Brooklyn & Beale (30 page)

She could feel the tension building in Reid as he released a sharp exhale. “What did she say to you?” The sound of his voice, taut with anger, caused Chloe’s eyes to snap to his. His face was hard lines and thin lips. She couldn’t help but wonder if his anger was out of fear that Jess had spilled the beans about his plans to leave LA. Once the idea hit, it pushed away every other thought racing through her mind.

“Nothing,” she assured, her hurt fading into something darker. She started to question so many things he’d said, things he’d done. Maybe he was a better actor than Inky gave him credit for. Maybe he wasn’t the man he claimed to be at all.

Reid’s brows dipped as he searched her face. After a moment, he shook his head. “Why are you lying to me?”

Chloe let out an incredulous laugh and grabbed her bow. “Are we ready to get started?”

Reid’s jaw ticked. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with.”

Chloe turned and walked over to her spot near Drew. “What the hell was that all about?” he whispered under his breath.

She looked at Drew and shrugged, a small smile on her lips. “It’s nothing. You know how Reid is.”

Drew returned her smile and lifted his brows. “I wasn’t talking about Reid.”

Chloe didn’t respond and Drew didn’t push. It was one of the perks of working with guys. They rarely pressed for conversation when it wasn’t wanted.

After a couple of hours, Reid called the rehearsal to an end. “All right, guys. I think that’s enough for today. I’ll see you at the venue tomorrow at five.”

Everyone agreed and started putting away their things. Chloe reached for her case, but Reid lifted it from the floor before she could wrap her hand around the handle. “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on with you?”

Chloe sighed. “You know, I could ask you the same thing.”

“What are you talking about?”

Before Chloe could respond, Jess stepped beside Chloe and bumped her shoulder. “That was amazing, Chloe. I don’t know how you do it. Reid tried to teach me to play his guitar years ago. It was a disaster.”

Chloe shrugged and smiled softly. As much as she hated what Jess told her, Chloe had no reason to be angry with her. “Thanks. It’s just in my blood, I guess.”

“Are we ready?” Reid asked, his posture rigid.

“Yeah,” Jess exhaled.

When Chloe looked over at Jess, she seemed exhausted. Not wanting to stand there a moment longer than necessary, Chloe pulled her case from Reid’s grasp. “You guys get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

For a moment, Reid stood unmoving before combing a hand through his hair. “See you tomorrow, Chloe,” he said, turning to leave.

Chloe didn’t budge until the sound of their footsteps faded into silence. When she was certain they had left, she fell against the wall and exhaled. The next six months were going to be a nightmare.

Reid was in hell. He was certain of it. Leaning against the counter, he scrubbed his hands over his face. “Jess, come on. We need to go.”

“I’m almost ready,” she yelled from the bathroom.

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned. When she’d shown up in LA, he wasn’t surprised. He expected it. They’d fought for days after the VMAs. He couldn’t even blame her for being angry; she was completely justified. The truth was, that night changed something inside Reid. For the first time in months, his mind was finally silent. The disjointed and erratic thoughts that normally robbed his sleep and tore at his conscience had faded.

“Okay, we can go,” Jess said, interrupting his thoughts.

With a nod, Reid turned for the door. The ride to the venue was filled with silent tension. He hated the way things had changed between them, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get back to the place they once were. He didn’t want to.

Once they arrived at the venue, they walked in through the back, ducking between the bouncers positioned by the entrance to keep the fans at a distance. Jess clutched his hand as they moved down the hall. His entire body hummed with anxiety. “Why don’t you hang out here for a bit?” he said once they were inside his dressing room. “I have a few people I need to talk to. I’ll be back soon.”

Jess acted as though she might protest but then seemed to change her mind. “Okay. I’ll be here.”

Without another word, Reid disappeared into the hall. There was only one person Reid needed to talk to, and this time he wasn’t going to be blown off. Ducking into a couple of rooms, it didn’t take long to find her. He watched her from the hall, not wanting to startle her in the middle of doing her makeup. When she paused to grab something off the vanity, he made his presence known.

