Rock n Roll Baby

Linc’s always had two loves—music and me. When
his big break comes, though, it feels like he’s going
to have to choose. I can’t be the one to hold him
back so I’m going to keep a secret. He’ll hate me
when he finds out, but I can’t crush his dream.

I’ve only ever had one love—Cherry. She’s the
heart of my songs, the beat in my melodies. If I
have to choose between music and her, she’d win
every time. When my music blows up big on the
scene, I need Cherry by my side. Only this time,
she’s reluctant to leave home. I’ll need all of my
songwriting skills to convince her that my guitar
only sounds right when we’re together.

LINC

CLUB

SMELLS

like stale smoke and beer. The

lights are dim and I can barely make out the face of
Cherry,  but  she’s  there,  sitting  in  the  spot  she
always  sits  in—just  left  of  the  stage.  From  the
beginning,  when  I  started  playing  gigs,  she  has
chosen to sit on the side. She told me that she sees
my  face  up  close  enough,  but  she’s  really  doing  it
because she wants me to get more fans.

“One look at this face,” she told me, “and

they’ll all fall in love.”

“I want them to love my music.”
“Use them both.” She kissed me then. Or I

kissed her. Not sure but we ended up sweaty and
naked, that’s for damn sure.

“This next song is for all the lovers out there.

Grab the one or the one for the night”—I pause as
the crowd laughs—“and sing this next song with
me.”

I scoot my stool over a little to the left so I’m

closer  to  her  and  sing  the  song  I  wrote  one  night
when  Cherry’s  parents  were  gone  and  we  were
lying in her backyard on a blanket. It was summer
and it was too hot inside because the assholes that
gave birth to her had forgotten to pay the utility bill
before  they  went  off  to  gamble  in  the  Ozarks.  To
cheer  her  up,  I  sang  about  how  we  didn’t  need
them  because  we  had  the  stars  in  the  sky  and
they’d be our lights through the night.

I repeat those lyrics now.

It may be dark now
But the night can’t last forever
Just hold my hand
And we’ll reach the stars together

The crowd sings it with me. I’ve been here

before.  They’ve  been  here  before.  We’re  old
friends  so  I  get  up  from  my  stool,  stroll  off  the
stage,  still  playing  the  guitar  until  I  reach  Cherry’s
side.  Nick,  my  drummer,  holds  the  beat  for  me
while  Benjy,  my  best  friend  and  bassist,  plays  the
groove.  While  the  crowd  is  singing  and  swaying,  I
lean  over  and  kiss  her  until  the  crowd’s  rowdiness
makes me push away.

I hop back onto the stage, finish up and move

right into the rock tune that everyone loves about
how I messed up, can’t get up, too drunk to

remember, but if she takes me back, I’ll promise to
be good for this one night, sleep tight, I’ll get
right. I promise to be good for this one night, I’ll
get riiiiiiiiiiight.

Nick smashes the cymbals, Benjy makes the

bass cry, and I…well, I must turn the ladies on
because three pairs of underwear land on my feet.
It doesn’t matter that I just tongued Cherry in front
of them. They still think they have a chance.

The  bar  owner,  Tim  Owens,  walks  in  clapping  his
hands.  “Awesome  set,  my  friends.”  Tim’s  an  old
guy with one of those gray ZZTop beards that hangs
down to his chest. His face always has that alcohol
flush but even if he’s drunk, he’s still smart as hell,
knows  the  music  business  in  and  out,  and  has
launched  more  careers  than  Jimmy  Lovine.  He
started booking us a year ago and while we haven’t
had  much  regional  success,  we’re  a  hit  with  the
locals, which means there’s always space for us on
his roster. As high school seniors, I don’t think we
can ask for more than that. He pulls a giant wad of
cash out of his pocket and thumbs his way through
a  few  bills.  He  peels  them  off  and  hands  them  to
Cherry.

“Make sure they don’t spend it all at once,” he

tells my girl.

“I won’t, Uncle Tim.” He’s not really her uncle,

but in the past year, he’s taken a liking to her and
she’s confided some in him.

“I put a little extra in there for you since I know

your shit-for-brain parents aren’t taking care of
you. The only good thing they’ve done in their lives
is stop after having you.”

“Um, thanks.” She ducks her head and kind of

tries to hide behind me in embarrassment.

“You taking good care of her, boy?” He directs

this at me.

“You know it.”
“Good. Good. I wouldn’t want to bust the

chops of my rising star, would I now?”

“You would not,” I agree. One blow from his

meaty fist and I’d be out for a good week.

“All right. You miscreants better get out of here

before the cops haul you away.”

“That’d require my old man to tear himself

away from the Donut Hole,” Benjy grunts. He flips
the guitar case latches closed and swings the black
shell over his back.

“Respect your elders!” Tim shouts as he walks

out of the backroom.

I hustle over and help Nick tear down the drum

kit. We shove it all in the bed of Nick’s truck. Nick
hops over the driver’s side while Benjy holds his
seat down so Cherry and I can climb in the back.

“No fucking back there,” Nick says as he pulls

out of the parking lot.

“When have we ever?” Cherry exclaims.
“Whatever, just keep the noise to a minimum,”

Nick grumbles. “Some of us are single.”

“Just turn up the music,” Benjy advises. He

pulls out a flask and tips half of it down his throat.
Nick lights a cigarette and does as Benjy orders—
turns the music up to eleven.

I pull Cherry onto my lap and nuzzle her neck.
“Not in front of the guys,” she says.
“Don’t worry,” I reply. “They can’t see a thing

back here. Besides, the music is up and all you
gotta do is keep quiet.”

I slide my fingers under her denim skirt and rub

the crotch of her panties. “How come you never
throw yours up on stage?”

“You’re supposed to take them off.”
“Ahh, but we’re not supposed to be doing

anything in front of the guys, I thought.”

She wriggles slightly, pressing her heated pussy

against my hand. “Since when do you listen to
me?”

“Every damn minute.” In fact, I’m listening to

her  right  now.  Her  body  is  telling  me  to  slip  my
fingers  underneath  the  damp  cotton  and  finger  her
tight,  juicy  pussy.  I  do  as  I’m  instructed  because
I’m  a  very,  very  good  boy.  As  the  truck  bumps
along in the night and the Ramones wail about the

CHERRY

INC

P LAYS

with the end of my ponytail as I

scribble down all the notes in our economics class.
He’s  not  paying  attention  to  anything  but  me.
School  has  never  been  his  favorite  thing  to  do.
Sometimes I think he only comes because I’m here.
I  have  to  come  because  I  don’t  have  a  beautiful
voice  to  fall  back  on.  Nor  do  I  have  parents  that
give  a  shit  about  me.  He  leans  over,  placing  a  kiss
on my neck. He’s getting restless. I smile as I keep
on  writing  down  the  rest  of  what  Mr.  Clark  is
saying.  One  of  us  needs  to  actually  pay  attention
around here.

“Thirty seconds,” he whispers in my ear. He’s

actually  counting  down  the  seconds  until  we  can
leave. “Cherry girl.” This time he gives me a nip on
my  neck,  making  me  giggle.  Mr.  Clark  looks  our
way  but  doesn’t  say  anything.  He  only  shakes  his
head and tells everyone to remember we have a test

next week. The bell rings, freeing Linc from his
daily torture. He’s already putting my crap into my
bag before I can put my pencil down. He’s always
so thoughtful when it comes to me.

“Are you okay?” I laugh.
“Come on.” He grabs my hand, pulling me out

of the chair. Most people are used to Linc and me
at this point. We’ve been together forever and his
overzealousness with me is nothing new to anyone.
“I gotta get out of here.”

“I didn't notice you were in a hurry.” His fingers

tangle with mine as he pulls me down the hallway.
My strides try to match his, but it’s almost
impossible. I’m not sure why we’re in such a rush,
but something must be important.

“You grabbed all your books?”
“You grabbed all my books after lunch,” I

remind him with a laugh.

“The parents are gone this weekend. Dad

texted me he’s got work in Chicago and Mom is
going with him.” I pick up my speed, suddenly able
to match his.

“I’m thinking maybe some naked skinny

dipping is in our future.”

“Fuck yeah,” he agrees. “There will be no party

this time. That shit was a mess last time and I’m not
spending half this weekend cleaning up after
everyone when I can spend it in you.”

My cheeks heat for a second. Even though

we’ve done everything together, I’m still a bit shy.

“Hey, Linc.” June tries to step in front of us.

Well, in front of Linc really. She never pays me any
mind. Her eyes are set on one thing and one thing
only. I roll my eyes. It’s embarrassing how many
times she’s tried to throw herself at my man. But I
guess some people have no shame. I never blink an
eye or doubt Linc’s faithfulness to me.

“Move,” he barks, trying to step around her.
“I wanted to talk to you about prom.” She cuts

him off again. I bite my lip to keep from laughing
because this is actually comical at this point.

“Prom?” He looks down at her with an

adorable, confused look on his face. He glances at
me. “Is she asking me to prom?”

I should save him. June wishes she could go to

prom with him, but she knows he’ll never say yes. I
don’t think we’re going to prom at all. We haven’t
talked about it. Though if it meant a night in a hotel
room together I think I could put on a fancy dress
for that. I bet I could even find something at the
thrift store for super cheap.

“I thought your band could perform?” June

jumps  back,  trying  to  swing  Linc’s  attention  her
way  again.  This  used  to  bug  me.  I’d  be  a  liar  if  I
said it didn’t get me worked up a few times. Now, I
only feel bad for the girls who want to fall at Linc’s
feet.  The  boy  became  mine  long  ago  and  now  the
man he’s turning into belongs to me alone too. Linc

never lets me doubt that.

“If I’m going to prom I’m taking my girl.” Linc

pulls me in front of him, shielding himself from
June.

“Is the gig a paying one?” I ask her.
“You selling me off?” I look over my shoulder

at Linc, who is pretending that he is appalled by my
question.  He  is  still  as  handsome  as  ever.  No
wonder  girls  throw  their  underwear  at  him.  If  they
really  knew  my  Linc,  they’d  know  he  has  a  thing
for  panties.  But  he  only  wants  mine.  He  likes  to
keep them. After he peels them off me himself.

“You’d charge us?” The look on June’s shocked

face isn't fake at all. “Oh that’s right. You’re poor.”
Her face turns into one of fake concern. Jealousy
doesn’t look good on her. She wants what I have,
but she’ll never get it.

“Ugly on the inside and out.” Linc mutters
June’s mouth falls open. “Did you call me

ugly?”

I elbow Linc. I don’t know how I manage to

keep a straight face. I don’t like to hurt anyone, but
she had it coming. It makes me love Linc even
more. He doesn’t appreciate her trying to disrespect
me and him saying what he did lets her know it.

“What?” He grabs his side as if it really hurt

him. “That hurt.”

“You can’t call her ugly,” I tell him. “At least

not to her face.”

“Can we go?” He’s already pulling me away

from June before he finishes his sentence. He wraps
his arm around my waist, pulling me into him as we
head  for  the  exit  doors.  Anticipation  pools  in  my
belly,  knowing  that  we’ll  get  to  be  together  at  his
house  alone  all  weekend.  Relief  fills  me  that  I
won’t have to spend the weekend at home with my
deadbeat parents. Linc stops suddenly, breaking me
from my thoughts. He turns toward me, placing his
finger under my chin before he takes my mouth in a
deep kiss. Giving me a little taste of what's to come.

LINC

“ T

MUCH

SNARE

,” Benjy yells.

Nick keeps playing.
Benjy slaps his palm against his bass strings and

tries again. “Too much goddamn snare.”

Nick still doesn’t pay attention. Benjy yanks the

aux cord from the bottom of his base and stomps
over the drum set. He bangs his hand against the hi-
hat, which finally gets Nick’s attention.

“The fuck, dude?” Nick snaps.
“Too. Much. Snare,” Benjy says through gritted

teeth.

“Why didn’t you say it in the first place?”
“I did—“ Benjy cuts himself off and rubs his

callused hand over the top of his buzz cut. “Never
mind. I’m taking a smoke break.”

Before anyone can say anything, Benjy pulls

the guitar strap over his head and leaves. Nick is
half off his stool when I hold up my hand. “His dad

got laid off today.”

“Oh fuck.” Nick slumps back into the stool.

“When did you find out?”

“My dad told me.” Dad is the foreman of

Benjy’s dad’s crew. He texted me this morning on
his way out of town with Mom.

“I didn’t realize things were shit over at the

plant.”

“Neither did I.”
“You think your dad…” Nick trails off.
“I don’t know. Guess I don’t want to think

about it.”

Nick trades his sticks for a flask of vodka. He

dumps a good portion down his throat and shakes
like a dog. “Damn. Okay. I’ve got some liquid
courage. Let me go apologize to Benjy.”

“He’s not going to do anything to you.”
“I know that. It’s just I feel bad, you know, and

this”—he gestures toward the flask—“makes me
feel less bad.”

I drop onto the ugly corduroy sofa that we got

from  Nick’s  mom  when  she  redecorated  their
family  room  and  tap  Cherry’s  foot.  She  blinks
owlishly at me over the romance book her nose has
been stuck in for the last hour. Pulling off the noise-
cancelling  headphones,  she  glances  around.
“Where’s Benjy? and Nick?”

“Outside having a smoke break.”
She puts down the book and stretches, the

action  jostling  her  nice  tits  that  are  barely  visible
under  the  oversized  WorldWired  Metallica  tour  T-
shirt she stole from my closet. Nick asked me once
if  I  minded  that  Cherry  was  always  wearing  my
clothes.  The  answer  was  an  obvious  no.  I  mean,
what’s  the  point  of  having  a  girlfriend  if  she’s  not
going to steal a shirt or ten?

“How’s the new song coming?”
“It’s coming.” I slide a hand up her leg. She’s

got nice legs--gently sloping calves and solid thighs.
Her skin is always warm and my hands are always
cold, but she never pushes me away. “I might need
some inspiration.”

“I thought you were writing a break-up song?”
“Well, I have to remember what I’m giving up

before I can write about the pain of losing it all,” I
say.  My  hand  stops  when  it  reaches  the  elastic  of
her  panties  and  I  shoot  a  quick  look  over  at  the
door that Nick and Benjy exited through. Maybe I
can  take  a  quick  taste.  I  duck  my  head  under  the
blanket but Cherry scoots away.

“No?”
She wrinkles her nose. “Come here and tell me

what’s going on between the boys. I know they
were fighting.”

I resettle myself and pat the cushion beside me.

Cherry comes over, folding her legs underneath her
and tucking herself under my arm.

“Benjy’s dad got laid off today and so he’s

feeling tight.”

“Oh no, but I figured it was something serious

since those two never get mad at each other. It’s
usually you and Benjy.”

“We never fight,” I protest.
“Only every day ending in ‘y,’” she teases.
It’s true that Benjy and I argue about the best

quarterback  (Mahomes  of  course)  and  the  proper
way  to  cook  a  steak  (medium)  and  dream  cars
(Audi  R8  coupe),  but  on  the  important  stuff  like
beats, melodies, and lyrics, we’re of one mind. Nick
was  using  too  much  snare.  I  can’t  imagine  making
music  without  Benjy--or  Nick,  for  that  matter.
We’re a team.

“What do you think Benjy is going to do?”

Cherry asks quietly, picking up on my train of
thought.

“I don’t know. I can’t make any music without

him, but if he feels like he can’t practice or do gigs
because he needs to get a job to help out at home, I
can’t stop him.”

“What about you?” She pokes my side.
“What about me?”
“Your plan has always been to get a job

working at the factory. Graduation is a month away
and if they haven’t hired you by now and they are
laying off people, that’s probably not a good sign.
Are your parents still after you about college?”

“You know we can’t afford that. Besides, this

layoff is temporary. Things are slow there but once
orders pick up, they’ll need workers. Until then, I
guess I’ll work at the gas station or something.
There’s always work if you look hard enough.”

Cherry scratches a spot on my jeans. “What

about your music?”

“I still plan on playing. Tim says we’re welcome

anytime, remember? And there are some bars over
in Eastwood that have shown interest.”

“Nick says you guys should put together a

mixtape and send it out.”

I scrub a hand through my hair, pushing my too-

long bangs out of my eyes only to have the hair flop
back  down.  “That’s  for  rappers  and  pop  stars.
We’re  a  band.  I  don’t  think  anyone  is  really
interested  in  band  music  these  days  but  bars  and
clubs. I’m okay with that, Cherry. I’ve got you, my
friends, and my music. As long as there’s someone
willing  to  listen  to  me,  that’s  all  that  matters.  I’m
not  going  to  chase  worthless  dreams.  Besides,  if  I
make  it  big,  that’d  mean  touring  and  time  away
from you. You don’t want that, do you?”

She tilts her head so she can get a better look at

my mug. “I want you to be happy. That’s all.”

Lifting her onto my lap, I say, “Then kiss me

because I’m happiest when my lips are attached to
you.”

A smile lights up her face. “I can do that.”
She cups my jaw between her hands and holds

CHERRY

SHOOT

off one email after another hoping that I’m

not stepping over the line. Linc and I have never
really had any. They all blurred together a long time
ago. After listening to him the other night, I knew I
had to do something. I want to help in any way that
I can and this is the only way I could think of.

I’m not sure Linc really knows how talented he

is. He has a gift and he should be able to share it
with the world. I don’t want his dreams to be lost. I
want him to have the accolades he deserves. But
most of all I don’t want him to be stuck in this town
when he has the opportunity to get out of it. Well,
he doesn’t have it yet, but that’s what I’m working
on.

This could not only set him up for life but Nick

and Benjy too. I love all of them. It would hurt to
see them leave without me, to have this whole
other life, but it would hurt just as much to not see

them live out their dreams. Linc can work out the
rest later. We’d somehow make it work. We always
did.

He doesn’t have to be with me for me to know

he loves me. People think we’re too young to be so
deeply in love, but I beg to differ. I would trust
Linc with my life. I know deep inside of me that he
would never do anything to intentionally hurt me. I
may be young but I know that solid relationships
are built on trust.

I hit send on the last email, dropping back in my

chair.  I  have  no  doubt  that  someone  will  call.  I
probably  sound  like  every  other  person  that  sends
this  stuff  out.  But  you  know  what  they  say:  you
gotta be in it to win it. The worst that could happen
would be that there was no response.

The good thing about that is I’d be the only one

who  would  ever  know.  But  I  know  that  won’t  be
the  case  because  they  are  all  beyond  gifted.  I  just
have  to  get  them  out  there.  Once  they  get  into
people’s ears, they won’t be able to stop listening. I
sent emails with links to tracks to everyone I could
think  of.  From  agents  to  labels  and  all  the  local
radio stations. I could be doing it all wrong, but it is
something.

“Are you doing homework?”
I tab out of my emails, pulling back up an

admissions application to a local college. I am
getting good at doing these. I’ve applied

everywhere  at  this  point.  It  isn’t  about  getting
accepted;  it’s  more  about  who  would  offer  me  the
most  aid.  I  knew  my  grades  would  stand  up  just
about anywhere, but my financial situation is pretty
much nonexistent.

“More applications.” Linc pushes my hair off

my shoulder, kissing me on the neck.

“You say I’m the one that’s going to make it

big. I think we know it’s your brain that is going to
take us places.” He picks me up, setting me back
down in his lap.

“How was practice?” I try to keep filling in the

form, but Linc’s hand slips inside of my shorts. My
head drops back to rest on his shoulder.

“Good. Still a little tense but better once I told

Benjy you booked us for next weekend.” Linc
plays with the seam of my panties. I wiggle against
him, pushing down on his cock. The man is always
hard. “You are always coming through for us.” He
kisses me under my ear this time. My eyes fall
closed.

It’s nice when we have the house to ourselves. I

pretend  in  my  mind  it’s  our  reality.  That  we  live  a
peaceful  life  together.  One  where  I  don’t  have  to
leave to  go back  to  my parents’.  I  hate it  so  much
there.

“I could be coming in other ways.” I turn my

head and offer him my mouth. Linc doesn't have to
be asked. He takes the kiss. My lips part for him as

his tongue slips into my mouth. He pulls my panties
to the side as his legs part mine, spreading my legs
wider for him.

“Wet already.”
“Always.” I breathe against his mouth. He

pushes a finger inside of me, his thumb going to my
clit. He knows my body. It doesn't take him but a
few strokes and he has me.

“You’re mine, sweet girl.” Those are the last

words  I  hear  before  I  fall  over  the  edge.  I  scream
his  name  as  the  orgasm  flows  through  my  body.  I
relax  against  him.  “Mouth,  Cherry.”  I  turn  in  his
arms,  straddling  him  to  give  him  his  kiss.  I  dig  my
fingers into his short hair. He stands with me in his
arms,  carrying  me  over  to  his  bed  and  laying  me
down.

I watch as he slowly strips off his shirt and

pants before he climbs over me. He leans down,
giving me a soft kiss. Letting me know what he’s
about to give me. I have no idea how much time we
have together.

I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I

know somehow we’ll end up together. We have to.
Linc  is  my  whole  world.  Everything  else  is  what
happened  to  us.  He  is  the  one  thing  in  life  that  is
consistent for me. I know he’ll never let me down.
That  he’ll  always  be  there  for  me.  It’s  why  I  have
to do this for him. Because I love him and he’s the
only person in the world that’s ever truly loved me.

“Cherry.” He looks down at me, brushing some

of my hair out of my face. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.” I wrap my arms around his

neck, spreading my legs. “I have you. How could I
not be okay?” That earns me one of his sexy smiles.
No wonder women throw their panties at him. I
can’t blame them. Too bad for all of them he is
mine.

