The Song Remains the Same (22 page)

“Not many people did. Camryn should’ve taken it to the police. She chose not to. She ran away from you the second you suggested it. She was on a plane back to California with a chunk of your cash before you even had the chance to say good-bye. You don’t think that was weird?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I know much of anythin’ anymore. My whole life feels…
fucked
.”

“Just think about it though. You know Kenna will come back even if you can’t bring yourself to talk to him. She loves you as hard as you love her. But I also think that the shit that happened in the hotel with Devon and Brigid, combined with you goin’ to lunch with the bitch, left Kenna feelin’ insecure. Havin’ you talk it out with Devon just might be a diversion tactic to let her lick her fuckin’ wounds.”

“Maybe,” I said, taking her ring and slipping it into my pocket. It wasn’t leaving my side. I was gonna keep it on me at all times until it was back where it belonged.

“You know…this might be a good thing,” Jason said, keeping his voice low.

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because, when the two of you finally hooked up, it was all wham, bam, commitment, ma’am. You really didn’t have to do anythin’ to win her heart. She sort of just handed it over to you. You should take the time now to build up her confidence, show her that you think about her in ways she never expected.”

There was no help for it. I fuckin’ stared at Jason in shock. “Who the fuck are you, man? What have you done with Jason?”

With a slight grin, he replied, “I blame my woman. She leaves her magazines by the shitter, and that’s all I get to read when I have to take a dump.”

Chest easing up, I was feelin’ some hope through this fucked-up situation. Jason was right. Kenna deserved to be wooed. I’d never really given her that.

Challenge fuckin’ accepted.

Kenna

Life had become a living hell, and it all had begun and would end with Brigid Von Deitrich.

We’d just arrived in Jacksonville, Florida. The blazing sun was out, making me sweat. I was grimy and feeling lousy after my early morning talk with Phil. I was digging in the cargo hold of the bus, looking for Lewis’s mega mixer, the day after the whole lunch date had gone down.

Since she couldn’t convince Phil to come back to her, Brigid had taken it upon herself to unexpectedly pop up to verbally whittle me down. My ego bruised easily under her vindictiveness. I was so soul-weary already.

“Look, you should just do both of us a favor and bow out gracefully. You know he’s a million miles out of your league. Why not make a dignified exit back into the common world? You’re smart, and you’re not
that
unattractive. You’ll find someone who’s better suited to your lifestyle.”

Yeah.

She’d said that to me.

This was not something I needed to be subjected to, especially when she looked so adorably put together without any pores or sweat glands.

Lewis stepped off the bus just then and called out, “Did you find it?”

“Not yet,” I called back, dismissing Brigid Von Bitchiness.

“Hey! Lewis, right?” said Brigid in her slightly accented sweet voice. “You’re the fusion chef?”

“Yeah.”

“I love that show you’re on—”

“Get out of here, skank!” Lili shouted. “All the guys on this bus are spoken for! Take your Euro-trash ass back to the fool who doesn’t mind you spreading your legs for—”

“That’s enough, Pygmy.” Phil’s voice, accompanied by his steps, came off the bus.

I scurried farther into the hold.

“Eat shit, taint worm!” shouted Lili before scampering back onto the bus.

Phil sighed, his steps coming closer. “What are you doing here, Brigid?”

“Just thought I’d stop by and say hi to everyone. It’s been a long time. We were all friends.”

“Yeah, don’t think that’s too brilliant of an idea.”

“Why not?”

“I think if Sheri actually sees you sniffin’ around, she’s gonna go ballistic on you.”

“Sheri’s my friend.”

“Sheri ain’t your friend, Brigid. She don’t like you. Come to think of it, I don’t think she ever did. Now, if you could just go away, you’d be doin’ everyone else, plus yourself, a huge fuckin’ favor.”

“But—”

“Bye-bye.”

Holding my breath and straining to hear their conversation, I was frozen in the cargo hold.

“GianFranco’s parked right next to the fuckin’ crew bus,” Phil huffed to himself.

Maybe he didn’t know I was down here, and I kept quiet in the hopes that he’d just go back inside.

Crouching down, he poked his head into the hold. “You need some help?”

“No,” I snapped, resuming my search.

He climbed in.

“Damn it, Phil. Go away.”

“What are you lookin’ for?”

Witty comebacks that will stump a piece of pretty Euro-trash.
“A mixer.”

Sifting through some boxes of kitchenware, I spotted the mixer and pulled it out. Phil reached out to help, and his hand closed over mine.

Time stopped.

Electricity zinged up my arm with his touch. By the sound of his sharp inhalation, he felt it, too.

“Baby Girrrl…” he purred.

Damn, his voice just melted all my insides.

Before I knew it, we were all over each other. His mouth was on mine, our tongues fencing violently. I clung to him in desperation, and he crushed me to his body, moaning deep when our chests collided. He tasted like heaven and felt like home, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl inside him and stay there forever. It would be so easy and so natural and so very, very wonderful to do so. I wanted him and he knew it. He could feel it in me.

“Stop,” I gasped, pulling back.

He made a noise halfway between frustration and pain. As he pressed his Third Eye to mine, I could feel all of that and so much more. He was scared, so scared, that he was losing me. He couldn’t bear the thought. It wasn’t as paralyzing as it had been when I was blown up, but it was close.

“You know that this isn’t how it’s going to get fixed, babe,” I told him.

He relaxed a little, hearing the endearment.

