Forbidden Lyrics Read online

  Part of me wants to give her the space she’s requesting, but the other part of me doesn’t want her alone in the woods. After thanking Quinn for the information, I head where she indicated, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one is following me. Not that anyone would care.

  The path is clean and worn like it was made specifically into a walking trail. The trees create a beautiful canopy above as the babbling stream becomes more audible with each step. I haven’t had time to explore Kade’s land, only because we’ve never been home long enough or had any free time when I wasn’t spending it with my parents.

  The last of the remaining light shines through the leaves, illuminating the brown-haired beauty sitting on the rock near the water. She’s quietly staring at the water as if it’s lulling her into a sense of calmness only it can provide.

  I pause, taking a moment to appreciate the vision in front of me. Her hair cascading in waves down her back, the way her legs bounce to a beat only she can hear. And if she keeps it up, the skirt of that pale pink dress is going to ride up higher on her thigh, leaving little to the imagination.

  A twig snaps beneath my feet and Lizzie gasps, turning her head quickly in my direction. “Holy shi– Brecken, you scared me.”

  I chuckle as I find a rock close to her to sit on. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I was worried when I didn’t see you around.”

  She shrugs. “I needed a moment. It’s a bit much being around everyone again. My life is so quiet and you guys are really loud and boisterous.”

  “Boisterous? You’ve been hanging around Kade too much.”

  Lizzie softly laughs. “Hardly. I don’t think he’s said more than a few sentences to me since you’ve been back.”

  “His loss.”

  Deep green eyes look up, locking me in a staring contest I didn’t know I’d entered. “At least you’re talking to me.”

  “We’re friends, right? That’s what we agreed on the other night.”

  Her shoulders sag slightly. “Friends. Right.”

  I scoot closer, needing to get a gauge on what she’s thinking. “What’s on your mind?”

  Another shrug. “It’s nothing.” She looks off into the water again, her eyes reflecting the water almost to the point it looks like she’s about to cry. “Girl stuff, that’s all.”

  Ah. Enough said.

  “Well, how about I walk you back to the party? We’re about to start a fire and really live it up. There may be a bottle of wine or two in there for you.”

  Lizzie stands and brushes the back of her dress from any dirt that may have lodged there. “Sounds good to me. Though I really wish I hadn’t worn this dress. Or at least brought a change of clothes.”

  “I’m sure Adrienne has something you can borrow if you want to change.”

  When we reach the group again, Quinn has a creepy smile plastered on her face as she looks between the two of us. Weirdo. Lizzie excuses herself to ask Adrienne about the clothes then disappears back into the house.

  “Where were you two?” Tatum asks, handing me a beer as she slides into her chair.

  “Just telling her we were starting the bonfire early.”

  “Mmhmm.” She takes a drink from her water bottle. “It’s been a crazy long day. It’ll be nice to relax and hang out for a while.”

  “Agreed. Nothing better than being with family.”

  The setting sun on the horizon casts the sky in shades of lavender and pink. I look around at my friends and realize how lucky we all are to have each other as family. Every person sitting here now is more than blood. What’s that old saying, friends are the family you choose? Looking at all the happy, smiling faces around me, I know we’ve picked a good one.

  Lizzie pulls up a chair next to me, looking more relaxed in the loose-fitting T-shirt and yoga pants she found in Adrienne’s room.

  “You’re looking better,” I say, eyeing her up and down. If I were honest with myself, she’d look good wearing a paper bag.

  “I feel better. And yet, slightly depressed.” Tilting my head to the side, I ask why. “Because her closet is bigger than my whole house. I bet she’d never even notice if I moved in there.”

  Her jealousy is endearing. “I don’t think you’d want to be anywhere near Kade and Adrienne’s bedroom. Trust me.”

  “Why?” She’s serious.

  “You know those nature shows where they talk about mating?” She nods. “Yeah, that’s a mild description of what it’s like to be around them.”

