AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I gotta go.” Kyle seemed way more unbalanced than a phone call from work should make him.
“I’ll take you.” Tommy stood. Wearing a grave expression, he laid his sticks on his snare.
“The shit hole will be out of your way.” Kyle’s black brows shot together. “You have work too, yeah?”
Missy stood and moved toward the group. “I’ll take you, Kyle. I need to stop by my place anyway, but Claire—”
“I’ll just stick around here,” Claire said quickly, “and go home with my mom and Addy later.”
“Great,” Kyle said, then turned to put his dad’s ESP away.
Claire placed Rachel’s old Fender in the vintage case, then set it behind the stage and crossed to Kyle.
“Hey.” She tapped him on the back. He turned around to look at her, still wearing that disconcerting frown. “Is everything okay?”
“No. Maybe. Probably.” His expression dark, he reached for her. Curling his fingers through her belt loops, he drew her into him.
“I just wanted to say that ...” He trailed off and swallowed.
“What, Kyle?” Claire stared at him, her face drained of color.
My heart started beating fast. What the hell was going on?
“I don’t want you to ever give music up like your mom did. You shine when you play. You glow without a spotlight. On a stage is where you’re meant to be.”
“Ditto to you, Kyle,” Claire said.
Tommy came closer, jiggling his keys. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Kyle said, still frowning. “I just wanna be sure we’re on the same page. I love this. I think we all do.” Yet he stared hardest at Claire.
“We do.” Tommy glanced at my niece. “Right, Claire?”
“Yes, I’m all in with us as a band.” Claire met Kyle’s gaze. “I love being onstage beside you. I love you, Kyle.”
Whoa.I swayed, and Kyle did too.
He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly shut. When he reopened them, his eyes weren’t just cloudy, they were as dark as a thunderstorm.
Lowering his head, he crushed his mouth to Claire’s. It was a short kiss, but a potent one. My niece swayed when he abruptly released her.
“Let’s go,” Kyle told Missy. Turning, he marched down the steps.
“Okay.” Frowning, Missy followed him. They brushed past me without acknowledging my presence.
“What was that all about?” Tommy asked, moving beside Claire.
“I don’t know.” Claire reached up to touch her cheek, looking surprised to find it wet.
My happy tears were gone. My nerves were strung tight.
“Claire,” I called out, pointing to a spot in front of me. “Come here.”
“Yes, Aunt Addy.” She swiped her tears away and joined me. “What’s going on?”
“You tell me.” I made a panicked gesture. “I heard everything. You guys left your mics on.”
“Oh no.” Her eyes rounded.
