She blushes. “So what?” Her green eyes shift to meet mine and then flutter away.
“So while I was getting into it with Braxton, what were you doing with Cade?” I know she’s twenty-one, and old enough to make her own decisions, but I don’t want her to get hurt. Breigh means so much to me and if anyone ever hurts her, most of all, Cade, I’ll make them regret it. I’m a ride or die kind of friend, and I appreciate that about myself.
“He just showed me around a bit. We caught up.” She looks away, and I feel like she’s hiding something from me.
“Why do I feel like you’re keeping something from me? Did Cade tell you to stay quiet?” I know I sound a little crazy right now, but if anything is happening between the two of them, I need to be the first to know.
Breigh looks conflicted. “I want to tell you something, but I don’t know how you are going to react.”
That stings. We are best friends, and I don’t keep anything from her. The fact that she has a secret, something that is obviously eating away at her, hurts me. “You’re scaring me,” I whisper.
“Don’t be scared,” she says, forcing a smile upon her lips. “I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time about this, I just wasn’t sure how you’d react.”
“Oh, God,” I reply, throwing my arm across my stomach. I feel queasy.
Breigh takes a deep breath in, seemingly readying herself for what she is about to tell me. “Last summer, Cade kissed me.”
“WHAT?” I basically scream. Last summer?
Breigh squints from the shrillness in my voice. “Please don’t get angry. Just listen to me.”
I do as I’m told, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.
“It happened one time, but for me, it was magical. I tried to talk to Cade about it multiple times, but he always shut me down because he knew you’d never approve. God, Em, I wanted to tell you so many times. I wanted to beg for your approval, but every time I got even remotely close, I never had the balls to follow through.
“You’re my best friend, and I know you only have my best interests at heart, but I really like him. Even after all this time, even after everything he’s put me through emotionally since that stolen kiss. I just don’t want to wake up one day, ten years down the line, wondering ‘what if?’.”
My shoulders slump defeatedly. “I’ve tried everything to keep you guys apart. You know how he is as well as I do, Breigh. I love you and don’t want you to get hurt.”
She scoots closer to me on the uncomfortable blue couch. “I know that, and I love you for it, but you have to let me make my own mistakes. It’s the only way I will learn anything.”
I nod, I can relate all too well. “So what are you saying? I have to stand by as you frolic around California together?”
She giggles. “I came here to spend time with you, nothing has changed about that. I just may be talking to a certain boy a little more while I’m here.”
“I’m not happy about it, and I’m going to always say I told you so, but I love you too. If that is what will make you happy, then I’m supportive.” Standing up, I stretch my arms over my head, yawning as I do. “You ready to get out of here?”
She looks around the room, giving it the once over. “Yep. I’m ready.”
We exit the venue together, headed for the van. Most of the band and equipment is loaded and it looks like after a few last goodbyes, we should be on our way. When I open the van door, it’s not the usual sight I see before we leave the cities—it’s Braxton and a light haired Asian girl making out in the front seat. That’s not it. In the backseat, Cade is with some dark blond-haired girl I’ve never seen before. She is on top of him, straddling him, and they are kissing aggressively.
I’m literally frozen in shock when I hear the sound of Breigh’s feet against the pavement. She is running the opposite way.
“What the hell?” Cade growls from the back of the van and then looks around his make out partner. His eyes fall on me, and he grins. “Oh, hey, Sis. You ready to go?”
Braxton stops making out with his girl to stare at me as well. I let out an exasperated sigh as I turn on my heel and go running after Breigh. God, I knew something like this was going to happen. I knew he was going to blow it. And it hasn’t even been a full day yet. I need to help her forget about him.
It doesn’t take much to locate her. She’s on a side street and is visibly upset, her chest heaving up and down. Without another thought, I go to her and embrace her. I smooth her hair down and try to help calm her down. “I’m so sorry, Breigh.”
She is an emotional crier. It may sound weird, but everyone cries differently. When Breigh cries, she has trouble catching her breath, she wheezes, she allows it to take all of her in the moment. I absolutely hate seeing her cry. “He… was… with someone… else,” she barely gets out.
I nod. “I know.” I let her go and then rub my hands up and down her arms, soothingly. Don’t say I told you so; don’t say I told you so.
“You were right,” she says, her voice cracking.
My heart breaks with her statement. I never wanted to be right. I want Breigh to find someone amazing.
“I think that maybe it’s not a good idea for me to come now. I mean, I feel like it’s going to be awkward,” she says slowly, concentrating on every word through her tears.
“Don’t be silly. You came all this way, and plus—didn’t you just say that you came to spend time with me?” I don’t want her to leave; I feel responsible for her and what she saw. I want to make sure what she saw five minutes ago doesn’t ruin her entire trip.
“I don’t know, Em,” she says, taking a deep, shaky breath. “I don’t know if I want to be in that van after what we just saw.”
