EPIC (Book 1 of the Soundcrush series)

Chapter 3: Rock Stars Yell A Lot

Kat

I can't fucking believe Trace sent a limo. Who the hell does he think he is?

He can't just disappear from my life for two and a half years and then send limos like he gives a shit. Because now, Laurel and Maddie are sitting in the back, refusing to get out and drinking champagne and Colin is standing in the yard with an expression on his face that is somewhere between worried and pissed.

"I didn't know about the limo," I say to him. He nods tersely.

"So Trace Gallant was just your neighbor, but he's going to all this trouble?" He looks to the house next door, as if it can provide him some explanation. "So what, your parents are still tight, or something?"

I sigh. "Not really. His parents moved, soon after he did."

Colin's expression does not ease. "So, what's going on, Kat? You and this guy were a thing?"

"We weren't a thing." It's not exactly a lie. A flirtation, one drunk interlude, and a few awkward exchanges after does not constitute a thing. "But, we were...friends, growing up. I've known Trace for as long as I can remember. He was in the same grade as my sister, Ashlynn."

Colin's expression eases a little, at my mention of Ashlynn. She's another sensitive subject, but he understands that one. "It's just weird, 'cause you've never said a word about him."

I shrug. "New girl in a new school? Bragging that you know a famous musician? That reads a little desperate, don't you think?"

He smiles. "Okay, yeah, I can see that. But you could have told me about him. I tell you pretty much everything, Kat. You know every girl I'm friends with." He looks wounded. I feel guilty.

"Because we aren't friends at all anymore," I assure Colin. I wave at the limo. "I'm sure this is nothing to him. Something he thought about for two seconds and told his assistant to handle. We don't keep in touch at all," I reiterate.

At that moment, my cell phone vibrates in my hand. I check it automatically and Colin and I both see Trace's name.

My heart momentarily stops. This is the last thing I expected. Maybe the first thing I hoped for when I saw the tickets last week, but the last thing I actually expected.

Colin makes a disgusted sound. When he speaks, his voice is low, like he's trying to control is anger. "Are you lying to me, Kat?"

"No! I...I haven't heard from him in two years. Really."

Colin shakes his head, a look of disbelief on his face.

"I swear," I say testily. I've never given Colin any reason to mistrust me, so his sudden flare of jealousy is getting old quick.

"Are you going to answer that?"

"No."

My thumb doesn't seem to want to move, but eventually I make it decline the call. Five seconds later, he calls again. Colin stares at the picture of Trace. It's an old one, but it's a very good picture of Trace playing his guitar in a band rehearsal—a picture I took the only time I went down to Athens one weekend, tagging along with Ashlynn, who was visiting some of her old high school friends that went there. I was barely fourteen—a high school freshman. Trace invited all of Ashlynn's friends to hang with the band and their friends. That was a great night—the first time I ever saw Soundcrush play. My first taste of college life, my first taste of beer. The first time Trace made me feel special—like special to him. There in a room full of college girls he could have been hooking up with, he was asking me how high school was going, and was actually interested to hear. When I reached for his red solo cup of beer and drank tentatively, he just chuckled. He switched my cup of soda for his beer casually, right beneath my uptight sister's nose. Later, when she smelled it on my breath, she berated him for fifteen minutes. He snuffed her scolding by offering all her friends tequila shots. They shouted her down and switched to team Trace.