Page 25 of Accidental Baby For My Brother’s Best Friend

Amazingly, by the time I get down to the lobby, everyone is standing out by the parking garage, fully dressed for the show, as the trip to Aphrodite’s Cavern Casino is only about a half hour drive. After spending nearly ten hours on the tour bus, no one complains when they pile on, and I smile brightly at the group of them, feeling proud.

It’s sort of strange, being twenty-one and the youngest in a group of rockers, yet feeling sometimes maternal about them, but it’s my life, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Singing has always been the thing that Jackson loves more than anything, and I’m so grateful that he’s found a family of friends who feel the same way it brings tears to the backs of my eyes. Everyone seems to be in a stellar mood, too, so that makes me perk up.

Well, everyone but Locke.

When I climb on the tour bus, he’s sitting all the way at the back on one of the beds, facing the window instead of looking at any of us. That man sure knows how to keep me on my toes. Just last night, he seemed so proud and happy, and now it’s like a storm cloud hangs over his head. He does look good, though, his hair slicked back to show his undercut, a new gold nose ring that compliments his skin tone better than the other one. I look away, not willing to have another impromptu fantasy about him.

I sit down next to Axel, who looks a little tired but seems to have more of a spark back in his blue eyes. His face is conflicted when I smile at him.

“About last night…” he starts, and I pat his knee.

“What about it?” I ask, and he gives me such a beautiful smile that I almost have a crush on him all over again.

“Thanks. You really are a gem, you know that?”

Well, that ruins any crush I might have. I yell and hit his shoulder with the heel of my hand.

“No puns using my name! You know the rules!” I yelp, and Axel laughs so hard he nearly falls out of his chair.

Jackson pulls out into traffic just as he does and he tumbles over on to me. I break into a fit of giggles. Damn it. I guess those three hours of sleep didn’t do the trick.

“Knock it off!” Locke barks from the back. “You’re acting like a couple of kids.”

Jackson turns around to look with a raised eyebrow, but he doesn’t comment.

I glare over at Locke. I forgive him for how he acted in Albuquerque just because I guess he was trying to look out for me, in his way, but I refuse to let him treat me like a child for the rest of this tour.

In the end, I let him have his little fit. God knows I’ve been thinking too much about Locke Kincaid this tour, so I’m going to let it go.

I’m able to do that up until we get to the venue and I’m setting up the merchandise table and the tip jar, along with a sign with our Cashapp and Venmo.

Locke is setting up his drums in the back while everyone else continues to unload the bus, so I look up at him.

“Do you think we should ask the venue to charge cover? They give out the drinks for free–”

Locke cuts me off by kicking something on the stage, maybe a drum, and it makes a sound that reverberates in the venue and makes me flinch.

“Why don’t you ask Axel?” His voice is gruff and anger flows over me like a wave.

“What bug is up your ass, Kincaid? I just wanted your opinion-” I glare up at him and he’s not looking at me, which only makes me angrier.

“Oh, now you want my opinion?” Locke jumps down off the stage, stalking toward me, but I don’t back up, holding my head up. “You didn’t want to listen when I tried to tell you not to fuck with Axel, so don’t come crying to me now.”

“Who’s crying?” I shoot back. “I had a wonderful time.”

I don’t even know what the hell he’s talking about, but I definitely don’t intend to back down.

Locke sets his jaw in a hard line and stalks past me to the bar, which already has dozens of people standing around. Open bars attract a big crowd, and that’s what I’m counting on for the concert.

I breathe deep through my nostrils to keep from screaming in frustration.What in the hell is his problem?

The next time I glance over at him is when Jackson and Samuel are calling him over for sound check and there are four empty shot glasses on the bar counter. Locke is a big guy but he doesn’t drink that much, usually, so I scoff and look over at Jackson.

Jackson just shrugs, and I understand why he’s not too concerned. Jackson himself has performed shit-faced, especially in the early days of his last breakup, so he isn’t one to judge.

I’m not either, usually, but I’m tired of Locke judging me when he has never even taken the time to get to know me.

Whatever is going on with Locke is none of my business, so when he misses his cue twice, I don’t even blink. In fact, I don’t even watch the show, just listen to it while I’m sitting at the merchandise table, occasionally answering yelled questions from people who have never seen the Spades before and selling a t-shirt here and there. Most of the crowd will come after the concert is over, but since Aphrodite’s Lounge is a popular casino, I didn’t want to miss out on sales. Plus, I can barely stand to look at Locke right now, I’m so mad at him.

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