Trey sighed. “You can’t keep this up, Brian. What does Myrna say about this crazy schedule you’re keeping?”
Brian lowered his gaze. “She tries to be strong when I leave. Says she and Malcolm will miss me, but they’ll be fine while I’m gone.”
“Jessica and Aggie are still helping her out, aren’t they?”
“Yeah.”
“Dare?”
“Yeah, everyone’s great. Maybe they are fine when I’m gone. Maybe what I really want is for them to need me more.”
Trey squeezed his shoulder. “Hey. Don’t say that. They need you. I know for a fact that Myrna cries when you’re gone. She misses you so much more than she’s letting on.”
Brian’s breath caught and he shoved Trey aside as he reached for the doorknob. Trey probably shouldn’t have told him that Myrna cried. He grabbed Brian’s arm again and hauled him away from the door.
“Trey, I have to go. I’m not going to be like my father. I promised myself that I’d always be there for them both. I’m not going to let them wonder if they’re important to me. Or if I love them. I’m going to tell them to their faces every goddamn day.”
Now they were making progress. Brian’s father had been a famous guitarist while Brian had been growing up. Malcolm O’Neil had used touring as an excuse to ignore his family, and he’d never been there for Brian when he’d needed him. “You’re not like your father, Brian.”
“But I could be. It would be a lot fucking easier if I was.” Brian pressed his fists against his temples and took a deep breath.
“I know you, Brian. You’d give up the band before you’d do that to your family.”
“It’s crossed my mind.”
Trey’s stomach dropped. “What?”
“Leaving Sinners.”
“You don’t want to make music anymore?”
“Yeah, I do. I haven’t figured out how to do both. If something has to give…”
Trey didn’t want to even think about the possibility. “Have you talked to Myrna about any of this?”
Brian hesitated and then shook his head. Trey took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Myrna’s number. She answered on the first ring. “Trey? Is something wrong with Brian?”
“No. The band is trying to talk Brian into staying here for the night instead of going back to L.A. He’s so burnt out, but he wants to go home.”
“I already told him to stay there tonight. Malcolm and I will be fine without him for a couple of days. He shouldn’t worry about us so much.”
“I know you’re being strong for him, Myr, but he needs to hear how hard you’re struggling without him so he can be all angsty and depressed, but at least he’ll stop trying so hard to prove that he’s not going to be like his father.”
“Is that what he thinks?” Myrna asked. “That he’s going to be a bad father? He’s a wonderful father. A wonderful husband. How could he think otherwise? Did I do something to make him feel that way?”
“I don’t think so, Myrna.” Trey glanced over at Brian who had his arms crossed over his chest and was staring daggers at him. Yeah, it probably wasn’t his place to force Brian to talk to his wife, but Trey couldn’t stand to see him like this. Brian needed to tell her these things. She could handle it. And Trey needed to keep this band together. It meant everything to him.
“Is he there?” Myrna asked. “Can I talk to him?”
“Yeah, he’s here. He’s pretty pissed off at me right now, so make sure you remind him that I got in his business because he’s being a douche.” And because I love him, he added silently.
“Thanks, Trey. I’m glad you’re there for him. I figured he was having a harder time than he was letting on, but he’s always so happy when he’s home. I didn’t know he was struggling.”
Trey handed the phone to Brian. “She wants to talk to you.”
He snatched the phone out of Trey’s hand. Trey gave Brian’s shoulder a squeeze before he left the bedroom and gave him some privacy.
The guys were still standing in the corridor, watching the bedroom door as if they expected it to explode at any moment.
“Is he staying?” Sed asked.
“Don’t know,” Trey said. “He’s talking to Myrna.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sed asked.
“I’m sure. No matter what he decides to do tonight, we have to support him,” Trey said. “Even if that means we have to cancel the rest of the tour.”
Sed opened his mouth to speak and Jace elbowed him in the ribs. “You’re right,” Jace said.
“And we might have to cancel the tour with Exodus End, too,” Trey added.
They all looked at him as if he was insane. “You don’t mean that, Trey,” Sed said. “You know what touring with Exodus End will mean for our careers.”
“Yeah, I do. If we push Brian too hard, he’ll leave the band. And Sinners isn’t Sinners without Master Sinclair.”
Chapter 17
Brian stayed on the tour bus for the first night since his son had been born. That didn’t mean he came out of the bedroom at all or that he talked to anyone about their “baby intervention.” He was probably still talking to Myrna on the phone. Or sleeping. Reagan was still pissy about what had happened onstage. Trey couldn’t blame her. He was still pissy about it himself, mostly because she couldn’t see how wonderful she’d been and could only think about some asswipe hitting her with a shoe. She was sitting on the sofa talking to Jace about nothing again. Trey wasn’t sure why she prattled off at him on a regular basis. Probably because he was such a good listener. Or maybe because he seemed a little lonely now that Eric spent all of his time with Rebekah. Trey was sure Jace missed Aggie, but he never complained or let it show. Jace never complained about anything.
When Trey got sick of watching Eric and Rebekah play kissy-face across from him in the dining booth, he stripped down to his silk boxers and went to collect his woman. He was fine with her being pissy. He was not fine with her ignoring him.
“I’m going to bed. Are you coming?” he asked her.
“Brian’s in there,” she reminded him.
And truthfully, he’d rather join Brian than cuddle up to an angry woman all night, but if they didn’t get this all out in the open, it was going to bite them in the ass later.
“I meant in my bunk.”
“You expect me to squeeze in there with you?” She looked down the hall anxiously.
Trey rested his hands on his hips and stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t having the best night of his life either. He’d thought one reason for having a steady girlfriend was so you could share this kind of thing with her.
“Forget it,” he said.
Reagan grabbed the sofa arm when Jace tried to shove her off the couch. “Go to bed,” Jace insisted, as if she’d annoyed him beyond his last shred of tolerance.
“Don’t push me off the couch,” she said, punching him in the shoulder.
“Then sit there quietly. You’re giving me a headache.”
“Jace,” Reagan admonished.
“Me too,” Sed agreed. He was sitting across from them in one of the captain’s chairs, periodically glancing toward the bedroom door for signs of Brian, but otherwise sitting in gloomy silence holding a half-finished beer on his knee. Trey knew a Sed guilt-trip when he saw one.
“You guys are jerks,” Reagan said.
“I’m going to bed,” Trey said. “Do what you want.”
He walked down the corridor and climbed into the top bunk on the right side before he tugged the curtain shut. As if he could actually sleep with his mind so full. He stared into the darkness for at least thirty seconds before a hand smacked him in the face as Reagan looked for a handhold to boost herself into the bunk with him.
He grabbed the back of her shirt and hauled her up. Much squirming ensued until they settled on their sides facing each other. He switched on the small dome light in the corner so he could see her more clearly. She looked close to tears.