Page 99 of Final Serenade

Brother: Where are you?

Dressing room.

Brother: Be right there.

Not a good idea.

An eye-roll emoji popped up on the screen.

My mind raced. I didn’t want my brother seeing this. I didn’t trust him enough.

Corey paced. Brooklyn was on the phone, arranging for an overnight nurse. Janet and Billy stood over Frank, their faces tight with concern. I slid my phone to the back pocket of my jeans and began my approach. Here, no one but family and his regular team were present. Here, I didn’t have to think twice about being myself. About whether to be there for him or not to be. Whatever he chose.

“Do you want to take a shower here or go home?” Janet asked, clutching his shoulder.

“Home.” He shook his head and flicked his gaze over to me. “You don’t mind me sweaty, do you, doll?” A playful glint sparkled in his eyes. Even with a tube in his vein and a tremor in his voice, he found the strength to joke.

“Not at all.” I bent in front of him. We joined hands and our knees bumped. “Anything I can do?”

A soft smile curled his lips. “Stay with me tonight?” Exhaustion lined his face. He was splayed in a chair and one of the medics was trying to lay him down again.

“Sure.”

“Brooklyn will get Ashton a car.”

“Levi can take him home.”

The air inside the dressing room smelled like fear, sweat, and…disease. There was a knock on the door. Roman marched over to check who it was. Dante stood in the hallway with my brother directly behind him. I noted a few more pairs of curious eyes, but security wasn’t letting anyone in except for Dante.

“Give me a second.” I patted Frank’s arm and stepped out.

“What’s going on?” Ashton peeked inside through the small crack, but I whooshed him away from the door.

“Levi will take you home, okay?”

“Sure.” He drawled, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “They skipped a bunch of songs fromHollow Heart Dream.”

I dialed Levi’s number and held a finger in front of Ashton’s face. My shoe tapped nervously against the polished concrete.

“What the fuck, Cass? They cut the set?” Levi grumbled.

“Could you please take Ashton home?”

There was a pause on the line. The noise of the crowd filled the background.

“Please?” I begged. My voice cracked.

“Of course. Tell him to meet me outside. I’m parked near the club entrance. Lot K.”

“Thank you. I owe you one.”

“You do, Cass.” There were more words. I could sense his anxiety as it bounced off mine, but we left it at that. My secret was driving a wedge between us and we both knew it. The question was whether something needed to be done or whether letting events take their course would be best.

I explained to Ashton where to find Levi and pulled him into an awkward hug. His flat chest bumped against mine, his hands never leaving his pockets. Our laminates tangled. He was startled by what was going on as much as I was.

“Be careful, okay?” I said, giving him a light pat on the arm.

“Yeah.” He rolled his eyes as if I’d said something absurd like reminding him not to forget to breathe air.

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