LINC

HERRY

STILL

SLEEP ING

when I crawl out of bed

the  next  morning.  My  parents  will  be  home  this
afternoon, so it’s the last time for a while that we’ll
have  the  place  to  ourselves.  Once  I  get  a  job,
though,  and  an  apartment,  we’ll  have  this  every
day. I’d been hoping to jump start our life together
when we graduated, but if the factory’s not hiring,
I’m not sure what my plans will be.

The factory is the only big employer in town.

The rest of the jobs around here are part-time gigs
that  wouldn’t  pay  enough  to  feed  a  bird,  let  alone
Cherry.  Maybe  I  can  get  work  over  at  the  local
college—even  if  it’s  cleaning  floors  or  some  shit
like  that.  It’s  not  like  I  care  what  I  do  to  make
money  as  long  as  there  is  time  for  Cherry  and  my
music.

I push all of that out of my head and get the

fixings for breakfast. Today’s menu is waffles with

whipped cream and sugared strawberries. I turn on
the waffle iron and start mixing up the batter. My
phone buzzes before I can pour out the first waffle.
A glance at it says it’s from Nick.

You making breakfast yet? We’re outside.
Both my boys look like they haven’t gone to

bed yet.

“Good night out?” I smirk, letting them in.
“Yeah. I’m starved. What’s for brekkie?” Nick

walks by and arrows for the kitchen. Benjy follows
slowly behind. His hoodie is up and the strings are
pulled tight so there’s nothing but a small hole for
him to peer through.

“Rough night?” I revise.
“I had a few,” he mumbles and stumbles over to

the sofa where he throws himself onto the couch.

“We should write a song about a hangover. We

could  title  it  ‘the  long  goodbye’  and  all  the  lyrics
would  be  about  that  asshole  in  your  life  that  ruins
all the good things, won’t leave, and then you die,”
Nick  suggests.  He  pops  some  of  the  sugared
strawberries into his mouth before I can reach him.

“Those are for the waffles,” I scowl.
“I’ll cut some more up. Where’s the

container?”

I point to the fridge. While Nick preps more

fruit, I start pouring out the batter. “How many do
you want?”

Benjy holds up a fist.

“Yo, Ben, you’re still drunk. Your fingers aren’t

up,” Nick yells out.

Benjy pulls his hand down and then raises it

again. This time three fingers are showing.

“Where’d you two go?”
“The lake. Tate Lulzman was having an end of

the year bash.” Nick sprinkles about a half a bag of
sugar onto the strawberries. I guess it’s a good thing
his old man’s a dentist.

“It’s not end of the year.”
“It’s an aspirational thing.”
“Anything interesting go down?”
“Lulzman’s ex showed up with a guy from

Sailor Lake and the two almost killed each other.”

“The guy and Lulzman or Marie and Lulzman?”

Marie has always been quick with a fist. I admire
that about her.

“Ha. Marie and Lulzman. He could not believe

she  showed  up  with  a  guy  to  his  party.”  Nick
mimics  Lulzman’s  high-pitched  tone.  Lulzman  is  a
big dude with a small voice. Weird how things work
out. “Anyway, he tried to get the two to leave and
Marie was having none of it. Eventually the two got
into a fight. Lulzman was throwing cups at her and
Marie  found  a  stick  and  wacked  him  across  the
back. We had to step in then because, you know, it
was  Lulzman’s  party  and  it  didn’t  seem  right  that
we  allow  him  to  get  offed  right  by  the  keg  he
bought.”

“What’d Marie’s new man do?”
“Nothing. Stood there and held his dick. I think

he might’ve been for show.”

“Gee, I wonder.” I flip a golden waffle onto a

plate. Nick ladles on three tons of strawberries and
then sprays a mountain of whip cream on top. “Is
that for you, Benjy, or Cherry because if it’s for
Cherry, she’d probably want a little less of all of it.”

“This is for Benjy. We got to get some food in

his gut before he decides to barf up all the beer he
drank.” Nick digs around for a fork and then carries
his concoction over to the couch. “Eat up, old man.
We’ve got practice today.” Nick glances over his
shoulder at me. “We’re practicing, right?”

“We are.” We’ve got a gig Wednesday night.

“Coincidentally it’s Sailor Lake.”

“I know. I was trying to chat up the new guy for

intel about the crowd there, but he was out of it.
Think he was stoned before they came.”

“Whatcha talking about?” chirps a bright voice.
Cherry’s up and looking edible, dressed in a

pair of dark gray joggers and a light gray cropped T-
shirt. A sliver of tummy peeks when she raises a
hand to rub her eyes.

“Try not to drool on my waffle,” Nick

complains.

“Don’t look at my girl’s stomach.”
“I’m not. I’m looking at my waffle that’s about

to burn.”

I glance down and see the steam coming out

from the sides. Hastily, I open the iron and flip the
waffle out. “It’s perfect. Stop complaining.”

“No thanks to you. Cherry, how many

strawberries do you want on your waffle?”

“Is there a limit?” She climbs onto the counter

stool and reaches over to steal a few pieces of fruit
from the bowl.

Nick stares at me.
“What?”
“You gave me hell when I did that.”
“I didn’t give you hell and even if I did, yes and

so what? Is your name Cherry?”

“Man, remember when it was bros before

hoes?” He fake cries and dumps two heaping
spoonfuls of berries onto Cherry’s waffle.

“Nah, actually, I don’t.” I’ve been with Cherry

for as long as I can remember.

“He’s right.” Benjy raises his head over the

edge of the sofa. “We’ve always been second place
behind Cherry.”

“Third,” Nick admits. “It’s Cherry, his guitar,

and then us.” He sprays a mound of whipped cream
onto the berries. “At least we know where we
stand, Benjy.”

Benjy pumps his fist once and then disappears

behind  the  sofa  cushions.  Cherry  laughs.  “It  looks
like  you  two  had  fun  last  night.”  She  gives  me  a
mischievous  look  from  under  her  eyelashes.  “We

CHERRY

BITE

LIP

, wondering if I should say something.

I  am  pretty  proud  of  myself  for  keeping  this  bit  of
information under wraps. It’s been hard. Especially
when  it  came  to  Linc.  I’m  not  even  sure  how  I
managed to pull it off. That boy knows me too well.
I’m surprised he hasn’t called me out on it yet. But
I keep my lips sealed because I don’t want to make
anyone  nervous.  I  know  this  is  too  important  to
mess  up.  I’m  not  sure  how  the  guys  would  act  if
they knew fully what was going on. It might be best
to just let them do their thing. They don’t need any
added pressure.

“You all right?” Linc pulls on my ponytail. My

head leans back and he steals a kiss.

“I’m fine.”
“You’re wiggling around a lot.” His hand slips

down between my legs. He cups my sex. “I take
you too hard?”

“I’m just excited. I love watching you play.” All

true. I can feel it in the air. This is it. They are
finally going to get their break. And if they don’t, I
will be the only one that will be disappointed. It’s
one of the main reasons I haven’t told any of them.

“Something you want to tell me?”
I shake my head no as I press my mouth back to

his.

“Sound check!” Benjy calls, saving me from

Linc  trying  to  figure  out  what  I’m  hiding.  He  can
read me too easily. Luckily I only have a few more
hours  to  keep  the  secret.  I  should  be  able  to  hold
out  that  long  unless  he  finds  a  dark  corner  to  try
and work it out of me. If that happens, I don't stand
a chance.

“Put this on.” He hands me a bottle before

heading back toward the stage. I snort a laugh when
I see it's sunscreen. He’s always looking out for me.
I  want  to  do  the  same  for  him.  Linc  would  spend
his last dollar on something he thought I needed. He
doesn't  care  if  he  goes  without.  As  long  as  I  was
taken  care  of.  It’s  all  that  matters  to  him.  That’s
why doing this for him is so important to me.

I watch them do their sound check wondering if

this could be one of the last times I see it for a long
time.  If  someone  were  to  sign  them  to  some  crazy
deal,  I’m  not  sure  how  long  I  would  have  before
they were gone. I wouldn't only miss Linc. I’d miss
Nick  and  Benjy  too.  They  are  the  little  brothers  I

never had. They are my family. They have all been
so good to me. I want to make sure I do the same
by them.

I watch as Nick spins one of the drumsticks in

his hand before bringing it down hard onto one of
the cymbals to kick off the sound check. Benjy
follows soon after, mixing in the bass. I can tell by
the first few notes that this is something I’ve never
heard before.

“Stop.” Linc cuts them off. “We’re not doing

that one now,” he hisses at them both. I fight a
smile pretending I don’t see what’s going on
between them. I have a feeling he wrote a new song
for me and wants me to see it live for the first time.
I play with my phone. I guess I’m not the only one
hiding stuff tonight.

I check my emails to make sure no one new has

reached out to me about the boys or if anyone has
more questions. A few more people confirm they’ll
be  here  tonight.  I  knew  they’d  get  some  response,
but  this  is  way  beyond  what  I  expected.  Not  only
that,  it’s  happening  a  lot  faster  than  I  thought  it
would. My stomach sinks a little bit when I begin to
think about what that truly means for Linc and me.
I  push  those  thoughts  aside,  knowing  that  even
though I want to be selfish, I can’t.

“You look flushed.” Linc picks me up, setting

me on his lap. I love outdoor gigs this time of year.
The breeze coming off the lake feels good.

“I feel fine.” He runs his hand up and down my

bare arm.

“You put the sunscreen on?”
“Yes, Dad,” Nick answers for me, dropping

down into one of the other chairs.

“She’s got fair skin and can burn.” He kisses

my bare shoulder where my shirt slipped off. “And
she didn't feel good this morning.”

“I promise I’m fine.” I look at him over my

shoulder. “I think the pop tart I grabbed was bad or
something.” I didn't feel great this morning. I know
better than to trust anything in the pantry at my
house. It was either that or me being worked up
about tonight. It was hard to concentrate in class all
day.

“Yeah, did you see the cheeseburger she ate in

two bites? I think she’s fine.” Benjy drops down in
another chair, joining us.

“She stole my fries,” Nick adds in.
“You left them in the bag. I thought you were

done.”

“I swear you can eat more than me sometimes.”

I roll my eyes. No one eats more than any of them.

“Are you still hungry?” Linc starts to get up.
“Sit down. You’re not going anywhere. You’re

going on in a little,” I remind him. They will not be
late to this show.

“I’ll be quick,” he protests, wanting to go get

me something.

“I’m fine,” I say for the third time.
“Wait. I don’t think chicks are really fine when

they say they’re fine.”

“Benjy!” I shout. “You’re not helping me here.”
He smirks, knowing what he’s doing, which

makes me laugh more. God, I’m going to miss this.
I love these times when we all just hang out. It will
be hard, but I can do it for them.

“I’m not hungry. Plus we’re going to the diner

after.”

“The diner? What are we celebrating?” Nick

asks. We always go to the diner after we have a
really good night.

“I just know it’s going to be a good night. I can

feel it.”

LINC

ENERGY

good tonight. Despite it being a

Wednesday,  the  crowd  is  packed  and  even  though
they  didn’t  know  the  songs  at  first,  by  the  end  of
each  one,  they  were  singing  the  choruses  with  us.
All of us feel it--Nick, Benjy and me. We played an
unreal  set  and  even  as  we  stumble  off  the  stage
drunk with the enthusiasm of the crowd, our bodies
are  still  buzzing  as  if  we’re  still  attached  to  our
instruments.

“Fucking amazing,” Benjy crows. The crew

backstage whistles and claps for us. Benjy makes
the horn sign with his pinky and index fingers. Nick
flies down the stairs and starts giving out high-fives.

There’s a set of towels Cherry placed for us at

the bottom of the risers. I grab one and wipe off a
gallon of sweat. The echoes of the crowd still ring
in my ears so I don’t hear the guy the first time he
says my name. In fact, I don’t even notice him until

he grabs my shoulder.

“Linc Bierman?”
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
“I’m Andy--”
“Treat of Treats Records,” I blurt out.
The older man smiles. “That’s right. You’ve

heard of me?”

I try to rein in my excitement so I’m not

slobbering  over  him  like  a  dumb  old  dog.  Even
though  Andy  Treat  is  wearing  jeans  ripped  at  the
knees  and  a  long-sleeved  T-shirt  pushed  up  to  the
elbows  instead  of  a  three-piece  business  suit  like  I
envisioned  every  record  exec  lived  in,  he  was  still
recognizable.  Some  guys  looked  at  porn  on  their
computer. I have photos saved of my favorite music
people and Andy Treat is at the top of my fan list.

“Yeah. I follow your work.” Was that too

eager? Fuck. I wasn’t this nervous the time I
popped Cherry’s cherry.

“I hope I didn’t disappoint. I know musicians

have a love/hate relationship with record labels.”

“Ah, nothing bad,” I manage to choke out.

Treats  Records  is  an  indie  label  that  has  super
generous  terms  with  its  artists.  I  don’t  know  why
he’s here, but just standing next to him is giving me
a contact high. “You scoping out an artist?” I’m not
jealous  at  all.  Not  even  one  bit.  Okay,  maybe  a
small amount. I peer around him and try to find the
musician  he’s  checking  out.  Like  what  does  that

guy have that I don’t? I bite on my tongue to keep
from telling Treat I write all my own music. That’s
not  what  sells  these  days.  You  have  to  have  a
concept  or  a  platform  or  two  million  YouTube
subscribers  or  something  you  can  dance  to  on
TikTok. I got none of those things.

“Yeah, you.”
“That’s great, man--” Lucky bastard...wait, did

he just say me? “Did you--did you mean me?”

Treat’s mouth quirks up. “You and your band,

yeah. You have a minute?”

“Uh, yeah.” My heart’s racing. I wish I smoked

or did drugs because that would explain so much
about what’s happening this second.

“Dude, we have been waiting for you to pack

up  the  gear  for  the  last  ten  minutes.  What  the  hell
are  you  doing?”  Nick  comes  stomping  over.  “The
fuck?” He does a double-take when he lays eyes on
Treat.  If  I  have  a  crush  on  Treat,  Nick’s  devotion
borders  on  the  serial  killer  level.  It’s  a  good  thing
Treat  is  here  to  see  us  because  otherwise,  Nick
might’ve  packed  Treat  up  with  the  drum  kit  and
driven away.

“Andy--” Treat starts to say.
“Treat of Treat Records. Fuck, man, what are

you doing in butt fuck nowhere?”

“I’m here to talk to your band.”
“Our band as in this dumbfuck and me and the

other dumbfuck?” Nick can’t believe it and

truthfully, neither can I. I’m waiting for someone to
jump out from behind a speaker and yell, “Psych!”

“As in all three of you, yes.”
Over Treat’s shoulder, I see Benjy throwing his

arms out wide and mouthing that it’s time for us to
go.  So  we  don’t  scare  Treat  away  with  another
round of “you’re fucking Andy Treat,” I pull up my
big  boy  shorts  and  shove  down  all  my  enthusiasm
under  a  heavy  blanket  of  skepticism.  “Where  do
you want to talk?”

“Is there a diner around here? I’m not much of

a drinker anymore.” He holds up a coin that he
pulled from his pocket. It has a ten year symbol on
it but I have no idea what that means. I just nod.

“Yeah. Brave Dog is a diner on the edge of

town. I can’t vouch for the food or coffee but the
sign said it was open twenty-four hours. Do you
have a ride?”

“A rental, yes. Why don’t you lead the way?”
I run to get Cherry while Nick brings the truck

around. “Come on, babe,” I tell her, practically
carrying her off the lawn to the parking lot.

“Where are we going?”
“Andy Treat showed up. Of Treats Records. He

wants to talk to us.”

“He wants to talk to you? Oh my God! Is he

going to sign you to his label?”

“No idea.”
“That’s the only thing he could want to talk to

you about, isn’t it?”

“It could be a thousand things,” I answer, but

inside, I’m thinking the same thoughts. If he needs
session  musicians,  the  guys  that  play  backup  for
singers  who  need  a  live  band  on  tour,  he  has  to
know plenty of those. I try to think of a band that’s
currently  touring  that  might  need  a  replacement
member, but come up blank.

“There’s only one reason he’s flown all the way

from LA to here, to sign you. No factory for you,
baby. It’s to the top!” She’s beaming and fuck, I
want it to be true. If we’re signed to a label, I’ll be
able to give Cherry the world like she deserves. But
I’m not getting my hopes up.

“Like I said, it could be anything.”
I shove her in the back of the truck and Nick

peels out of the lot like the cops are on our ass.

“Slow down,” I holler. “We can’t be getting a

ticket while Andy Treat is following us.”

Nick slows down immediately. “Fuck. Andy

Treat. What’s he here for?”

“One of his bands probably has a guy checking

into rehab and needs a replacement,” Benjy says.

“No way. He’s here because he’s heard your

music and loves it,” announces Cherry.

“When would he have heard it? We’re not out

there. Nah, he wants Nick or Linc.” Benjy slumps
lower in his seat.

“Doesn’t matter, Benjy boy. It’s all for one, one

for all, remember?” I tap him on the shoulder. “No
man left behind.”

“Yeah?” he says, his voice not entirely sure.
“Yeah.” I lay my hand over the back of the car

seat.  Nick  places  his  fingers  on  top  of  mine  and
after  a  long  pause,  Benjy  sticks  his  hand  on  top.
“No  man  left  behind,”  we  say  and  then  raise  our
fists  up  through  the  top  of  the  sunroof  in  Nick’s
truck.

CHERRY

“ I’

FUCKING

P UMP ED

!” Nick jumps up from the

sofa  spilling  some  of  his  beer  on  himself.  “I  can’t
believe  you’re  flying  out  to  LA  tomorrow.”  I
believe  it.  I  smile,  watching  all  of  them.  They’re
finally getting what they deserve. Their dreams are
coming  true  right  before  my  eyes.  They  are  so
talented.

I knew this day would come. I’d mentally put it

off for as long as I could but now it’s here, staring
me  in  the  face.  I  have  no  other  choice  but  to  deal
with it. I am truly happy for them, but a part of me
is  also  sad.  This  will  be  the  first  time  that  I  don’t
feel  as  though  I’m  a  part  of  the  group.  We’ve
always been a unit but all that is about to change.

Even in the truck when they all held their hands

up together I could feel the shift. Linc didn't reach
for my hand like he normally does with his other to
give mine a squeeze. I hadn’t been a part of their

celebration and I wouldn’t be a part of this leg of
their journey. I close my eyes for a moment to let
that sink in and also so I don’t begin to cry.

“I still want to know how he got an email with

our music,” Benjy says, causing me to look at him.
I haven’t told the guys that I’d sent it. I don’t know
why but I didn’t feel the need to. This isn’t about
me.

“I think I know.” Linc pushes off the door,

heading straight toward me.

“Of course it was Cherry.” Nick cuts in front of

Linc, grabbing me up from the chair and giving me
a giant bear hug. He lifts me off my feet and spins
me around. My stomach starts to get queasy from
all the motion.

“Put my girl down. I can’t break your hands

right now. If we didn’t need them so badly, I
wouldn’t think twice about it.”

Nick hands me over to Linc.
“You always believed in us,” he whispers into

my ear.

“Always,” I agree. I see how Linc treats

something  he  loves.  He  cherishes  it.  He  loves  his
music so I know it will flourish. I lean down, kissing
him.  Guilt  gnaws  at  me  that  I’m  not  more  excited.
Outwardly I pretend to be, but my insides ache with
sadness.  Things  are  going  to  change.  They  are
about  to  leave  me  behind  while  they  live  out  their
lives.  I’m  not  sure  how  I’m  going  to  be  without

Linc. How will we manage to stay together? He’s
been such a big part of my life for so long. I know
we love each other, but will that be enough? The
sadness threatens to overwhelm me, and suddenly I
feel the need to get out of here. “I gotta go home.”

“It shouldn't take you long to pack. We’re just

going out for a meeting.” Yes, a meeting where I
know they are going to talk them into signing a
deal. Treat could see what my boys can do. He isn't
going to let them pass. I have a feeling this meeting
is going to turn quickly into them staying longer and
so many other things. It’s all bittersweet.

“I can’t go to LA, Linc.” I rest my hands on his

shoulders. He slides me down his body, putting me
on my feet, but doesn't let me go.

“What are you talking about? Of course you’re

going.”

“I have school,” I remind him. It isn't me that’s

signing a deal. I still have to finish high school. And
finish  my  applications  to  get  into  a  college.  I’m
guessing  I  need  to  find  a  part-time  job  too.  I’m
going  to  have  a  lot  more  time  on  my  hands  now.  I
might  as  well  fill  it  with  something.  It’s  not  as
though I can depend on my parents to help me out.

“You can’t miss a few days? We can’t go

without you, Cherry. I can’t go without you.”

“You can and you will.” I manage a smile that I

try to make as convincing as possible. I reach up to
touch his face. It takes everything in me not to

burst into tears. “I’m expecting you guys to go out
there and kill it. Don’t come back unless it’s with a
huge deal. I didn’t send all those emails out for
nothing.” I lean in to give Linc a kiss before
backing away.

“You two be on your best behavior.” I walk

over to Nick and Benjy, giving each of them a hug.
Squeezing them a little tighter than normal. Not
knowing when I’ll get to do it again. Linc grabs my
hand, leading me out of his parents’ place. I wonder
how they will take it. I know they’ll let him go. He
has to go out to LA and see this through.

“Cherry.” Linc pins me to the side of the truck,

caging me in.

“You got this.” I run my hands up and down his

chest.

“It’s going to be hard being away from you.

What if something happens? I’m not a car ride
away.”

