Page 70 of The Bridges I've Burned

“I told Macon I’m a session guitarist. And I even told him about some of the bands I’d worked with, but I just left out the part about Manic.”

“So, basically, the truth.”

“Minus a very important detail, Hendrix.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, the heat already making my shirt stick to my back. “Is it bad that part of me is kind of relieved? That I don’t have to tell them because at least I get to enjoy a few more weeks of?—”

“Normal?” His arms folded across his chest, showing off the same Creed tattoo that every member of his family bore—even the adopted ones like me.

“Yeah.”

“No, it’s not bad,” he answered. “The choice is out of your hands regardless. So, you’re doing the best you can. You could have just left, but you chose to come back and try to work things out with your brother. I think, if given the option, he’d take that over a little white lie.”

It was a bit more than a white lie, but I could see what he was saying.

In a few weeks, I would forever be known as Zander Tate, lead guitarist for Manic at Midnight. Even to my family.

Right now, I was going to enjoy being Zander Green just for a little while longer.

We started heading down toward the beach again. The roar of the waves grew closer as I kicked off my flip-flops and went barefoot. Thankfully, the sand wasn’t so hot that the bottom of my feet was burning.

That was never a good time.

“You know it’s gonna be okay, right?” Hendrix said. His face was pointed dead ahead, his eyes focused on the water. “The fame and shit?”

“Yeah, I know.” I tried to sound convincing.

“You’re just the guitarist anyway.” His words were laced with humor. “It’s not like you’re the real star. When you stand next to Asher, no one even knows you exist, so—” He lifted his shoulders and shrugged, making me laugh.

“I’ll tell him you said that.”

“Don’t bother. He already knows. Founding member of the Knight Rider Fan Club right here. I’ve even got a T-shirt.”

“I bet you do.” I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but all my mind could focus on was my face on T-shirts and rabid fan clubs. My stomach fluttered with nerves.

We finally got to the part of the beach my brother had claimed. Elena hadn’t been really specific on details, so I wasn’t sure who had been invited, but it was safe to assume it wasn’t just the four of us.

Well, five now that we had Hendrix.

There were several umbrellas all lined up in a row, creating a large barrier from the sun, and they had set up at least six beach chairs that were all facing away from us.

Marin waved us over, and Hendrix noticed her immediately.

“Jesus, she is?—”

“My pregnant sister-in-law,” I cut him off.

“Yikes, okay. Got it.” His eyes widened. Nothing made him squirm more than talking about marriage or babies. “Guess I should have recognized her from that invitation you stared at for a week straight.”

“I did not stare at it for a week straight.”

Three days, tops.

“Whatever.” A wide grin spread across his face as he swung an arm out to greet my brother.

“Glad you could make it,” Macon said, shaking Hendrix’s hand.

“Thanks for having me.”

“From what Zander told us the other night, you two are more like family, so you’re welcome anytime.”

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