Page 16 of Broken Bridges

Laughing, he lowered his chin. His gorgeous hair fell forward, brushing against his cheeks. “Well, it didn’t with them, but if you keep talking like that I might change my mind.”

Yeah...I highly doubt that.

Grinning, Cole leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “God, I’ve missed your smart mouth, Tee. I warned you, Lewis; there’s never a dull moment when she’s around.”

Lewis bobbed his head. “So I’ve gathered.”

But my stomach nosedived and hit the floor. Cole was wrong. The past few months had been nothing but dull. My life had consisted of watching shows on every TV streaming service available, reading, or having my psychologist or physical therapist visit my apartment. My days of causing havoc were over. I didn’t go out anywhere. Last night had been a special occasion to see the guys and meet Sutton. Until work on my new show started in late January, I’d be doing the same thing I’d done in Chicago for the past few months. Nothing. But at least here in LA, my nothing enabled me to come to Flint’s and listen to the guys play. That would take my mind off my aches, pains, and worries.

Cole flicked his finger back and forth between Lewis and me. “What was with you two last night? Every time I saw you talking, I didn’t know whether you wanted to kill each other or fuck.”

Lewis tensed, clutching his bass against his belly. “Uh...no. Neither. We were just spinning shit and had some good laughs. I don’t play on both sides of the fence.”

Shame. I’d let him dig in my dirt any day.

Lewis placed his hand on my knee, giving it a gentle shake and tap. “We had a great time getting to know one another.”

Oh my...his touch. Fire coiled beneath my leggings. It shot up my thigh and pooled in my core. My pulse quickened, pounding in my head. This was not happening. Stop. Stop now. But my gaze fell to his hand. Thick silver signet rings decorated his three center fingers. Tattoos peeked out from beneath the cuff of his sweatshirt. What are they of? I followed the line of his arm and met his breathtaking eyes. He stared back at me and smiled.

My breath hitched. My leg tensed. Shit.

He quickly withdrew his hand and fidgeted with his rings.

Time to draw on my acting skills. Time to ensure that the guys didn’t suspect that I was mental. “True, but I also learned I shouldn’t take oxycodone and alcohol together.”

A deep laugh burst from Cole. “You were high?”

“A little hazy.” Despite being buzzed, it had been the first time I’d had fun in months. But I couldn’t drink and drug myself up to the eyeballs every day. That would be a sure way to get fired from my new role.

“That explains everything.” Cole tilted his head toward me. “Just like the old days, right?”

“I wish.” My heart shriveled to the size of a pebble. My wild days were long gone. My future involved sedate activities like adult coloring books and Sudoku. That was the level of excitement in store for me. Yay! NOT!

“Well, you two were entertaining.” Cole jutted his chin toward Lewis. “But you are gay, right? Or do I have to warn you not to fuck around with my sister? She’s off-limits.”

I sneered at Cole. I loved that he cared about me, but I could take care of myself.

Humor shimmered in Lewis’s eyes. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Good.” Cole straightened and clapped his hands. “Now let’s get rid of these hangovers and play some music.”

Finally. It had been three years since their last album. I loved hearing the songs before they hit the studio, before they morphed, and were mixed and mastered into final versions.

Flint grabbed his guitar and placed it across his lap. “First, Lewis and I will play you some of the changes we’ve come up with for ‘So Long.’ Let us know what you think. That okay?”

“Absolutely.” Cole grabbed the top open notebook off the coffee table. He flicked through the pages covered in Flint’s handwriting, music notes, scribbles, and lyrics. “Tia’s gonna hang around. She can help record a clean demo for the studio.”

“That’d be awesome.” Slip rubbed his tired eyes. “Can’t have you just lazing about doing nothing, Tee.”

Lewis’s eyebrows shot skyward. “You have hidden talents?”

“Many.” I threw him a saucy smile. “Want me to show you them sometime?”

“If it involves music, I’m in.”

Figures. He was just like the rest of the band. Music was all that mattered.

I drained the last mouthful of my coffee and placed the cup on the table. “Growing up around these guys who played every day for hours, I learned how to use their sound and lighting equipment. I took a few classes at college, and I even ran a couple of shows for them when they started out. I’ve helped at random gigs when I’ve come home. I know my way around a mixer with my eyes closed.”

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