“Hey.” He noticed her shoulders tense before dropping.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were just going to stand in the hall like a creep.”

The side of Reid’s mouth quirked up in amusement as he casually walked into the room. As nervous as he was to talk to her, time was not something he had a lot of. So he didn’t mince words. “Why did you lie to me yesterday?”

Chloe dropped the brush in her hand and turned around. Leaning against the vanity, she laced her hands in front of her lap. “Because I didn’t want to talk to you.”

Reid’s brows shot up in surprise, not expecting her to answer so candidly. “And now?”

“Now I just want to get it out in the open so I can move on and let it go.”

Something about the way she said “let it go” caused a knot to form in his stomach. “Okay.”

Chloe tugged on her lip ring and shifted her weight. After what looked like a moment of indecision, her face cleared. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going back to Memphis at the end of the tour?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Reid didn’t understand where her question was coming from. His parents lived in Memphis. He would always go back there.

Chloe’s face twisted with hurt and she looked at her hands. “I guess nothing. I just thought . . .”

“Thought what?” Reid asked, taking a hesitant step forward. There was something else going on, and he wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew he wasn’t going to like it.

With a shrug, Chloe swiped her hand across her cheek. “That you would have told me your plans to get out of the business and move back to Memphis.”

Reid froze. He replayed her words several times, certain he’d misunderstood. When he realized he hadn’t, he said the first thing that popped into his mind. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Chloe’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open before she snapped her jaw shut. “Are you going to deny it?”

Reid nodded furiously. “You’re damn right, I am. I have absolutely no idea what the hell you’re talking about, but I can tell you in no uncertain terms that I have not made, nor will I be making, any plans to move back to Memphis. Ever.”

Chloe opened and closed her mouth several times, seemingly at a loss for words. Reid, however, was not suffering from the same problem. “Chloe, I need you to tell me exactly what you’ve been told, and I need to hear it word for word.”

Pressing her palm to her forehead, Chloe blew out a heavy breath, her eyes darting to the door. Reid thought he was going to have to push her to tell him what he wanted to know, but after a long pause, she began to speak.

Anger wasn’t an emotion Reid felt often, but as Chloe recounted her conversation with Jess, it spread through him with such burning speed that he could hardly breathe by the time she finished. He shoved his hands deep inside his pockets to keep them from shaking.

“None of that’s true. I don’t know why she told you that, but it’s not true. I’m not quitting my band, and I’m not moving back to Memphis.”

“Then why would she tell me that?” Chloe asked, but the moment the words left her mouth, a look of understanding washed across her face. “Because of me.”

“Not you,” Reid argued. “Me.” As quickly as it came, the anger drained from his body. He had no one to blame for this mess but himself.

“I’m sorry I was short with you yesterday.”

“Don’t be,” Reid sighed. “Thank you for not giving me the silent treatment for the next few weeks before blowing up about something that’s not even true.”

Chloe laughed softly. “I considered it, but the silent treatment doesn’t work very well when the object of your anger is your boss.”

As much as Reid wanted to object, to tell her that he was more than her boss, he didn’t. That was a conversation for another time. Instead, he nodded in agreement and backed out of the room. “I’ll see you on stage.”

With a weak wave, Chloe turned back to the mirror and Reid disappeared the way he came. He wanted to confront Jess, but it wasn’t the time or the place. Taking in a lungful of air, he pushed everything that happened and would happen to the back of his mind. He had a show to do.

Throughout the remainder of the afternoon and well into the evening, Reid focused on the show. Every step, note, and verse played through his mind in great detail. It was exhausting, but it served its purpose. When the final song ended and the lights came on, however, Reid felt like an elephant was standing on his chest. Pushing his way through the people crowded around the stage, he found Tom.

“Great show.”

“Thanks.” Reid shifted his weight, his eyes darting to Jess. “Listen, I need you to cancel the meet-and-greet. I can’t do it tonight.”

Tom’s face colored with surprise. “Why’s that?”

Reid’s eyes dropped to the floor and he swallowed thickly. “I’ve got something I need to do.”

When Tom didn’t respond, Reid looked up to find Tom studying him with narrowed eyes. After a beat, his face relaxed. “So you’ve finally figured your shit out.”

