Page 146 of Second Sets Omnibus

“EJ Records across town has always been interested,” I say confidently as the car takes off across town toward Asher’s massive house on the damn beach.

I squeeze my eyes shut when visions of River walking into the conference room fill my mind and refuse to let go. For five years, I’ve wiped her existence from everything. I pretend she never existed. I pretend she never shattered my heart into a million pieces. But she always seems to show her face in my nightmares. Now, she’s here in the flesh, ready to haunt me more.

And it pisses me off more than anything. How can she walk around like nothing happened between us? What we had was more special than anything. And she gave it away for a good fuck in the back of a Mustang.

A picture of Van and River in her kitchen. Kissing. His fucking lips are on hers. Her lips on his.

I see red. My mind goes haywire. Accusations sit on the tip of my tongue. Anger rises in my chest and crushes my ribs,ripping my heart from inside me. Opening a deep, dark pit of nothing in my chest. Numbness prickles at my mind and tingles down my limbs.

And then I feel…nothing.

A part of me wished what Asher had said wasn’t fucking true, and that it was all some sick joke on us. It was a video; it could have been staged. Some last blaze of glory for Van to try and win her back without us in the picture. I was prepared to march to her apartment and spank the truth from her ass. Then Callum came and set me straight with his picture.

There it was in bright colors. The truth I’ve been dreading with a sickening knot in my stomach since Asher opened his mouth.

How had I fallen so hard again? With her? Only to have to force myself to put one foot in front of the other and leave her behind, forgetting she ever existed.

I used to think my heart only beat for her, but now it beats for no one. Not even me. I’m a broken man without my River Blue. Or not mine. Was she ever? Was it all fun and games? Did I not make myself clear who owned every inch of her?

Apparently not. Because Donovan Drake swooped in and stole her back like he had planned. Maybe we were just a way to pass the time, and we were never exclusive. Whatever it was, I’m done, but not before I find out for myself. Without a word or a glance back, I throw open the front door and storm away, hellbent on finding the truth for myself.

I blow out a breath, shaking the stupid memories out of my mind just in time to retrieve a pale-looking Asher. Something plagues him when he settles in his seat beside me, fiddling with a key between his fingers. Nervously, he darts his eyes around the car and swallows hard, before looking out the window again. It’s always the same with him. Since we moved here, he’s been sketchy as hell. Always locking himself in his room, unless it hasto do with the band. Then he’ll come out and play with us. He’s always so quiet and so damn reserved. It drives me fucking nuts to see him act so differently from the guy I used to know.

He hasn’t been the same since River.

“What is wrong with you?” I mutter, wrinkling my nose.

I’ve never seen my perfectly put-together stepbrother—or I guess not anymore—lose his shit like this. Sweat beads on his forehead, and he heaves another breath.

“Nothing,” he murmurs so quietly, gazing out the window as we take off down the road with all of us settling in.

“Anyone know where this mysterious band house is?” Rad asks in a lazy tone, keeping his eyes trained out the window at the blurring colors passing by.

Rad may seem like the same old goofy dude, but he’s not. He’s thrown himself into music, girls, booze, and parties. All to forget her. She who shall not be named. The one who ruined us all with her selfish ways. And that idiot? Yeah, he still pines for her every night.

Sometimes I think River West was our one true love. Something we’ll never find again.

“I’ll find it,” Callum says, pulling out our contract from some mysterious place in his hoodie. Flipping through a few pages with trembling fingers, he points to a spot on the page. “Number Four, Lyric Lane, is the official address listed in the paper.”

Rad snorts. “Lyric Lane? Sounds made up.”

Asher’s breath beside me shudders in his chest, and he shakes his head, drawing my attention to him again. He’s acting fucking weird. I’ve never seen someone who is all business all the time, so fucking rattled by this situation. I run a hand down my face and shake my head.

“Don’t let her get to you,” I offer, sitting back and getting comfortable. “We’ll get out of this. I’ll never let River rule my life ever again.”

Asher swallows hard, snapping his hazel eyes at me. Licking his lips, he looks at the other two and leans into my personal bubble.

“You know River had a kid?” he asks in a soft voice, trying not to draw attention to the other two.

I snort. “Of course. Gloria called me,” I spit, rolling my eyes. “I’ve known for the past five years.” My heart beats heavily against my ribs at the thought of her having a kid.Hiskid. After all that time together, she still went back to him before we even left and opened her legs.

“You knew?” Asher asks with furrowed brows, and his face twists in disbelief. “You knew about her? And you’ve never…”

I scoff. “Why the fuck would I care?” I wave a hand. “River can do whatever she wants. She’s not my concern. Not anymore.” A pain stabs my chest, tightening like rubber bands constricting my breath. Even after all these years.

I loved her once. Hell, more than once. She was my best friend. I really fucking loved her, to the point I would have jumped off a cliff for her without a second thought. Until that night when I watched with my own eyes as she jumped into that psycho’s lap and fucked his brains out, and then Callum’s proof was all I needed. We used her at first, hoping to get by on her name to get here. Then, somehow under our noses, she used us right back, faking Van’s stalker interest in her. Using us to defend her honor and all that shit. It’s the only explanation I’ve come up with after all this time.

“River has a kid?” Rad asks, the conversation piquing his interest. Leaning forward, he rests his elbows on his knees, staring between the two of us. “Since when?” His face twists, and more betrayal spears through his dark eyes.