Page 114 of Five Summers

“Answer the fucking question, Ace,” Nate demands, his tone sharp and straight to the point.

“Lionel's found two singers who he thinks can take over Xander's role if he keeps causing trouble.”

I get up from the couch, so mad that my brother didn't fill me in on any of this.

"So, you're okay with that?" Theo asks, sounding just as annoyed as me.

“No, I’m not fucking okay with it.”

Nate gets up from the couch and towers over Ace, giving him an intense stare. "Hey, asshole," he says, his voice all loud and demanding. “Next time this shit comes up, you better tell Lionel or Reg, or whoever the fuck you're talking to, if Xander goes, I'm gone too. No way am I letting another frontman join Broken Oasis. We joined this band because we loved hanging out andplaying music. It was all about the lyrics Xander wrote and the music we made together. Now it's all about kissing the label's ass. We've totally lost ourselves because of them. Ace, it's about time you stood up to the label and fought for what we want, instead of taking their fucking side.”

“It’s not that easy,” says Ace. “We could lose everything.”

“Yeah, so what?” Nate’s voice drips with anger. “Stop being a fucking pussy. Who cares if we lose our contract? We’ll just start our own damn label. What was the point of building that recording studio if we’re never gonna use it?”

Ace doesn’t even have time to answer Nate’s question before I butt in, because I’m dying to know. “Why is Poppy Reeves joining the tour?”

Nate and Theo quit staring at Ace and look over at me.

“I can tell you, but it will piss you off,” Ace says.

“I’m already pissed, so spill the beans or I’ll beat it out of you.” I move back over and take my seat on the couch.

Letting out a long sigh, Ace glances down at the beer bottle in his hands before answering. Nate sits in the lounge waiting to see what Ace has to say.

"We've been trying to get you to fall in line for years," Ace admits, avoiding eye contact and staring at the bottle in his hands. “But that night, when your old man showed up at the event, you didn't pay attention to Reg or me. You only stopped when Poppy told you.” Finally, he looks up. “We just figured if she was there, you might actually listen to someone.”

“You brought her along to keep me in line?”

"Yeah," he says, looking down at the bottle.

I shake my head in disbelief, trying to process why. I admit I fucked up with the car accident, but everything else is not on me. “Tell her you don't need her to come,” I add, getting up off the couch.

“It’s too late. The contract's signed and she's already in the hotel room.”

“Fuck!” I say as I start pacing. It's gonna hurt to see Poppy every day, knowing how much she hates me. I turn around and head for the door.

‘Where are you going?” Theo shouts after me.

“Away from this fucking asshole,” I add, storming out and leaving them behind.

I head out to the backyard, take off my sweatpants, and dive into the pool, butt naked. I swim laps to calm down and find some peace. My mind won't calm down. I keep obsessing about how I'll handle the next eight weeks with Poppy. That night at the bar keeps replaying in my mind and it still bugs me.

Chapter forty-five

Xander

I’m anxious about seeing her again. As the company car arrives at the airport, and we exit, a sudden thought crosses my mind - what if she’s changed her mind? Honestly, I wouldn't even care if she did. Then I wouldn't have to keep feeling guilty about what I did to her back then.

After a sleepless night, I come up with a plan to move on. I'm gonna brush her off and pretend she doesn't matter. I'll just treat her like any other chick. That's the only way I can stop my heart from shattering.

The car door opens, and we all step out. I'm on edge, scanning the tarmac for any signs of her.

“She’s still coming,” Theo says. “I heard Reg saying to Ace she’ll be here soon.”

“I don’t fucking care,” I say, shrugging like I couldn’t care less, but the asshole Theo just smirks at me.

Movement out of the corner of my eye has me turning my head. A sleek black town car pulls up next to ours, and Poppy steps out. Seeing her in that short skirt gets me all hot and bothered. Is she intentionally messing with me, knowing I had a thing for her when she wore those fucking short skirts? I always had the urge to slide my hands under them, curious to see if she was wet for me. Fuck, she’s just arrived and I'm already feeling all these crazy emotions. Seriously, how can I handle the next eight weeks with a constant boner?

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