”Yeah.”

“Good.” Tom clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s about time. Don’t worry about the meet-and-greet; I’ll take care of everything.”

With a deep breath, Reid made his way over to Jess. He couldn’t worry about the possibility of Chloe rejecting him. He couldn’t worry about the possibility of losing them both. It was time to man up. It was time to finally do the right thing.

It was late afternoon when Reid climbed the steps onto the tour bus the next day. His body sagged with fatigue, and while his heart felt heavy, there was a lightness he hadn’t felt in months. As much as he hated hurting Jess, he had only been prolonging the inevitable by staying with her.

With a sigh, he rounded the corner by the stairs before stopping dead in his tracks. A slow smile spread across his face and warmth bloomed in his chest with a feeling he wasn’t allowed to feel until now. It made him want to act on the thoughts he’d had about Chloe over the last few months. But it was more than desire.
She
was more than desire. Right then, however, she looked completely absurd and that made him happier than he could have imagined.

Seated at the table with her legs crossed, she bobbed her head to the music playing on her iPod as she scribbled in her notebook. A pile of Starburst wrappers littered the table. It was a scene he’d witnessed many times during the first leg of their tour. However, this time, there was a new addition. On the table beside her elbow sat a headless Yoda with Starbursts spilling out of the opening like brains. The longer he stared, the more he wanted to laugh. When she plucked another candy from the jar, he couldn’t hold back.

Moving in front of her, he tugged her earbud free. “Are the bags of candy you keep stashed all over the bus no longer enough? You need the jar too?”

Chloe ducked her head in embarrassment and wrapped her arm around the jar, pulling it against her chest. “I didn’t want to leave Yoda behind. He might get lonely. I don’t know.” She shrugged, balancing the top of Yoda’s head that served as a lid on the mound of Starbursts. “Maybe he can be our official mascot.”

Reid nodded thoughtfully and eased into the seat across from her. “I like it. There are worse things than tiny green Jedi Masters.”

Chloe opened her mouth then paused, her brows furrowing as she looked from the entrance to Reid. “Where’s Jess?”

Reid released a heavy exhale. “She’s not coming.”

“Why?”

“Not now,” Reid said, watching as Greer and Drew filed onto the bus.

Chloe looked from the guys to Reid. “Okay,” she whispered.

A flutter of nervousness caused his already exhausted body to sink lower in his seat. He needed sleep. He wanted a clear head when he talked to Chloe about . . . everything. Leaning forward, he tapped her knee. “I’m going to rest a little bit before we get to San Francisco, but can we talk later tonight?”

Chloe stiffened. “I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”

Reid shook his head. “Chloe, there are some things I need to get off my chest, and I’d rather not have an audience. Please?”

Chloe eyed him cautiously. “The last time you started a conversation like this you told me you went on a cocaine binge. From your appearance, I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to have the same conversation again.”

“No. No binges. I swear.”

Chloe grabbed her pen. “Okay,” she whispered before returning her attention back to her notebook. Realizing she was done talking, Reid stood from the table and grabbed his bag. After a quick hello to the other band members, he disappeared into the room at the back of the bus and didn’t move until they arrived in San Francisco.

The sun had set by the time they reached the hotel. Reid grabbed his bag and opened the bedroom door, loud laughter echoing inside the bus as he walked into the open area. As soon as he got a look at everyone, he froze.

“What the hell?” he mumbled, his bag slipping from his grasp.

Chloe’s eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter. “Greer did it!” she blurted out.

Reid’s confusion turned to amusement as he realized they were all smashed. He walked next to Chloe and pulled the Yoda lid off her head. “Chloe, are you drunk?”

She shook her head no. “So drunk.”

Placing the lid on the table, Reid grabbed the empty mason jar beside it and sniffed. His eyes watered and he coughed as he set the jar down quickly. “Is that rubbing alcohol?”

“Close,” Inky grimaced. “It’s white lightning. Firewater. Hooch.”

“Who’s got the hooch?” Chloe sang, falling into Inky’s side, laughing.

