Page 72 of Resonance
“Funny, that’s not a complaint I’ve ever heard about Marty’s outfit.” I could all but hear him shrug. “You get fired again?”
“Nope,” Aiden said but didn’t elaborate, and I dropped it. Didn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t the first time and sure as shit wouldn’t be the last.
“How long you planning on staying?”
“Jesus, D. A week or two, maybe a little more. I won’t mess with your shit, don’t worry.”
I almost had to laugh for how the vehemence in his tone echoed our teenaged years. He’d constantly “borrowed” from me. But back then, it’d been inconsequential things. A shirt here, a CD there, and I’d known it for what it was: reverence. Big brother little brother stuff. We’d been close.
“No parties, no random folks out there sleeping over, either.”
He let out a tired chuckle. “Yeah, I got it, man. Christ, when did you become Dad?”
“Dad would’ve already had you out mowing the yard.”
“It’s almost midnight,” he started, then seemed to think the better of it. “But I will. I can mow the lawn tomorrow. Shit, what am I saying? It’s barely spring yet. Fuck off.”
“How about you just find a job and figure out a place to live. You’re 2k in the hole to me.”
“Not counting blood bond for anything there?”
“I did that when I forgave the first five grand I loaned you. And do we need to rehash the lump sum you got from me buying you out of your half of the house?” His silence was answer enough. “My business is underwater, Aiden. I’m treading as best as I can right now until the money from this tour comes through.” I’d gotten an advance for the greatest hits album, but I wasn’t about to tell Aiden exactly how much money was on the line with both it and the tour.
More silence. And then, “Yeah, all right. I get it.”
I wasn’t sure if he did, but something about his voice was different, more muted. If I spent any time trying to decode it, though, it’d end up keeping me awake at night. I’d lost sleep over him too often in the past. Always trying to help him get jobs or put a word in, loan him a hundred here, a grand there. For nothing.
“Owen’s stuff is in our old room, so you want me to take the master? Or the couch is fine, too, I guess.”
“Owen’s not in the master?” I frowned, puzzling over that.
“Says he’s not, why?” Aiden latched onto my silence, slyness thick in his drawl. “That how it is? You got something going on with that pretty-ass twink? I’ll be damned.”
If I’d been able to, I’d have reached through the phone and punched him. As it was, I had to take a deep breath to steady the flare of agitation. No sense in letting him know how riled up I was getting. He’d probably enjoy it too much.
“Tell Owen to take the master, and you mind your manners and keep your hands to yourself or believe me you’ll regret it.” Guess I’d fucked up on not letting him know he’d gotten me riled, because he let out a low whistle but then unexpectedly dropped the taunting.
“I’ll mind myself. Not my type anyway. Not yours, either, that I can recall.”
“You haven’t known me for a decade, Aiden. Don’t try to predict me now.”
After a beat of silence, I heard him shuffle the phone around. Then, to my surprise, he said, “Thanks.”
Once I gotoff the call after talking with Owen a little longer, I made my way down the aisle to the lounge area near the front of the bus. In the time I’d been on the phone, we’d started up and headed out, and the road hummed beneath my feet as I walked, a disconcertingly familiar sensation. I tossed the phone on the dinette and followed after it.
Ryder studied me from the couch, where he was typing on his laptop, then closed it and set it aside. “Beer ya?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Since I’d signed on to do the tour and rerelease, Ryder and I had danced carefully around each other, and it’d very much felt like the business partnership it was meant to be. But there were moments when we broke the pattern, like the night of the first show where, just for a second, I felt that old thread between us crackle to life. Friendship, camaraderie, music. I felt it again then as Ryder passed me a beer and settled with his own across from me, cracking the seal.
We’d done two shows in four days, and he still looked fresh as daylight while I was already suffering the ragged-edged effects of constant travel.
“Things all right back home?” His gaze was full of open curiosity.
I nodded and fiddled with the tab on my can. “More or less. Aiden showed up, surprised Owen.”
“Aiden, shit.” Ryder laughed and shook his head. “He still up to the same tricks?”