Double Time

Chapter 17

Brian stayed on the tour bus for the first night since his son had been born. That didn’t mean he came out of the bedroom at all or that he talked to anyone about their “baby intervention.” He was probably still talking to Myrna on the phone. Or sleeping. Reagan was still pissy about what had happened onstage. Trey couldn’t blame her. He was still pissy about it himself, mostly because she couldn’t see how wonderful she’d been and could only think about some asswipe hitting her with a shoe. She was sitting on the sofa talking to Jace about nothing again. Trey wasn’t sure why she prattled off at him on a regular basis. Probably because he was such a good listener. Or maybe because he seemed a little lonely now that Eric spent all of his time with Rebekah. Trey was sure Jace missed Aggie, but he never complained or let it show. Jace never complained about anything.

When Trey got sick of watching Eric and Rebekah play kissy-face across from him in the dining booth, he stripped down to his silk boxers and went to collect his woman. He was fine with her being pissy. He was not fine with her ignoring him.

“I’m going to bed. Are you coming?” he asked her.

“Brian’s in there,” she reminded him.

And truthfully, he’d rather join Brian than cuddle up to an angry woman all night, but if they didn’t get this all out in the open, it was going to bite them in the ass later.

“I meant in my bunk.”

“You expect me to squeeze in there with you?” She looked down the hall anxiously.

Trey rested his hands on his hips and stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t having the best night of his life either. He’d thought one reason for having a steady girlfriend was so you could share this kind of thing with her.

“Forget it,” he said.

Reagan grabbed the sofa arm when Jace tried to shove her off the couch. “Go to bed,” Jace insisted, as if she’d annoyed him beyond his last shred of tolerance.

“Don’t push me off the couch,” she said, punching him in the shoulder.

“Then sit there quietly. You’re giving me a headache.”

“Jace,” Reagan admonished.

“Me too,” Sed agreed. He was sitting across from them in one of the captain’s chairs, periodically glancing toward the bedroom door for signs of Brian, but otherwise sitting in gloomy silence holding a half-finished beer on his knee. Trey knew a Sed guilt-trip when he saw one.

“You guys are jerks,” Reagan said.

“I’m going to bed,” Trey said. “Do what you want.”

He walked down the corridor and climbed into the top bunk on the right side before he tugged the curtain shut. As if he could actually sleep with his mind so full. He stared into the darkness for at least thirty seconds before a hand smacked him in the face as Reagan looked for a handhold to boost herself into the bunk with him.

He grabbed the back of her shirt and hauled her up. Much squirming ensued until they settled on their sides facing each other. He switched on the small dome light in the corner so he could see her more clearly. She looked close to tears.

He stroked her hair from her face. “What’s wrong, Reagan?”

“I’m not sure if I’m ready for this.”

His heart sank. “Our relationship?”

Her eyes widened and she shifted closer. “No, not that. Is that what you thought was bothering me?”

Now she stroked his hair from his face.

“I wasn’t sure,” he said. “You haven’t talked to me since you stormed offstage.”

“I haven’t?” She hugged him. “I’m sorry. I guess after I unloaded on Ethan, I didn’t have much else to say.”

“Ethan? You talked to him about it?”

“Yeah. I called him earlier.”

“So you go to Ethan with your problems instead of me?”

“I’ve known Ethan a lot longer than I’ve known you, Trey. Depending on him is a habit, I guess. I can unload on you for the next forty-five minutes if you really want me to.”

He cringed. “How about you give me a summary?”

She stared at him for a long moment. “I’m not sure if I can take too many more shoes to the face,” she said. “I know I’ll have to win the fans over, but when I was up there I felt… I don’t know. Not good enough.”

“I never feel good enough. You sort of get used to it after a while. Why do you think Brian gets so worked up before a show?”

“Brian does?”

“I guess it’s not as obvious with his comings and goings recently. He turns this odd shade of green and starts twitching uncontrollably. He gets a horrible case of stage fright every time we perform.”

“Why would he be nervous? He’s phenomenal.”

Trey kissed the tip of her nose. “So are you.”

She laughed. “You have to say that. You’re my boyfriend.”

“The crowd was stunned by your appearance, but you missed all the cheering they did for you after you ran off.”

“They cheered for me?”

“Yeah, of course they did. You were awesome.”

“Then why did they throw shoes at me?”

He kissed her forehead where a light bruise had formed. “They was a she. One person. Not everyone. And she was escorted from the stadium.” And Trey actually knew that she. He’d texted her three hours before the show to tell her that he would not be available for her entertainment that night. He wondered if Reagan needed to hear that. Maybe it would make things easier for her. Or maybe it would make her angry with him. Only one way to find out. “I think she was more jealous that you were with me than anything.”

“You knew her?”

Trey cringed. “She’s a regular hook-up. Or was. I told her otherwise earlier today.”

“So she didn’t bean me with a shoe because I sucked. She beaned me with a shoe because you dumped her?”

“I think so.”

Reagan released a long sigh. “Thank God. Wait. Did you tell her I was your girlfriend?”

“No, but she saw us play together. The way I was feeling when we played that solo had to be expressed all over my face.”

She smiled. “That was amazing, wasn’t it?”

He nodded. “Nothing like it.” Except playing with Brian. He sighed inwardly. Would he ever stop comparing her to Brian? She was so wonderful and he cared about her so much. Maybe it was a compliment to continually measure her against the only other person he’d ever loved, but it wasn’t fair to her. Even if she did keep measuring up to his idea of perfect. Well, perfect except for that lack of a penis thing, but there wasn’t anything to be done about that. “Feel better now?” he asked. Her body language had shifted from guarded to relaxed, but he wanted to hear her say it.

She nodded. “Yeah, but I do recall someone owing me a session with a talented tongue.”

He drew her against him and kissed her. “That I do, baby. That I do.”