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“When doyouthink we should play live shows, Marv? Do you have a better idea? Do you think the fair citizens of Charlotte will want to come see us play on a Tuesday night?”

“They might.” Now he was just being argumentative.

“I’m willing to give up those shifts. I know Lucy’s been asking to work weekends for a while.”

“I want you playing shows in a month. Your band,” Marv said, making eye contact with each one of us, “has been freeloading for far too long.”

Rather than argue, Pedro said, “We will!” The defiance in his voice was unmistakable, like a kid who tells his parent,You’ll be sorry when I die!

Marv simply said, “Good.” With that, he returned to his toxic news show. Fortunately, he hadn’t written the date down…because it took us a little longer than that.

When Kyle walked through the front door, having missed all the fun, it took everything in me to not say anything.

To not glare or frown.

Fortunately, Pedro broke the ice. “Dude, we need to switch up rehearsals. Can you practice from two to five?” Shifting his eyes to Wolf, he asked, “What days again?”

“Monday through Thursday.”

“So can you?” Pedro asked.

If it had been me posing the question to Kyle, he would have snapped, telling me to give him time to think…a reminder of just how fucking dysfunctional our relationship had become. To Pedro, though, he said, “Yeah, I think that could work.”

It made me all the angrier.

“Good. It’s settled. Marv,” Wolf said, interrupting his boss’s TV time once more, “can you get the schedule settled for next week?”

“Yes, but I’ll need you here this weekend.”

“Not a problem.” Turning back to us, he said, “You guys ready to practice?”

“Does the Tin Man have a metal cock?” Fortunately, Pedro always managed to lighten the mood in the most colorful ways—and, after the guys stopped laughing, we started playing the hell out of “We Die Young” again.

But I really needed to sing an angry song.

CHAPTER 11

When practice was over and the guys were putting their instruments away, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I had to try to keep myself from exploding while talking to Kyle. But it was hard because of all my emotions surrounding the guy and my frustration that I couldn’t trust him anymore.

Oh…and that he seemed to despise me.

But off and on throughout childhood, I’d had to be the voice of reason with my mother. I’d had to try to act like an adult when she’d refused.

Maybe I could use that skill now.

“Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

“Not really. I gotta go, Hayley.”

Fuck…stay calm. Be the adult.“Just five minutes. I know you have more important things to do.”

I just couldn’t help the little jab, though, could I?

“All right. What?” he asked, closing the lid on his guitar case. The whole time I wondered where the hell his work uniform was and when he would change into it. Had Pedro been lying about the whole thing?

“Do you wanna go out back to talk?”

“No. I told you I’m in a hurry. Whatever you need to say, you can say it here.”

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