Page 21 of Touch in the Dark

I’d be an ass to ask if she knows that, given my history. Plus, we don’t talk about feelings, at least, not about random hook-ups. He’s been happier the last few weeks, I don’t want him to slip back into the funk he was in before.

“Doris had a good time.”

“Yeah, she misses us,” I sigh, itching to get the suit off.

Doris was always around the house when we were growing up. She saw our practices, provided us with refreshments and watched us when mom was out at work. She did it more so when she moved in with me after mom was gone.

“Shit before I forget,” Arch says as we step out of the elevator and head to our door. “Adam wants a band meeting, without management. He’s in planning mode.”

“Someone needs to be,” I take off the jacket and toss it on the back of the armchair as I pass.

“Put your shit away,” Arch grabs it and throws it back at me. “That’s what your closet is for,” he points, like an asshole.

“Dick,” I mumble, but go and put it away.

After changing into shorts and a plain white T, I come back out to find Archer with a six pack already out on the coffee table, he has a bottle in one hand and the TV remote in the other. There is a re-run of the latest Major League Soccer game on. I’ll still never figure how he came to enjoy watching soccer. I’m not much of a sports fan either way but soccer? I grab a beer and flop onto the sofa, spreading out. We sit in silence for a while, Arch’s steely gaze focused on the match.

“I can feel you fucking thinking from over here,” he says eventually and looks at me. “What?”

“No need to get surly,” I drawl.

“You’ve been skirting around me for weeks now.”

“Cos you’ve been acting weird,” I point out.

“I haven’t been weird, I’ve just been quiet.”

“And that’s weird,” I point my beer bottle at him before raising it to my lips and taking a swig. “Archer Harris doesn’t do quiet.”

“Yeah well,” he looks at his feet. “Sometimes we all need a break.”

“A break from what?”

He sets the remote on the arm of the chair and swipes his hand down his face. Arch is Adam’s best friend, but I’ve always had a good relationship with him. It was why we were happy to move in together, even though back in L.A., we all have our own homes. It’s different here in New York. Sure, we could live off the island, get bigger homes rather than apartments but it made sense for us to share. If Jenna weren’t around, and Jordan hadn’t hooked up with Alessa, chances were, the four of us would get a place together. Although if Jenna weren’t around, we wouldn’t be here.

I sit up, leaning forward on the sofa. “What’s going on? Talk to me. I’ve let it go the last few weeks, but I know there’s something up.”

“I’m tired.”

“Dude, we need to have this conversation, you can sleep after. Or it can wait till tomorrow, but I know somethings up and I don’t want to leave it anymore.”

“I don’t mean I’m tired right now, I mean, I’m tired.”

“Of what?”

“The life.”

I never thought I’d hear Archer Harris say that. If anyone is the heart of BreakNeck, it’s him. People often assume the lead singer is the band leader but most often, that isn’t the case, it certainly isn’t for us. Adam couldn’t lead us. He is a fucking fantastic front man, he knows how to talk to the crowds, how to schmooze the press, and he doesn’t take any shit from the label or management if he thinks they’re fucking us over. It is Arch we turn to when it comes to making choices. He co-writes the lyrics and most of the music with Adam, he liaises a lot with Bianca over band decisions. Sometimes, the first we hear of band plans comes from him.

“The band?”

“No,” he shakes his head. “Not us, not the band… Sometimes, I don’t feel like I own it anymore.”

I sit back, thinking over his words. I get what he’s saying, in a way we are slaves to the label. But BreakNeck get a lot of leeway, we are given a lot of freedom the majority of newer bands with the label aren’t allowed. We’ve earned that. But he said I… Not we.

“I know Ad wants us back in the studio, he’s constantly at me about getting together to write, then this world tour is coming up.”

“So, what are you saying, because if it’s a serious concern, then we need to discuss it properly.”

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