“We’re a call away. This is something we’re

going to have to get used to. I have to finish school.
It’s important to me.” I don’t want to end up like
my parents.

“I know. Shit, I know.” He knows what it means

to me to graduate. I’ll be the first in my family to
actually have a high school diploma.

“I’ll do what I have to do here and you go and

do what you have to do there. I’ll always be here.
You’ll know where to find me.”

LINC

“ B

ABY

LOOK

THIS

!” I hold up the phone as I

spin around the suite. “It’s got two living rooms. In
a  hotel!  We  have  the  whole  floor  to  ourselves!”
Everything I say is with exclamations, but from the
minute  I  stepped  off  the  plane,  my  mind  has  been
blown. Outside of baggage check, a guy wearing a
suit and tie was waiting for us. I knew it was for us
because  he  had  an  iPad  with  our  names  on  it.  He
led us to an SUV, stuck all our shit in the back, and
whisked  us  to  a  hotel  nicer  than  the  state  capitol--
not  that  I’ve  been  to  the  state  capital,  so  I’m
making an assumption here.

We’re on the top floor of this bomb-ass place in

a suite that has three fucking bedrooms and two
living rooms. “We have our own butler, baby. He
said that we can ask for anything at any time.”

She laughs. “What outrageous thing did Benjy

ask for?”

“An apple bonsai tree.” I flop back onto the

couch overlooking the city.

“Why?”
“He said it was the most rare thing that popped

into his head at that moment.” Benjy reads a lot of
obscure stuff so maybe it is. I have no idea.

“Nick asked for a steak and you…” she pauses

and taps her cheek. I can see that some of the pink
paint on her nails has peeled away. “You asked for-
-Is that my doorbell?”

I smile. “You should answer it.”
“Okay. Hold on.” She puts the phone down. I

stare  at  her  white  popcorn  ceiling  as  she  leaves  to
go  answer  the  door.  I  don’t  hear  much  for  a  while
and then there’s a squeal and her bright face comes
into view again. “Oh my God! Look at this! It’s like
an entire garden got delivered.” She repositions the
phone so that I can see the giant bouquet of roses.
Six  dozen  of  them,  to  be  precise.  The  whole
bouquet  is  almost  as  wide  as  her  twin  bed.  Damn.
When  they  say  you  can  get  anything,  they  really
mean it.

“Is this what you asked for?”
“Yeah.”
“You are so--why? You should’ve asked for

something for yourself,” she cries, burying her face
in the flowers.

“It was for myself. Looking at you smile like

this is the only way I was going to get any sleep

tonight.” She put on a brave face at the airport, but
I knew she was sad as fuck.

“I can’t believe it,” she keeps saying. “Where

am I going to put these?”

“Doesn’t matter. As long as I’m not with you,

you’re getting a delivery. This is just the first one.”

She pushes the bouquet away and glares at me.

“No it’s not. That’s way too expensive. Don’t you
know that every dime that the label spends on you,
you have to pay back?”

I frown. “Nah, really?”
“It’s true. I did some internet searching.”
“That sounds fucked up.” I look around the

hotel suite and my palms start sweating. This place
is  massive.  There's  a  dining  room  that  can  seat
twelve  people  and  a  kitchenette  that  my  mom
would  cry  in  envy  over.  “We  haven’t  signed
anything.” I scrub a hand through my hair. Fuck, I
need  a  cut.  The  bangs  are  way  too  long.  I  can
barely  see  shit.  “Can  they  make  you  pay  for  stuff
when you didn’t sign anything?”

“I don’t know. That’s a good question. Maybe

they plan to charge you in the contract. I hope you
get a lawyer.”

“Me, too.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” she says. Her little lips are

turned down. I wish I could kiss them.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad you said something.”

It sucks I have to cancel the future flower order,

but, you know, I don’t mind the cost of the seventy-
plus roses at all because that one brilliant smile was
worth whatever cut I get from the label signing.
“I’ll be more careful in the future, though, cuz I
want you to move out here after graduation.”

“You think you’ll be there that long?”
“I don’t know, but I want you with me

wherever we go.”

“I’ll have to work this summer.”
“Not if I make enough money. Treat wants us to

start doing gigs right away and they pay way more
than we were earning back home by a factor of like
ten.”

Her eyes widen. “That much?”
“Yeah so while maybe the flowers every day is

too much, the bouquet isn’t going to kill me and we
should be able to make enough to cover what you
could make in Shittsville.”

“It’s Shindale and I’ll think about it.”
“You should think about me.”
“I do.”
“And how hungry I’m going to be when I see

you.” I lower my hand to my shorts to rub my dick.
“I’m hard right now.”

“Is this what we’re doing now?” she teases.
“You know it. Roll over on your back and show

me how pretty your pussy looks right now.”

“God, I can’t do that.”
I run my tongue inside my lower lip. Okay,

we’ll work up to that. “How about your tits? Show
me one of your gorgeous tits.”

She hesitates but then lowers the camera slowly

like a digital striptease. She’s wearing one of my old
T-shirts  with  the  collar  cut  off.  She  pulls  down  the
gray  fabric.  It  catches  for  a  minute  on  an  erect
nipple and then glides off the round flesh. I spit into
my hand and reach for my cock again. “Pinch your
nipple,  baby.  Pretend  it’s  my  teeth.”  She  does  as  I
tell  her.  I  grip  my  shaft  harder  and  start  rubbing.
“Roll it between your fingers. When I see you, I’m
going to eat you up. Lick you from head to fucking
toe. Shit. Can I at least hear you fingering yourself?
Put  the  phone  near  your  pussy  and  finger  that
sweet cunt for me.”

Her breath comes fast. The phone screen goes

white again but that’s okay because soon I can hear
her--the  soft  sucking  noise  as  her  fingers  start
moving in and out of her sex. “That’s it, baby. You
sound  so  sexy.  Those  are  my  fingers  down  there.
It’s  my  hand  you’re  riding.  Fuck  yourself  on  my
hand. Come for me.”

She cries out, a muted sound as if she stuffed

her fist into her mouth so she’s not so loud. I come
in a long, milky jet across my fist and stomach. It’s
not the same as being together, but it’s something.
“I love you, baby.”

“Same, baby. Love you so much.”

CHERRY

“ H

EAR

YOUR

MAN

DUMP ED

YOU

.” I look up at June,

who is standing over my desk with a smug look on
her face. I roll my eyes at her before looking back
down at the job application I’m currently filling out
for a daycare center. I’ve been giving some thought
to going into nursing. Pediatrics interests me the
most. I’ve always loved babies. Being able to help
them or care for them seems the best route to go.

Nursing feels like a safe bet. They are usually in

high demand. I know I can make a really good
living off of it. It might not be a career I’ve always
dreamed of having, but maybe if there are babies in
the mix I might end up loving it. I’m not worried
about the academic part of it; I know that I’ll work
hard. I’m more worried about the financial aspect.

“I’m talking to you.” June slams her hand

down, shaking the whole lunch table. She wants
nothing more than to get a reaction out of me and

I’m not going to take the bait.

“And I’m not talking to you,” I mutter. I don’t

have time for her stupid games. Linc has been gone
for  a  few  weeks.  No,  he  didn’t  break  up  with  me,
but there  is still  a  hole in  my  chest. I  thought  with
time  it  would  get  better.  It  hasn't.  With  each  day
that passes it only seems to get deeper.

“We all knew he’d leave you when he made it

big.” Smugness coats her words. They haven't made
it  big  yet  but  they  will.  The  past  few  weeks  have
been  filled  with  paperwork  and  lawyers.  The  boys
have  also  been  in  and  out  of  studios  while  getting
showered  with  all  sorts  of  things.  Treat  was
showing them the life he could give them.

I know they are close to signing a deal. From

there I have no idea what will happen. Linc’s calls
have  already  slowed  down.  He  still  texts  all  the
time, but I have to face reality. He is only going to
get  busier.  How  will  he  start  to  feel  when  I’m  not
around?  Linc  loves  affection.  I  won’t  be  there  to
give it to him. Not to mention I super sucked at the
phone sex thing. Last time we talked he didn't even
try  to  lead  into  it  like  he  normally  does.  He’s
become a little distant and distracted, but I’m sure
that’s  normal  since  he’s  being  pulled  in  a  million
different directions.

“Is there something you need, June, or are you

just doing your normal bitch thing?” I won’t
entertain her silly comments about Linc. At least

not in front of her. His distance might hurt me, but I
won’t give her the satisfaction of seeing it.

“It’s a shame that your meal ticket left you

behind.”

“You’re pathetic, June.” So much for keeping

my mouth shut. I’m so over her crap. This is stupid
high school shit. Real life is starting.

“I think you have me confused with your

family, sweetheart.”

I probably should be offended by her words,

but they’re the truth. There’s nothing she could say
about  them  that  I  haven’t  heard  or  thought  myself
before.  “You’re  not  better  than  anyone.  You
couldn't  keep  Linc.  Now  you  really  know  that.”
With that, she turns, strolling off.

What did that even mean? I’ve never thought I

was  better  than  anyone.  I  look  up  to  see  people
looking  my  way.  They  turn,  trying  to  pretend  they
weren't  watching  the  show.  Is  that  what  everyone
here thinks? I suddenly feel very out of place. This
whole  school  feels  different  without  Linc.  I  grab
my stuff, shoving everything into my backpack. My
stomach starts to turn.

“Not again,” I whisper to myself as I pick up

my pace, heading into one of the girls' bathrooms. I
barely make it into the stall and the donuts I ate
from the vending machine for lunch are coming up.
I close my eyes as emotions flood me. This can’t be
happening. When I exit the stall, a few girls snicker

walking out. I catch my reflection in the mirror. I
look tired. I am tired. I’ve been sleeping like shit. I
thought it was because I was missing Linc, but
maybe there is more to it. There is only one way to
find out. That will have to wait, though. I still have
one more class to get through.

The rest of the day drags by slowly. When it’s

finally  time  to  leave,  I  head  straight  to  the
pharmacy  thankful  Linc  left  me  his  car.  My  hands
are  shaking  by  the  time  I  get  home.  I  read  the
directions. I can’t be pregnant but it’s the only thing
that  adds  up.  I'm  on  the  pill.  I  read  the  directions
three  more  times  as  if  they  are  hard  to  understand
before taking the test.

My phone rings a few times in my bag. I know

it’s Linc, but I can’t answer it now. I have to know.
This  could  change  so  much  for  both  of  us.  I  stare
down  at  the  test,  waiting  for  the  lines  to  show  up.
How  long  did  it  say?  Then  within  seconds  the  two
blue  lines  come  up.  I  drop  back  down  onto  the
toilet,  my  body  going  numb.  My  phone  keeps
ringing. I bring my hand to my stomach.

I am pregnant. My eyes fill with tears. How can

I be happy and so fucking scared at the same time?
What will Linc say? Will he be excited or as
freaked out as me?

“Will you turn that fucking phone off? I'm

trying to take a damn nap.” My mom bangs on the
bathroom door.

“Sorry,” I shout back, grabbing the phone out of

my bag. “Hey,” I answer.

“You okay? I’ve been calling since school got

out.”

“Yeah. What’s going on?” I hear Nick and

Benjy in the background, clearly excited about
something.

“We signed, Cherry. We have a label.”
“I knew it.” I burst into tears. I don’t know if

they’re happy, sad or everything in between. “You
did it.”

“I love you so damn much, baby. We’re going

to have it all.” I cry hard. He’s getting everything
he’s ever wanted.

“I love you too.” I sit down on the floor,

tucking my legs into my body. “Tell me
everything.” I close my eyes, listening to his voice.
It’s the one thing that has always grounded me. My
news will have to wait for another time.

LINC

I’

EDGE

. Nick and Benjy would say it’s

because  we  are  about  to  take  the  stage  at  the
Troubadour,  a  legendary  LA  nightclub.  It  is  the
right  reason  to  be  nervous.  This  club  has  hosted
everyone  from  Elton  John  and  Tom  Waits  to  Joni
Mitchell.  Playing  on  the  same  stage  as  those
legends would give anyone butterflies. I think that’s
why  Nick’s  already  broken  one  drumstick  and
Benjy  can’t  stop  fiddling  with  his  bass  strings,  but
I’m not worried about our set at all. There’s never
been  a  time  where  we’ve  practiced  more  or  a
period  where  we’ve  been  so  completely  immersed
in our music from the time we get up until we go to
bed.

We’ve been in the studio with beatmakers and

songwriters who have written such huge hits that I
feel like I don’t belong in the same room as them.
And I’m having fun working with all these legends

and icons. The music that we’ve been making is the
best we’ve ever laid down.

I should be on the top of the world and I’m

almost  there.  Like,  I’m  right  below  the  apex  but  I
can’t  stop  thinking  about—and  missing—Cherry.
Even  now  as  we’re  about  to  step  out  into  the
spotlight, I feel off as if my guitar is slightly out of
tune  or  I’m  half  a  beat  slow.  All  the  lyrics  coming
out of me are sad as fuck, too, even for the bops.

Jerry, one of the beatmakers who has created

tracks for the biggest artists in the world, says that
he’s  never  heard  a  guy  who  is  so  in  love  make
songs  so  full  of  sorrow.  The  one  that  everyone
agrees  will  be  the  lead  single  is  about  how  there’s
no  sound  in  my  life  anymore.  I’m  alone  and  the
bed’s  so  cold  /  the  night’s  still  /  even  the  crickets
aren’t chirping / poured myself a beer / turned the
tv  on  /  but  there’s  no  sound  and  my  heart’s  still
hurting

Cherry and I aren’t breaking up. That’s not ever

going to happen, but it does feel like I’m missing a
limb. She’s back home and I’m here, and even
though the lights are about to be brighter and hotter
than anything I’ve ever experienced, it doesn’t feel
completely right.

I want her here bad, but there’s a tiny part of

me  that  acknowledges  this  label  signing,  this  path
I’m  taking,  might  fall  through.  And  if  it  does  fall
through,  I’ll  be  back  in  Shindale  with  my  tail

between my legs begging for that factory job.
Cherry needs her high school diploma because
she’s got a whole thing called college as an option. I
can’t fuck with that. I’m not that selfish.

“You with us?” Nick slaps me on the back with

one of his drumsticks.

It’s a hard and sharp feeling, but one that gets

my  attention,  which  was  his  intention.  I  nod
because  I’m  the  leader  and  if  I  don’t  give  out  the
right  energy,  the  whole  set  will  suck.  “Never
better.”

“Fucking liar,” he says. His tone is more

worried than mad.

“First time at the Troubadour. The head of our

new label is out front, taking a heat check on the
crowd. We’re playing a couple of songs we just
whipped up in the last two weeks. Of course, I’m a
little nervous.”

“Bullshit.” Benjy joins us on my other side.

“It’s Cherry.”

“Yeah. She’s not going to be sitting left of

stage.”

“Would you two shut up?” Hearing them say

what I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about is
only making matters worse. I roll my shoulders
back and jump in place to loosen up.

“What’s the problem?” Our new manager, Hal,

has come over. I made the suggestion that Cherry
be our manager. She was the one that sent the song

to  Treat  in  the  first  place,  but  everyone  jumped
down  my  throat  over  the  idea.  Cherry  was  too
young.  She  didn’t  have  any  connections.  I  would
ruin her life taking her out of school and forcing her
to deal with assholes in the industry who think that
a woman’s place is on her back or knees. It was the
last one that made me pipe down.

“He’s missing Cherry,” Nick says before I can

tell him to shut up.

“She’s been at every gig since we started,”

Benjy chimes in.

“She has, has she?” Treat gives me a look as if

weighing whether signing me is already a mistake.

“Some guys are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

I’ve got one weakness. It’s Cherry at my port of
call,” I quip. “Nah, I’m going to be fine. This is the
Troubadour, after all.”

“You writing lyrics as we talk is why I signed

you.” Treat clamps a hard hand on my shoulder
right above the space where Nick lashed me. Don’t
fuck up, his eyes say.

“I got an idea,” Hal says. He holds up a giant

teddy bear—the kind that scares the shit out of you
when you stumble downstairs to get a glass of
water and you spy it out of the corner of your eye,
looming on the sofa where no one should be sitting
that time of night. “This is going to sit where
Cherry usually does. In the morning, we’ll get your
girl to send us a shirt or something and this bear will

wear it while you do your gigs.”

“That’s not a bad plan,” Nick says.
Benjy nods. “Yeah, that works, don’t it, Linc?”
“Why not?” I actually have a better idea but I’ll

put that into action after the gig is over. “Thanks,
Hal.”

The short man smiles. “That’s what I’m here for

—to solve your problems.”

The set goes off without a hitch. The crowd is

fucking  insane.  We  do  three  encores  and  there  are
so many people that want to meet us that we don’t
get  out  of  the  club  until  four  hours  after  our  set
ended.  Only  Nick  and  Benjy  know  this  isn’t  the
best performance I’ve given. The next day only one
review  of  ten  mentions  the  giant  teddy  bear  in  the
midst of talking about our fresh new sound and how
we’re  bringing  rock  back  into  the  mainstream.
We’re on our way, Treat says. I nod and smile and
place the order. If I’m going to have a teddy bear in
place of Cherry, it’s not wearing something of hers.
It’s got to have skin to skin contact.

Sleep with this would you, baby? I write in the

notes box of the order. I can’t play without you
here and since you can’t be with me, this is the next
best thing. I love you.

CHERRY

“ I

P UT

in the order wrong for table seven. You want

it?”  Minnie  places  a  cheeseburger  with  fries  down
onto the table where I’m currently taking my break.
She  and  I  have  quickly  formed  a  friendship  since
she  gave  me  this  job.  I  know  her  better  than  she
thinks  I  do.  I’m  onto  her.  She  didn’t  mess  up  any
order; she just wants to feed me.

In the short time I’ve known her I know not to

bother  arguing  with  her.  Plus,  I  am  hungry.  I  was
planning  on  eating  when  I  got  home.  I’ve  been
trying  to  save  money  and  eat  some  cereal  but  the
burger  smells  so  freaking  good.  I  can’t  resist  her
charity tonight. I’ll find some way to pay her back.

“I’d love it.” I close my small laptop, pushing it

aside. Minnie sits down with me. It’s late and only a
few tables are taken. These days are long and while
I’m grateful for this job, it makes me realize how
important it is for me to focus on my schooling. I

need to make sure that I’m able to provide for my
little one.

“Watching your man?” She smiles at me,

stealing a fry off my plate.

“Maybe.” I feel my face warm. I think I’m

turning into a stalker. I watch all the videos that end
up  on  YouTube  or  ones  they  put  up  on  the
Instagram  live.  I  am  so  happy  for  them.  Their
dreams are coming true. I am happy to have a way
to still see them perform. I miss seeing it live. I miss
seeing Linc in the flesh. These videos are the only
glimpses  I  get  into  his  life  these  days.  God,  I  miss
how  things  used  to  be  so  much.  The  hole  in  my
chest only keeps growing.

“You know Benny and I were high school

sweethearts.”  Ben  and  Minnie  have  been  married
for  a  few  decades.  They  own  the  small  diner  that
sits  a  few  miles  outside  of  town.  It’s  a  mix  of  our
town  and  the  next  one  over.  It’s  nice  that  I  don't
know every person that walks in the front door.

Word about Linc is starting to spread. They are

already  making  a  name  for  themselves  and
everyone  has  been  giving  me  sympathy  looks  as
though I’ve been dumped. I hear the whispers too. I
ignore  them  but  at  night  when  I  lie  in  bed  I  can’t
help  but  hear  them  loud  and  clear.  Even  though  I
know  they  aren’t  true,  the  distance  between  Linc
and me has taken a toll on me.

“I did know that.” They are utterly adorable.

He’s  always  got  his  eyes  on  her  even  from  the
kitchen.  It  often  reminds  me  of  Linc.  It’s  how  I
pictured  he’d  still  look  at  me  after  all  those  years.
My heart grows heavier, wondering if we’ll make it
that far. He hasn't been gone long and I’m already
questioning  everything.  It  doesn’t  help  that  I’m
keeping this secret from him.

I still haven't gotten up the courage to tell him

I’m  pregnant.  Nick  told  me  Linc  is  already
struggling.  If  I  told  him  about  the  baby  he’d  come
running  back  here.  It’s  not  as  though  the  baby  is
here  yet.  I  haven't  even  gone  to  the  doctor.  I  am
trying to find one that’s not in our town. Linc needs
to  focus  on  what  he’s  doing.  Being  here  hovering
over  me  because  I’m  knocked  up  isn't  going  to  do
anything but lose him the opportunity of a lifetime.
It’s not something I’m willing to let happen. I don’t
know  what  my  plan  actually  is,  but  I’ve  got  some
time to figure it out.

“If you love each other it will work out.”
“I don’t think love will ever be our problem.”
“Yeah, but sometimes we get in the way of

ourselves.  You  should  take  this  time  to  grow  into
yourself.  We  all  gotta  do  a  little  growing  on  our
own.”  She  pops  the  fry  into  her  mouth,  standing
from  the  booth.  “It’s  going  to  be  okay.”  I  really
must  be  wearing  all  my  emotions  on  my  sleeve.
“We’re  slow  so  if  you  want  to  head  out  after  you
eat, have at it.”

“Thanks,” I say as she heads back toward

another  table  to  check  on  them.  I  think  over  what
she said. I’m not sure I agree with her. Why do we
have  to  grow  alone  sometimes?  I’ve  always  been
alone  until  Linc  came  into  my  life.  He  has  shown
me  what  it  means  to  be  loved  and  cherished.  I’ve
gone so long without having that from my parents. I
place  my  hand  on  my  belly  for  a  moment.  Silently
telling  my  little  one  that  no  matter  what  happens,
they’ll always be loved. I will be a better mom than
mine ever was.

