Page 14 of Fractured Trust

“That’s good. I was—”

They were interrupted by the arrival of Zac’s breakfast. A waitress sidled up to the table, holding a plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and toast. She was pretty, but wide-eyed with nerves and excitement to be serving them, bobbling the plate when she placed it down in front of Zac. She blushed bright red when he thanked her. Turning big brown eyes on Noah, she asked, “Can I get you anything, sir?”

Noah gestured at Zac’s plate. “I’ll have the same as him, thanks.”

She nodded, still blushing, and rushed away to get his order.

Noah took another sip of his juice, hoping Zac would drop the subject of Summer after the distraction of his food arriving. But before he could think of something else to talk about, Zac launched straight back into it.

“Do you think you’re going to see her much?”

Noah arched his brows and looked after the retreating waitress. “Probably only when she drops my breakfast off. Unless she’s up for a little fun afterward, that is.”

Zac smirked. “Don’t play dumb. You know who I’m talking about.”

Noah shrugged, absently tapping out a beat on the table with his fingers. “I doubt it. I’m not exactly planning on calling her up and inviting her over to the house for dinner. As far as I’m concerned, she’s just my sister’s co-worker, that’s it.”

Zac stared at him for a second, then threw back his head and laughed. The corners of Noah’s mouth twitched up at the bass player’s obvious amusement. “What’s so funny, jackass?”

Zac took his time before answering, his smile lingering as he shook his head. “I honestly can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.”

“Why wouldn’t I be serious?”

“Because a lot of shit’s come out of your mouth over the last fifteen years, Noah, but trying to tell me that the woman you loved, the woman that broke your heart, the woman that you chased down and offered a job to, isjustyour sister’s co-worker, has to take the cake.”

Noah shrugged, keeping his tone light. “Okay, maybe she won’t bejustmy sister’s co-worker. But we’re not exactly ever going to be friends, so what’s the difference?”

Zac’s eyes dropped to where his fingers were now tapping out a rapid beat against the linen tablecloth, and Noah forced his hand still.

Sometimes he hated that damn tell. The one that was partly a result of him being a drummer, and partly a result of his natural restlessness. He’d always had a lot of energy; always had to be moving. That had been the main reason his mom and dad had bought him a drum kit to start with. It had been the perfect way for him to burn off all that excess energy. His parents had soundproofed their basement, set up his kit, and let him loose. And when he’d sat down behind that first set of skins, bashing away at it with too much enthusiasm and not enough skill for hours at a time, all that restlessness, any worries, or fears he was dealing with, had bled away until the only thing left was the beat rolling through him. It’d been everything he needed.

Until Summer.

Because she’d brought him something else as well… stillness. When he was lying next to her, his arms wrapped around her, breathing in her sweet scent, he felt… calm, peaceful. No urge to move or do or even drum. Just be there in the moment. With her.

But he hadn’t had that for a long time, and he’d learned to live without it, just like he’d lived without it before she’d come into his life.

Zac’s voice pulled him back from his thoughts. “The difference is you know she’s there,” he was saying. “There’s no putting her out of your mind now. Eden will talk about her, they’ll probably become friends, so she’ll want to invite her places. Are you prepared for that? Are you prepared to start having to see her regularly?”

Noah groaned. “Fuck man, it’s too early for the third degree. At least let me get some food in my stomach.”

With impeccable timing, the waitress was back, cheeks still pink as she placed the heaping plate down in front of him. “Thanks, sweetheart,” he said and smiled to himself as the pink darkened several shades.

Instead of walking away, she dithered for a few seconds and Noah shot an amused glance Zac’s way. Zac leaned back in his seat, his lips curving up as he watched her open and close her mouth a few times before taking pity on her. “Would you like an autograph before you go?”

She let out a breath and nodded. “I’m sorry, it’s just, I’ve never met anyone famous before. And Fractured is my all-time favorite band.”

She jumped when a deep voice came from behind her. “Well, that hurts.”

Beau and Devon had walked up behind her while she’d been distracted, and she seemed even more stunned to see the Crossfire guitar and bass player smiling down at her, all disheveled dark hair and sparkling blue eyes—even if they were a touch red-rimmed.

“Sit your asses down, and stop trying to steal our fans,” Noah mock grumbled. “You heard her,we’reher favorites.” The two men slid into the booth next to him and Zac, and Noah turned back to see the waitress looking around the table with awestruck eyes. “Do you have anything to write on?” he asked her gently.

She held up her pen and notepad for taking orders and smiled shyly as she handed them to him.

“Who should we make it out to?”

“Beth.”

---