I don’t blame her. “Alright.” I look around, searching for Taylor. He’s the drummer in Glass Houses, and we’ve become decent friends. When I spot the top of his dark curls, I grab Breigh’s hand and head toward him.
He’s loading his bags into the storage area under the bus when we make it to him.
“Oh, hey, Emerson, what’s up?” He stops what he is doing and stands up straight, giving me his full attention. His hazel eyes lock onto mine and then shift to Breigh and then back to me.
“This is Breigh,” I introduce her just to get it out of the way. “She’s going to be with us for the next stop. Do you mind if we hitch a ride? It’s just so crammed and smelly in the van.”
Originally it was too hard for me to be around Aiden and his wife, but after a couple of days, that faded real fast. I didn’t have a choice, we were in these cramped venues for long hours at a time together, and I had no other choice than to simply let it go and bounce back. Taylor helped ease the tension and made me feel comfortable when we hung out.
Taylor appears to contemplate my question for a few short moments and then smiles and cocks his head toward the door. “Sure, head on in, I’ll be right after you.”
I spin around and give the thumbs up to my best friend as she subtly wipes her tears. “See? What did I tell you, it’s all going to work out!” Wrapping my arms around her shoulder, I lead her to the door.
Chapter Twelve:
Braxton
“So, explain to me again why Emerson is on the bus with Glass Houses and not here,” Geo says, his big bulky headphones covering his ears, you’d think he couldn’t hear anything.
I sigh as I pull out of the venue parking lot. “She walked in on me and Cade being, well, me and Cade, and she freaked.”
Geo chuckles. “That doesn’t sound like Emerson.”
Cade scoffs. “What would you know? You’ve only known her for what, a year? Braxton and I have known her our entire lives. And her friend, Breigh? She’s just drama.”
I glance over at Cade, wanting so badly to call his bluff. “You just say that because you know she’s into you, and you’d tap that in a heartbeat if Em allowed it.”
“Damn right I would,” Cade says proudly and the guys in the van hoot and holler. “I mean, have you se
en that rack? Or those legs…”
All the guys are laughing. “I don’t know, man. I kind of prefer more tomboyish girls like Emerson now,” Red chimes in. I know he does it just to get a rise out of Cade. They aren’t on the best terms.
Cade shifts around in the passenger seat, his eyes narrowed and direct. “Don’t even fuck with me, Red. Come on.”
Red laughs, making the rest of the van join in. I can’t help it myself. Cade hits me in the stomach with the back of his fist, stopping my laughter.
“Well, if you’re not going to hit that, I’d love a turn at it,” I say, hoping to get a rise out of Cade myself.
He smacks me on the back of the head. “Don’t you guys dare touch her or my sister. I’ll break your fingers off one by one. I’m not playing.”
It’s the same threat we’ve heard from Cade since he introduced us to Emerson, and given how he acts around Breigh, it’s not surprising. He thinks no one notices, but I do. I see how she affects him just with her mere presence. She makes him nervous, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen any girl do that to my friend.
Cade is every girl’s wet dream. He can have just about anyone he wants at the snap of his fingers. He’s been that way since we were in high school. He was prom king, which was no shocker to anyone who knew him. He graduated valedictorian. That one may have been a fluke; I still think it had something to do with him boning the Vice Principal.
He’s never been one to want to be tied down. His motto has always been, ‘the more fish in the sea, the better.’ But Breigh does something to him that humbles him. He’s no longer this dominant force to be reckoned with; he’s just Cade Lovett, a guy just trying to figure it out.
I think Cade’s childhood and upbringing has a lot to do with how he is now. He was forced to grow up quickly which really affected the person he turned into. Emerson took it a little more gracefully, but I can still see how hard it was on both of them losing their parents.
We drive for around two hours when we catch up to the tour bus at a restaurant off the freeway. It’s a total fluke, we were just starving and happened to pull in at that exact restaurant. The diner is called Black Bear Diner, and everything is made of wood down to the wooden bear decorations outside the doors. When we walk in, we find the entire lot of Glass Houses, with Breigh and Emerson in the mix.
“Hey,” I say greeting the band as we see them inside the restaurant. “Fancy seeing you here.”
Judging by the looks of their table, they haven’t been served yet. We find a way to join another table with theirs and make a massive group at the restaurant. I feel bad for the wait staff. I can only imagine how loud we are.
I manage to get a seat next to Emerson, so I nudge her with my elbow. “Can we call a truce?” I ask softly so only she can hear.
She doesn’t even look my way. In fact, she outright ignores me and begins talking to Breigh like I don’t even exist. Ballsy move, Em. I bite my cheek as I lean back in my chair.
“So what were you guys doing on the bus?” Cade asks curiously, eyeing both of them.
Breigh and Emerson share a silent exchange of some sort, and then Emerson takes the lead with answering the question. “Nothing much. But at least we didn’t have to endure another second of your tongue down that girl’s throat and her straddling you.”
