Page 40 of Fame & Chaos

Eventually, I stopped imagining they were her because nobody compares anyway. Chasing temporary distractions only makes me miss her more once the girls leave my bed.

So I stopped pretending it meant anything.

Sex became exactly what it was.

A distraction.

Nothing more.

I moved out of Mum and Dad’s place a couple of years ago and bought myself a condo not far from them. It’s nice, modern, quiet, and lonely as fuck sometimes.

Most of my time goes into the band now.

Staked has become my entire life.

Aston, Annie, Ella, Chad, and I have worked our asses off for years building this thing together, and we’re finally getting somewhere. We’ve got industry buzz now. Small tours. Online traction. Dad and Colt both think it’s only a matter of time before we properly break through.

Music’s probably the only thing that’s kept me sane these last six years. Because no matter how much I try moving on, there are still nights when I wonder if Indi ever thinks about me, too.

Hell, I don’t even know if she’s still alive.

Dad found her after she disappeared and made sure she was okay, but after that? Nothing. And he refuses to tell me a damn thing.

I’ve begged, argued, and lost my shit at him more than once over it, too.

Doesn’t matter.

Dad promised her he wouldn’t tell me where she was, and once Dad gives his word, that’s basically the end of the conversation.

Still pisses me off though.

I’m his son.

You’d think he could give me one tiny hint.

Tonight is Annie’s seventeenth birthday party, which Uncle Colt is throwing at some ridiculously expensive hotel in London because apparently subtlety isn’t in his vocabulary anymore.

Annie will probably hate how over-the-top it is.

But secretly? I know she’ll love it too.

Aston called me earlier, sounding more nervous than I’ve heard him in years, which told me this party has absolutely nothing to do with cake.

He’s planning something with Annie tonight.

Or at least trying to.

Those two have been dancing around each other for years now, and watching it unfold is weird as hell considering Annie feels like my little sister. Hearing Aston talk about wanting her makes me want to scrub my brain clean with goddamn bleach. But at the same time, if there’s one guy I’d trust with her, it’s him.

I just hope they don’t completely screw up the band if things go sideways.

Because if I’ve learned anything from my own life, it’s that feelings can destroy absolutely everything if you let them.

I mean, look at Indi and me.

We grew up together.

Loved each other.