  Her button nose scrunches as she makes a gagging sound. “Gross. Now I have that image in my head. Thanks a lot, Breck.” It’s hard to believe she’s upset when she’s laughing at the same time.

  I hadn’t even noticed that Kade disappeared into the house until he emerged through the patio door, holding two guitars in his hand. “It’s getting dark and we have everyone here. Who wants to have a fireside jam session?”

  “Hell yeah,” Myles exclaims, grabbing one of the guitars.

  And, once again, I’m without an instrument. Which is fine. It’s hard to be impromptu with a bass guitar. At least I can contribute with backup vocals.

  Kade strums a few chords as Myles tunes to him. Pax taps his feet, pretending to play the drum set in his mind. The girls all scoot closer to the fire as Myles starts the song.

  “Best song ever. Love this acoustic version,” Tatum exclaims, leaning back in her chair and crossing her hands over her stomach.

  “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters is a classic, but their acoustic version blows the original out of the water. It took us months after their greatest hits album released to really nail it down. Somehow, we managed to do it justice. As long as Dave Grohl never hears it, I think we’ll all be okay.

  Singing these songs reminds me of the good old days, back when we were messing around and didn’t have the weight of the world on our shoulders. No pressure for greatness, no demands by record labels and countless fans. Just four guys doing what they love.

  The only groupies we had were Lizzie and Tatum, but they hardly counted. Tatum was Myles’ girl and Lizzie was…always there. Supporting us in any way she could.

  The girls clap once the last chord is strummed. I’m surprised Myles restrained himself from taking a bow.

  “Tay, take this one.” Kade starts the intro, bringing a smile to Tatum’s face. “She Talks To Angels” by the Black Crowes was one of her favorite songs back in high school. We used to practice it all the time, at her insistence. In fact, it feels strange not having an instrument in my hands, as if they don’t know what to do. So, logically, I do what any normal musician would do: air-guitar, or air-bass guitar.

  Lizzie sways next to me, quietly singing along with Tatum. I turn and watch as she closes her eyes, getting lost in the music. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually heard her sing before. She’s never expressed interest. Then again, we never took the time to ask her.

  Listening to her sweet voice color the words in her own hues sends a chill down my spine. Where Tatum can have a hard edge, Lizzie has a soft touch, bringing a new depth to the song. And it’s more than trying to fly under the radar or not to be noticed. She really likes it. Now I need to figure out if she enjoys it as much as we do. Anything to bring that smile to her face again.

  A swift breeze cuts through the group, sending a wave of goosebumps across my exposed forearms. Adrienne is the first to speak up. “As much as I’m enjoying this concert, I’m moving inside. I don’t think my back can take sitting in this chair much longer.”

  “Yeah, my ass is numb, too. Let’s go inside and find a movie.” Quinn stands, helping Adrienne out of her chair.

  “Shouldn’t we get home?” Gabe asks his wife.

  She waves a hand in front of her face. “You can ravish me later. We’re having fun.”

  “I think that’s code for she’s not ready to stop drinking wine,” I say with a laugh.

  Gabe rolls his eyes as he follows Quinn inside with everyone else. Except for Lizzie, who’s
still sitting next to me, staring into the fire.

  “Cold?” There’s no way she isn’t. Granted, she has on more fabric than before, but there isn’t much to the material.

  “A little,” she says with a slight chatter to her teeth.

  Looking around, I spy a blanket on the back of Adrienne’s chair and put it around her shoulders. “Better?”

  She smiles up at me in appreciation. “Much.” Taking my seat next to her, we sit in comfortable silence.

  “You can go inside, you know. You don’t have to babysit me like the old days.”

  I draw my brows together. “Babysit you? Is that what you think we did?”

  Lizzie turns in her chair. “Isn’t it? I mean, you can’t honestly say you were thrilled that Myles’ younger sister was always tagging along.”

  “You want the truth?” She nods. “I didn’t mind. In fact, it was nice having you around sometimes.”

