“They know that?”
“I’ll tell them as soon as I get around to it.”
He kinda laughed without really smiling, and sipped his water.
“I’ve, uh, been thinking a lot about Ashley Player’s offer.” I’d already told him that Ash had asked me to join his new band.
“Yeah? What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I’ll probably do it. Take him up on the offer. I mean… maybe.”
“Good.”
“You think that’s a good move?”
“As long as it feels right to you.”
Yeah; instead of critiquing Ash and Summer’s musical talents like I’d expected him to, Cary had been telling me, all along, to join the band they were putting together if itfeltright to me.
“How about you?” It was always risky to ask, but since we were talking about work… “You gonna play me what you’ve been working on? I’d love to hear it.”
“It’s not ready,” he said, like he pretty much always fucking did. Then he looked away.
“Well, when it is. I’m here.”
He said nothing for a long moment. Just sat there in that eerie way he had of being totally still, totally silent, until you almost wanted to poke him to make sure he was still breathing.
He looked alright, physically. Maybe he’d been swimming regularly. And I knew he used the small gym he had set up in the studio. His hair was a little darker than it used to be; way less time spent in the sun. There were slight circles under this eyes, but that was to be expected. Long-ass hours working in the studio and not enough sleep would do that.
“Courteney’s staying here, too,” he said after a bit.
“Yeah.” I sipped my beer. “I know.”
“Have you seen her?” He looked over at me, totally blank. Hard to read, even for me. I couldn’t guess what he was thinking; what he was really asking. If there was any subtext on that question.
And I tried to remember how I’d reacted—or not reacted—to the sound of her name years ago. When the sound of her name didn’t make my blood boil.
“Yeah. I helped her bring her stuff in when she got here.”
Christ, I’d carried like one bag and a box for her. What was I trying to sound like, some kind of hero?
“Cool,” he said. “Just make sure you respect her space.”
“Yeah, of course.”
He held my gaze. His eyes were like hers; a soft hazel, like the color of liquid honey. “Leave her alone, I mean.”
There was no harshness to his tone. Not a warning. Not a threat. Just the simple, straightforward words of a man who cared about his sister, a fuck of a lot.
A man who knew exactly who I was, and what I was about, when it came to women.
He hadn’t seen anything just now, probably. He just knew me.
And he loved her.
Which meant I needed to take this request seriously.
Not like I didn’t know that before… But hearing the words out of Cary’s mouth…