Page 19 of Never To Suffer (The Hollywoodland #4)
“Asshat,” I return fire. He throws a shop towel at me as we both laugh and get back to work.
It’s nice being around him again, around people who care.
It’s possible I belong here. Closer to family, someone with a stable life I can look up to.
But each person who walks by the shop and sneers reminds me I’d never be myself in a town like this without watching over my shoulder.
“Come on, let’s get back and wash up,” Marc says, putting the tools away.
I snicker at the way he adds an r to wash when his southern twang slips in.
Marc was born in Georgia, and between that and years in the military, he picked up a slight drawl that got worse when he married a girl from Oklahoma.
Where I ran from the military upbringing, Marc embraced it and followed in dad’s footsteps.
It’s always been funny to me that siblings could be so different, with Marc being the macho tough guy and me being some kind of odd-ball sensitive kid.
“Worship?” I tease. “Bro, I’d catch fire in a church!”
“Shut it, California hippy.” We laugh and talk as we walk the bike back to the house. He grabs a couple of hand towels out of the dryer after we wash our hands off with a hose in the yard.
“When you two finish up, breakfast is almost ready, and I’ve heard the whispers of the demons we keep in the attic!
” shouts a tiny firecracker with long red hair pulled into a rock-a-billy fashion updo.
Marybeth and Marc met in Oklahoma while stationed there, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
“Sky-Sky!” Two identical gremlins with bright red hair come bolting out of the house and head for me. I haven’t seen them in at least two years, so I’m surprised they even remember me, but I guess it’s hard to forget the giant who makes them fly.
“The hellions have risen! Tremble in fear!” They grab hold of my legs and shriek with laughter while I stomp around, doing my best monster impersonation.
“Okay, back inside and go set the table!” Their mom yells, clapping her hands to get their attention.
I ruffle their hair before they take off for the door, still laughing.
“If I could bottle up that energy, I’d get so much damn work done around the house.
Oh, speaking of energy, how would you two like to go out tonight? ”
“Out where?” Marc asks first, raising an eyebrow as he crosses his arms.
“Grace called earlier. Her and the boys are headed downtown tonight to check out that new bar. There’s some big show going on and like five bands or something.”
“I dunno?—”
“Is it country music?” I ask, cringing.
“No, baby. I may be a country girl, but I’m not a country music girl. Come on, we’ll get a sitter and show you a good time before you head off for the big city again.”
“Hey, are you in a band?” a bottle blonde woman slurs as she falls against me, giggling. “Cause you’re, like, in a band level hot. All brooding and mysterious…and so damn tall.”
“No, just here to watch.” I try to move away, but she stumbles, blocking my path.
“What do you like to watch? Because I’d let you watch me.
” Her blood-red lip drags through her teeth and her long, slender fingers twirl her hair.
I bet she’s fun, and for a second, I forget where I am and almost ask if she’s got a boyfriend to join us.
But she stumbles again, spilling half her beer on the floor and my boots.
“If only you weren’t drunk, sweetheart. Come on, let’s go find your friends. You shouldn’t be left alone like this.”
She pulls her arm out of my grasp and presses her tits against me.
I’m not sure if she’s coming on harder, or trying to stay upright.
Scanning the room behind her, I try to find her crowd, but all these groups look the same.
Thankfully, my sister-in-law picks that exact moment to leave the bathroom and come to my rescue.
“Monica, baby, where’s Bryce? I’m sure he’s looking for you, and if you keep this up, you’ll start a fight.” She grabs the blonde’s arm and distracts her before turning to me. “Go on, find Marc and I’ll catch up with y’all.” She waves me off and I don’t stick around.
The doors to the show swing open moments later, and a group of young girls come to sweep the drunk Monica away before they’re all swallowed up by the wave of people. Either this show is bigger than I thought, or nothing else is going on in town tonight.
“Thanks for the save, Marybeth.” I tap our plastic beer cups together when she catches up to us again.
“She’s harmless, but her boyfriend ain’t. Y’all ready to go in?” She stands on her tiptoes, watching the people still pouring into the next room.
“I’ll meet you inside. I gotta hit the head.”
“Be careful, baby, you don’t wanna break any hearts walking around looking the way you do,” she giggles and winks before she and Marc head off to brave the crowd and find their friends.
I let them get lost in the sea before I slip out the back.
I’ve got at least half an hour before the first band goes on, and that’s assuming they're on time. They won’t be.
Either way, it’s enough time to have a cigarette and avoid the crowd.
The smoking patio overflows with people in various degrees of drunk, so head out to the parking lot behind the building.
I dig around in the bag on the side of my bike, searching for a small metal box, but I come up empty.
Either I lost my stash, or Marc found it and threw it out, thinking he was doing me a favor.
There goes the last of my low-grade weed for my panic attacks.
At least until I get to LA and make some money.
“Dick,” I mumble under my breath and light a cigarette instead. About halfway through, in the middle of perfecting my smoke rings, a voice cuts through the air and slices up my spine.
“That is not happening, TODD ! You haven’t learned the music we gave you!”
I blink and rub my eyes. That can’t be her, can it? Maybe a ghost, or my mind projecting the face I want over that of a stranger. But that voice?
“Now you want to rewrite our shit? Why are you like every other Todd on this planet!?” she yells out. There’s no mistaking that queen bitch attitude anywhere.
“Dani?”