Page 163 of The First Time
Ethan shrugswouldn't you like to know?
"I've got things to do later. If we could start practicing sometime before one..." Joel nods to the clock on the wall that reads five to noon.
Mal chuckles. "Let's start withBetter Days." His eyes meet mine with a serious expression. "Unless you have something to say, Kit."
"Let's start withTied up with You." I don't give anyone a chance to disagree.
I play my first note.
Despite the bickering and the tension, by the time we're at the first verse, we're all lost in the music.
We're all where we should be.
* * *
By some miracle,we stay on task enough to finish before three.
Mal sets his guitar in its stand then his eyes find mine. He's wearing his usual poker face. He motions to Joel and Ethan then to the door.
He wants to talk privately, without drawing attention to it.
That must mean he knows.
Of course he knows—he came to my apartment Saturday morning. He saw her dress on my floor, my clothes on her body, her neck dotted with hickeys.
Only question is how he's this fucking calm.
Joel shoots me a curious look. "You coming?"
I shake my head. "Need to fix a string."
"Sure." Joel looks to Ethan. "Heading home to put the roast in, Martha Stewart?"
Ethan smiles. "There's only one thing I put in—"
"Fuck, please stop." Joel cringes. He nods goodbye to me and Mal. "Until next time."
Ethan laughs. "I thought you liked details."
"Sexy details." He leans in to not quite whisper. "You really finger Vi at Ikea?"
"I wouldn't make that up." Ethan smiles.
"No fucking way."
The two of them drop to actual whispers on their way out the door.
Mal takes a step towards me. He stares me dead in the eyes. "You've cleaned shit up, Kit. I respect that. I'm not gonna hold your past against you. But if you slip and she has to watch, if you drag her down with your junkie bullshit—I've seen it happen to women who tried to save the broken bad boy too many times—" Mal's expression shifts to something protective. "If she has to watch you try to destroy yourself then I will fucking kill you."
His voice is matter of fact.
I don't have a doubt that Mal really would kill me for dragging Piper into hell with me.
Fuck knows I'd do the same thing if I had a sister.
He nods goodbye. "I'll see you in a few days."
"Yeah."
