Sound of Heartache ("Sound of" Book 2)
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Authors: Chelsea Roy
Sound of Heartache
a 'Sound Of' Novel
by Chelsea Roy
Kindle Edition
Copyright © 2015 Chelsea Roy
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design by
Mayhem Cover Creations
Formatting by
Mayhem Cover Creations
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events described in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
DEDICATION
You motivated me to heights I never thought possible. Everything I have reached for and achieved, I have done so because of you. I love you always.
TRADEMARK RECOGNITION
All trademarks and copyrighted items mentioned in this book are the property of their respective owners and include but are not limited to:
Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, The Simpsons, Sprite, Ritz-Carlton, Honda Civic, Xanax, Tao, Benihana, Midori, iPad, and Starbucks.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
Brent wiped the sweat off his forehead with a hand towel and then threw it on a stool. The summer heat was killing him. Las Vegas nights didn’t provide even the smallest break from the oppressive and stifling temperatures. He was sure bouncing around a brightly lit stage and playing his heart out to thousands of fans didn’t help any. The thrill of fans screaming along to music he had a part in making never seemed to get old and he gratefully put up with a sweat-soaked shirt to keep doing what he loved. He quickly stripped off his t-shirt and pulled on his spare. He routinely did a clothing change during performances because the spot where his guitar rested always got damp and sweaty.
He guzzled down a cold bottle of water before stretching out his back muscles. Night after night of performing live with almost no breaks was starting to make him feel old. Hell, he’d just hit thirty and didn’t know when time had snuck up on him. He glanced up as his best friend Eric approached, his own bottle of water nearly empty. The look on Eric’s face as he approached was unusually solemn and it gave Brent pause. He and Eric made up half of an incredibly popular rock band called ‘Destruction’ and they’d been friends since college. Eric was the eternal optimist of the band, so to see him clearly shaken was disturbing.
“
What’s up? You look…” Brent struggled for the right words. Eric was always upbeat and energetic. “Like someone told you they’d never play the Simpsons on TV ever again.” He finally said. He meant the words to be teasing because Eric loved the Simpsons, and hoped to get a smile from his friend. Eric shook his head and came to a stop, standing within several inches of Brent. Eric was usually an in-your-space kind of guy, but this was different. His face was chalk-white and Brent saw his Adam’s apple bob when he swallowed hard.
“
I feel like I’ve seen a damn ghost,” Eric confessed shakily. Brent put a supporting hand out on his friend’s back. Brent wasn’t a small man by any stretch of the imagination, but Eric was tall and lanky and if he passed out they’d both be going down. He slowly guided Eric to the stool and pushed him down. Eric didn’t protest or even seem to notice.
“
What’s going on man?” Brent asked. He was rapidly becoming concerned for his friend. Eric never acted like this so whatever was going on was huge. Eric’s mouth opened and closed several times before his shoulders drooped. He exhaled and ran a hand through his blonde hair.
“
I’m pretty sure I saw Aimee in the crowd. She’s pretty far back from the stage but man, she has an unforgettable face.” Eric looked up at Brent, his hazel eyes full of emotion.
Eric’s words hit him like a ton of bricks and Brent felt the air leave his lungs. Brent had met Aimee when they had a biology class together and she had agreed to tutor him. It hadn’t taken long for Brent to develop real and lasting feelings for Aimee, and even though they’d been young, they had planned a future together. Eric had met Aimee through him, and had cared for her almost as deeply as Brent had. Unfortunately, she had exited their lives under the worst circumstances possible. Consequently, he’d been searching for Aimee for the last ten years and up until now, he had zero luck finding her.
It had taken a while to get the message through his thick skull, but he’d finally realized Aimee didn’t want to be found. Brent lived his life in the public eye and he wasn’t hard to find. Unless Aimee had been hiding under a rock for the last decade, she had known where to find him. He had long since given up on her and figured she’d moved on. To know she was here in the audience and finally within reach after all this time was mind-blowing.
“
She still looks the same?” He asked Eric hoarsely. He barreled on before Eric had a chance to reply. “You’re sure it was her?” His heart was pounding out an intense rhythm in his chest.
“
The exact same so yeah, there’s no doubt it was her.” Eric’s voice was ragged. He knew how hard Brent tried to find Aimee when she’d disappeared. Eric had put in his own amount of effort in finding her. He and Aimee had been close and he’d watched over her like a hawk, even calling Brent out on shit when he felt he needed to. Aimee’s departure had hurt them both.
“
Where is she in the crowd? I’m not going to miss this chance. Not when I haven’t been given one in a decade.” Brent was determined to see Aimee, to talk to her. He needed to find out what had happened to her, needed to know if she was okay. He didn’t care what it took, he was going to force her to sit and talk to him.
“
Probably in row thirty or so. Center aisle, right side. Still has really long hair and she’s got a red bandana tying it back. She’s wearing a Destruction shirt. Can’t see what’s on the bottom. Knew you’d need the details so I tried to see as much as I could.” Brent stared at his friend, overcome with gratitude. Eric was a stand-up guy and his dedication to their friendship was evidenced here and now through his careful description of Aimee. He pulled Eric into a sweaty hug.
“
Thank you,” he choked out. Eric gave his back a quick slap before pulling away. His face no longer looked so grim and Brent was glad to see the change.
“
Dude, if I’d known the info would make you rub your sweat all over me I wouldn’t have told you!” Eric groused at him, but he was smiling so Brent knew they were good.
“
Whatever. You know you like it,” he joked back. They’d been friends for too long to care about sharing a little sweat.
“
Seriously, though, what are you going to do about Aimee?” Eric asked hesitantly. Brent looked at him steadily, never more certain of what he needed to do.
“
I’m going to have Mac pick her up,” he said, referring to their head of security. Mac traveled everywhere with them and was dedicated to helping their lives run smoothly. Whenever the band had an issue, Mac was their go-to guy. He would handle the situation with Aimee quietly and would make sure she wasn’t able to slip away.
Eric grimaced. “That’ll probably piss her off,” He cautioned. Brent straightened up and shot a glare at Eric.
“
Good. Then she’ll be ready to hear just how damn pissed off I am at her from hiding from me for years. What the hell would motivate her to stay away from me? It’s not like I’ve been hard to find!” Brent’s voice rose until he was almost shouting at Eric. Despite Brent’s show of temper and the sweat already coating their skin, Eric slung his arm around Brent’s shoulder and pulled him close. Brent leaned into his friend, needing the support.
“
I have a feeling whatever motivated her is going to be epically big and you need to be ready to hear it without blowing your top.”
Eric’s advice was sound. Brent knew it was. He just didn’t get it, and wasn’t sure he ever would. He and Aimee had loved each other so much. It wasn’t possible to turn something like that off and her exit from his life had caused a gaping hole that never really closed. Not for the first time, Brent wondering if maybe Aimee’s feelings for him hadn’t been as strong as he once thought. Whatever the circumstances or reasons Aimee had, Brent intended to put his own questions to rest. And he was going to do it one way or another tonight.
PART ONE – SUPPOSITIONS
CHAPTER ONE
Brent looked over his class schedule and groaned. Why did he have to get stuck with the biology professor who failed half her class? Her name was well-known as the professor you should run screaming from if you weren’t a hard-core biology major. He was a music composition major and didn’t know squat about science. He was pretty sure he could go his entire life happy that way, too.