I eat my cheeseburger and fries before I pack

up my stuff and see to anything else I can do before
I leave. The tips have been good here so far. My
phone rings as I head out to my car.

“Hey.” I drop my stuff into the passenger seat.
“Cherry.” Linc breathes into the phone. He

should be having the time of his life right now, but
Nick is right. Linc doesn't sound like himself. He
sounds tired.

“I love you.”
“Never gets old hearing you say that. I love you

too, Cherry.” It never gets old hearing him say it
either. He’s the only person that’s ever said those
words to me.

“Don’t you have a show you should be getting

ready for?”

“I suppose. I just needed to hear your voice

first. What are you doing?”

“I ate a cheeseburger and now I’m heading

home.” It was the truth. I haven't told him about the
new job. He would try and send me money or
worry more over me. It's weird keeping things from
him. Another reminder that things are changing.

“I’ve got to come home soon and see you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” I try to

reassure him.

“You might be but I’m fucking not.” It would

be a lie if I didn't admit that a part of me likes that
he is missing me so much. But I love him and will
always do what I think is right for him. I know he’d
do the same for me.

“We’ll see each other soon. I promise.”
“I’m going to call you when I’m done. We

might be thousands of miles apart but we can still
go to bed together.”

“I’ll wait up for you. FaceTime me and I’ll have

a surprise for you.”

“Oh fuck, Cherry.” He groans into the phone. I

knew that would perk him up. It doesn’t change the
fact that I’m hiding a bigger surprise from him.

LINC

“ G

REAT

SET

. G

REAT

GREAT

SET

.” Treats beams as

we  exit  the  stage.  Someone,  I  don’t  know  who
because  our  entourage  has  grown  larger  in  the  last
couple  of  weeks  and  I  can’t  keep  track  of
everyone, throws me a towel. I wipe off a bucket of
sweat and drape the towel around my neck.

“Excuse me,” says a roadie. His hands are full

with two mic stands in each hand and a bass guitar
around  his  neck.  I  jump  out  of  the  way  and
narrowly avoid getting mowed down by a stream of
other staff members moving equipment for the next
band--Three  Fingers  Up--to  take  the  stage.  I’d
forgotten there was one more band after us. We’ve
been  moving  up  in  the  set  list  at  the  gigs  we’ve
played.  For  the  first  week,  we  were  stuck  in  the
middle of a show as filler, but the crowds are loud
for  us  and  a  few  acts  have  had  some  trouble
maintaining the same energy so now we’re near the

end. We aren’t close to being headliners of any
event, but being second or third to the last before a
huge name is damn good.

I should be flying high but I’m in this weird

state  of  being  exhausted  and  wired  at  the  same
time.  The  crowd  noise  boosts  me  up  but  the  high
never  lasts.  One  minute,  you’re  the  king  on  stage
and  the  next,  you’re  just  a  body  that  needs  to  be
moved out of the way.

Treat tells us not to get used to the high life

because  it  can  all  fade  quickly.  Cherry  was  wrong
about  us  having  to  pay  back  the  hotel  fees.  Treat
covered everything for us up until we signed to the
label. He pocketed all the money from the gigs we
did during that time, but it felt fair. Since then, I’ve
been  trying  to  manage  it  myself  with  help  from
Benjy.  We’re  the  poorest  so  we’re  trying  to  save.
Nick wants to spend every last dime. It’s hard when
we’re not all on the same page. Benjy and I wanted
to rent a tiny apartment downtown but Nick had a
hard  time  giving  up  the  taste  of  the  life  that  Treat
introduced  us  to.  We  compromised  on  a  two-
bedroom rental about five minutes from the beach,
even  though  it  now  takes  an  hour  to  get  to  the
studio.  LA  traffic  sucks.  I  think  I  could  walk  from
one end of the city to the other faster than driving.

“Treat, let me meet your new boys.” An older

man with a close cut gray beard wearing a suit with
a pair of white Nikes strolls over.

“Good to see you, Jeff.” The two shake hands.

“This is Linc, our songwriter, Benjy on bass and
Nick, the drummer. Guys, this is Jeff Humphrey.
He’s a venture capitalist who dabbles in music.”

“A three-piece set. I like it. Manageable

numbers. What’s the plan? Singles? Opening act
with some covers? You all look young. What are we
thinking? Maybe some Nick at Night appearances?”

Before Benjy can spit curse words in Jeff’sface,

Nick and I step on his toes--literally. “We’re
singers, sir. We’d look dumb as hell on a small
screen. No offense,” I add.

Benjy’s audible sigh of relief actually ruffles the

hair at the nape of my neck.

“I think album first. These guys have the

capacity of building a rock fanbase which means
they need to have an album.”

“But you’ll need a good single and while I like

what I’m hearing, I think you need something
poppier. Have you considered a rap feature?”

Jeff sounds like a nightmare. The three of us

exchange a glance. Time for us to jet. “We need to
pack up Nick’s kit. Nice to meet you, man. Treat,
thanks for setting everything up tonight. We’ll be in
the studio in the morning.”

“The morning?” interjects Jeff. He laughs. “You

are  green  behind  the  ears  if  you’re  still  getting  up
early.  The  morning  is  for  one  thing  only  and  that’s
fucking  the  side  piece  you  brought  home  the  night

before. Am I right, Treats?”

“Jeff, you’re going to get me in trouble. I’m

married now.” Treat turns to us. “I’ll see you
around lunch time. Why don’t you put together a
couple of tracks for me to listen to?”

“No problem.” The sweat I’d wiped away

before  starts  dripping  down  my  back.  We’ve  been
working  in  isolation,  but  now  the  label  president
wants  to  come  and  hear  what  we’re  laying  down.
But I want to get the album pressed. The sooner we
get the album done, the sooner we can get booked
at festivals, which means real income besides these
club  gigs  and  that  brings  me  one  step  closer  to
Cherry.  I’m  not  sure  how  much  I  need  to  support
two  people,  but  it  can’t  be  a  ton  more  than  what
I’m pulling in now.

I miss her so fucking much. “Anyone grab

Teddy?” I ask, looking around backstage.

Nick shakes his head. “Why don’t you get it

while Benjy and I pack up?”

“Okay.” But when I get out front, the stool

where Teddy sat during our songs is gone and so is
the giant stuffed animal. I push my way through the
crowd  to  the  bar.  A  bartender  holds  up  a  finger  to
let  me  know  he’ll  be  with  me  in  a  minute  but  one
stretches  into  five.  Anxiously,  I  scan  the  large
venue  but  don’t  see  anything  remotely  resembling
the bear. When the bartender finally comes over, I
want to grab him by the neck. I settle for squeezing

the edge of the wooden bar top so hard I’ll
probably get splinters. “The stuffed animal that was
on the stool? Where is it?”

He shrugs. “Some couple walked off with it.

Didn’t realize it was yours, man. Sorry about that.”

“Why’d you let that happen? It wasn’t theirs.

We set that up when we came on stage.” I’m
heated and my voice is getting loud.

“Dude, it’s a bear. Buy another one.” He starts

to walk away. I lunge over the bar top and grab him
by the back of the collar.

“It wasn’t just a bear,” I seethe. “That bear

represented my girl and I can’t fucking play
without it.”

“Dude, I just pour booze here. Tell someone

who cares.”

Two burly security guards come over and drag

me away.

“I’m with the band,” I tell them. “I need to go

back and get my crew.”

“Right.” The humorless men dump me on the

curb  and  ban  me  from  re-entering.  My  phone  is  in
the back with the equipment because I don’t carry
the  thing  on  stage  with  me.  A  half  an  hour  later,  a
furious  Benjy  and  a  resigned  Nick  come  rolling
around.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Benjy yells.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

“I got thrown out and no one would allow me

back in.”

“For what?”
“Someone stole the bear.”
“Someone what?”
“Someone stole my fucking bear!” I yell. I

thrust a hand through my hair and kick an empty
beer can. I know I sound ridiculous, but I miss
Cherry so fucking much. “I have to go,” I tell them.

Nick sighs. Benjy hasn’t caught on yet. “Go

where?”

“To Cherry.”
“What? We have to play some tracks for Treats

tomorrow.”

“Play what we have. I’ll be back in two days.” I

hold out my hand and a cab rolls to a stop. Benjy
jumps out of the truck but I’m inside the back of
the cab and tapping the driver’s shoulder before he
can reach me. “LAX,” I say.

I don’t have my phone or any luggage, but I

have my credit card. I have to see my girl. I just do.

CHERRY

LEAN

up against the side of the car, my eyes on

the  airport  exit.  Benjy  called  me  hours  ago  to  tell
me  Linc  was  headed  my  way.  He’d  had  a  little
panic  in  his  voice  but  I  assured  him  that  I  would
send him back. The thought of seeing Linc excites
me. Even if it’s only going to be for a few hours, I
plan to enjoy each of them. I don’t care if it means
getting  no  sleep  tonight.  I’ve  missed  him  so  damn
much.

A moment later the doors slide open and Linc

comes  strolling  out.  His  eyes  widen  in  surprise
when  he  sees  me.  I  think  he  had  plans  to  surprise
me,  but  I’ve  beat  him  to  it.  I  run,  throwing  myself
at  him.  He  catches  me  and  I  wrap  my  legs  around
him. His hands go to my ass as I kiss him deeply. I
fight back tears as he kisses me back. We’re a mess
with all teeth and tongue but neither of us care; we
just want to feel connected again. I hadn’t realized

how much I needed this.

“Missed you so damn much,” he says, breaking

the  kiss  for  a  moment,  sounding  out  of  breath.  I
know  I  am,  but  I  don’t  care.  I  go  back  to  kissing
him.  Who  needs  oxygen?  This  is  all  I  need.  He
carries  me  over  to  the  car.  I  bury  my  face  in  his
neck. I need to get it together. I was supposed to be
the strong one here, telling him to turn around and
get  his  ass  back  to  California,  but  too  many
emotions burst free when I saw him. I decide to be
selfish  for  a  little  while.  I  just  want  to  feel  him
against  me,  to  have  him  hold  me,  even  if  it’s  only
for a short time.

“I love you,” I say into his neck. He puts me in

the passenger seat of the car and buckles my
seatbelt before running around and hopping into the
driver seat, taking off.

“There.” I point to the back road that heads

into the country behind the airport. “Let’s park.” I
don’t  want  to  go  to  either  of  our  homes.  Not  that
we  would  even  go  to  mine.  My  parents  are  so
unpredictable  that  I  don’t  want  to  ruin  the  little
time Linc and I have together with their nonsense.
While  his  parents  are  nice,  I  want  to  spend  time
with  only  him.  I  don’t  want  to  share  him  with
anyone today.

The car rolls to a stop when we get to a

secluded area. Before Linc even finishes shifting
the car into park, I’m unbuckling my seatbelt and

climbing  into  his  lap.  He  scoots  the  seat  back,
making  plenty  of  room  for  me.  His  hand  comes  to
my  face,  tracing  his  finger  down  it,  as  though  he’s
memorizing  every  part  of  it.  I  lean  into  his  touch,
enjoying  his  affection.  God,  I’ve  missed  him  so
much.

“I don’t know if I can continue going this long

without  seeing  you,  Cherry.  It’s  killing  me.”  My
thumb reaches out to sweep across his cheek. I lean
down  to  give  him  a  quick  kiss.  I  want  to  tell  him
that I feel the same. That I want him to come back.
That  I’m  carrying  his  baby.  But  I  don’t  say  any  of
those things. Tonight is not the time for that.

“You can and you will. You’re doing it for the

both  of  us.  So  that  we  can  have  a  better  life  and
future. I know it’s not easy. Believe me, I miss you
like  crazy.”  I  drop  my  forehead  to  his.  “Our  love
has  been  so  easy,  if  you  think  about  it.  People  go
half their lives without finding their other half. Not
us.  We’re  crazy  if  we  don’t  think  there  might  be
times we have to be apart for a little, but we’ll get
through it.”

“You always make me feel better.” He brushes

his mouth against mine. “You’re right. In the end
we’ll be together.”

I nod my head in agreement. “If we can get

through this we can get through anything.” I run my
hands down his chest. “You have to go back.” I
don’t tell him Benjy already booked him a flight

back. We have a little time.

“What I’ve got to do is make love to my girl.” I

unbuckle his belt. His hands slip under my dress to
my ass. “Want these.” l gasp when he rips my
panties right off me.

“They're all yours.” I pull his cock out from his

jeans, giving him a few strokes while his fingers go
to my clit.

“You’re fucking soaked for me already.”
I moan my response. It’s been too long since

he’s touched me. My body is more than ready for
him.

“Put me in,” he demands. I shift, lining him up

with my entrance. I want to go slow, but the
moment the head of his cock breaches me, we both
lose it.

I drop down onto him, taking him deep inside of

me. He grabs my hips, groaning my name. He takes
over, moving me up and down on him. He’s as
hungry for me as I am for him. He jacks himself in
and out of me, unable to wait for me to come fully
down onto him. The orgasm hits us both quick and
hard. I fall on top of him, wrapping my arms around
his neck. I hold him as tight as I can. His warm
release feels so good deep inside of me. I’ve missed
this connection.

“I should be embarrassed with how fast I came

but who can blame me?” His hands drift up and
down my back. His cock is still hard inside of me. It

LINC

CAR

CRAMP ED

and I stopped having feeling

in  my  legs  about  an  hour  ago,  but  Cherry’s  sitting
between my thighs, her back against my torso, her
sweet  ass  snugged  up  against  my  finally  quiescent
cock,  so  this  is  the  best  I’ve  felt  in  weeks.  A
pleasant  exhaustion  has  set  in.  I  got  into  Shindale
by  morning,  had  sex  with  Cherry  twice  before
lunch,  ate  a  gas  station  egg  salad  sandwich  which
was  better  than  it  sounds,  swallowed  a  cup  full  of
mouthwash, made love to Cherry again, and finally
passed  out.  When  I  woke  up,  the  sun  was  setting
and  Cherry  had  fallen  asleep  on  my  chest.  She
woke up because her stomach was rumbling.

We still had some convenience store food—a

couple slices of pizza that had gotten cold, two
water bottles, the mouthwash, a pack of gum, and a
bag of Doritos. I’m really showing my girl the high
life.

“You’ve got to come to LA,” I tell her, rubbing

my  chin  across  the  top  of  her  head.  “You  should
have  seen  me  last  night.  I  went  out  to  get  your
teddy  bear,  but  someone  had  stolen  it.  I  nearly
attacked  the  bartender  who  was  supposed  to  keep
an  eye  on  it.  Two  security  guards  dragged  me  out.
Not to be dramatic, but it’s pretty obvious I’m not
going to make it without you.”

“You’re going to have to make it sound a lot

nicer if you want me to leave Shindale,” she teases.

At least I think she’s teasing, but then I think

back to how all our conversations have gone and is
it just me complaining about how shit the life is in
LA? Have I made it sound so bad that she doesn’t
want to come? I never even thought about that.
Damn. What an idiot I am.

“Maybe I’ve exaggerated a tiny bit,” I admit.
“I do want to be there with you, you know that,

right?”

“Yeah, but I also know you want to finish with

school, which is smart because one of us has to
have a college degree or what will we tell our kids?
Stay in school unlike your pops who made millions
after dropping out?”

“Millions is it?”
“Nothing less. I’m going to buy you a big house

in  Malibu.  You  should  see  Treat’s  place,  baby.  It’s
incredible.  Three  stories  of  windows  overlooking
the  ocean  and  it’s  so  fucking  blue.  I  couldn’t

believe it. But also cold as hell.”

“Really? I never would’ve guessed that.”
“I know! I was shocked. He threw us this big

dinner  at  his  place  and  then  afterwards,  we  went
down  to  the  beach.  Benjy  and  I  stripped  down  to
our  undies  and  ran  into  the  water.  All  the  while,
Treat is yelling something at us but we’re screaming
our  heads  off  in  excitement  so  we  can’t  hear  a
word.  We  race  into  the  waves  and  it’s  not  until
we’re in the ocean waist high that we register how
fucking arctic the water is. We crawl out, our balls
shriveled  into  tiny  raisins,  and  find  Treat  nearly
asphyxiating from laughing so hard. He has pictures
and says it’s going into our first album photo book.”

She giggles and the sound is so pretty that all I

want  to  do  is  tell  her  stories  that  will  make  her
laugh. I bury my face in her hair. “Do you have any
idea how much I love you? It’s probably unhealthy,
but  I  wake  up  thinking  about  you  and  when  I  see
something  new  and  cool,  my  first  thought  is  to
share that with you.”

“I love you, too.” She ducks her head to kiss

my arm that’s wrapped around her chest.

“Tell me everything I’ve missed back home.”
There’s a prolonged silence and then, “It’s

Shindale. I don’t think there’s anything here to
miss.”

There’s a note in her voice that I can’t quite

make out. Suddenly there’s an uncertainty that I’ve

never experienced with Cherry before. It strikes me
that all I’ve done is talk about what I want—Cherry
in LA, but I’m not giving enough consideration to
her needs and wants. I mentally slap myself across
the forehead. What an ass I’ve been.

“Have you considered going to some other

college than the local one?”

“Not really. I can’t afford it and”—she holds up

her hand like a stop sign—“no, I’m not taking your
money to pay for school.”

“Why not? What’s the point of making it if I

can’t spend it on you?”

“Because it’s one thing to buy me roses and a

teddy bear, but it’s an entirely other thing for you to
pay my tuition. Do you know how much it is?”

I have some vague idea, but even if it was as

much as a house, it would benefit our family in the
end.  I  try  to  point  that  out.  “Me  paying  for  your
education  is  like  an  investment.  When  you  get  out
of  college,  you’ll  get  a  job  and  you  can  support
both of us.”

“What about our kids? I’d rather have you save

for them.”

Kids? I like that she’s thinking about our future.

“Point made.” What would it be like if Cherry was
pregnant? I run a hand over her bare stomach,
imagining it round with our baby. “What if—“

She twists in my arms, pushing her knee into a

small space between my hip and the back of the car

seat so she’s straddling me. “A baby? Really, Linc?
You want a baby right now?”

It’s hard to think with her hot cunt so close to

my  dick.  “Yes?  I  mean,  okay,  maybe  not  right  this
moment  because  you’ve  got  school  and  we’re  a
thousand  miles  apart,  but  I  definitely  want  a  baby
with  you.”  I  reach  between  us  and  rub  my  dick
head  against  the  wet  opening  of  her  pussy.  She
makes  a  sound  as  I  push  into  her.  “You  okay,
baby?” I ask, rubbing her back. She nods and drops
her  head  to  my  shoulder.  Slowly,  I  ease  into  her,
parting  her  swollen  tissues  with  my  broad  head.
Blood  pumps  through  me  like  a  steady  drumbeat.
As  long  as  we  have  each  other,  no  distance  can
separate us. “One day, we’ll make a baby. You’ll be
the best mom ever.”

“Not right now, though, right?”
I’ll say yes to anything she wants. “Right.”

CHERRY

“ T

HAT

MAN

of yours is really blowing up.” I take

another  sip  of  my  strawberry  milkshake.  It’s
become  an  addiction  of  mine.  Luckily  I  get  them
for free here at the diner or it would be eating into
my  tips.  I  was  actually  a  little  surprised  with  how
much  I  was  making  in  tips.  It’s  working  out  way
better than I thought it would. School is almost over
and  I  could  spend  the  summer  racking  up  extra
money. I’m not sure how the college thing is going
to  work  with  me  being  pregnant,  but  I’m  going  to
do  as  much  as  I  can.  I’ll  end  up  having  the  baby
right  in  the  middle  of  a  semester  which  isn’t  the
most opportune time, but I’ll plan ahead for it.

“He’s given a whole new meaning to something

going  viral.”  They  have  been  all  over  social  media
and  the  internet.  I’d  been  bored  one  night  and
hopped  onto  their  Instagram.  I’m  not  sure  who  is
running it for them now. I didn't miss the hundreds

of girls filling up their inbox. They haven't been out
in California long and they are already making a
name for themselves. I know Linc is only going to
get busier.

“It’s crazy. You think you’ll go out to California

when you graduate? I’d hate to lose you here but I
know a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

“I’ll spend the summer here. I’m thinking he

might  be  on  the  road  a  lot.  Who  knows?”  It
wouldn't take him much to talk me into coming out
there. I am missing him like crazy, but would I only
end  up  in  an  empty  apartment  out  there  when  I
could be here working? I have no idea. I hate how
many  uncertainties  there  are.  This  is  not  a  time  I
should  be  having  them.  I’m  about  to  bring  a  baby
into this world. I need to figure out what I am going
to do. Either way I have to get out of my parents’
house.  That’s  on  the  top  of  my  list.  I  don’t  want
them to have anything to do with my baby.

“You tell him you’re knocked up yet?” My

head jerks up to look at Minnie. How the hell does
she  know?  I’m  not  even  showing  yet.  Not  really.
There  is  no  baby  bump  but  I’ve  gained  a  few
pounds.  I  didn’t  think  it  was  that  noticeable.  I’m
not sure if it’s the baby or the fact that I can't stop
stuffing  my  face  with  food  at  work.  Everything
here is so good.

“How did you know?”
“You can’t stop eating and sometimes I hear

you throwing up in the bathroom.” Right. Minnie
has a few kids of her own. I’m sure she knows the
signs.

