Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Titus asks, “So, is it cool if I sit on the couch and watch, or should I step outside?”
“Sit,” I say quickly, cutting off whatever Kai might be inclined to say. “We’re just having fun here.” I look at Ruby. “It’s more of a jam session than an audition. Just have fun with it, okay?”
“Okay,” she squeaks out. But it’s easy to see she’s a ball of nerves.
“Do you sing, Ruby?” Savage asks. “We could use some backing vocals, if you—”
“I love singing back-ups!” Ruby gushes enthusiastically.
“Awesome.” Savage looks at Kai. “Set her up with your extra mic.”
Kai frowns. “It’s upstairs.”
“That’s okay,” Ruby chirps. “I brought one, just in case.”
It’s the final straw for Kai—a bridge too far. “KC,” he snaps sharply, his hard gaze cutting into me. “Stairwell. Now.”
“A keyboardist named Rufus who’s a linebacker on your football team?” Kai hisses at me the second the metal door to the basement closes behind us and we’re alone in the cold stairwell. “That was an awfully specific series of lies, Kendrick.”
I throw up my hands. “You wouldn’t give Ruby a chance otherwise.”
Kai doesn’t have a thing against women, generally speaking. How could he, when we were raised by a kickass, widowed mother and her kickass, widowed mother? But in the context of our fledgling band, Kai’s been adamant: no girls allowed. Why? So we never repeat what recently happened when his ex-girlfriend, Courtney, broke up with him and took their entire band with her.
“Are you into this chick?” Kai asks, his dark eyes laser-focused. “Is that why you asked her to come here—to try to get into her pants?”
I gasp like that’s the craziest, most insulting thing I’ve heard. “Don’t be an asshole,” I spit back piously. “I asked Ruby to come here because she’s insanely talented. Because I’m trying to give my best friend in the world, who’s also the most talented person in our band—sorry, Kai, but it’s true—everything he wants. And fuck you for suggesting otherwise.” I don’t know when I suddenly became such a convincing liar, but I guess it’s true what they say: necessity is the mother of invention.
“Sorry,” Kai mutters. Apparently, my passionate speech has convinced him. At least it’s dispelled the notion that I invited Ruby here because I’ve got a crush on her. Which I do. And I did. “But, come on,” Kai continues. “We all agreed no girls in the band for good reason. Why risk a Fleetwood Mac situation?”
I roll my eyes. “First of all, you decided no girls in the band, like a fucking dictator. Savage and I had nothing to do with that. And second of all, if you mention Fleetwood Mac as a cautionary tale one more time, I’m gonna grab your amp cord and strangle you with it. For fuck’s sake, they’re one of the most successful bands of all time, Kai.”
“Yeah, they’ve sold a shit-ton of records, but being in the band was messy and toxic. That’s my point. They had to break up because of the personal chaos, and we don’t want that.” When I laugh in my big brother’s face, simply because he’s being over the top about this, he takes a deep breath and assumes a fake-calm tone. “It’s a good thing she’s not even remotely close to your type,” he says slowly, “or I’d never believe you’re not crushing on her.”
“This again? Kai, for fuck’s sake—”
“Calm down. I believe you. I know you never go for girls like her. Actually, she’s much more my type than yours.” He snickers. “Frankly, if anyone needs to remember the cautionary tale of Fleetwood Mac here, it’s probably me.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
FUCK.
How did I not see this coming, when it’s now so clear to me I was playing with fire by inviting Ruby here? Other than her age, Ruby’s exactly my big brother’s type. And I overlooked that fact because I was so tunnel-visioned on my own feelings for her. In my defense, though, personality-wise, Ruby is way too nice and bubbly for Kai. A total miss. And thanks to our mother, Kai knows better than to even think about messing with someone Ruby’s age.
“Are you trying to get strangled? I warned you about saying the name of that band again. Also, she’s sixteen, remember?”
“I know that, dumbass. I’m not saying I’d actually go for her. Just saying I believe you.”
“Thank you.” I think?
Kai bites his lip. “I guess it doesn’t hurt that Ruby’s super pretty. Music is a visual medium these days. The more eye candy in a band, the better.”
Super pretty? Eye candy?
Hearing Kai, a notorious ladies’ man, describing my secret crush like that definitely isn’t my favorite thing. In fact, those words have set my teeth on edge.
“Okay, I’ll give her a chance,” Kai declares on an exhale. “But if she sucks, I’m sending her packing after one song. I don’t care how far she lugged her gear—"