaking ugly.

I suck my cheeks between my teeth and read the message.

Phoenix: Hey, man. Yeah, we flew in a few days ago. How you been? We’ve been trying to reach you.

Me: I know. Sorry I’ve been MIA. Would you guys want to meet up for lunch or something?

Stokes: I’m in. What time?

Phoenix: Me too. I’m good for whenever.

I wait a minute, giving Sonny a chance to respond to my text, but the conversation stays quiet.

We haven’t spoken since my blowup. I think he and Dove found a place, and he’s been keeping his distance from Milo, Maddie’s, Jake’s, and my house ever since. Not that I blame him. I was an ass.

When another text still refuses to come through, I slip the loop of Pixie’s leash around my wrist and use both hands to type my response.

Me: Let’s do one o’clock today. Sound good to everyone?

Dove: Is this a guys-only get-together? Or…? I’m good either way. Whatever you want, Fen. :)

My chest tightens as I read Dove’s kind message. She’s the sweetest girl. Kind. Patient. A little quiet, but so damn thoughtful. I don’t blame Sonny for falling for her. But I do feel even more like shit for holding any animosity toward someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly. I glance over at Pix, who’s sniffing a small patch of weeds near the sidewalk, puff out my cheeks, and text back.

Me: You’re part of the band, Dove. Of course, you’re invited. Should we meet at the house?

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