Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69333 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69333 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
My eyebrows are as high as can be. “How did I not know about this?”
“I don’t tend to talk about my family,” says Nash. “And I had the beard all those years, so we looked different.”
“You told me the beard was about stage fright.”
He shrugs. “It was mostly that.”
“Angus used to be the one with short hair,” says Charlie. “And he tended to avoid the media, so he’s not as well known.”
“The main differences are he’s a show pony, who’s chickenshit scared of needles and doesn’t play the guitar anywhere near as well as me.” Angus also speaks differently. His tone is slightly lower and rumbling with a different cadence. Like his outlook on the world is a more serious and sober thing in general. There’s none of the smooth of Nash’s voice.
“What utter bullshit.” Nash scowls. “How’s your nose feeling?”
“About as good as your eye.”
And the brothers glare at each other. This is ridiculous. I wave a finger at them and say, “Don’t even think about it. Both of you keep your hands to yourself.”
“So I can still kick him?” asks Nash. “That’s what you’re telling me?”
My answering expression is one of great pain.
“Would you like some breakfast and clothes, Dear?” asks Grandma, who has apparently also had enough of the brothers fighting.
“Yeah,” I say. “Thanks.”
Grandma gives the two men a long look. “You can come and get some ice packs for your faces if you promise to behave.”
Nash sighs. “I want to stay and hit you some more, but I have to make Junebug her morning coffee.”
Angus just grunts.
I don’t know if The Bend can handle both of the Porter brothers. Though I guess we’re going to find out.
“That has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” says Angus over bacon, eggs, and toast. Charlie is in charge of frying while Nash does the toast. “Everything you did made sense, June. And it would’ve worked aside from Lady Caroline sticking her nose into it. But why would you add babies?”
“It did complicate things,” I say.
Nash watches me through his one good eye. The other is blackened and swollen. “My heart! How could you take his side?”
“I completely understand you wanting to annoy Carrie. She’s a horrible person. Just the worst.” I shrug. “And to be fair, the record company did give me a free luxury midsize SUV. It wasn’t all bad.”
“There you go,” says Nash.
Angus holds the ice pack to his nose. “You know, not everything between us needs to be a competition.”
“Yes it does.”
“No it doesn’t.”
“Yes it does.”
“No it—”
“Give me strength,” says Grandma.
Charlie shakes his head. “I’d forgotten what a pair of fucking idiots you two could be when you were fighting.”
“It’s like they revert to eight years old, making jokes about dingleberries.” Grandma sighs.
“Sorry, Audrey,” says Angus. He then turns his attention to me. Or more accurately, to my left hand, the one currently holding my phone. “Nice ring.”
Huh. I honestly forgot I had the thing on. The beyond-beautiful, wildly expensive rocks sitting pretty on my finger. And I know I have to give them back but I don’t really want to for various reasons.
“I’m surprised to see you still wearing it,” says Grandma.
Nash shrugs. “It was a gift. You don’t give gifts back.”
“Then should she move it to another finger?” asks Grandma with great interest.
This question gets no response from Nash. While we all agreed to mind our own business, I wouldn’t mind hearing his thoughts on the subject. Even with an audience presence.
“You know, standing beside him isn’t always the easiest place to be,” says Angus, in his low and steady tone. His facial expressions also seem more subdued than his brother’s. Although it could be due to the damage done during their fight. I still can’t believe they were throwing punches.
“I remember how his fans hounded Jenna Singh,” says Grandma. “The poor girl said she didn’t listen to country music in an interview about her new film, and the vitriol she had leveled at her…”
Charlie grunts. “Didn’t they do a similar thing to Lili Macon?”
“She said some pretty harsh things about me in a song,” says Nash.
“Be honest.” Angus gives him a small smile. “She didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
Nash crosses his arms. “I was twenty-three years old. Of course I was inconsiderate and thoughtless. Though just between us, it was impressive how many words she found to rhyme with asshole.”
“I actually quite like that song,” says Grandma. “It’s fun to dance to.”
“And we’re only talking about pressure from the fans. I wonder where our friends in the media are. There’s been no sign of them out front.” Charlie offers me another fried egg from the pan.
And I shake my head. “Thank you, but I’m no longer eating for three.”
Grandma snorts and picks up her phone. Seems having sex on the regular improves her mood. Though it might also be thanks to having our lies exposed. She really didn’t like any of that situation. Her finger slides across her cell screen and she pauses. “There’s a post about an emergency town meeting.”