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CHAPTER1
RONNIE
There was something to be said for working and living around your best friends. Your best friends who were so happy they were practically farting flipping rainbows. It was annoying at times having to listen to them cooing and whispering to their bloody girlfriends on the phone every night. I’d even heard Beau having phone sex and that’s not good when he’s in the bunk underneath you. Even Joey was chirpy and whistling all around the place.
“Ron, you do know it takes less muscles to smile than frown.”
I looked over at Beau who was writing lyrics onto a piece of paper. He wasn’t even looking at me so didn’t know how he knew I was frowning.
“I’m fine,” I muttered. I wasn’t. I was pissed off.
“He’s not.” Joey paused whistling and threw a peanut at me. “He’s sad because he’s in love.”
“I’m not in love.”
“Liar,” Elliot added from his spot on the sofa, where he was creating a tune for the lyrics that Beau had been writing.
“Fuck off,” I snapped. “And change the E minor chord to an E major to take you into the chorus. It’ll sound better.”
He nodded and made the change. “Why are you always right?”
“Because I’m a far better musician than you.” I sighed heavily. “When do we get to Lisbon?”
“We’ve got hours yet,” Beau replied.
“I don’t know why you don’t just travel on Blind Devil’s bus,” Joey said.
Elliot looked up from his guitar and frowned. “Is he in love with someone in Blind Devil?” He gave me the soft, caring, ‘I’m here for you’ look that he always did when he was about to meddle in someone’s business. “If you need to talk to us about it, Ron, then you know you can, right?”
Elliot had been all aboutthe talkingsince he’d been in therapy. We had to discuss every single thing that was bothering us, even if it was that we didn’t like the way someone made a cup of tea. Nothing was allowed to fester anymore. I mean, I got it, he’d gone through some shit all on his own and hadn’t coped well. Who would, though, when their boss had drugged them and possibly physically abused them? I just hated all this talking shit, especially when I didn’t want to talk about it.
“I’m not planning on coming out, Elliot, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He looked at Joey. “What are you talking about then?”
Joey brushed a hand over his close-cropped hair and grinned. “He’s got a thing for Amber Fox.”
Beau dropped his pen onto his pad. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“Shit, Ron,” Elliot groaned. “Tell me you’re not in love with Amber Fox.”
“I’m not.”
“He is.”
“Shut up, Joey. I’m not in love with her.” I wasn’t but I was well on my way to. “Jimmy is such a twat, she deserves better.”
“And that better is you?” Beau asked. “Because I agree, but you do remember she’s married to the lead singer of band who are supporting us.” He pushed his pad and pen away and crossed his arms over his chest. He studied me, waiting for a response because, yeah, he was all in with Elliot’s ‘talking’.
“He’s a bastard.” I was aware I was pouting and probably sounded like a teenager, but that was how Jimmy Fox made me feel. He had a Game Boy and I wanted it. Well, that was what teenage Ronnie would have thought. Adult Ronnie wanted his wife and knew that if I touched her, I’d want to take her and never give her back.
“You’re right, he is,” Elliot said on a sigh. “But she’s his wife.”
I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees and looked at each of them. “Nothing has happened, and nothing will happen. Amber and I are just friends and, for some stupid reason, she’s loyal to him. In fact,” I groaned with the misery of it. “She doesn’t even know I feel like this.”
“Ah, Ron.” Elliot reached forward and patted my knee. “I’m sorry, mate.”
“I thought you were fucking each other like rabbits,” Joey exclaimed.