“No, I haven't told him yet. But I will,” I rush to

say. All of this is so freaking hard. I never know if
I’m  doing  the  right  thing  or  not  by  not  telling  him
yet.  There  are  so  many  big  life  changing  things
going on for us at once that I’ve struggled to make
the  right  decision.  Keeping  this  from  him  is  not
something  I  want  to  do,  but  right  now  it’s  a
necessity to keep our future on track. That doesn't
help the guilt that weighs heavily on me.

“Know that I’m always here for you.” She

reaches out, grabbing my hand. She gives it a
squeeze. It’s nice to have someone else besides
Linc to lean on.

“Thanks.”
“Whatever you decide, you always have a job

here.” She stands. “I also have a trailer on our land
if you’re looking for somewhere to stay. I know
your parents are assholes.”

“You have a trailer?”
“Yeah, the husband had it up north for when he

went hunting but we sold the land so he moved it
down here. Think about it. It’s nothing fancy but
it’s there.”

“That’s really sweet of you.” My eyes sting

with tears.

“I didn’t tell you that so you’d cry on me. I just

wanted you to know you have options. A girl
always needs options.”

“Thanks.” I sniffle back the tears.
“When you’re finished eating, have Brian walk

you out. It’s dark out.” Brian pops up from out of
the kitchen, having heard his name. He’s Minnie’s
oldest son.

“Are you hungry again?” he asks me.
“Do I eat that much?” I grab my purse and

milkshake. I drop my now empty cup into the trash.

“I feel like this question is a trap.” He puts his

hands up in surrender, making me laugh more.
Brian is a year younger than me and goes to the
high school in Smithville, the next town over.

“I’m full, I promise.”
“I’d make you something.”
“I know you would. I just want my bed.” I let

out a long sigh, fishing my keys out of my bag.

“You sure? We can hit a movie,” he offers. I

think Brian is convinced I don’t have any friends. I
guess I don’t really have any that live here
anymore. I spent all my time with Linc and the
boys.

“Nah.” He follows me out the back door to

walk me to my car.

“All you do is work and schoolwork. You gotta

have a little bit of fun.”

“Don’t you have a date or something? I know

all those girls from Smithville High come in the

diner hoping to see you.”

Brian runs a hand through his hair, looking

embarrassed for a second. “Not interested in
them.”

I stop when I get to my car, turning to look up

at him. “You know I have a boyfriend.”

“I hear you're pregnant too. I’m not going to tell

anyone,” he rushes to say. He must have overheard
me talking to his mom.

“Promise?”
“Yeah, I promise.”
“Thanks.” Now I feel worse. Two other people

know before Linc.

“I’m gay,” he blurts out. “Now you know a

secret about me and you can hang out with me
without thinking I’m trying to get into your
maternity pants.”

I smack his arm. “I’m not in maternity pants

yet.”

“Yeah, but it made you laugh.”
“Okay, let's go see a movie,” I agree. There

have been so many changes in my life recently that
a little fun sounds like the exact thing I need to
clear my mind. I want to eat popcorn and watch a
movie with my new friend. One that seems to need
someone in his life as much as I do. I can worry
about real life again tomorrow.

LINC

RITING

music isn’t just sitting down in front of a

mixer or being in a room together riffing off of each
other. Sometimes, it’s listening to a beat laid down
by Nick over and over in your ears until it sparks a
melody while you’re sitting at the beach while your
track man--the drummer--tries to learn how to surf
and your bassist is flirting with a couple of Malibu
beach bunnies who have more interest in the paint
on their toes.

“We’ve got a gig on Friday,” Benjy is telling

them. “You should come.”

There’s some indistinct murmuring that I try to

shut  out  by  turning  the  volume  up  on  my  phone.
Out  of  the  corner  of  my  eye,  I  see  Benjy  pull  his
phone  out.  He  starts  to  tilt  it  toward  the  girls,
probably to show them where it is or what time it is
but he drops his phone.

A chuckle escapes and I shake my head. Poor

Benjy,  trying  to  be  cool  for  these  girls  and  ending
up  fumbling  with  his  phone.  It  takes  him  a  couple
more  efforts  to  pick  it  up,  but  when  he  does,  he
doesn’t return to the girls. Instead, he starts to look
toward  me  and  then,  as  if  an  invisible  thread  is
attached to the side of his face, he jerks around to
face the ocean. Nick washes up on shore and Benjy
runs  down  to  meet  him,  abandoning  the  girls
altogether.

It’s odd, but I’m supposed to be writing music,

not crafting a beach drama. I reapply myself to the
track. Blue like the … sea? No, that’s too ordinary.
So are blue eyes. How many songs mention blue
eyes? A thousand of them. Blue lungs? Blue heart?
Blue toes? How did I ever think I was a songwriter?
Maybe what I need to do is go for a swim. I throw
down my pen and get to my feet. My shirt joins my
pen. Before I can get to the water, Benjy and Nick
are in front of me wearing serious faces.

“What is it? The water too cold?” I joke. Nick

doesn’t care what the water is like so long as he can
be in it.

He doesn’t laugh. He doesn’t frown. He just

stands  there  like  a  stone.  It’s  weird.  I  switch  to
Benjy,  whose  face  usually  shows  every  emotion
he’s  feeling  and  it’s  not  different  now.  Pity  mixed
with  sympathy  with  a  touch  of  anger  stretches
across his expression. My heart squeezes a bit and a
nerve  in  the  back  of  my  neck  that  I  didn’t  know

existed starts twitching.

“Is it money?”
Benjy shakes his head. Nick looks away.
“Is it Treats? Did he cancel our deal?”
Still refusing to look at me, Nick shoves his

hand through his hair. Benjy bites his lip.

“For fuck’s sake, what is it? Did someone die?

Are your parents okay? Did the factory go belly
up? What?”

My two friends share a look and then I know.

My throat seizes up and my brain starts throwing a
bunch of sick images in front of my eyes. “It’s
Cherry, isn’t it?”

Nick nudges Benjy, who shoves the phone at

me.  I  don’t  want  to  look  at  it.  “Just  tell  me.  I  can
take it.  Whatever it  is,”  I lie.  I  really can’t  take  it.
The worst thing in my life is Cherry getting hurt and
me  not  being  by  her  side.  I  should’ve  never  left
Shindale.  I  need  to  get  back  there  now.  I  start
racing back to my shit when Nick grabs me by the
neck and forces the phone in front of me.

My eyes blur and then focus and then blur

again  because  the  images  are  not  making  sense  in
my brain. I see them—two figures with one looking
like Cherry only it can’t be because there’s a guy’s
arm around her shoulder and that guy is not me so
it  isn’t  Cherry.  My  mind  rejects  it.  A  finger  comes
up  and  swipes  left.  A  new  image  comes  up.  It’s
another photo of the girl that looks like Cherry and

she’s  gazing  up  at  the  asshole’s  face  because  he’s
taller  than  her.  Her  eyes  are  sparkling  and  she’s
laughing.  The  next  picture  is  darker  and  I  can
barely make anything out but the two figures’ heads
are  close  together.  So  close  together.  I  push  the
phone away. I have to get back to Shindale.

“What’re you going to do?” Nick asks.
“I’m going to see Cherry.”
“We have three gigs this week.”
“I don’t fucking care.” I throw my shirt over

my head, disregarding the sand that spills down my
back and into my shorts. I shove my feet into my
slides, grab my phone, and take off at a run.

Nick grabs my arm and spins me around.

“Dude, you cannot leave. We have so many gigs.
We have an album to finish. What’s the point of
going home? Cherry ch—“

“No,” I interrupt with a slashing gesture of my

hand. “Cherry did not cheat on me. That’s not the
type of relationship we have. I’m going to get back
to Shindale and she’s going to explain everything
and we’re going to have a good laugh and—“

“You can do all of that here. Call her.” Nick

takes my hand and presses the phone into my palm.

I lick my lips and stare at the screen like a

snake is about to jump out and bite my nose off.

“Call her,” Nick repeats. “Ask her or you’re

going to waste all the money you’re saving to bring
her out here and possibly jeopardize the whole

career you’re building to support the family you’re
supposed to start with her.”

Benjy’s hand comes up and folds around mine.

“Call her.” He moves my finger, tapping through to
Cherry’s number. My thumb hesitates over the dial
button.  If  I  call  her,  I  can  clear  this  up.  Nick’s
reasoning  makes  sense.  I’m  trying  to  save  money
for Cherry and my future. Plus, she wouldn’t cheat
on me. There’s no point in even calling her on this.
I  push  Benjy’s  hand  away  and  force  out  a  light
tone.  “I’m  hungry.  You  guys  hungry?  I  saw  a  taco
truck at the top of the hill.”

“What about—” Benjy starts to ask, but Nick

waves for him to shut up.

“Yeah, starved. Tacos sound good. Benjy, get

the rest of our shit.” Nick throws an arm around my
neck. “Street tacos are the fucking best part of
LA.”

“I thought it was the waves,” I joke with fake

cheerfulness.

“It’s the babes,” Benjy yells at us. “It’s the

babes. That’s all you need anywhere,” he adds
thoughtlessly.

Nick throws a glare at our bassist but I make

myself laugh. “Right. As soon as Cherry gets here,
LA will be perfect.”

My friends nod in agreement and that’s that.

Those photos were not Cherry. It was someone that
looked like her and a jealous bitch sent them to

CHERRY

“ B

RIAN

!” I shout his name as I run into the back of

the diner. Things are finally going a little my way
for once. Life doesn’t seem as lonely anymore
since Brian and I became friends.

“He’s out front,” his father shouts back from

the  grill  where  he’s  cooking.  I  bolt  out  the  double
swinging  doors  to  the  front  of  the  diner.  I  see  him
sitting  in  a  booth  working  on  his  laptop.  He  looks
up  at  me.  A  look  of  concern  immediately  comes
over his face.

“What?” He’s on his feet. “Everything okay?”

His eyes drop to my stomach.

“It’s fine.” I rush over to him, shoving the

papers into his chest. He reads them. I can see the
moment when what they say registers with him.

“You got the scholarship!” He grabs me, pulling

me in for a tight hug. I hug him back, and it feels
nice to celebrate this moment with someone in

person. I haven’t even told Linc yet. Guilt threatens
to ruin the moment for me, but I push it to the back
of my mind. I worked hard for this and I deserve to
celebrate it. I know he’s at practice right now and I
had to tell someone I knew would be happy with
me.

“It’s not a fancy school or anything, but it’s

free. Books and everything. I actually might have a
little extra money.” My eyes sting. The feelings I’m
having are overwhelming. Freaking pregnancy
hormones have me all over the place these days.

“Don’t downplay this. I told you that admission

letter  you  sent  in  was  killer.  I  still  say  you  should
say  fuck  nursing  and  do  something  with  writing.
You’d  make  an  amazing  journalist.”  He  snaps  his
fingers  like  he’s  figured  out  what  I  must  do  in  life
now. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted by that
path  in  life,  but  I  know  that  I  have  to  stick  to  my
plans.

“I have to pursue nursing.” Brian rolls his eyes.

“Why are you rolling your eyes at me? You want to
be a nurse too,” I remind him.

“Yes, because it’s truly what I want to do.”
“It’s safe.” I let out a long sigh, knowing that

nursing  will  eventually  provide  me  with  the
financial security I’ll need. That no matter where I
wind  up  in  the  world  or  how  successful  Linc  is,  I
can always fall back on my nursing career. There is
always  a  shortage  in  the  field,  so  it’s  a  smart

decision on my part. Not only for me but my child
too. I have to think about that now.

“Help me finish my fries.” He points to the

other side of the booth. I drop down, stealing one
off his plate.

“I’ll have to take my basics anyway. I can pick

a major later.” I shrug.

“So I’ve got time to change your mind.” He

smirks. This time it’s me that rolls my eyes but still
I smile. I’m not sure what I would have done
without Brian. He’s really been here for me. We’ve
become close. It’s nice to have someone my own
age to talk to and hang out with. It's even nicer that
he doesn't have a crush on my boyfriend.

“What’s all the excitement about?” Minnie sets

a strawberry shake down in front of me with extra
whipped cream.

“I love you. You know this, right?” I take a long

sip of the milkshake. Grateful that I had found all
of them. They treat me as though I’m part of their
family.

“I do.” She snags the paper out of her son

Brian's hand.

“Cherry.” She leans down kissing me on top of

my  head.  I  once  again  want  to  cry.  Stupid
hormones. “So you’re going to move into the trailer
now?”  She  asks  the  same  question  she  asks  me
every  day.  The  more  she  gets  out  of  me  about  my
parents, the harder she pushes for me to leave their

house. She keeps telling me that I don’t need to be
in that environment, especially the further along I
get in my pregnancy.

“I don’t know.” I should do it. I think what’s

stopping me is that I always pictured my first place
to  be  with  Linc.  This  feels  like  another  step  in  the
direction  of  us  drifting  apart  instead  of  closer
together.  It’s  been  tough  not  having  him  here.  My
love for him never wavers, but I’d be a lair if I said
this entire situation isn’t hard.

“I’ll talk her into it.” Brian winks at his mom.
“Good.” Minnie gives me another one of her

kisses on top of my head before going to take
someone’s order.

“Just do it already. I know you want to.”
I lick the whip cream off my lips. “Things could

change. Linc keeps talking about me moving out
there with him.”

“I don’t care about his words. I want action by

him.” So far Brian isn't Linc’s biggest fan. I know
it’s hard for him to see me sad.

“Brian. It’s me that is resisting.”
“Yeah, because you should tell him.” He doesn't

say  out  loud  what  I  should  tell  him.  I’ve  still  been
keeping my mouth shut about the baby. It’s only a
matter  of  time  before  people  will  notice.  I  need  to
tell  him.  I  know  this.  I  don’t  want  him  to  find  out
from  someone  else.  But  now  I  am  feeling  shitty
about not telling him sooner. I kept digging myself a

bigger ditch. I don’t know what the right thing to do
is anymore.

“I know. It’s not that easy.” I swear I feel the

stupid tears come rushing to the surface.
Everything is a mess. Brian must see me getting
upset because he grabs my hand.

“I know it's not. Don’t get upset. We’ll figure it

out. Let’s conquer one thing at a time. We can start
with you moving into the trailer.” I know I’m
fighting a losing battle when it comes to Minnie and
Brian on this subject. I should give in already. Plus
it would be nice to have something I could call my
own. Somewhere I can call home for now. It will be
temporary until Linc gets settled, but it would be
mine.

“Okay. I’ll move in,” I agree. I don’t know if

it’s a step in the right direction for me, but I know
it’s one for my baby.

LINC

FTER

THE

LAST

note dies off, I wait for Treat’s

response.  And  wait.  And  wait  some  more.  Nick,
Benjy  and  I  exchange  nervous  glances.  After  the
beach,  we  came  back  and  worked  for  ten  days
straight.  We  wrote  tracks,  topline  melodies,  lyrics,
sang,  played,  recorded  until  our  fingers  bled,  our
throats  were  sore  and  I  ran  out  of  words  in  the
dictionary, but we are fucking pleased with the end
result.  It  was  still  us,  but  it  was  more  current  than
the stuff we had been creating.

Between the three of us, I don’t think we had

more than five hours of sleep a night. It was better
than  dwelling  on  the  photos  from  back  home  that
show  Cherry  hugging  some  asshole  in  a  diner.  She
texted me that she was moving into a trailer, which
I  thought  was  great  because  she’s  wanted  to  get
away from her parents.

What wasn’t great was that I spotted the same

asshole carrying boxes into that trailer. I didn’t say
anything,  though,  because  I’m  not  there.  Someone
needs  to  help  her  and  I’m  not  going  to  be  one  of
those  guys  who  is  going  to  make  his  girl  carry  her
own shit. The sooner the album is done, the sooner
Cherry  will  be  able  to  be  with  me  and  the  only
person who will be touching any of her stuff will be
me. That was my driving motivation and it worked.

The studio was rank, too, filled with pizza

boxes, Chinese takeout, and cans of beer, Red Bull,
and soda. We made a marginal effort of cleaning it
up before Treat arrived. Nick sprayed an entire
bottle of air freshener and I used a thousand bleach
wipes on every surface. It’s definitely better, but it
still has a faint lingering odor of sweat and anxiety,
which is only getting stronger the longer the silence
stretches out.

Finally, he pushes away from the mixing board

and straightens. “You really did it, you little shits.”

A feeling of panic whirls up and I’m torn

between wanting to face up and puke when a broad
grin stretches across Treat’s face. “It’s fucking
good.” He slaps me across the back hard enough
that I sway.

Nick throws his sticks up in the air and Benjy

slides off the chair onto the floor and buries his
hands between his knees.

“Let’s get some backing vocals on tracks three,

eight and ten and then send the thing off to be

mastered.”  He  checks  something  on  his  phone.  “It
looks  like  my  guy  is  busy  until  Thursday  so  you
guys  should  take  some  time  off  and  do  something
fun.”  He  glances  around  the  room.  “Maybe  get
some fresh air.”

As soon as he leaves, we start yelling. It’s a

soundproof room and we need to let off steam. We
play  the  album  from  start  to  finish--all  ten  songs--
on repeat until Nick announces he’s hungry. At the
apartment, we take turns showering. Nick goes first
and  when  he’s  done,  he  starts  cooking.  It’s  just
homemade  spaghetti  and  meatballs,  but  it  tastes
better than anything we’ve eaten in weeks.

“You’re going to make someone a good

husband,” I joke as I scrape my fork across the
empty plate to scoop up the very last of the cheese
and red sauce.

“I know. It’s because I’ve got a big dick,” he

says.

“No. He’s talking about your cooking,” Benjy

corrects.

“In the bedroom. The cooking I do in the

bedroom.  I  mix  the  batter  with  my  dick.”  Nick
stands  up  and  makes  swiveling  motions  with  his
hips, which causes Benjy to throw a wadded paper
towel  in  Nick’s  face.  Nick  retaliates  by  throwing
the  last  of  his  water  toward  Benjy.  Before  a  war
can  start,  I  step  in  between  the  two  with  my  arm
stretched out.

“As a reminder, anything you end up throwing

we’re going to have to clean,” I remind the two.

Benjy heaves out a sigh and puts his can of beer

back on the table. “Let’s get out of here,” he
suggests.

“Sure,” I shrug. “Where?”
“I have an idea.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
Nick wiggles his eyebrows. “Leave it to me and

my massive dick.”

“I don’t want anything to do with your dick,” I

tell him.

“Same. Hard same from me,” Benjy chimes.
“Trust me!” Nick says.
We should not have trusted him. The outside of

the establishment is harmless enough. It’s got an all
brick front and no signage. It’s the no signage that
is the dead giveaway. That and the endless stream
of sausage walking through the entrance. It might
as well have a neon sign that says strip club.

“No.” I turn back to get into the cab, but it’s

already sped away.

“Come on, man. This will be fun. You don’t

even have to touch. That costs extra. We’re just
going to unwind.” Nick tries to cajole me.

“No.” I open my rideshare app.
“This isn’t a terrible idea,” Benjy says.
I glance at him over the edge of my phone.

“Not you, too.” Is he still feeling the sting of

rejection from the beach babes? “There’s gonna be
so many girls after you once we go on tour,” l
promise them.

“It’s not that.” Benjy shakes his head. “It’s

unhealthy  how  you’ve  just  ignored  the  evidence
that  Cherry  has  moved  on.  She  knew  that  telling
you that you were breaking up wasn’t gonna work.
You  wouldn’t  accept  it.  So  she’s  providing  you
visible  evidence  that  she’s  got  a  new  life.  And  it
doesn’t  include  you.  I  didn’t  wanna  say  anything
before because it sucks, but I think it’s just time for
you to let her go. That’s what she wants.”

“No.” But even as I say the word, I realize I’m

confirming  Benjy‘s  statement.  No  matter  what
Cherry  said  to  me,  I  wouldn’t  believe  her.  If  she
said  she  wanted  to  break  up,  I  would  assume  that
it’s  because  she  thinks  I  want  to  break  up  or  that
the distance is too much for me to handle. Haven’t
I told her time and again that she just needs to wait
for me? I scrub my hand across my mouth. All I’ve
ever wanted in this world is for Cherry to be happy,
but  what  if  her  happiness  includes  a  life  without
me? Is my love for her that real? I lick my suddenly
very dry lips. “I still need the words.”

“Then ask her. You’ve been ignoring it for the

past couple weeks. Straight-out ask her. Has she
moved on?”

“And tell her you understand so she doesn’t

feel like shit,” Nick adds.

So that’s what I do even though it makes me

want to puke.

Cherry. I’ve seen some stuff from back home and it
makes me think you are moving on from me. I just
want to know if that’s how you really feel. Because
I love you but I don’t want to hold you down. You
should be happy. If you don’t want to come to LA.
If you’re happy doing what you’re doing. Then I’m
happy.

I stare at the message. I don’t want to send it.

But if my selfishness is making her miserable, then
that’s the wrong kind of love.

CHERRY

STARE

DOWN

at the phone in shock. I push the

pizza I’d been eating away, no longer hungry. He’s
seen stuff from back home? What kind of stuff?
What does that even mean? He’s been acting weird
this past week. I thought maybe it was all the stress
he was under to try to get the tracks down so I
didn’t ask too much.

Then I thought it might have bothered him

when I moved out into the trailer. He said it was a
great idea but since then things have been different.
I  don’t  know  what  has  changed,  but  the  space
between  us  keeps  growing.  I  keep  trying  to  make
the  best  decisions  for  the  both  of  us,  but  it  seems
I’m only making things worse.

