I glance at the Vodka bottle, noting the seal is still intact, and relax.
“Penn, I know it’s going to be hard for you to believe me, but I’m going to need you to give me a chance to prove I’m sober. I’m done with that life. Besides, alcohol was never the problem.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Shit.” I take a seat beside her and drop my head in my hands.
I need to chill. I’ve been helicoptering her since she showed up the other night. Being crazy is only going to push her away again.
“It’s okay.”
Tanner and Liam pop through the door, and both their eyes widen at the sight of Pacey. They were both gone when she showed up after our last gig and found me backstage, and in allthe shit I’ve been dealing with since her return, I hadn’t had a chance to tell them.
“Oh, hello,” Liam says, his brows diving as he studies Pacey. It’s been a while since she’s been to one of our gigs.
“Hi, I’m?—”
“Pacey,” Tanner says, staring at my sister’s fading black eye. His eye twitches the same way mine did, and Pacey pretends not to notice.
“Right, duh,” Liam says sheepishly.
“You guys were amazing!” Pacey says. “I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to watch you play again.”
“Thanks, glad you could make it,” Liam says.
“Hi, Tanner.” Pacey beams at Tanner, but he just continues to stare at her.
I clear my throat, and his eyes flick to mine. I send him a warning glare and he turns away, gathering shit aggressively.
I walk over and talk quietly because this room is fucking small, and I don’t want Pacey to hear. “What the fuck is your problem?”
He continues to pack up his papers and stuff them into a folder. “What’s the deal with her? The last thing we need before going on tour is a bunch of drama.”
My nostrils flare, and I flex my fist to keep from punching one of my best friends and bandmates in his teeth. “Excuse me?” I growl.
“I know she’s your sister and I know she’s been through some shit. I’m sorry. I’m sure I don’t know the whole story. I’m not Travis, but I want to make sure your head is in the right place. We leave in a few weeks.”
I ignore his jab about not being kept in the loop because fuck if he tells me all of his personal shit either. “Everything’s good. Don’t fucking worry about my head. When have I ever let my personal shit get in the way of this?”
He nods because he knows the answer is never. I was in a dark place when my dad died, and I took some time off because who wouldn’t? And yes, I made some mistakes, but nothing that affected the band. The band was the only thing that kept me alive.
He leaves the room without another word, and I sit back down just as Travis comes through the door, with Ellie in tow.
“You have a lot of nerve, asshole!” A screech comes from the short girl on Travis’s arm.
Everyone stops and turns to Ellie, who I realize is talking to me.I lean forward and arch a brow at her, confused. I glance at Travis, but he seems as surprised as I am.
“What?” I ask.
Her eyes are tiny little slits, and they bounce from me to Pacey. “You brought your whore back here!”
I rear back, feeling my sister tense beside me. Travis grabs her arm, but she shakes him off.
“I should rip your fucking balls off and feed them to the birds!”
“Jesus Christ, Ellie, calm down. That’s?—”
“You’re going to regret this for the rest of your miserable life, you asshole! You’ll never find someone as good as her!” she snarls, and I might find the whole thing funny if her words didn’t knock the wind out of me.
She’s right. I won’t.
