Page 28 of Revived

I rolled my eyes at the boy. “You’re all of 18-years-old, what do you know?”

He laughed. “I know my parents were my age when they both played a part in fucking up all three of our lives,” he huffed.

“Your parents lives, and yours, seem to have fared rather well.”

“Sure, almost 20 years later you can say that. You didn’t see my mom have her heart broken repeatedly. You weren’t there for all the whispered – and not so quiet – rumors and taunts about how she was a high class whore simply because she was unlucky in love and apparently extremely fertile.” He mentioned the last with a horrified shiver for effect.

“I’m sorry you kids and Kendra ever had to go through that, but I bet your mom wouldn’t change a thing because it would mean not having her babies.”

Chevy grinned at me. “That’s exactly what she always told us when we’d be fighting mad on her behalf.”

“See, things work out like they’re supposed to sometimes, even if it doesn’t seem like it in the moment. I bet you wouldn’t give up your siblings for anything either.”

“Well, that really depends on the day and the sibling, to be honest,” he joked. Then he put on his serious face and looked me in the eye. “But sometimes, you have to make it work. It wasn’t always easy with Josh and my mom. They split up once, when she refused to marry him, ‘just because she was pregnant’,” he told me while using air quotes for the reason to marry.

“They worked it out,” I reminded Chevy.

“Yeah, they did. That’s what I’m telling you. You can’t keep ignoring him and hiding. I think you like my dad and I know he enjoys your company. Why not see what comes of it?” He asked.

I pointed a finger down to the stage where sound check had just ended and Kaylee had made her way to Gabe on stage. We watched as she drew her nails down the front of his t-shirt-clad chest and said something to him that we obviously couldn’t hear.

Chevy sighed. “He’s been turning down her advances all tour.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “How awkward do you think it would be for me, knowing his ex-girlfriend, fuck buddy, or whatever she was, is always watching and waiting for an opportunity to pounce? Maybe she’d be plotting every time I turned my back long enough?” Before he could answer I continued on. “How do you think she’d feel if I got together with your dad and she had to witness our relationship front and center?”

“My dad said they were never an item.” Which meant Chevy had noticed Kaylee and Gabe interact enough that they’d had a conversation about it.

“That might be true, but I’ve seen what your dad hasn’t paid attention then. Watch,” I told him as I pointed again, drawing Chevy’s attention to them. “She’s heartbroken every time he rejects her.”

“So, you’re saying he can’t move on from someone he doesn’t have feelings for?”

“No. I’m saying that it would be messy, even if unintentionally on his part. Besides, I’m here to work, not to flirt or play dating games.”

Chevy laughed. “You’re probably the only one then. Most of the crew thinks of groupies as a perk of the work.” He then pointed to the right side of the lower rows of seats where Wen greeted Cal with a passionate kiss. “I’m pretty sure it’s part of the deal for everyone at this point.”

“This is really the life you want?” I asked him, trying to guide the subject into a different direction.

Instead of answering my question, Chevy asked one of his own. “Have you even watched a single concert yet since we headed out?”

I shook my head. Even though I’d had every intention of doing so in the beginning, it was something I couldn’t bring myself to see. I knew that I’d fall just a bit harder for Gabe, seeing him in his true element. I’d also been sparing myself from the sight of all the women who would throw themselves at him in a moment’s notice. “I stay backstage to do the job I was hired for. I’ve heard everyone though,” I admitted.

“No, you haven’t. You’re coming with me tonight. No exceptions. If someone gets hurt, they’ll know where to find us.”

“Fine,” I reluctantly agreed. “But you need to find me some hearing protection first.”

“Not a problem,” he told me while grinning from ear to ear. “You’ll see why I want to do this.” His face grew somber for a moment. “I’ll be fine with smaller venues, closer to home, if I need to for Opal.”

That was sweet. He’d give up being a true touring musician for his girl. That was something I knew stemmed from what his father had gone through, and what he’s said he would have given in order to have been a part of Chevy and Kendra’s life back then. I wondered if he wasn’t hanging on to Opal more because of his parents’ story than their own, but it wasn’t my place to question him about his true feelings.

“How are the two of you doing?”

“I’m here still because she needed space. Opal doesn’t think I should stay with her since her legs don’t work.” Chevy turned shimmery eyes to my own. “I don’t know how to be without her. I don’t care if she’s in a wheelchair, Mel. I swear, I don’t. I love her.”

“I know you do, honey. You just have to keep showing her that. She’ll come around.” I hoped so anyway. Chevy was a wonderful boy who had more great qualities than most men I had ever known. I gave his mom full credit for raising him right. He thought his parents’ mistakes screwed up all of their lives, when really, they created the perfect storm to give Chevy much needed lessons in life.

“Her injuries aren’t easy to come to terms with,” I reminded him. “Give her time. And remember this too, she got to watch you come back to yourself. You can walk, run, swim, and she’s probably saddled with a little envy as a result.”

“Shit,” he hissed. “I never thought about that. Her mom told me to stay away for awhile. She said seeing me wasn’t good for Opal’s recovery. You think that’s why?”

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