“What?” Brian snatches my phone out of my

hand, reading the text.

“What the fuck does that mean? He doesn't

have the balls to call you?” I open my mouth to

defend Linc, but no words come out. Why didn't he
call  me?  This  is  not  something  you  discuss  over  a
text.  We’ve  been  through  a  lot  of  things  together,
and  if  he  was  feeling  a  certain  type  of  way,  he
should have picked up the phone.

“Do you think it sounds like he thinks I’m

cheating?” I ask Brian to make sure I’m not reading
it  wrong.  I  have  to  say  the  fact  that  he  thinks  I
would  do  that  to  him  burns  my  butt.  I’ve  been
nothing  but  loyal  and  supportive  of  him  and  his
career.

“This does not sound like the Linc you’re

always telling me about.” He studies the phone. I’m
guessing he’s reading the text again. He clicks on it.

“Don’t text him.” I try to grab the phone back

from him. He steps back out of my reach.

“I’m not.” My phone vibrates in Brian’s hand,

causing his whole face to turn angry.

“What? Is it from him? Did he say something

else?”

“Cherry.” His voice is soft. It’s clear he doesn't

want to tell me.

“What?” I ask again, causing him to turn the

phone around. He clicks into Linc’s name and pulls
up  his  location.  “Is  that--”  I  trail  off  not  finishing
my  words.  I  shake  my  head  no.  There  is  no  way
that Linc would go to a strip club. That is so unlike
him.  But  so  was  the  text  he  sent.  A  deep  sadness
threatens  to  overtake  me  with  the  realization  that

maybe I don’t know what he’s like anymore. A
knot forms in my stomach at that thought.

I turn, running toward my bathroom. I barely

make  it  in  before  I’m  throwing  up  the  pizza  Brian
brought  over  to  my  place  when  he  got  off  work
tonight. We hang out most nights. I am still the only
one  that  knows  Brian’s  secret.  I’d  bet  his  parents
know too but are waiting for him to tell them. But I
don’t push him. He’ll do it when he’s ready.

“Cherry.” Brian grabs a rag for me. I take it

from his hand, wiping my mouth.

“He’s trying to break up with me, isn't he? He

wants me to break it off so he doesn’t have to.” It
was all in the way he worded the text. I love you
but if you want to move on... More tears slip down
my face. “They were supposed to be my family.”
Brian sits down on the floor with me, pulling me in
for a hug.

What hurts is I know Nick and Benjy are with

him. Are they not telling him he’s crazy? How do I
move  on  from  him?  From  them?  They’re  all  I’ve
ever  known.  They  were  the  ones  who  loved  me
when  no  one  else  did.  Turns  out  that  love  isn’t
convenient for them anymore.

“Cherry, girl. You’re killing me here.” I sniffle,

looking up at Brian. My whole world feels like it’s
falling apart. If he thinks I’m cheating on him, will
he then think our baby isn't his? It hurts that he
would think any of these things. How the hell am I

going to tell him about the baby now?

“Am I hard to love? Did I do something wrong?

I don’t understand.” My tears break free. I thought
I’d  been  doing  the  right  thing  helping  the  boys
follow  their  dreams.  Getting  myself  and  my  life  in
order  so  that  if  things  don’t  work  out  with  the
music thing that we’d still have a future.

“Cherry, you are not hard to love. I can promise

you that.”

“I’m having his baby.”
“You’re having your baby and I’m going to be

here  with  you.  I’m  going  to  be  a  killer  uncle.”  I
smile  at  that.  He  will  be.  And  even  though  my
entire  world  seems  like  it’s  falling  apart,  I  take
comfort  in  knowing  that  I  have  someone  here  by
my side.

“I don’t understand.”
“People change. We’ve all heard how fame and

money  can  go  to  people's  heads.”  I  want  to  refuse
to  believe  that  this  is  happening.  Could  they  have
changed  so  much  in  such  a  short  time?  My  heart
refuses  to  believe  that  it’s  true.  Linc  and  I  have
been together for so long that this can’t be the way
it ends.

“Give me my phone.” I reach out my hand.

Brian  looks  as  though  he  doesn’t  want  to  but
eventually  hands  my  phone  to  me.  “I’m  going  to
call  him.  That’s  the  only  way  this  is  going  to  get
resolved. I want to hear him say it.”

“I’ll be right here if you need me.” I hug him

before I pick up the phone and press the button to
call Linc. Nerves threaten to make me sick again,
but I know that I need to do this. It rings a bunch of
times before his voicemail picks up. I drop the
phone from my ear.

“Guess it’s loud in strip clubs.” I can’t keep the

anger out of my voice. I’ve gone from sad to mad.
My emotions are all over the place. I drop my
phone down on the counter to wash my hands.
Brian stands there watching me.

“Movie?” he asks. “We can log into my

Netflix.”

“Yeah.” I leave my phone on the counter. If he

wants to talk to me he’ll figure it out. For tonight I
am done. I don’t think I can take much more.

LINC

“ I’

BEEN

HOLDING

HER

BACK

,” I explain to the

stripper as I shove a handful of popcorn into my
mouth.

She hands me a napkin. “How so?”
I wipe my mouth and take a drink before

answering.  I  need  to  collect  my  thoughts  so  I  can
fully explain to Miss Diana how amazing Cherry is
and  the  shitty  circumstances  of  her  life.  “She’s
eighteen,  right?  But  she’s  been  taking  care  of
herself since she was at least twelve, if not earlier.
Her  parents  are  deadbeats.  They  don’t  have  much
money, but that’s not anything out of the ordinary.
No one in Shindale has money. The thing is that as
soon  as  they  get  a  dime,  they  are  spending  it  on
vacations  and  other  worthless  crap.  They  forget  to
pay  the  bills  so  sometimes  Cherry  has  to  come  to
my  house  to  shower  because  her  hot  water  has
been  turned  off  or  she  has  to  do  her  homework  at

the  library  because  the  electricity  is  gone.
Sometimes her parents remember her and give her a
paycheck  that  she  carefully  budgets  to  get  her
through  until  the  next  time  her  worthless  ‘rents
come to their senses.”

“That’s abuse,” Miss Diana exclaims as she fills

my glass to the rim.

“I know.” I down half the drink. It’s some hard

liquor mix with some sweetness. I never drink. Miss
D  calls  it  a  Cherry  Bomb  because  the  sweetness
doesn’t  hit  you  until  the  end.  I  wanted  to  text
Cherry  and  tell  her  that  I  found  the  perfect  drink
named after her, but my phone’s dead.

I’ll have to get Miss D to tell me how to make

it,  although  maybe  Cherry  wouldn’t  mind  coming
here.  It  is  a  strip  club,  but  it’s  a  nice  one.  I  was
surprised.  It  doesn’t  have  that  seedy  quality  that
you see in movies. Instead, it was like a library with
low lights and little stages and private rooms. Nick
and Benjy are in some booth being entertained by a
woman and by that I mean if she’s shy of thirty, I’ll
be  shocked.  Miss  Diana  found  me  sitting  on  the
floor near the bathroom, staring at my phone.

I might’ve had tears in my eyes. I don’t know.

But  she  felt  sorry  for  me  and  brought  me  into  this
private  room  to  feed  me  snacks  and  booze.  With
my tongue loosened by several Cherry Bombs, my
sorry  story  tumbled  out—about  how  Cherry  and  I
are  high  school  sweethearts,  how  my  band  got

discovered by Treats, how we moved out here to
LA about two months ago and I’ve only been able
to see Cherry once, how I think she’s cheating on
me but I don’t care because I deserve it.

“So I thought, I’ll work hard and get this album

done  and  then  Cherry  can  come  out  here,  but  it’s
dumb to think I can save her. She’s the smart one.
I’m  only”—I  hold  up  my  hands—“good  with  the
guitar.  Half  of  me,”  I  confess,  “wants  to  fly  back,
kidnap  Cherry,  and  bring  her  back  to  LA,  but  I
think I need more money for that plan.”

Miss D’s eyebrows go up, but she says nothing,

only refills my drink.

“I’m just saying that Cherry deserves a good

prison.  A  really  luxe  one.  Treats  put  us  up  in  this
massive  suite  on  the  top  floor  of  a  hotel  down  on
Rodeo Drive. That’s the type of prison I’m going to
make  for  Cherry.”  I  hold  a  finger  up  to  my  lips.
“Don’t tell anyone.”

Miss D zips a finger across her lips. I hiccup

and drain the glass. “She deserves the best.”

“You’ll give it to her.”
“Yeah, I will.” My eyelids are feeling heavy. “I

think I’m going to pass out, Miss D.”

“Go ahead. I’ll call Treats and let him know

you’re going to sleep here.”

“You know Treats?”
The stripper smiles. “How do you think you

ended up here? Treats thought you needed to

unwind, although I don’t think he had this in mind
when he called.”

She gets to her feet, not tottering even once on

heels that are higher than my amp. I let my eyelids
fall shut and let myself be transported into
dreamland.

Cherry’s waiting for me with a bright smile

across her face. She runs toward me. I pick her up
and  swing  her  around  because  even  though  it’s
cheesy and cliché, it’s still fun as fuck. She throws
her  head  back  and  laughs.  The  sound  of  her
happiness  makes  my  dick  swell.  Oh,  who  am  I
kidding,  just  hearing  her  name  makes  me  hard.
“Cherry, baby, I missed you.” She slides down until
her sex comes in contact with my hard-on. It’s my
dream so no one’s around and suddenly our clothes
are gone. I lay her down on the soft grass and take
one  ripe  tit  into  my  mouth.  Her  nipple  hardens  on
my  tongue.  I  reach  between  her  legs  and  slide  my
fingers into her ripe, juicy pussy. “Wet for me, are
you?” I mouth around her breast.

“Always,” she admits.
“Same for me. I’m always hard for you.” I

scissor  my  fingers  inside  her  cunt  and  enjoy  the
feeling  of  the  hot  suck  of  the  channel  around  my
digits. Time for my dick. I fit the head of my cock
at  her  entrance  and  rise  up  above  her  body.  She
stares  at  me  with  trust  and  love.  “Let’s  make  a
baby,” I tell her. If we had a kid, she’d never leave

me. We’d be bound together forever.

A slow smile spreads across her beautiful face.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I want to see your stomach big with my

kid. I want us to be a family.”

She drags me down so our mouths meet. “Then

give me a baby, Linc.”

I shove inside of her, fucking her with long,

hard strokes until she’s a trembling mess around my
dick.  She  begs  me  to  stop  and  in  the  next  breath,
orders me to fuck her harder. I keep going until her
cream  coats  my  dick  and  her  screams  of  ecstasy
ring  in  my  ears.  Cum  shoots  out,  filling  her  cunt,
swimming up the stream of her love into her womb.
Yeah, we’re making a baby.

CHERRY

RUB

the sleep out of my eyes as I reach for my

phone. I almost roll off the sofa, forgetting I’m not
in my bed. Yesterday was emotionally exhausting
for me and I’m guessing that I crashed.

“Careful.” I look over to see Brian standing in

my kitchen drinking a glass of orange juice.

“I passed out.” I sit up, looking around for my

phone. Thoughts of everything that happened
yesterday threaten to overwhelm me. Is it possible I
was dreaming? Tears threaten to spill from my eyes,
but I close them tightly, still holding on to the hope
that it was all a dream.

“A good cry will do that to you. A lot happened

yesterday, it’s understandable.”

“So it was real? Great.” I stand remembering I

left my phone in the bathroom. I make a b-line for
it, hoping that all of this was a misunderstanding.
That my life isn’t a mess.

“I’ll make pancakes,” Brian calls after me. I

find my phone. I will myself not to cry when I don’t
see any missed calls or texts from Linc. I give in,
calling him. It goes straight to voicemail this time. I
try to track him but get nothing.

“Get it together. It will be fine.” I look in the

mirror. My eyes look tired. This cannot be good for
the  baby  or  me.  “You  and  Linc  will  be  fine.  You
always are.” I let out a long sigh, washing my face
and  using  the  bathroom  before  I  make  my  way
back  into  the  kitchen.  Brian  has  made  himself  at
home  cooking  us  breakfast.  I  know  I  didn't  have
any  of  the  groceries  he’s  using  to  make  all  this.
Which means that he brought everything with him.
I’m lucky to have him.

“Did he call?” he asks, setting down an orange

juice along with my vitamins onto the table.

“No.” I shake my head, downing the pills and

half the OJ. I debate if I should call Nick or Benjy
to make sure everything is okay. But I decide not to
get  them  involved.  They  probably  already  know,
and neither one of them reached out to me or tried
to  talk  sense  into  Linc.  None  of  this  makes  any
sense to me. How could he send me a text like that
and  then  up  and  disappear?  This  is  not  like  him  at
all.  I’m  fighting  with  myself  not  to  believe  what
Brian  said  was  right.  That  people  change.  That
explanation doesn’t sit well with me.

“Want bacon?”

“Who doesn't want bacon?”
“Good point.” He pulls the bacon out of the

fridge. I am lucky to have a best friend who can
cook. “Are you social media stalking?”

“No. Linc doesn't do social media.”
“But do his friends?”
“Nick does.” I’m not big on social media either.

I was before when I ran theirs. Now a professional
does it. Nick is heavy into it, though. He is always
posting  something.  I  go  to  his  Instagram  page  and
see  that  he  does  in  fact  have  new  stories.  I
anxiously  click  through  them.  I’m  not  sure  what
I’m expecting to see but I feel nervous.

The first one is of them at the studio. I can’t

help but smile when I see Linc off to the side. I’m
not even paying attention to whatever Nick is going
on about. The next one starts outside of a strip club.
He pans over to the sign. My stomach drops at the
thought  of  where  this  is  going.  The  next  is  hours
later.  He’s  got  the  camera  out.  I  can  hear  Benjy
loud  and  drunk  in  the  background.  A  woman  is
walking  toward  them,  her  mouth  moving  but  the
music is too loud for me to hear what she’s saying.
Her  clothes  leave  nothing  to  the  imagination  and
I’m guessing she works there.

“Come help me get your boy Linc. He’s in the

champagne room. He’s done for.”

“Shit, man.” Nick says. He fumbles the camera

around. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t realize it's still

recording. The screen may be black but you can
still hear every word they’re saying. I should stop
watching but I can’t.

“He passed out on me.” The woman laughs.

“Hey. Is that thing on? There’s no recording in
here.” She snatches the phone from him and the
video ends.”

“That fuck,” Brian yells, snatching the phone

from my hand. I didn't realize he’d moved over to
stand next to me. I can’t seem to find any words for
what I just watched. But Brian looks as though he’s
going to murder someone.

“He really was in the strip club.” I didn't want

to  believe  it.  How  could  everything  have  changed
in such a short period of time? I am having his baby
and he’s out drinking and partying. My whole body
feels  numb.  “I  think  I’m  going  to  be  sick  again.”  I
run  toward  the  bathroom.  I  try  to  throw  up,  but
nothing comes out.

“Cherry.” Brian rubs my back. “You can’t keep

doing this. It’s not good for you or the baby.” I nod
in  agreement  as  I  wipe  my  face  again.  My  life  is
falling apart. Everything I thought I knew no longer
seems  to  be  true.  I  reach  down  to  touch  my  belly,
knowing  that  what  Brian  said  was  true.  I  have  to
get myself together.

He isn't texting me because he couldn't face me.

Last night was an easy out for him. He sent some
bullshit text like I’m the one that wants out of this.

Making  it  seem  as  though  I  might  be  cheating  on
him. Then to top it all he goes and does this. To add
insult  to  injury,  Nick  and  Benjy  were  right  there
along for the ride. Brian was right. All of them have
changed.  I  did  everything  to  make  their  dreams
come true and in return they shattered mine.

“Give me my phone.” He hands it to me. I

decide that I’m going to do for Linc what he didn’t
have the balls to do. I let him go. I’ll be the bad guy
if that's what he needs. As much as all of this hurts,
I still love him, and I’ll always do what I think is
best for him.

LINC

“ T

REP ORTER

for Music Times emailed me her

article. Do you want to read it?” asks Hal.

I make a face at our manager. “I don’t know.

Do I?”

When we were approached about this feature, I

wanted to say no because it required us to allow a
stranger  to  follow  us  for  three  days  and  watch  our
music-making  process.  That’s  a  lot  like  having
someone  you  don’t  know  inspect  your  underwear.
To  say  I  wasn’t  a  fan  is  putting  it  mildly.  But  Hal
pushed. Treats pushed. Some bigwig investor with a
trophy  wife  younger  than  Cherry  pushed.  Music
Times is the oldest, most venerated music magazine
in  the  business.  It  has  a  subscriber  count  in  the
millions and people like Grammy voters read these
pieces. It would be great promo for our album and
so, ultimately, I caved.

I didn’t love the experience, but it wasn’t as

bad  as  I’d  anticipated.  Nick  and  the  reporter  got
along  well,  whereas  Benjy  pretended  like  the
reporter didn’t exist. I floated somewhere between
Nick  and  Benjy—not  actively  ignoring  but  not
inviting  the  guy  to  analyze  all  aspects  of  my  life.
I’ve  read  enough  of  these  pieces  to  know  the
reporter would be doing that without my help.

“It’s good,” Hal says. “Really good. It should

help with your Best New Artist nomination and
your album sales.”

“I’ll read it,” Benjy volunteers, to my surprise.
“I thought you hated that guy?” I say, twisting

away from the mic stand. We’re on stage at the
Forum, doing sound checks in anticipation of our
next show.

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m not curious

about what he said.” Benjy grabs the printout.

“It’s day two and my eyes feel like they’re

coated with sand, which could be possible since we
spent most of our day at the beach yesterday,”
Benjy reads. His brows bunch together. “Day two?
Why isn’t this person starting with day one? Who
starts at the second day? It’s like listening to a song
a minute in or starting a movie at the second hour.”

“Just read it,” Nick interjects.
Benjy heaves a put-upon sigh and clears his

throat. “‘Linc, the frontman and main songwriter, is
mainlining coffee like he’s a drug addict who just
got a delayed delivery from his local dealer, while

Nick, the drummer and main beatmaker, thrums a
rhythm only he can hear into the air with his
fingers.’ Where am I?”

“Next sentence,” murmurs Hal.
“Next sentence? We’re a band. We should be in

the same sentence,” he complains.

“He has a point,” I agree. “None of us would be

here  without  the  other.”  In  the  days  after  I  got
Cherry’s message, the break-up one, I was a mess.
Nick  and  Benjy  carried  me  through  those  days,
making  sure  I  didn’t  drink  myself  into  an  early
death,  seeing  that  I  ate  food  and  even  showered
from  time  to  time.  Funnily  enough,  being  a  drunk
fool  didn’t  deter  any  of  the  label  people.  No  one
watching  us  seemed  to  mind  that  I  always  had  a
bottle  on  stage  with  me  either.  I  played  my  guitar,
sang  every  sad  tune  with  so  much  feeling  that  I
made the audience cry every night, and even wrote
a ton more songs—more than we’d need for at least
three more albums.

Someone, I don’t remember who because he

was  fired  after  I  punched  him  in  the  mouth,  said
that  I  should  get  dumped  more  often.  It  was  good
for  my  music.  I  don’t  think  so.  The  best  music  I
made I’m playing right now and that’s in the album
we made while I still believed Cherry loved me.

“Keep reading,” Hal insists.
“The band’s bassist, Benjy, typifies the play

hard/work hard mantra. At the beach, he was

collecting phone numbers and Instagram handles
like they were pennies in a wishing well.” Benjy
contemplates this for a minute before deciding he’s
not offended. “I don’t mind this,” he admits.

“We’re going to be a year older before you

finish this article,” Nick whines.

“Not my fault you have a birthday tomorrow.”
“Here.” Hal hands out two more copies. He’s

spent almost ten months with us. I guess he knows
us by now. I pick up where Benjy left off.

He doesn’t call any of them, though. For a rock
band, Local Hero is curiously scandal free. There
are no drugs around them. They don’t drink much.
Their entourage is very small and, but for a
former stripper who goes by the name of Miss D,
there are no women. Miss D isn’t there to serve
their physical needs, but rather their emotional
ones. “I’m their tour mom,” she explains. “These
boys are hardworking musicians whose greatest
love is their music. A lot of people want a piece of
them and I’m here to make sure that they aren’t
taken advantage of.” After you get past the pound
of makeup and the hot pink Lycra jumpsuit, you
realize that there probably isn’t anyone that
understands the male psyche better than a former
stripper. The men of Local Hero, only nineteen and
twenty, treat her like a mom, too. The only sexual
tension that exists is between Miss D and the

band’s manager, Hal, although the band themselves
seem to be oblivious to it.

All three of us pin Hal with surprised looks. He

coughs and turns around, adjusting his shirt and
pretending he’s busy with something on his phone.
Miss D and Hal? I guess I could see it.

“Let us know if you need an assist, old man,”

chortles Benjy.

Hal flips us off.

There is an anxiousness to the band, though, and
no one gives me a reason why. They aren’t
planning to release new music. The twenty-city
tour has been wildly successful, growing with each
stop. They’ve moved from opening acts to their
own theaters to booking arenas all in less than ten
months. Is it the success that is making them
nervous? Or something else? It’s not until day
three that I get an answer.
It’s been a year since they pushed their first single
out into the world and four months since the album
has been released. Their Metacritic score is the
highest of any album out there for the last four
years. They’ve played in front of crowds of over
one hundred thousand people, but their harshest
critics are yet to come. The boys are about to go
home.