“I know,” he replied. His hand came up and pressed against my sweaty face. “I can’t lose you, Baby Girl.”

“My back is starting to cramp,” I said, hoping to avoid having to respond. The thought of not being with Phil filled me with the same terror he had shown was living in him.

Easing up on his death grip, he let me twist out of his embrace, and I shimmied back out into the fresh air. For a moment, Florida felt cool and clean as it caressed over my sweat-slicked body. Phil followed, dragging the mixer box with him.

“Did she say anythin’ to you?” he asked as he stood, holding the box to his chest like a shield.

“Nothing worth repeating. Why?”

“I don’t want you takin’ shit from her, Kenna.”

“I don’t want to take shit from her either.”

“No matter what, you’re the only one I want to be with. Ever. She can’t hold a fuckin’ candle to you.”

Keeping myself busy, I was able to stay focused. My besties and I went and checked out the two lesser stages, and I thought a couple of the bands were noteworthy.

On the way back to the bus, we ran into Brigid, and she sneered down—or, in my case,
up—
her Swiss nose at us. She wasn’t so keen to exchange pleasantries when I wasn’t on my own.

The bitch looked fabulous in her miniskirt and knee-high leather boots as she made her way to the security point. Devon wasn’t too far behind her, and he smiled at us.

“Lovely seeing you again, ladies,” he drawled.

The three of us chorused greetings in return.

Back on the bus, Lewis and I readied dinner—steak fajitas, one of Phil’s favorites. When it came time to eat, I took the seat next to Connor, who heartily slapped me on the back and dropped a kiss on top of my head.

“You doin’ good?” he asked.

“Mmm,” I replied.

Phil plopped down in the seat directly in front of me and stared at me throughout the whole fucking meal. He also brushed his bare feet over mine, grinning wickedly. Between scowling at him and trying my damnedest not to laugh, dinner was long and torturous.

We decided we’d all go to the set together, and Phil walked right beside me. I knew he wanted to hold my hand as much as I wanted him to, but he restrained himself. It sucked, being torn like this. On the one hand, I was determined to make my point while, on the other, I was disappointed for actually making it. In the end, I was more furious with myself than anything else.

With Lili off taking photos of the performance and Alys being called away on an errand, Viv and I were left to watch the show on a couple of crates on the sidelines. Out of nowhere, Brigid magically appeared, sliding up next to me. Her perfume was so heavy that I nearly choked on its pungent fumes.

“It’s been a while since I’ve watched them. I’ve forgotten how talented Phil is,” she said.

I jerked my head in a noncommittal sort of agreement.

“He used to love getting head right before going on stage. Used to relax him, so he’d get over his nervousness, you know? I guess he doesn’t really need it anymore.”

My lips flattened, refusing to let her engage me in any sort of intimate talk. Next to me, Viv’s face showed repugnance over the nerve of the woman.

“He’d take me to all their shows, and I’d suck him off in whatever spare room was available. It’s the little things, you know?”

Viv’s jaw dropped. “Who the fuck
are
you?”

Brigid gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look. “Hi! Ha-ha! I’m Brigid. I’m, um…
friends
with Phil.”

“I’m sure you are,” sneered Viv. “As Phil’s, um,
friend
, you must know that this is his
fiancée
, Kenna.”

Brigid turned startled eyes back to me. “Really? Where’s your ring? Phil wouldn’t ask without a ring.”

Slowly, I turned my face to her. Feeling the force of my fury, Brigid tentatively retreated a step, finally looking concerned for her welfare. I opened my mouth, about to tell her to shove her knowledge of Phil where the sun didn’t shine, when we heard Sheri shriek in outrage.

“What the
fuck
are you doing here?”

As it was between songs—and worse, the current bit was an instrumental jam—Phil had also heard Sheri and looked over to see us. His eyes widened, and he walked off the stage toward us.

“I have a fucking pass! I’m
allowed
to be here!”

Sheri tossed her clipboard to the floor and charged toward Brigid, tackling the lesser girl to the ground.

“Damn!” gasped Viv.

Sheri started beating on Brigid—as in, closed fists pummeling. Screeching and screaming ensued. Brigid was clearly getting her ass handed to her, and I knew I would have to step in and do something before Wonder Sheri killed the bitch. Jumping off the crate, I grabbed Sheri around her middle and pulled her off Brigid, who had curled up into the fetal position, arms covering her head. Sheri was still determined to do more damage, and Viv joined in with the restraining party, wrapping her arms around Sheri from the front. I noticed a clump of long blonde hair clasped in Sheri’s fist.

Phil stormed over. “What the
fuck
?”

“Tell security to get that fucking bitch out of here!” screamed Sheri.

Phil looked down at Brigid and then back at us with the meanest, most furious look on his face. “Why? Look at her! She’s no match for any of you!”

“Get her out!
Now
!” Sheri roared.

Bending down, Phil scooped Brigid up into his arms, holding her to his chest, as he went to…I didn’t know. Find someone to take care of her, I supposed. She buried her face in his neck but not before shooting us an evil glance, letting us know she’d gotten exactly what she’d wanted.

Sheri fought to get free. “Oh, hells fuck no!”

“Sheri! Just calm down! You’re playing right into her hands!” shouted Viv.

“That fucking
bitch
!” she raged.

It took a few minutes before the tension left Sheri.

“You good?” I asked, easing up on my hold.

“I ran into her today, and she told me she was coming to collect from Phil, that he owed her
two inches
.”