EPIC (Book 1 of the Soundcrush series)

Chapter 47: (Even) Rock Stars Get Played

I really really want to drag my updates out, but then I think about you guys...the readers. This chapter is dedicated to anxietal. She's got a book herself, that I'm really diggin'...called Both of Us. Check it out,  but it's on hold, so don't stress her for updates...Here's to you, anxietal ....

Kat

When I come downstairs already showered and dressed for the day, Trace is in the kitchen again. On the phone again, doing rock star business probably. Unlike yesterday, when he wore cargo shorts and an old brewery T-shirt, today, he looks like the rock star he is, in skinny faded jeans and a plain tight gray t-shirt that probably cost two hundred dollars. He's shaved and he's already styled his hair. Ray-bans hang from his shirt. I guess he's put on the swagger today because he's headed to LA, but he doesn't sound like his swaggery self. He sounds a little...anxious.

"You sure, man? I don't know when her flight is, and I don't want to hold you up."

He listens. "Naw, she's got her own thing—a summer internship," He chuckles a little. "I wish, man." He finally notices me coming up behind him. He mouthes good morning to me. "Yeah." Then he frowns. "I don't know. I told you—" he rolls his eyes, and grimaces. "Okay, okay. I'll ask."

Trace looks me up and down quizzically, noticing my turquoise paisley romper that I bought yesterday.I've paired it with a thin white shirt, knotted at the waist and I'm wearing the espadrilles, too. He smiles —it's much more my old boho style than my recent serious girl look and apparently he approves.

"Okay, damn, I said I'd ask," he barks into the phone. He winks at me. "My very impatient bio-dad wants to invite you to join us for dinner. At his place in LA tonight. I told him you can't, you are headed to—"

"Oh my god, really!?! Tell him, thank you, I'm a huge fan and I can't wait to meet him." I say with a sweet smile.

Trace lowers the phone and presses the mute button. "Are you serious?" he asks slowly. He notices my pullman that I lugged downstairs. "What about your internship?"

"I can still make it," I promise him, and then wrap my arms around him. "And honestly...I'm not ready to say good-bye to you again. Unless you don't want me to come with. I mean, if you need some time alone with Matt and his family—"

"No, no," he assures me quickly, he checks the phone to make sure it's on mute. "I'd really like it if..." he clears his throat and shrugs, "it will be easier if you are there to have my back," he says softly. "There's so many of them."

I beam at him. My big sexy rock star lived his whole life as a only, lonely child. It's throwing him off to realize he has five siblings. He's so cute when he's nervous. "You got it, TG." I put his phone back to his ear. "You better not keep Matt del Marco waiting," I whisper as I slip away to see about breakfast. Smiling, I pull the butter and cheese from the fridge. Trace winks at me and grabs the loaf of bread from the pantry. I'm super hungry, though, thanks to Colin trying to kill me at the gym this week, so I grab a yogurt, too.

As Trace briefly coordinates the travel details with Matt and smears butter on bread, Ben saunters up from the basement with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Glad to see you not crying over the recycling this morning," he says lightly, with a nod to Trace.

I squint at him. "You knew all day yesterday that Trace was coming, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"And you didn't think the decent thing would be to let me know?"