  “You’re a horrible liar.” Silence encompasses us once again before she stands, holding her hand out to me with the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go do something we haven’t done in a long time.”

  Looking back at the house, I can see everyone in the living room laughing at whatever movie Quinn managed to find. Not one person is paying attention to us out here. Taking her offered hand, she leads us through the grass to a clearing just far enough from the lights of the house. Spreading the blanket out, she pulls me down next to her, getting comfortable as we look up at the stars in the night sky. Only the sound of crickets in the distance—and the steady beat of my heart in my ears—can be heard.

  “Isn’t it wonderful? When was the last time you just laid out and admired the sky?”

  It takes me longer to respond. “It’s a little different in L.A. Stars don’t shine like they do here.”

  And they don’t. Millions of tiny white dots sparkle in the sky in varying sizes. Some tiny, almost miniscule. Some larger, painting a picture if you connect the dots.

  “There’s Orion,” she says, pointing to the three most recognizable stars in the sky.

  “Is that the big dipper or the little one?”

  She laughs. “I can never figure it out because I swear I see more stars in the handle than what are probably there.”

  “I think that’s Jupiter over there,” I say, pointing to the bright star in the east.

  “You sure?” Lizzie tilts her head to the side, almost laying it on my shoulder. A gust of wind blows and she shivers, hissing out a breath through her teeth.

  “Here.” I pull her into my side, letting her head rest on my arm. “Body heat is a good way to keep you warm since we’re lying on the blanket.”

  “Good idea.” Snuggling in closer, she nuzzles into the crook of my neck. Something stirs to life in my pants. Shit, not now.

  I need to push her away, keep her at a distance. But the thought of moving her takes my breath away. It’s never an option.

  Instead, we keep looking up, pointing out the constellations we know and make up some of our own. Like the Mr. Danbury, our principal in high school. He’s the cluster of stars shaped like a pitchfork. At least that’s what we’re calling it. Then there are the three stars we deemed The Last Supper.

  “I can’t believe you’ve seen that episode of South Park before.”

  “Are you kidding? That show is hilarious. Welcome to the plan-ne-arium,” she says in the worst impression I’ve ever heard.

  I grab my stomach with my free hand, laughing so hard my gut hurts. “You didn’t.”

  “Oh, I just did.” Lizzie smirks while giving me a wink. “Bet I can recite more lines than you can.”

  Lying with her on my arm, I feel more like myself than I have in years. As we recite different lines from, in my opinion, the greatest show ever created, I realize there’s no other place I’d rather be right now.

  If only the line between friendship and something…more, was easier to maintain.

  “Tonight’s the night, right?” Quinn sits down next to me as I go through the day’s reports.

  I glance up, twisting my lips to the side. “Huh?”

  “Breck. Coming over. Your house? Ringing any bells?”

  Shit. That’s tonight? Damn, I completely forgot. Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s been on my mind since the day he made the suggestion at The Warehouse. I honestly didn’t think he’d offer, let alone want to spend hours doing menial manual labor to his best friend’s sister’s house.

  “Oh, that. Yeah, he’s coming tonight,” I say. Quinn’s eyes sparkle with mischief. “Over! He’s coming over tonight.”

  “Is he bringing his own wood?”

  Fucking dirty mind and mouth. How could someone like her work with kids every day?

  “No, I bought his wood.” Another smirk has me slapping my forehead. “The wood. Not his wood. Technically it’s my wood.” I’m saying wood too many times and it’s getting a little deep in here.

  Quinn only shakes her head. “Look, I think it’s cute the way you two pretend not to be into each other. The way I’m picturing it, you’ve been this way since high school, am I right?”

  “What?” I practically drop the tablet in my hands, barely saving it from a fate of being yet another shattered screen at my expense. “No, we were not like anything in school. He had his crowd and I had mine, considering I was four years younger.”

  “Still are, unless you’ve discovered some tablet that magically ages you, to which you need to destroy that now because people want something to make them younger.”