Reid glanced at Tom whose eyes were glassy, his cheeks red. “You too?” Reid asked in surprise.

Tom shrugged. “We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.”

Reid wanted to be angry, but after the last couple of days, the only emotion he felt was envy. “Are any of you capable of checking in to your rooms?”

Drew stood from his chair and nodded. “I am. I didn’t touch that shit. Greer got me the other night. I tried to warn them.”

Greer laughed and stumbled to his feet. “I’ve never seen so much puke.”

Drew shook his head and helped steady Greer. “I didn’t puke.”

“I know,” Greer laughed. “I was talking about me.”

“Can either of you walk?” Reid asked, looking at Chloe and Inky.

Inky pulled in a deep breath and stood. She only wobbled a little before finding her balance. “Yup. I’m all set.”

“I’m good,” Tom announced, joining the others.

All eyes turned to Chloe, who sat hugging her Yoda jar. “Pfft,” she giggled, waving her hand dismissively. “I couldn’t walk if someone set this bus on fire.”

Reid laughed and handed his bag to Tom. “Come here.” Leaning down, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to her feet.

“Whoa,” she exhaled, grabbing the front of Reid’s shirt. “What’s in that stuff?”

“Alcohol. Very strong, very potent, alcohol.”

“I’ll get her to her room. It’s my fault she’s so drunk,” Greer said, taking a step forward.

Reid’s grip around Chloe’s waist tightened the same time Drew’s hand met Greer’s shoulder to pull him back. “I think maybe Reid should take care of Chloe.”

For a minute, Reid thought Greer was going to protest, but whatever expression he saw on Reid’s face stopped him from doing so. “All right.”

“You guys go ahead. I’m going to give Chloe a few minutes to get her footing.” Everyone nodded their assent and started filing off of the bus until only Chloe and Reid remained.

“I need bread,” she announced.

Reid chuckled and pulled her arm over his shoulders. “We’ll order some food once we get you settled in your room.” His brows dipped when she pulled her arm back and let it fall between them. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t walk into the hotel with you like that. One, there could be paps, and two . . . it’s pathetic.”

Reid smirked. “Would you rather face-plant in the lobby?”

With narrowed eyes, Chloe slipped her hand under his arm and grabbed a handful of the back of his shirt. “At least this looks less pathetic. Maybe I should hobble a little so it looks like I’m hurt. We could say I was in an epic Jedi battle and was cut by a vicious villain. We’ll call him Hooch.”

Reid’s face hurt from the smile stretched across his face. “At least you’re a funny drunk.”

Chloe shook her head sadly and patted her stomach. “If we don’t get some food in here soon, I’ll be like a Mogwai fed after midnight.”

Reid laughed and wrapped his free arm around Chloe, pulling her flush against his chest. He rested his forehead against the top of her head and exhaled. “I’ve missed all your old-school movie references.” Taking a couple of deep breaths, he just held her. He held her like he’d wanted to for months. “I’ve missed you.”

“Reid,” Chloe pleaded as she tried to step back. “Please don’t do this. I’ve had enough to drink that I might do something that will make me hate myself in the morning.”

Reid loosened his grasp, not wanting to make her uncomfortable but hating the distance all the same. “I’m sorry. I’m just being honest, but I get that it’s not something you’re ready to hear yet.”

Chloe shook her head. “There is no yet.”

A half smile lifted one side of Reid’s mouth as he pushed the fallen hair out of her eyes. “Yet,” he whispered in rebuttal. His eyes moved over her face, taking in every detail of her features. Like the curve of her lashes and the various shades of blue that came together to make her eyes appear purple.

“I’ve never met anyone with eyes like yours. They’re almost purple. I had no idea there were so many shades.”

Chloe blinked. “Maybe it’s because you’ve never really looked at me.”

Reid shook his head and pulled in a deep breath. “No,” he exhaled. “I look at you. It seems to be all I do lately.” He continued his perusal, moving his eyes to the slope of her nose then the pert bow of her parted lips. Lips he wanted to kiss more than anything in the world, but he wouldn’t do it. Not yet. Not until she knew everything. With a sigh, he cupped the back of his neck. “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to have that talk.” He didn’t want to wait, but he wanted to make sure she was capable of understanding what he had to say.

