“It’s just us tonight, Baz.” Johnny clapped a hand on Baz’s shoulder. “No opener, no band. Three hours to fill. And we want you to play with us for a few songs. You know the crowd’ll love it.”
Sebastian looked at her and she saw the indecision in his eyes. “Nah, man. I don’t—”
“I’d love to see you play.”
It was the God’s honest truth and she knew if she didn’t say it flat out, he wouldn’t go out there. He’d stay by her side all night. But she wanted him to play, wanted him to get back on that stage and be who he was.
And she wanted to watch.
He still looked torn. “Really? I don’t wanna desert you—”
“I promise not to leave her side the entire time,” Dana piped in, practically bouncing on the couch as she linked her arm through Tru’s and rubbed their shoulders together. “She’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“See?” Johnny wrapped an arm around Baz as he winked at Tru. “She’ll be fine.”
Finally, he nodded. “Okay. Sure. Just a couple of songs.”
Tru started to smile and couldn’t stop.
* * *
Johnny and Mac went onstage ten minutes later to thunderous applause that Baz felt deep inside.
With his arm around Tru as she stood on one side and Dana sitting on an empty case on his other in the wings, he watched Johnny and Mac sail through an hour of music he’d grown up with. Music that’d made him want to write his own so one day he could make people feel the same way.
Ecstatic. Electrified. High.
For the first half hour, he couldn’t take his eyes off the guys who’d taught him how to be a better musician and not just how to be a rock star. In his eyes, they were gods.
When he finally managed to tear his eyes away and look out at the crowd, he saw most of them looked the same way he felt. And when he looked at Tru, he found her watching with an intensity she usually had only when watching clips of Greg’s films.
Fascinated.
Would she be as fascinated at one of his concerts? He hoped like hell he’d get to find out one day.
About forty minutes in, he noticed Dana’s head whip around. Then she bounced off the case and disappeared. He didn’t think anything of it until he felt a hand fall on his shoulder.
He turned . . .
And found Nik standing behind him.
Adrenaline dropped into his system and his heart began to pound. How stupid was that. Hell, he almost felt like he was about to go on a first date.
“Hey.”
Nik nodded, no smile on his face, and Baz realized Nik was just as surprised to see him.
Torn between wanting to talk to Nik and not wanting to cause a possible scene, he held up one finger to Nik, who nodded. Then he leaned over to whisper in Tru’s ear.
“Nik’s here. I need to talk to him.”
She looked up at him with wide eyes then turned to glance at Nik before looking back at him and nodding, a sympathetic smile curving her lips.
“I won’t be gone long.”
“Take as much time as you need. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
He leaned in and spoke directly into her ear. “Yeah, but I wanna take care of you. And I will. Later.”
The look she gave him heated his blood. And made him feel surprisingly steady.
He bent to give her a kiss. No tongue, he just pressed his lips against hers and held her tight. When he took a step back, she blinked up at him, lips parted to draw in air. She looked a little flustered.
Good.
He looked up to find Nik watching them through narrowed eyes, arms crossed over his chest. Then Nik turned and headed back toward the green room.
When they finally had the door closed behind them, the music muted to a low drone, they faced one another.
Nik looked tired. Not just like he hadn’t slept well last night but like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Baz knew Nik could go weeks without getting more than a couple hours a night. Nik had learned at a really young age that you were most vulnerable when you were asleep. Anyone could walk into your room and you wouldn’t know.
“Hey.”
Nik had spoken first, surprising the hell out of Baz.
“Hey. How’ve you been?”
Nik shrugged, black hair glinting blue under the fluorescent lights. “Been better. You?”
“Still here. Still working.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
“Good, ’cause my music needs words.”
Nik didn’t say anything to that and Baz was about to push him when Nik continued.
“Had a feeling you’d be here tonight.”
So was that why he was here? To see Baz? “I had no idea you’d turn up.”
Nik snorted and shook his head. “No, I guess you wouldn’t have.”
“Damn it, Nikky, I didn’t mean that—”
“Stop.” Nik put one hand on Baz’s chest and held it there for several seconds before shoving it back in his jeans’ pocket. “Just . . . stop. Fuck. I told myself I wouldn’t do this. Wouldn’t deliberately piss you off so we’d fight. I’m so fucking sick of fighting with you.”
“We haven’t been fighting. Hell, we’ve only seen each other once in the past year.”
“Yeah, and that went real well.”
“Well, maybe we need a do-over.”
Nik shook his head. “We can’t start over, Baz. We’ve got too much history.”
Shit, that almost sounded like Nik was breaking up with him, for Christ’s sake. “I know exactly how much history we have. And I’m not willing to let any of it go.”
“Really? Because it sure as hell felt like you didn’t give one fucking shit the last time we talked.”
“You were pissed. I was pissed. Maybe we just forget what happened and go forward.”
Nik just stared at him, his expression devoid of any emotion. Baz felt like his chest was caving in.
Damn it, this shouldn’t have been so fucking hard. Had he really screwed up their relationship to the point they couldn’t restore it?
Baz refused to believe that.
Nik released a short sigh. “I’m not sure we can. I’m not sure—”
“Fuck that.” Baz closed the few steps between them and put his hands on Nik’s shoulders, their faces so close their noses almost touched. “No fucking way. I know I fucked up, okay. I know I have a lot of shit to make up for. But you’ve never given up and I’m not giving up now. I’m ready to get back to our music. And I can’t do it without you.”
Something flashed through Nik’s electric blue eyes, something Baz didn’t know how to interpret and that just pissed him off. There’d been a time when he and Nik could practically read each other’s minds.
Now . . .
Fuck.
The door flew open and Baz took a step away and turned to see Mac and Johnny walk through.
“Nikky. Holy fuck, kid.” Johnny made it to him first, wrapping him in the same bear hug he’d given Baz.
Nik returned it with a huge grin, the first Baz had seen from him tonight.
Behind Mac, coming through the door now, was Tru, who smiled at him as she walked in with Dana.
While Mac and Johnny spoke to Nik, Baz walked over to Tru.
“Sorry—”
She put her fingers over his lips, stopping the rest of his words. “Nothing to be sorry for. Did you talk?”
“Yeah but . . .” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Hey, Valenti,” one of the crew called to him. “I need to wire you.”
Frustration ate at him and he was halfway to backing out of performing, but Tru must’ve seen his intention in his face.
“I really do want to see you play.” She held on to his gaze. “Please?”
And behind him, Baz heard Mac say, “Nikky, come on, man. Baz is playing. You gotta come out and sing a few.”
Turning, he saw Nik’s gaze latch onto his.
“Really?” Nik looked like he didn’t believe it. “You’re gonna play?”
Fuck. Did he say yes or no?
“Yeah, I said I’d play a few.”