CHERRY

“ I

HOP E

she never loses this new baby smell.” I run

my nose along the top of Bailey’s blond curls. She
passed  out  on  my  chest  after  eating  her  second
round  of  lunch.  My  half-eaten  burger  sits  on  the
table.  It’s  cold  now,  which  happens  a  lot  lately.
Things sure are different these days but I wouldn’t
change any of it.

That’s a lie that I like to tell myself these days.

It  helps  me  sometimes.  The  thought  of  Linc  not
being here can get overwhelming at times. I take a
deep  calming  breath  and  try  to  contain  my
thoughts. I need to get out of the house so I can go
up to the diner for lunch. I’m hoping the place isn’t
busy  so  there’s  a  chance  that  Brian  could  get  off
early.

“I didn't know babies had a smell. They should

make it into a candle or something.” I snort a laugh.
My baby girl is the only thing that’s kept me going

some days. She helps fill up the hole that Linc left
in  my  heart.  The  pregnancy  wasn't  so  bad.  I’d  get
emotional  at  times,  but  other  than  that  I  did  really
well.  Minnie  and  Brian  had  been  a  huge  source  of
help and support for me. I couldn’t have done any
of this without them.

The worst part had come toward the end. I kept

telling  myself  that  letting  Linc  go  was  for  his  own
good.  That  it  had  been  his  choice  and  ultimately
what he wanted. But in those final weeks, I broke.
In  a  moment  of  weakness  I  decided  that  I  had  to
tell him that we were going to have a baby.

I’d called him again, only to be dealt another

blow from their new manager, Hal. He informed me
that  Linc  had  made  it  clear  that  he  didn't  want  to
hear  from  me.  That  he’d  moved  on.  I’d  been  so
mad and hurt that I’d told him to let Linc know he
was  going  to  be  a  father  before  I  hung  up  the
phone. But it wasn’t before I’d heard the manager
laugh and ask if I was sure it was his.

I’d been so upset I’d gone into labor. Thank

God it had only been a few weeks early. Bailey was
a  big  girl  and  ready  to  enter  the  world.  There  had
never  been  a  more  perfect  moment  in  time  than
when  she  entered  into  it.  I  finally  knew  the  real
meaning of unconditional love.

Brian stares at me, his eyes going back and

forth between Bailey and me. “What?” I try to
move to see if she spit up in her sleep. I don’t see

anything. I know all of Brian’s tells; he’s holding
something back from me. He’s trying to figure out
how to tell me. Which can only mean one thing: it’s
about Linc.

“I saw something today.” His eyes remain on

mine this time.

“Okay. What did you see?” I pick up my

strawberry shake, taking a sip.

“About Linc. They did some interview.”
“I don’t want to know.”
Brian rolls his eyes. “You’re full of shit. You’ll

google it at three in the morning when I’m not there
to read it with you. You won’t be able to help
yourself. Then you won’t be able to sleep.”

“Whatever.” I don’t deny it because it’s true. I

can’t  help  myself.  At  least  once  a  week  I  break
down  and  social  media  stalk  them.  They’ve
achieved  what  they  set  out  to.  They  are  wildly
popular. It all happened so fast. They’ve made it. I
am happy for them but it still hurts seeing them out
there living their lives without looking back.

Not even when it came to me, their number one

fan  back  home.  The  girl  that  was  always  in  their
corner,  cheering  them  on  and  believing  in  them.
From  day  one  I  always  worked  hard  to  get  them
new gigs. I did everything in my power to give them
a  chance  at  their  dreams  coming  true.  I  sent  songs
to  anyone  that  would  listen,  no  matter  how  big  or
small they were. They forgot about all of it. At least

Linc gave me the gift of Bailey. For that I will
forever be grateful.

What would have even happened if he wanted

to  be  a  part  of  her  life?  Would  he  try  to  take  her
from me? Would I only get her half the time? How
would that even work? I push that thought from my
head  because  he  doesn't  want  anything  to  do  with
us either way. It’s still hard to believe that. When I
think  back  on  our  time  together,  I  wonder  if  I
imagined  our  relationship  to  be  better  than  it  was.
Because  in  a  million  years  I  never  would  have
thought this would have happened to us.

“You want the Cliff’s Notes or you want to read

it?” He holds his phone up for me.

“Give it here.” I take it from him, reading the

article. “Why are there always strippers?” I hand it
back. That is still a sore spot to me.

“She’s like a mom to them, it says.”
“Are you defending them?”
Brian lets out a very long sigh. “No, but it

sounds like the man isn't burning through women.”

I shake my head no. “As much as it hurt to

know  he  went  into  a  strip  club,  I  know  the  boys
took  him  there.  Maybe  that  night  he  had  some
crazy  lapse  in  judgment.  I  don’t  know,  but  it’s  so
hard for me to think of Linc as some man that hops
from girl to girl. He’s a lover. Full of heart.” A lump
forms  in  my  throat.  “There  I  go  again.”  I  quickly
wipe away a tear. “Trying to act as though he hasn't

changed.  The  Linc  I  knew  wouldn't  have  sent  me
that text or not showed up here when he found out
I  was  pregnant.”  That  is  one  thing  that  my  mind
can’t even comprehend. He knew that I didn’t have
the  best  home  life.  That  my  parents  had  never
really  loved  me.  It  feels  like  the  ultimate  betrayal
by  him,  the  fact  that  he  hadn’t  loved  me  enough.
Bailey deserves better than that.

“If he thinks you moved on with someone else,

he might think the baby isn't his.”

“Then he doesn't know me at all.”
“Agreed. Sorry I brought it up. He’s an asshole.

He should have fought for you.” Brian pushes his
plate away. “Want to get out of here? Get some
fresh air?”

“Yeah.” Brian goes to the back of the diner to

grab the stroller. I slowly get up, trying my best not
to wake Bailey. When I stand, my eyes briefly meet
the same ones I see every day in my daughter. He
continues to enter into the diner.

“Linc.” I breathe his name out, not believing

he’s here. He finally turns, his eyes meeting mine.

“Motherfucker,” Brian grits out. Before I know

what’s happening, he’s across the diner. “Let’s see
how well you sing after this,” he says before
punching Linc right in the jaw.

LINC

DON

’

KNOW

what was more surprising—the baby

Cherry was holding or the fist across my face.

“Motherfu—“ Nick launches himself at Brian

and it’s only because Hal jumps in to help Benjy
that Cherry’s boyfriend doesn’t end up on the floor
next to me. Miss D hustles off to get me a bag of
ice while Nick and I are forced into a corner booth.

I peer around my friends to get another look at

Cherry. There’s something about the way she holds
the baby with her hand up behind the infant’s head
and her arms across the body that makes me think
she either doesn’t want me to see the baby or is
afraid I’m going to do something to it.

And I am. I push by my manager, Nick, Benjy,

and Miss D returning with a cup of ice and make
my way to Cherry. Her pretty mouth is pressed into
a tight line and there is a tenseness in her frame.
Brian steps into my path.

“Don’t,” I say with a shake of my head. I’m not

in the mood to hit Cherry’s boyfriend in front of
her. It would make her sad. I’m not about to make
her sad. “What’s his name?” I ask when I reach
her.

“It’s a girl.” Cherry blinks a couple times, as if

she’s trying to keep tears at bay.

My own throat closes up. A girl. The unfairness

of the situation threatens to put me back on my ass
but I manage to keep my knees locked. “Can I hold
her?”

Cherry hesitates, as if contemplating whether

I’m worthy. I keep my hands at my sides, but I
can’t stop them from forming into fists. I’ve never
been anything but good to Cherry. Never raised my
hand or voice. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

“I know.” Cherry’s own voice is scratchy.
“You should leave,” comes Brian’s voice from

over my shoulder.

I don’t bother to turn around. “And you should

take  a  step  back  before  your  face  and  the  floor
become one. I don’t want to embarrass you in front
of Cherry and your k--” I can’t even get that word
out.  That  should  be  my  kid.  Cherry  should  be
holding my daughter. I want to throw back my head
and  howl  with  rage.  I’d  trade  every  gig,  every
dollar,  every  cheer  to  have  this  kid  with  Cherry.
Why’d I ever leave?

“Please,” I whisper to her.

My pitiful plea breaks through. Cherry

untangles the baby from her arms and gently hands
me the girl. The baby is tiny, barely heavier than a
loaf of bread, but infinitely more breakable. My
knees get weak again and I slide into an empty seat,
not noticing that the booth is already occupied by
Max Reed, the mayor’s son.

“First time holding a kid, Graves?” Reed asks.
“Yeah.”
“Hold the head or her mama might kill you.”
A quick look in Cherry’s direction confirms

Reed’s statement. She’s ready to grab this baby
from me at the first sign of wrongdoing. I readjust
the baby in my arms.

“The kid’s name is Bailey,” Reed informs me.
“How do you know?” I scowl.
“Everyone does. This is Shindale.” He jerks his

chin  toward  Brian,  the  kid  I  could’ve  sworn  was
gay.  He  was  a  grade  below  us.  I  think.  “And  that
while  you  were  becoming  famous,  Brian  stepped
into the Linc-sized hole in Cherry’s life.”

“Shut up, Max,” Cherry snaps.
Max pretends to zip his mouth shut and gets to

his feet. “Pie and coffee is too good to keep talking.
Thanks  for  coming  back  and  playing  the  festival.
Shindale  needs  the  economic  boost.”  “Is  that  why
you came back? To play a gig?”  The  word  sounds
like a curse from Cherry’s lips.

I want to say I came home for her, that I’ve

saved enough to take her away from Shindale, that
she doesn’t need to worry about money ever again.
I want to say that I don’t care if she slept with
Brian or a hundred Brians because her straying was
on me. I want to say that I love her and that I’ll
always love her no matter the distance or time that
separates us.

But my tongue is glued to the top of my mouth

at the sight of Bailey. Her eyes are so fucking blue
that I’m convinced that is what the color of love is.
It’s not red. Not anymore. It’s this ocean blue with
tiny  flecks  of  green  and  brown.  It’s  the  color  of
gold,  streaked  caramel  in  the  sun.  It’s  starkissed
skin  and  the  precious  smell  of  baby  that  fills  my
lungs.

Cherry’s always going to be number one in my

heart, but Bailey? She’s got a lock on number two.

“I think that’s enough,” Brian says.
I hiss in a breath. “Like I said before, I don’t

want to embarrass you in front of Cherry and the
baby, but I will if you don’t shut your fucking
mouth.”

“You and who--” I shoot up in a flash, hand the

baby to Cherry and deck Brian. I punch him in the
chin and when he stumbles back, I grab his shirt
front and pull him upright for another blow. I don’t
get to hit him again though. Cherry grabs my arm.

“What are you doing? Just stop it,” she cries.

“Why would you come all this way for a fight?”

“I--” The “he hit me first” seems childish, but

that’s the only excuse I’ve got so I shut up. I look
at her and then the baby. “You better say your
goodbyes to Brian here because if you haven’t
broken up with him by the end of the day, I’ll do it
for you.”

I don’t wait for a response. I’m not interested in

anything anyone has to say. Cherry’s mine and
always has been and that baby? I don’t care if the
birth certificate has Brian’s name on it. I can easily
cross that off. This is the digital era. I’ll just make a
new one.

I stomp out of the cafe and the band tumbles

behind me.

“It looks like your girl has found a new life,”

Hal says.

I ignore him and face Nick and Benjy. “You

saw it, didn’t you?”

The two exchange a glance before Nick nods

reluctantly. “Yeah, I saw it.”

“Saw what?” squawks Hal.
“That kid is mine,” I tell him.

CHERRY

“ Y

OKAY

?” I can tell Brian is going to have a

bruise  on  his  jaw.  I  can’t  say  he  didn't  have  it
coming.  He’d  hauled  off  and  hit  Linc  first.  I  knew
that wasn’t going to end well. But I did appreciate
that he went to bat for me. He was only trying to be
a  good  friend  and  even  though  I  don’t  encourage
violence, I appreciate the sentiment.

“It was worth it. You see how pissed he was?”

Brian says with a smug smile. I roll my eyes. “He
thinks we’re together.” He wiggles his eyebrows at
me. That got me to crack a smile for the first time
since my eyes locked with Linc’s earlier.

“Is that really shocking at this point? Everyone

assumes that. We’re always together and you’re
not”—I drop my voice—“out yet.” Brian has never
outright said he was gay but I think a few people
think it.

That was until he and I got close. Then no one

was  sure  of  what  was  going  on.  I  didn't  pay
attention  to  any  of  it.  I  had  a  little  girl  to  worry
about and could care less about town gossip. There
have  been  so  many  rumors  over  the  last  year  it’s
been hard to keep up. I was lucky that I had Brian
to lean on through all of this.

“I don’t think he cares who you have or haven't

been with. It’s pretty obvious that he still thinks
you're his.”

“Come on.” I hold Bailey close as we head out

the back door of the diner. Everyone is watching
us. These small-town folk love a good show. I’m
sure this will be talked about for a good while.

“You okay?” Minnie asks just as we try to

sneak out the back. She reaches up to touch Brian’s
jaw. Guilt washes over me at him being hurt.

“We’re good, Mom.” Brian answers for the

both of us.

“All right. Love you guys.” She lets us go. I’m

sure  she’ll  have  a  million  questions  later.  I  hope
she’s  not  mad  at  the  scene  I  played  a  part  in
causing or the fact that I was the reason her son got
hurt. If I had to guess, she doesn't care. If anything,
they  are  going  to  be  slammed  tonight  with  people
wanting to know what happened.

I get Bailey into her carseat while Brian puts

the stroller into the back. He hops in with me. “He
thought I cheated on him. He still thinks it,” I
remind Brian. That always cut me deep. It still

makes me mad. I’d been nothing but faithful and
encouraging and he hadn’t even had the decency to
come see me face to face with whatever concerns
he had.

“You think he did something with a stripper.”

Brian points out my hypocrisy. I shrug my
shoulders because I can’t even bring myself to deny
it.

“That woman tonight. She looked a lot like the

one I saw in the video.” At least I think she did.
That was over a year ago and the video was a little
dark. She must be the same one that was in the
article I read.

“Yeah.” Brian lets out a long sigh of agreement

as  we  drive  toward  my  place  in  silence.  I’m  still
trying  to  process  everything  that  happened.  The
fact that Linc is back. That he held our daughter in
his  arms.  Maybe  he  finally  put  two  and  two
together and realized Bailey is his baby.

“Doesn't change the fact that he’s not back here

for me. He’s here for a show.” I will myself not to
cry. An overall sadness comes over me thinking
about how none of them had the decency to reach
out to me. Seeing all of them today has driven that
fact home. “I’m just forgettable.” A sob leaves me.
“Why does everyone forget me?”

I had already come to peace with my parents

not caring about me. It had been harder to accept
that Nick and Benjy didn’t care. But the hardest of

them all had been Linc. He’d sworn that he would
always love me. That I had his heart and was the
other half of his soul. I’d believed it all. Back then I
knew that girls would eventually throw themselves
at him, but I was confident that I never had to
worry. He had been mine fully—until he wasn't.

“Fuck, Cherry.” Brian pulls the car to a stop in

front of my place. I tried not to cry but there is no
stopping it. I’ve held it all in for so long that now
that I’ve started I can’t seem to stop.

“Now he’s going to want back into my life

because of Bailey. I can’t blame him. Who wouldn't
want to be in her life after seeing her?” I want him
to  be  a  part  of  her  life.  No  matter  what  has
happened between us, I know without a doubt that
he  will  love  her  fiercely.  That  she  will  never  want
for anything in her life or second-guess whether or
not  she’s  wanted.  It’s  with  that  realization  that  I
push  my  tears  aside.  This  isn’t  about  me  or  what
happened in the past. This is about Bailey and what
is  best  for  her.  What  I  don’t  understand  is  why
now?

“That is true.” Brian unbuckles my seat belt

pulling me into a hug. “We’ll figure this out,” he
says into my ear. “You are loved, Cherry. I promise
you that. I love you and I’m pretty sure Linc does
too. I saw the look on his face.”

“Thanks.” I sniffle.
“I’ll get Bailey. You go get your game face on

LINC

RIVING

over the bumpy road to get to Cherry’s

place  throws  me  back  to  the  days  when  we  were
doing  weekend  gigs  at  local  bars.  We’d  play  our
songs and then, sweaty from the performance, we’d
come out to some backwoods gravel road, drink our
contraband  booze,  and  make  love  until  the  sun
came  up.  Well,  Cherry  and  I  would  make  love.
Nick and Benjy would be off doing their own thing.

My current routine is to play my set, shake

hands  with  VIPs  and  take  pictures  with  their
daughters, do a local print interview or chat with a
YouTuber, do some stupid thing with an influencer,
go  over  a  script  for  the  next  morning’s  radio  spot,
and  then  fall  into  bed  with  my  boots  on  and  not
wake  up  until  noon  the  next  day.  The  only  action
my  dick  sees  is  my  hand  and  currently  neither  are
interested in the other. Ever since Cherry broke up
with me, I’ve had the dead dick syndrome. Nothing

interests me. The hottest celeb could be shaking her
bare, spangly ass in my face at some awards
afterparty and all I would be thinking about is how
unsanitary everything is in LA or Vegas.

My cock’s not dead now. I’ve been walking

around with a hard-on since our car crossed the
county line.

“You’re not getting any,” I tell the big guy.

“She’s  moved  on.  We’re  getting  her  back,  but  I
doubt she’s going to be in the mood after I decked
her…” I trail off because I don’t want to give Brian
any  kind  of  designation  that  means  he  belongs  in
her  life.  Cherry’s  mine.  She’s  always  been  mine.
This  is  like  a...hiatus.  She  went  on  a  hiatus  to  find
herself and had our baby and now I’m bringing her
home.

I park the rental car out in front of the trailer

and grab the flowers. It’s not the six dozen roses I
sent her before, but if she’s going to throw them in
my face, it’s better that I have a smaller bouquet
and the stems aren’t filled with thorns. Besides,
lilies are pretty and the tiger lily has the meaning of
please love me—or so the florist said.

There are three short metal steps leading up to

the front door of the trailer. The things are unsteady
beneath  my  boots  and  I  feel  a  surge  of  anger.  She
shouldn’t  be  living  here.  She  should  be  in  a  fancy
condo in LA, eating sushi and steak and getting her
feet  rubbed  every  night.  I  slam  my  fist  against  the

door with more power than is necessary. The whole
frame shakes.

The door opens and I have to duck out of the

way so my nose doesn’t get taken off. Cherry
stands in the entrance, a smirk on her face. “Lose
your way?”

I take a step up, dwarfing her body. “No,

ma’am. Exactly where I should be.” I slowly ease
my way in, not hurting her, but letting her know
that I’m here.

“Why don’t you go back to LA? I thought you

loved  it  there.”  She  sniffs  and  turns  into  the  small
living  room.  As  her  back  is  turned,  I  fill  my  lungs
with  the  scent  of  her  and  the  baby.  It’s  fresh  and
clean  and  sweet  and  I  just  want  to  lie  down  and
wait  for  it  to  soak  into  my  skin.  A  quick  glance
around tells me that this place is mostly just Cherry
and  her  child.  Cherry’s  penchant  for  color  is
evident in the bright red and white striped curtains
over  the  sink  and  in  the  abstract  art  placemats  on
the  table.  Freshly  washed  bottles  are  sitting  in  the
drying rack next to the sink. A red towel is draped
over the edge. There aren’t discarded boots on the
floor  or  a  six  pack  of  beer  sitting  on  the  counter.
There’s  nothing  in  this  place  that  says  a  man  lives
here. It’s clean, neat, and feminine.

In the living room, Bailey is stretched out on

the floor, her fist shoved in her mouth and her
beautiful blue eyes closed. I want to pick the girl up

in  one  hand,  throw  Cherry  over  my  shoulder  with
the  other  and  drive  until  Shindale  is  a  distant
memory.  Why  does  Cherry  love  this  place  so
much? What does it have that I don’t?

“It didn’t have you so I came home.”
“Nice story, but you’re not getting into my

pants.”

“Maybe not today,” I acknowledge.
“Maybe not today?” she scoffs. “Try never.”
“I’ve never lied to you and I’m not going to

start now. We’re getting back together, Cherry. You
should start getting used to the idea.”

I walk over to the sink and grab a glass out of

the cupboard on the right side where I instinctively
knew it would be. Some things won’t ever change--
like us being together.

“I’ve got a baby, you know.”
“I know.” I fill the cup and shove the flowers in

it. The stems are too long so I set it in the sink in
case it tips over.

“Then why are you here?”
I peer into the fridge. No beer here, either. She

and Brian might be seeing each other or maybe
they were dating at one time, but he’s not important
enough in her life to keep a beer on ice for him. I
smile grimly at that.

“Linc, what are you doing here?” she repeats.
I straighten and close the door. “I’m here to

help you pack. I made some money, saved it up,

and  now  we’re  going  to  live  that  life  we  dreamed
about,  so  it’s  goodbye,  Shindale.  We’ve  got  six
weeks  off  until  the  next  leg  of  the  tour  starts,  but
we’re making enough money now that we’re flying
between  concerts  instead  of  riding  the  bus.  That
should be better for Bailey. You’ll have to tell me if
you  want  to  get  a  nanny.  Hal  will  arrange  that  for
us.”

Her jaw drops. “What are you even saying? I’m

not going anywhere. This is my home.”

“No.” I shake my head. “This is just a rental

that you were staying in until I could fulfill my
promise to you. I’m sorry it took so long.”

“You broke up with me.”
I rear back. “What? No. You’re the one that

broke up with me. I distinctly remember your text
that you were done and moving on.”

