Page 47 of The Drummer's Heart

“Nothing. It’s…a nice day. That’s all.”

I arched my neck to see better, though I knew she was too far down the street for me to see from here.

“Why don’t you go back to your drumming?” Mimi asked. “It was relaxing me.”

Turning around, I arched a brow. “Relaxing? I worried I was disturbing you.”

“No, my love. It’s the quiet that causes my mind to race. The drumming gave me something to focus on.”

“Well, that’s how I feel too. Great minds think alike.” Even though I felt dead inside, I smiled. “Alright, then. I’ll get back to it.”

I forced myself to return to the garage, repositioned myself at my seat, and began beating the shit out of the drums. Eachstrike only fueled my anger. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I pounded out my fury. Better the drums than Julian’s face.

When the door to the garage opened about an hour later, I stopped.

Putting my sticks down, I rushed over to Nicole. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. We just drove to the center of town and had coffee.”

Even that made me insane. “Is he gone?”

“No, actually. He’s staying in Monksville tonight.”

“Why?”

She shrugged.

“What the fuck does he want from you?” I yelled.

“Not sure you want to know.”

I gritted my teeth. “He wants you to take him back…”

“He wants another chance, yeah, after I return to the city.”

A flash of panic hit. How could I compete when he’d be in New York with her, and I’d be all over half the fucking world?

My palms began to sweat. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him I wasn’t interested in resuming things.”

“Why couldn’t he have waited for you to be back in New York to say what he needed to say?”

She shook her head and looked down at her feet. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. He came here to fucking rattle me. He wants to get his ass beat.” I tightened my fists. “Where’s he staying?”

“Why? You’re not going after him.”

“I just want to talk to him.”While I bash his face into the pavement.

“Nothing good can come from that, Atticus, and you know it.”

WhatdidI hope to achieve by confronting Julian again? The rage inside me right now made me realize I was still holding out hope for Nicole and me, and I saw Julian as an impediment.That was likely delusional. I needed to protect myself from getting hurt. But first I wanted to hurthim.

“If you won’t tell me where he is, I’ll find him anyway. There aren’t that many hotels in town nor places to hang out. And I know where his mother lives. He’s staying with her, I assume, if she still lives here?”

Nicole refused to confirm.

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