  God, this woman is a pain in the ass. “You know what I mean. A high schooler doesn’t want to hang around someone who’s in junior high. And I can guarantee you that hasn’t changed over the years.”

  Quinn spins in the chair. “Fine. Whatever you say. But you didn’t see the concerned look on his face when you disappeared into the woods on Saturday. I’m telling you, that man is into you.”

  Of all the women in the world, why would he be concerned with me? Myles made it very clear years ago that I am off limits, that pursuing a relationship with me would mean hell to pay. For anyone, not necessarily Brecken. Do you know how hard it is to date in high school when your older brother threatens to beat up everybody who looks in your direction? He even threw Will Connor up against a locker because he thought Will touched my boob. Poor Will just sneezed and I happened to walk right into him. It was accidental, but Myles went overboard, as usual. I had to make it up to Will later by being his first official kiss, then tell all my friends about what an amazing kisser he was. After that performance, I really should have gone into acting.

  “You were drunk. Besides, I’m fine staying single for a while. Get back to myself. Figure out who I am so I don’t drown in someone else’s shadow.” And the shadow Brecken casts would darken my world in a nanosecond.

  “Whatever.” Quinn stands and stretches her hands above her head. “I’m off to go spend some quality time at the bar.”

  Placing the tablet safely on the charging dock, I laugh and grab my purse. “People will start to think you have a drinking problem if you make statements like that all the time.”

  “No drinking problem here. The only issue is that my husband is a workaholic and can’t delegate. Then again, it was easier when Adrienne worked at the bar. She was his most trusted employee.”

  “Sounds like he needs to hire a supervisor.” The humidity hits us the minute we walk out the door. Good thing I need to keep my hair back for my job because right now, it’d be a ball of frizz.

  Quinn leans against her car, digging for her keys. “As soon as our names are on the business, things are going to change. I told him I won’t be a bar widow. And if he is entertaining any thoughts of impregnating me in the near future, he has to be home more often. Kinda hard to get pregnant from a vibrator.”

  “Well, I’m sure you could find something online that will house his sperm then with a push of a button simulate ejaculation.”

  She taps her chi
n. “Now I know what I’ll be researching while waiting for him to get done at work.”

  “Of course, you know it’s not nearly as fun as the real thing.”

  The driver’s side window rolls down as she sticks her head out. “Yeah, but it’s quick and guaranteed and doesn’t require me standing on my head.”

  “Standing on your –”

  Quinn holds up a hand. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answers to.”

  Fair enough.

  We say our goodbyes and I climb into my car, half eager to get home, yet dreading it all at the same time. Quinn’s words stick in my head, though, filling me full of doubts. Could he really feel that way? I mean, Myles didn’t even care enough to come look for us while they were all watching the movie. He’d have busted a nut if he saw us lying on a blanket under the stars, me curling into the warmth of his body, feeling his heartbeat beneath my hand as it rested on his chest. The smell of his skin—something woodsy with an aftertone of mint—as I nuzzled into his neck.

  This is going to require a pit stop to the liquor store first.

  I try not to pace the halls waiting for Brecken. Don’t want to look desperate—something I am not. He’s a friend coming over to help save me some money by doing renovations I’ve put off for too long. I’m not dumb enough to tell my parents that he’s helping. One, my dad would take offense because he’s been offering to update everything since I signed the deed. And each time he’d offer, I kindly turned him away, saying I was going to do this on my own. Two, my mother would have a field day with this, more so than Quinn already is. And apparently, Tatum as well because she’s been sending me cryptic messages since the party, wondering what I’ve been up to lately.

  As big as Kansas City is, it really is a small town.

  Now’s a good time to get a head start. I pick up my phone and sync to my Bluetooth speaker, selecting my favorite playlist and hitting shuffle. “Despacito” blares through the speakers, making my legs move to their own volition. Of course, it’s easy to move around when you’re wearing the shortest pair of sleep shorts you own. Nothing restricting.