Page 62 of Forever Flames: Padraig & Stevie
I hit the video button and his beautiful face appears, chiseled cheekbones and soulful brown eyes. “You’ve been quiet.”
“Ever since I left, everything’s been off…” A pause. “The band’s in shambles.”
I lean against the desk, wrapping my arms tight around myself. “What’s going on?”
“We’re going into the studio to hear the final mix. It’s real now. The album. And the gig at the Showbox in two weeks. Connor’s new band, Less Than Zero, is opening. It’s their first time playing live at a venue. The guitar player is some sort of musical savant and his dad is Carter Pope from Limelight. They haven’t played a show yet, so it’ll be kinda cool. They’re so good…”
“Wow. That’s huge.” I’m genuinely thrilled for his older brother. Padraig doesn’t talk about his family much these days so I’m glad to hear good news.
“Yeah. It is.” Another beat. “At the same time, it doesn’t feel that way.”
He looks so lost, it breaks my heart. “Why not?”
“I want you to see it. To be there. You know?” He smiles weakly. “I hate bugging you when you’re so busy with work.”
“Um, okay.” I close my eyes. “Padraig. You know I want to be there, it’s just....”
“Then come.”
I breathe out slowly. “I don’t know if I can get time off so quickly.”
“You told me you had some PTO.” He cocks his head.
I laugh. “PTO? Since when do you speak in corporate terminology?”
“I’ve been googling.”
A flicker of something warm lights in my chest. “You googled PTO?”
“Maybe. Right before I texted.”
Instantly the mood shifts. I cross my eyes. “Nerd.”
“You’rea nerd.” He sticks his tongue out.
Silence blooms, tender and full with all the things we haven’t said. All the things we can’t because of the miles stretched between us.
“I’m sorry for being a jackass,” he says finally. “I miss you so fucking bad I’ve been avoiding you.”
My throat squeezes and instantly I accept his explanation. “I’ve felt it.”
“I didn’t want to mess up your thing out there. You’re killing it, Stevie. You’ve got friends. A life.” He holds the phone away from his face. He’s in our old living room.
Warmth fills my entire being. “You’re the most important part of my life, Padraig. Truthfully, I thought something was wrong. I was worried about us.”
He looks up at the ceiling and bites his lip.
“Is there something wrong?” Something close to gut instinct permeates my soul. “You can tell me.”
He shakes his head. “It’s nothing important.”
I wait. He doesn’t fill the silence. Doesn’t meet my eyes.
“Padraig.” A warning threads into my tone before I can stop myself. “We don’t do secrets.”
His jaw flexes. “We don’t.” A pause. “It’s more the band, really. You were right about Felicity. Everyone was. Things are tense.”
My spine goes rigid before I can stop it. He sees it. Tries to soften.
