Page 92 of Chasing Lyric
I raise my brow. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“Onlyyoucan decide if you wanna keep your balls or not. Way I see it, you’re too emotionally involved.”
That makesno damn sense.“Dax, she is…” I take a deep, steadying breath. “No,was…my girlfriend. I’msupposedto be emotionally involved.”
“Whatever, bro. I’m done with this conversation.” He rubs his jaw again and storms out of the music studio.
I turn to Dad, scoffing out a laugh. “He acts like he’s done nothing wrong.”
Dad faces me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Look at it through Dax’seyes. His best friend, with whom he spends all his time, suddenly gets a girl. You become distracted and spend more time with the girl than with him. Then Dax finds out said girlfriend could do wonders for the place where youbothstrive for this company, andyouwon’t have a bar of it. He’s only going to feel like you’re choosing her over him, yet again.” He shrugs. “He misses you, CJ, that’s all. Dax is many things… arrogant, pig-headed, childish, for sure, but theone thing he hasalwaysdone is stick by your side. You’d do well to remember that.”
I think of the worst time in my life. The time I was locked away from everyone I loved. Dax was the only one who made an effort to ensure I was taken care of. He stood by me through thick and thin, even when everyone around us thought I was nothing more than worthless scum. Those were rough times, especially in the early days.
Being in jail was never easy.
Being in jail for a crime you didn’t commit was even harder.
I’m a convicted felon.
I went to jail for five years.
I was fined ten thousand dollars.
My life was on hold for so long, I almost forgot what coming back to reality was like. That’s why Dax was my savior while I was in there. Not because he was in jail with me, but because Dax would visit me nearly every day and keep me up to date with everything, including the family, the company, and the outside world. He made me feel like lifewasworth living.
As each year progressed, I grew stronger and stronger, and by the time Rip—the guy with the goat —was behind bars and became my cellmate, not my roommate, I was practically his life coach. Not in the real sense, but Dax had given me enough strength in my first year to give Rip the strength for his three. Rip left just before me—he was in for beating a guy a little too much.The douche deserved it.The fact still remains that Dax has been, and always is, there for me, and maybe with my mind so focused on Lyric, I’ve forgotten that fact.
“I might be hurting, but I needed a reminder of that, Dad.”
“Sometimes we’re blind to see what’s right in front of us.”
I know he isn’t just talking about Dax—he’s talking about Lyric too, still holding out hope for her music career. But that’s never going to happen. Not while I’m around.
I turn away, my chest tight, and head off to find Dax.
I owe him an apology.
I’ve been one hell of a fucked-up friend, and I need to make it right.
Chapter Eighteen
CHASE
Making my way out of the studio, I assume Dax will be back with lip-filler Barbie. First, I searched the office area, and he’s nowhere to be found. So, I make a last-ditch effort and head to the kitchen. If you can’t find Dax, search for the food or the booze.
As I walk in, Dax is leaning against the countertop, a bag of ice against his swollen face in one hand and a glass of something resembling whiskey in the other. My shoulders slump. I know immediately Dax isn’t in the right frame of mind, and neither am I. This whole thing has screwed with us both.
His non-iced eye glances up at me as he stands taller, placing the ice on the counter. His body tenses, instantly going into fight mode like he’s expecting me to punch him again, but instead, I walk up to him and yank him to me in a tight, back-slapping embrace.
Only he’s not hugging me back.
He’s stiff like he thinks I’ve lost my damn mind.
Maybe I have.
“What the fuck, man? Are you off your meds or something? Punching me, then hugging me? Make up your mind.”
I pull back, then exhale. “I fucked up, sure. But it doesn’t excuse what you did, Dax. That shit was uncalled for. If only you’d talked to me, I could have explained Lyri’s situation.”
