Page 14 of Rescue

Chapter Four

Lennon

Before we head overseas, the label throws us a huge party. They rent out a club in Manhattan, inviting all kinds of industry people and all of our friends. It’s a good party, even if I’m not really in the mood for it. They get some celebrity chef to cater, and there’s an excellent bar set up. They clearly spared no expense.

My first order of business after arriving is to find a quiet spot, preferably near an exit, to relax and enjoy my beer in peace. I get my wish—for approximately three minutes. That’s how long it takes for Reed to find me.

“How ya doing, man?”

I close my eyes briefly before turning to my older brother, forcing some semblance of a smile onto my face. It’s a struggle. I never realized how annoying four little words could be. Then again, I never thought I would hear those words so many damn times. Every day. From every brother. Not to mention my dad. And guys from the label. And Paige and Sam and Levi and, and, and…

“Great,” I say. “How are you, Reed?”

“Fine, fine.” He looks out over the room. “Pretty good crowd.”

I nod. “Looks like the label’s going all out.”

“Dad says they’re really pleased with the sales volume so far. The album’s been holding pretty steady into the fall.”

He doesn’t have to fill in the blanks for me to know that they’re relieved by that. My little shenanigans this summer meant cutting the US tour early, not to mention starting Europe late. Though no one in the family would ever admit it, I was pretty sure the label wasn’t the only ones to wonder if the revised schedule might slow down our sales. On the other hand, entertainment media likes nothing better than a little speculation. And they devoted plenty of ink and airtime to wondering what in the hell we weren’t telling them about me after my motorcycle accident.

“Len?” Reed asks, and I shake my head, realizing that I was zoning out. I need to watch that. It’s bad enough they’re constantly asking me how I feel—it will only get worse if I start showing obvious signs of brooding.

“I’m fine,” I say, my voice a little sharp. He watches my face long enough to make me want to scream. “Reed.”

“Okay,” he says, but I know he doesn’t believe me.

“Where’s Paige?”

“Around somewhere. She was talking to Karen and Daisy the last time I saw her.”

“Won’t she be looking for you?” Translation: please walk away.

“Nah. Daisy had an ultrasound today. None of them have been able to shut up about it for hours.”

“What about Dad? Have you seen him?”

“You trying to get rid of me, Len?” He gives me a quick grin.

“Yes. Is it working?”

He laughs, slapping my back. “Not even close.”

To my great relief, I catch sight of Daisy and Paige heading our way across the room. Paige is talking a mile a minute while Daisy nods. “Looks like she can’t get a word in,” I say.

Reed sighs. “I know the feeling.”

But as his girlfriend approaches, his smile grows. He might tease her about her motormouth as much as the rest of us, but it couldn’t be any more obvious that Reed is every bit as crazy about her as he was from the start. I feel a pang of something like loneliness somewhere deep in my chest and look away.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he says as she sidles up next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“Hi, baby,” Paige says in that cheery way of hers. “Hey, Len. How’s it going?”

I should really start keeping track,I think. We have to be nearing some kind of record for number of times someone can be asked a variation of that question.

“Fine, Paige. Just like I was when I saw you in the limo earlier.”

Daisy offers me a sympathetic smile. “Len, I want to introduce you to someone.” She slips an arm through mine. “If Reed can spare you for a second.”