Chloe shook her head immediately. “No. I can’t do this again. We have to talk tonight.”

Reid looked at her in confusion. “Do what again?”

“Drink this much,” Chloe admitted with a shrug. “Whatever you’re going to tell me is going to suck. I just know it. “

“Chloe, did you intentionally get drunk because you thought I was going to tell you something bad?”

Chloe gave a sharp nod. “Yup. I’m not even sorry.”

Reid wasn’t sure whether to laugh or feel guilty. When he looked at her face, her skin flushed from alcohol and her eyes filled with apprehension, he decided it didn’t matter. Everything would be out in the open soon enough.

“Okay. Let’s head to the lobby and check in. After we eat, I’ll tell you everything.”

When they entered the lobby, they found Tom waiting with their room keys. “Here are the keys for both rooms. I ordered some food for the both of you and told them to deliver it to Chloe’s room. I’ll have someone send her bag up in a few.”

Reid paused, wide-eyed, before he took the room keys and grinned. “Even drunk you’re on top of your game. Are you a machine?”

“He’s clearly a droid. He’s C-3PO!” Chloe exclaimed before clamping her hand over her mouth and scanning the lobby. “No, he’s R2-D2; he’s so much cooler. Jesus, I’m loud. Reid, it’s almost midnight.”

Tom looked between them, confusion written all over his face. “It’s nine.”

Reid chuckled and shook his head. “I need to feed the Mogwai before I have a Gremlin on my hands.” Waving off Tom, who still wore a perplexed expression, Reid turned and led Chloe to the elevators. “Do you remember that one time you showed up for rehearsals so hungover you couldn’t even have a real conversation?”

Chloe groaned and dropped her head to Reid’s shoulder. “You said you wouldn’t cut me any slack next time.”

Reid nodded and rubbed his hand over her arm. “That’s what I said, but you know what?”

“What?” Chloe asked, her voice meek.

“I lied,” he whispered, pulling her into the hallway of their floor.

Once inside her room, Chloe excused herself to the bathroom, leaving Reid alone. He tried to figure out how to tell Chloe everything that happened, the reasons why, and what he wanted, but all he could see were the flashbacks of his conversation with Jess the night before. He could still hear the sound of her voice as she called him a liar and stormed out of the room.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Opening the door, he sighed gratefully when he saw the rectangle-shaped box. Pizza was exactly what Chloe needed. After signing for the food and leaving a gaping delivery boy at the door, he walked to the table and opened the box. As soon as he did, Chloe burst out of the bathroom.

“Oh my God, pizza. Give it to me.”

Reid chuckled and handed her a slice. She took a bite and moaned, her eyes falling shut. Reid cleared his throat and handed her a bottle of water. “Do you need anything else?”

“No. This is perfect.” For the next several minutes, they ate in silence. Once Chloe finished off her second piece and drank the last of her water, she slid onto the bed and crossed her legs before pulling a large pillow against her chest. “Okay, this is the go-zone. I’m still buzzed, but I’m well on my way to sober and sleepy. Whatever you need to say, now is the time.”

Reid smiled at the serious expression on her face. Deciding to give them both a little space, he opted to move a chair beside the bed so they were facing each other. Pulling in a deep breath, he dove straight in.

“Jess and I broke up last night.”

Chloe blinked several times, her brows dented with confusion. When she finally processed his words, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “What?”

Reid nodded. “I have a lot of things to say to you. I’m going to ask you one more time if you’re sure you want to have this conversation right now.”

Reid watched as Chloe pinched her eyes shut and balled her hands into fists before taking a lungful of air and releasing it slowly. After a couple of seconds, she opened her eyes and nodded.

“After the show last night, I confronted Jess about what she said to you.” Reid could still see Jess’s face clearly as she’d stared at him in confusion.

“What do you mean you’re not moving back to Memphis? I thought that was always the plan.”

“Why would you think that, Jess? When have I ever given you any indication that I wanted to give up music?”