The guys in both bands snicker and chuckle.
“Hey, you act like I was the only one acting like a slut,” Cade says hurt. Such a gentleman. He can’t even take the blame all by himself.
“I couldn’t care less what Braxton does,” Emerson says in a nonchalant tone. I glance at her, trying to see anything that resembles regret from her statement, but her eyes are cold and unforgiving. Emerson and I have never been in such a bad state before, and I’m not sure how to fix it this time. I’m not even sure I can.
“Yeah the fuck right,” Cade calls her bluff. “Of course you do.”
Emerson shakes her head and then takes a sip of her drink. “Actually no, not anymore. We coexist, but we don’t speak.”
Cade scoffs. “Whatever, Emerson, you’re weird as fuck.”
I feel like I’m mourning the end of a relationship, and nothing has even happened. I guess I didn’t realize just how long Emerson has been in my life and how much I enjoy spending time with her. I never thought of the possibility that one day that may change.
I shrug, making sure the guys are giving me the attention and not Emerson. “You’ll come crawling back,” I say, winking at her. The guys eat it up, making various noises from bomb explosions to loud fist pumps.
Emerson rolls her eyes and then shifts away from me and back to Breigh. They begin whispering, ignore the groups’ conversation. I sink lower in my chair. We’re stuck on the same tour for another week and a half. Not to mention the fact that I’m still going to see Cade just as much once we get home; I’m not sure how she plans to avoid me.
I try to shake it off. Emerson is just being a little brat. She’ll come around eventually. Throwing my hand in the air, I attempt to signal a waitress. I need a drink.
Chapter Thirteen:
Emerson
Although I wanted to stay on the bus with Glass Houses after we ran into the guys at the restaurant, Breigh and I didn’t get a choice. Cade forced us back into the van, and that was that.
It’s a little after eight in the morning when Spencer wakes us up with his annoying rendition of Pop Goes the Weasel. My eyes are groggy as I squint to try to focus them. The van isn’t moving anymore, and we are parked. “Where are we?” I ask, glancing around.
“I’m going to get some sleep,” Spencer says, opening the driver side door and hops out. He pops his head back in. “You guys can come in or stay here.”
I’m one of the only ones who woke up with his stupid shenanigans, so it only makes sense that I am the first one out of the van. Walking over to Spencer, I hold out my hand expectantly, waiting for a key.
“Not so quick,” he says. “We’re running out of money, so we could only afford two rooms.”
I groan but recover quickly. I’m tired, and if Breigh and I are quick enough, we can claim our bed. “Fine.” I reach out my hand again anxious to get a key.
He chuckles, shaking his head back and forth, and then drops the motel key into my hand. I wake Breigh up and we grab our stuff, making a run for the room, hoping the other guys continue sleeping. I know that won’t be the case much longer as most of them woke up when we started removing our belongings and trekking them to our rooms.
By the time we settle into our room, I know Spencer and Geo have claimed the other room.
Breigh yawns as she pulls out her pajamas and begins changing. “Where are we?”
I shrug. “I think we drove straight through to San Fran, but I’m not sure.”
Breigh nods. “How long was I asleep for?”
Moving my suitcase to the floor to rummage through it, I answer with my back to her. “I don’t know, maybe three or four hours.”
She sits on the bed we will be sharing. “Can we just lock them out and you take this bed and I take that one?” She motions with her head toward the second double bed in the room.
I grin. “That sounds like a plan.” I hop up from sifting through my clothes and race to the door to hurry up and lock it. Just as I finish turning the deadbolt, I hear someone trying to get inside.
“Come on, open up,” Cade’s voice booms from outside the door. “Let us in.”
“Us?” Breigh asks softly.
I glance out the peephole and see my annoyed twin brother and his lowlife friend. “Say the magic word,” I tease.
I feel a boom at the bottom of the door, which leaves me to assume that Cade kicked it out of frustration.
“Open up, Em, now.” His voice is not friendly, and I know he’s not happy with me.
Eventually, after a few more minutes of this, I give in and open the door. Cade is glaring at me as he passes by, Braxton following.
“Why do you have to be such a bitch???
? Cade asks me.
“Since when have you taken everything so seriously?” I throw back at him.
He scoffs, shaking his head. “God you’re annoying,” he says with an exasperated sigh, turning his back to both Breigh and me.
I’m not even sure what Braxton is doing because I’ve been practicing not looking in his direction. I know I’m being kinda harsh on him, but at this point, I’m convinced he only cares about himself. It isn’t just the fact that he abused my trust; it’s also the fact that he didn’t care enough about me to let it go and not tell Cade what he saw or thought he knew.
I know everything happens for a reason, and I know Aiden and I were never meant to be, but I’m a big advocate of being able to make your own mistakes and learn from them. I don’t like that Braxton took those choices away from me. I don’t like that he assumed he knew what was best for me.