Page 15 of Rock Giant

“That so?”Steve’s blue eyes burned him with the intensity that had won Toys in the Attic scores of fans ever since their first intensely atmospheric music video.

Elspeth circled her arms around his neck from behind.Her lips brushed the crown of his head, followed by her hand.“Oo, soft,” she said of his buzz cut.She leaned in closer, mouth to his ear.“What’s with the knots in your nuts?”

“Excuse me?”He knew what she meant.He’d been wound tight from the moment he stepped inside this tent.How she knew that he was less certain about, but she proved her point by digging her fingers into his shoulders.His muscles were indeed full of knots that resisted her massaging.“I slept like shit.Bus is loud.You know how it is.Probably need to go for a run and work it off.”

She made the appropriate noises, but he sensed she was unconvinced.Felt they were all viewing him like he was flashing up an anomaly warning.Honestly, it was a relief when Damon wandered over and started grilling him about recording studios.Where was still open?Who was the best for what?He gave Ric’s Liddell Island studios a plug.They both waxed lyrical about Rockfield for a few minutes, before he got asked about Stormland, but couldn’t offer anything constructive having never been there.At the end he gave DeathScythe a plug too, purely because Allegra had worked… still worked there on and off.

Forty minutes passed before he figured he ought to make a move before someone came looking for him.He’d done two rounds of goodbyes and reached the tent entrance, only for Damon to pull him to one side.“How are you set for October?”

He regurgitated the stuff about his tour schedule.

“Not too far away, then,” Damon insisted, one hand fast around Paul’s lower arm.“Make sure you get to the Samhain Fire Festival.I can’t say why, but I’m telling you, you need to be there.No excuses.If you miss this…” He finished by shaking his head.

“I’ll do what I can, man but—”

“Nix that right now.They’ll be fucking gutted if you’re not there, so make sure you fucking are, and don’t be a whiny arse about it.I don’t give a shit why you’ve been keeping your distance, get over it.In fact, if you’ve any fucking soul, show your face before then too.They don’t deserve this, Paul.They taught you better than this.”

He wasn’t sure he had a response that didn’t just dig him into a deeper hole, so he kept his mouth shut, and left with his cheeks burning.

The fact was, Black Halo had a five-day break scheduled right after the Norwegian leg of the tour, but he and Ronnie had some sightseeing planned, and he’d snagged a cabin that promised an entirely off grid experience.Besides, his folks were probably busy swimming with pigs, or grooming alpacas, or contributing to some rewilding project somewhere.

He hadn’t realised that Elspeth had followed him out until he was halfway back to the bus.

“E?”

“Paul.”She swallowed, then offered him a terse smile.“Don’t be a stranger because of whatever Damon said.”

Yeah, he didn’t see himself making time to hang out.Was no longer sure he even wanted to watch their set.“You know where to find me.”

She snorted.

Okay, fair.She wasn’t about to breeze aboard her former band’s bus for a random catch up.Leastways, not uninvited by one of them that wasn’t him.Too awkward.He knew the gist of what had been said the last time she and Xane had spoken, but that hadn’t pressed reset on all the pain.There remained slights on both sides that wouldn’t easily be forgiven and that would make any sort of gathering they were both at distinctly uncomfortable.Nor did he have a grand plan for how to go about changing that.Time, he guessed.It was supposed to heal all.He wasn’t sure that was true.Meanwhile, maintaining distance made for less drama, and even though he relished a bit of excitement after Damon’s lecture, the band wouldn’t benefit from more Elspeth drama.

“I’ll see.Who knows how things will pan out.You know how it is.”

“I do.”She stretched up on tiptoes again to press a kiss to his jaw.Then gave him a hug.“Miss you,” she said, as she pulled away.“I miss our adventures.”

It’d been a very long time since they’d shared what he’d describe as an adventure.“Me too, E.Me too.”

He left her there, just about in sight of the tour bus, but certainly not close enough so that anyone would ever think she was interested in or connected to the band to which it belonged.He only looked back once he reached the bus steps.By then she was gone and miraculously, the shower on the bus was free.He stayed in there until the water ran out.

CHAPTER 5

Paul “Rock Giant” Reed

Foraging had turned up one old boot, three tubs of ripe blackberries, fourteen random plastic items, now deposited in the site’s recycling bins, seventeen sloes, some chanterelles, and a bag of rosehips courtesy of Ash and Ginny.Ronnie having been responsible for the old boot, Spook the sloes and chanterelles, and Xane and Luthor the blackberries and plastic.

“Not bad, not bad.”Paul offered the congratulations as he dished out bottles of Welsh cider in reward.“Not sure the boot really counts though does it, mate?It’s not exactly edible or even useful.If it were a pair, then maybe.”

Ronnie stuck out his tongue, but his expression soon twisted into a pout when Paul continued to shake his head.

“You need to do better.”

“I couldn’t find anything, and I wasn’t sure about the berries.Didn’t want to risk killing anyone,” Ronnie whined.

“There’s a shed load of nettles over there,” Luthor helpfully waved a hand in their general direction.

“Nettles.What use are they?Plus, I’ll get stung.”