She reaches out and grabs my arm. Her touch makes me uncomfortable. The only hands I want on me now are Ellie’s.Wait, what?
The realization is like a bus hitting me.
“Please, Trav, talk to me. I came all this way. Will you tell me about the tour and what you’re doing these days? I miss you.”
I peel her hand off my arm. “I’m not sure what you want to hear. I’m on tour, you saw the show. That’s what I do these days.”
She sits down, eyeing me with wide, shit-colored eyes. I feel nothing looking into them.
I cross my arms over my chest, and her eyes fall to my nipples. Glancing down, I realize that my piercings are pressing against the fabric because my shirt’s so damn sweaty.
She makes a face. “You got your nipples pierced?”
I blink at her. How did I ever think we were a good match? She liked my tattoos, but only when I had a few. I’d started getting them the minute I turned eighteen. Once I started covering both arms, she said it was too much. I’d already pierced my ears, nose and tongue, and she hated that. Well, not the tongue ring. No, she liked that one.
She said I was overdoing it. And don’t even get me started on my mohawk. She begged me to have a “normal” haircut. Whatever the fuck that is.
Ellie loves my hair. Dyes it for me and knows the product I like.
“You look different.” She cocks her head, letting her eyes drink me in. “But I like it.”
“I look exactly the same, but I don’t care whatyou like anymore.”
She frowns. “You still hate me?”
“I have zero feelings at all for you.”
Her lip wobbles. “Don’t you remember the good times we had? I’m sorry for what I did, but I was young and dumb! Give me a chance to show you I’ve changed.”
I move to the door, jerking it open. “You had your chance.”
She starts to cry, but I don’t have to sit and watch. I don’t need to waste my vocal cords on her.
I’m halfway down the hall when I see Tanner. I figured he’d already be on the bus asleep, but he’s headed right for me, a deep scowl on his face. Much deeper than normal. Shit, am I in trouble? The fuck did I do now?
“Do you even like being in a band?” he asks, his calm voice a stark difference to his face.
“Uh, obviously I do.”
“Then why do you keep messing up?”
My shoulders straighten. “Ex-fucking-cuse me?”
“Cut the shitagain, Travis. I know about the pills.”
I grind my jaw together. How does he know? Penn wouldn’t tell on me, and I highly doubt Calvin ratted himself out. That leaves…Ellie. But why would she do that? She promised.
I consider lying to him. He can’t prove anything, but lying is getting exhausting. I gotta man up and own my shit.
“I quit,” I say simply. “I’m done now.”
He flinches. He was probably waiting for me sell him some bullshit. He stares at me, and I think it’s the first time in his life he’s speechless. After a moment, he nods. “Good. You’re talented, Travis. We need you.”
Now it’s my turn to gape silently at him. Tanner doesn’t compliment me ever. What the fuckity fuck is going on? Did I OD the other night and slip into an alternate universe?
He slaps my arm and walks away. That’s it? He didn’t grill me or demand I piss in a cup to prove myself?
“We need to talk.”