“You sent me the stupid text first saying that--”

She breaks off and stomps to the sink, pushing me
out of the way. She grabs the flowers out of the cup
and slams them against my chest, the cold water
dripping down the front of my T-shirt. “Take these
fucking flowers and get the hell out of my home.”

At the loud noise, Bailey starts crying. I throw

the flowers into the sink and cross the room to pick
up the baby. There’s a bag by the door. I grab that
and then start for the car.

“Where are you going?” Cherry yells, running

after me.

CHERRY

DON

’

PANIC

. I stand here knowing very well that

he won’t take Bailey from me. At least I think I still
know him. But I never could have imagined that
this last year would have gone down the way it did.
None of it worked out the way it was supposed to.
He forgot about me. Lived his life and left me
behind. But that stuff is in the past. I have to move
forward for our daughter’s sake.

I made it through, and even though he was

gone, he’d left me with a piece of him. Bailey is the
best  of  both  of  us  and  I  wouldn’t  change  anything
that  happened  if  it  meant  her  not  being  here.  I
continue  watching  as  Linc  keeps  walking  toward
the door.

“Linc, knock it off,” I snap at him. Bailey starts

to cry. “I need to feed her. I don’t have time for
this. I have responsibilities.”

“Then grab a bottle.” I roll my eyes. “You can

feed her in the car.”

“I haven't pumped. She’s going to eat off the

tap.” I point to my boobs. They are already leaking
because  Bailey  cried.  His  eyes  drop  to  my  tits.
Desire  swirls  in  my  stomach.  He  could  always  do
that to me with one look. I knew I wasn’t over him.
I don’t think I’ll ever be. But that doesn’t mean I’m
going  to  allow  him  to  just  walk  back  into  my  life
after everything that happened. Even if he thought
I  was  the  one  that  broke  up  with  him.  He  didn’t
even try to fight for us, for me.

“Okay.” He carries her over to me. Seeing him

with Bailey warms my heart in a way that I didn’t
even know was possible.

“Baby girl,” I coo at her, taking her from Linc.

He looks entirely too sexy holding a baby. I sit
down on the sofa. Linc drops down right next to
me, giving me no space at all.

“Can I have some privacy?”
“No, I want to watch. I’ve already missed so

much.” I bite my tongue from saying That was your
decision. He could have been here from the start. I
could  have  been  on  the  road  with  him.  It  would
have  been  weird  traveling  with  a  baby,  but  we
would  have  made  it  work.  At  least  the  Linc  I
remember  would  have.  Even  though  this  person
sitting next to me is familiar, I no longer know him
or  what  to  expect  from  him.  “She’s  beautiful,
Cherry. Please don’t shut me out of this.”

“Okay.” I don’t know why he’s had a change of

heart  about  the  baby,  but  I  won’t  keep  her  from
him.  I  know  Linc  will  be  a  good  father.  I  pull  my
shirt up and bra down. Bailey latches right on to me
without  hesitation.  Linc  watches  as  I  nurse  her,
making me suddenly feel shy around him. Which is
absurd since he’s seen every part of me.

“This is amazing.” He reaches for her, rubbing

the back of her head as she nurses. “I’ve missed so
much. You being pregnant. The birth.” He chokes
out the last word. His eyes water. I can’t help but
feel sorry for him. Even if it was his choice.

“Linc, you’re confusing me.”
He looks up at me. “It’s simple. You’re coming

on the road with me. We’re leaving tonight.” I
shake my head no. I’m not uprooting everything
and Bailey. Not until I’m sure of Linc’s intentions,
anyway.

“You have a gig here,” I remind him. He is

playing the festival in two days.

“Right. Then I’ll stay here. You break up with

your boyfriend?”

“What are you talking about? The only

boyfriend I ever had dumped me,” I snip. How does
he not remember this? He said I’d broken up with
him. I guess I kind of did. I knew he wanted an out,
so I gave it to him.

“No, that’s not what happened.”
“You thought I was cheating on you. I gave you

an out and you took it. You didn't fight for us.”

He drops his head. “You’re not with Brian.”
“No. He’s my best friend and you should be

nicer to him. He helps me take care of Bailey. He’s
been  here  for  me.  If  it  weren’t  for  him  and  his
family,  I  don’t  know  where  Bailey  and  I  would
have ended up.” Linc’s jaw clenches. I can tell he’s
fighting  back  anger.  More  likely  jealousy.  “You
went  to  the  strip  club  that  night.  You  texted  me
from a strip club that I was cheating on you.”

“How did you know that?” He doesn't deny it.

At least he’s not lying to me.

“Nick had it on his Instagram. We also share

locations on our phones. Or we did.”

“It’s not what you think.” I let out a humorless

laugh  as  I  switch  Bailey  to  my  other  breast.  “It’s
really  not.  Nick  and  Benjy  wanted  to  go.  I  sat  by
the  bathroom  waiting  for  you  to  text  me  back.”  I
give  him  a  skeptical  look.  “Then  Miss  D  saw  me
and had me go into the back. I drowned my sorrows
in a bottle. She’s become like a mom to all of us.”

“I used to take care of you guys.”
“Cherry.”
I cut him off, not wanting to talk about the fact

that  I  was  so  easily  replaced.  Or  how  easily  all  of
them  let  me  go.  I  didn’t  only  lose  Linc  when  we
broke  up,  but  Nick  and  Benjy  hadn’t  made  an
effort either.

“You don’t drink.” He really has changed.

“No, I quit. I’ll never drink another drop,” he

pleads.

“I don’t care if you drink. That’s not the point.

You’re  just  not  who  I  remember.  My  Linc  would
have  fought  for  us.  He  wouldn’t  have  given  up  so
easily.  And  he  would  have  never  even  asked  me
that stupid question to begin with.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I should have come

back that night.” I stare at him. That was easier
than I thought. Still, the hurt lingers. “I don’t care if
you’ve been with other people.”

Just like that, my anger is back. “I have only

ever been with you,” I grit out so that I don’t yell
and scare Bailey. His mouth opens and closes but
no words come out. “Can you say the same?”

LINC

DROP

to my knees in front of Cherry. “Is that what

you’ve been thinking, baby?” My heart is breaking.
“That I cheated on you? That I touched another
woman?”

“You just went to a strip club for shits and

giggles?” A silent tear falls and she swipes it away
angrily.

“No! I went because…” I can’t even remember

anything from back then other than being miserable
and missing Cherry. Then it hits me—we’d finished
the album and the boys wanted to let off steam and
I know instantly that explanation is not going to fly.
“I didn’t know it was a strip club until we got there
but I should’ve known better.”

“Damn straight you shoud’ve known better,”

Cherry bites out.

“If you hit me, you might feel better,” I suggest.
“You wish.”

Bailey unlatches and Cherry instantly switches

the baby to the other boob, as if the two are in
sync. I’m fascinated by it and mad that I don’t have
that connection with Bailey too. She doesn’t know
me. In fact, if I think about it, she probably thinks
Brian is her dad. “Did you name Bailey after
Brian?”

“Did you get hit on the head with a surfboard

while  you  were  in  LA?”  Cherry  scowls,  tugging
down the side of her shirt that was raised to expose
her  tit  for  Bailey.  Her  nipple  is  distended  from  the
sucking and I know it’s not sexual for Bailey to eat
but  fuck,  it  is  for  me.  I  can’t  stop  my  dick  from
swelling.  I  know  I’m  going  to  hell  for  this  but  I
can’t  see  Cherry’s  naked  breast  and  her  erect
nipples and not immediately think of how red they
would get when my mouth was attached to them.

I could suck on those babies for hours while

scissoring  my  fingers  in  her  juicy  cunt  and  every
time I’d take a deep draw, her pussy would contract
and squeeze my digits tight. I could make her come
like  that,  too,  just  finger-fucking  her  hard  while
sucking on her boobs. She’d cream on my hand. I’d
lick that up and then pierce her with my cock while
she  was  still  orgasming.  Some  of  her  hardest
climaxes  came  when  I  fucked  her  first  with  my
hand  or  mouth  and  then  pummeled  her  cunt  with
my diamond-hard cock.

I could do that right now. I could spread her

legs, lean forward and mouth her right through the
cotton. I bet I could make her wet. I bet I could
make her com—

A towel slaps me across the face.
“I know what you’re thinking and you can just

stop right now,” she orders. But her face is
curiously flushed in a way that seems pretty
recognizable to me.

I stick my tongue in the corner of my cheek to

stop a smug smile from spreading across my face. I
suspect if that happened, I’d get more than a towel
across my face. I drag my thoughts from the gutter
back on track.

“I did not get hit on the head with a surfboard

as I cannot get on the surfboard to start with.
Besides, the ocean is fucking cold and you know I
hate the cold. Nick was the only one who surfed.”

“You still could get hit on the head. Nick’s only

coordinated when he’s on the drummer’s seat.”

“I mean, fair, but I didn’t. Why’d you name her

Bailey?” That had never been a name we talked
about.

“It’s a pretty name and no one around me had

used it before.” Her lashes fall over her eyes in an
attempt to veil her feelings. That we’d never talked
about the name is precisely why she’d picked it.

A different sort of ache blossoms in my chest. I

clear my throat. I wasn’t there. I didn’t have a vote
and I’m not going to make my girl feel bad for any

choices she made while I was playing my guitar in
LA. Even if it was Brian’s mom’s name, I’d accept
it. “It’s perfect.”

I cup Bailey’s tiny head in my palm and the

heat of her small body chases away all the chill. “I
was  in  the  wrong,  Cherry.  I  should’ve  turned
around and walked away when we got dropped off
there.  Then  I  saw  pictures  of  you  and  Brian.  I
thought  it  was  bullshit  at  first  and  told  everyone  it
was but it was fucking with me pretty bad. I missed
you so damn bad and hated that other people got to
be  with  you.  I  don’t  get  home  sick.  I  get  Cherry
sick. I was a mess and I guess Nick thought this was
the way to cheer me up.”

“Why? We were family and Nick wanted to

help you cheat?”

“No, it wasn’t like that. Nick and Benjy had

seen  pictures  of  you  with  Brian  and  thought  you
wanted to move on. I wanted to call you but then I
realized  that  if  I  did,  you’d  feel  obligated  to  stay
with me. I didn’t want to hold you back. Every time
I asked you to come to LA, you said no so I figured
you  hated  it.  And  the  road  isn’t  great.  It’s  a  new
city  every  night.  My  sleep  schedule  is  fucked  up.
I’m  miserable  because  I  don’t  have  you  or  that
goddamned teddy bear. Look—” I take one of her
hands.  “I  never  touched  another  woman  but  you.
I’ve  never  wanted  another  woman  but  you.  I  was
prepared  to  be  a  monk  for  the  rest  of  my  life

because there’s no point in sex or fucking or any of
that  if  it’s  not  with  you.  You’re  right  that  I  didn’t
fight  for  you,  but  you’re  wrong  to  think  I  didn’t
want to. I fought for you every day by staying away
because I thought that was what you wanted when
every  nerve  in  my  body  wanted  me  to  get  on  a
plane  and  drag  you  away,  chain  you  to  my  side,
keep  you  with  me.  But  that  was  the  most  selfish
thing  I  could  do  and  I  was  already  being  selfish
pursuing the music. But no more.”

“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m giving it up. The music, LA,

concerts. It’s done. I’m here to stay with you, raise
our baby, and support you. I’m going to get a job at
the factory and we’ll have a good life.” I press her
hand to my mouth. “All you’ve got to do is say
yes.”

CHERRY

“ N

.” I shake my head. He’s come too far to give

it all up now. We’ve been through so much. It
would make it all for nothing. There is no way that
I could live with that. This misunderstanding
between us has already robbed us of enough time. I
won’t allow it to rob us of anything else.

“Cherry. I’m not really asking. If you're here

I’m here.” Bailey stops sucking and I know she’s
fallen back asleep. I stand, taking her to the
bassinet. Linc watches me the whole time.

“I called.” I swallow, trying to fight the tears,

needing  to  get  all  of  it  off  my  chest.  I  know  that
everything  he  said  is  true.  I  should  have  known
better.  Linc  isn’t  a  liar.  I  could  see  the  boys
dragging him into that club because they wanted to
have a good time and take his mind off things.

Linc has never even looked at another woman

the way he looks at me. They always try to get his

attention, but he doesn't even notice. I think that’s
why him being at a strip club surprised me so much.
Tangle that up with his text which came at the same
time that I was viewing the Insta-story and it was
the perfect mix for a disaster. It was what had sent
me over the edge. Maybe the hormones had
something to do with it too and got the best of me.

“You called?” His eyebrows furrow together.
“Yes, when I went into labor. I panicked so I

called you. I knew I had to tell you about the baby.
That me keeping it a secret from you wasn't right.
That even though I was hurting, I wanted you to
know that you were going to be a dad. That we had
made something special from our love.”

“I never got a call.”
“Your manager answered. Said you wouldn't

take any calls from me. I told him I was pregnant.”
A tear escapes. Linc is on me immediately, picking
me up before sitting on the couch with me in his
lap. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to be in
his arms again. A sense of peace settles over me
even though the conversation we’re having is hard.

“What else did he say?” I can feel the anger roll

off  Linc  in  waves.  He’s  trying  to  keep  it  under
control,  but  I  can  read  him  like  no  one  else  can.
We’ve  always  had  a  special  connection,  which  is
why I’d been so hurt by his lack of fight for us.

I sniffle. “Baby, your tears are killing me.” He

kisses my neck. God, this feels way too good. How

did  I  go  all  these  months  without  Linc?  I  should
have  left  with  him  in  the  beginning,  but  I  doubted
myself.  I  doubted  us.  I’d  become  too  focused  on
trying to get a degree in a field I didn't even want to
be in. I’d made it through one semester and had to
pull out because Bailey was born. I thought I’d be
able to do everything, but reality had sunk in pretty
quick.

As I stare into Linc’s eyes, I realize that we’ve

lost so much time already and that I’m not willing
to lose another second.

“Go on. I want to know it all.”
I nod, not wanting to say the last part, but I will

for him. “He said it probably wasn't yours.” Linc’s
hold on me tightens. “You did think I was with
someone else,” I remind him.

“I didn't tell Hal that,” he grinds out between

his  clenched  jaw.  I  touch  his  face,  making  him
relax.  “I  know  the  baby  is  mine,  but  I  wouldn't
have  cared  if  it  was  someone  else's.  You’re  mine
and that makes your babies mine too.”

I snort a laugh because that is ridiculous. I don’t

tell him how wrong that would be because it's really
kind of sweet. It also would never happen.

“I’m sorry,” I tell him.
“No, baby. I’m sorry. You were right. I should

have fought for you. I never should have left
without you. You were all alone and I know how
much you hate that. I was so focused on making a

future for us that I forgot about the present.”

“It was hard.” My bottom lip trembles. “I

should have gone with you. I could have gotten my
stupid GED or something. I don’t even know what
I’m doing in college or what I want to do. What I
have always known is I want to be with you.”

“We are staying. You can figure out what you

want and go back to college. I know that having an
education is important to you. This time I want to
put what you want first.”

“No, you have to go back. This is not only your

dream, but Benjy and Nick’s too. We’ll do better
this time.” I am still mad at them, but I’ll deal with
them later.

“I want to do whatever is best for you and our

baby girl.”

“We’ll come with you. Then everyone gets

what they want. I just want you.” His mouth comes
down onto mine. I wrap my arms around him,
kissing him back until we’re both breathless. Linc
starts to pull on my clothes, but Bailey cries.

“I’ll get her.” He sits me down on the sofa

before going over and picking Bailey up. “What
last name did you give her?” He stares down at our
daughter. I may have been upset with him but there
was no way that I would have given her any other
name than his.

“Yours.” I hate mine and everything it stands

for. It was only a reminder of my parents and their

lack of love for me. I would never attach it to
anyone else.

“We have to get married.”
“We don’t have to.”
“Cherry, are you trying to kill me today?”
“We can get married.”
He comes over, sitting down next to me. “I

went  from  having  nothing  to  having  it  all.”  He
rocks Bailey in his arms. Seeing him like this makes
it  pretty  hard  for  me  to  deny  him  anything.  Plus,  I
know it's right. I may have thought our journey was
over,  but  after  today,  I  realize  that  it’s  just
beginning.

LINC

“ I

’

LOUD

!” Cherry shouts. Her whole face is

lit  up  in  wonder.  I’m  probably  wearing  the  same
expression, although part of me is nervous as fuck.
Nick’s  in  the  bathroom  throwing  up  the  pint  of
vodka he downed to settle his nerves, while Benjy
is  in  the  corner  running  in  place  to  burn  off  his
anxiety.

Tonight we’re playing our first stadium concert,

and while we might not lose our careers if we don’t
go out and make everyone believe this is the best
night of their lives, we don’t want to shit the bed
either.

I pull Bailey out of Cherry’s arms on the

pretense of making sure her little headphones are
tight against her head. I always calm down when
I’m holding Bailey. I guess because she reminds me
that all of this could go in the shitter and I’d still be
the luckiest man in the world. Who is doing it like

me?  No  one.  I  have  my  best  girl,  Cherry,  looking
like  a  one  of  a  kind  deluxe  dessert  that  you  can
only  buy  in  the  restaurant  whose  menu  doesn’t
have  prices,  standing  two  feet  away  from  me.
Above  us  a  crowd  of  fifty  thousand  fans  are
rocking  out  to  an  indie  metal  musician  who  is
opening for us. Me! A shithead from Shindale with
a  GED  has  fans,  an  opening  band,  a  number  one
album, a Grammy nom. It’s too much.

But I paid for some of that good fortune. For

over  year,  I  was  without  Cherry.  I  missed  the
pregnancy,  the  first  kick,  the  first  smile,  the  first
time Bailey lifted her head, the first time she rolled
over.  I  missed  it  all  because  I  was  an  ass.  This
whole  thing  could  fall  apart  in  a  second.  A  chill
rolls  down  my  spine  and  the  cheers  are  suddenly
muffled. I need Cherry.

I walk over to Benjy and shove Bailey into his

arms. I have my hand around Cherry’s wrist and am
at the door in the next second.

“Wait a minute,” squawks Kate, our manager.

We fired Hal—after I decked him. He turned out to
be a huge dick because instead of taking the punch,
he pressed charges and I had to sit in jail for forty-
eight hours, miss a show and pay a fine. If I ever
see him again, I’m going to hit him twice to make
my time in jail worth it.

“You’ve got to be on stage in fifteen minutes.

Whatever you’re off to do can wait,” Kate says.

“Fifteen is fine.”
I push Cherry out the door before she comes to

her senses. Down the hall is the private artist
bathroom—the one where the other artists snort
coke and pop pills. I spin her around so her back’s
against the door and drop to my knees.

“Babe, do you really think this is a good idea?”
I’m not paying attention to any caution flags.

My hands are up her short skirt, pulling her panties
down to her ankles and then lifting her canvas
tennis shoes out of the cotton. “Better hold on,” I
tell her before diving in.

Her cunt tastes amazing. I wish I could bottle

this and—nah, I want to drink from the source. My
lips  should  be  at  this  fucking  tap  every  hour  of
every  day.  What  a  life  that  would  be.  I’d  take  a
break  to  eat  a  steak  and  play  with  Bailey,  but
otherwise, I’d just be between her legs because her
pussy  is  like  the  Garden  of  Eden,  all  pleasure  and
sweetness.

Ride me, baby. Fuck my face with your pussy, I

silently  tell  her  as  I  tongue  the  lyrics  to  my  song
Hard Candy  against  her  cunt.  Put  that  sweet  hard
candy  on  my  tongue  /  Let  it  melt  like  ice  in  the
summer  sun  /  Touch  that  sweet  hard  candy  with
your  tongue  /  we  won’t  tell  anyone  what  you’ve
done…

She shudders and pulls my hair, signaling it’s

time for my cock in her hot sex. I rise, fumble with

the zipper and then plunge into her. She moans.

“Like that, do you?” I grab a handful of tit and

massage it with my hand. She’s riper since she had
Bailey. She’s all curves and succulent flesh. I love it
all.

“Yes. I need more.”
“More, huh?”
“You only have ten minutes.”
“It was fifteen.”
“You were on your knees for five.”
“A criminally short amount of time.” I reach

under  her  ass  and  hitch  her  upward.  “Hold  on,”  I
warn. Then I pour all I’ve got into her. I pound into
her, hard enough that the door shakes on its frame.
Everyone on the other side probably knows what’s
going  on,  but  they  knew  the  minute  I  grabbed
Cherry’s  hand  because  I  can’t  be  around  her  and
not  want  to  be  inside  of  her.  “You’re  going  to  get
pregnant  again,”  I  whisper  harshly  into  her  ear.
“I’m going to fill you up with my cum, and you’re
not wiping a drop of me off. You’re going to watch
me  up  on  that  stage  and  while  every  woman  in
there  screams  my  name,  you’re  going  to  feel  my
cum  dripping  down  your  thigh.  Knowing  I’ll  only
ever want you. No one else.”

Her pussy clenches, squeezing my cock so hard

my  toes  curl  in  my  boots.  “You’re  going  to  smell
like  me.”  I  shaft  her  harder.  “Every  roadie
backstage  will  know  not  to  even  look  in  your

direction because my scent is all over you.” She
throws her head back. “Cream on my dick, baby.
Come for me.”

She tenses as the orgasm builds. I drive into her

with hard, even strokes. Her thighs are going to be
bruised.  Her  cunt’s  going  to  be  sore.  When  she
walks,  she’s  still  going  to  feel  me  and  that  makes
my  eyes  roll  back  into  my  head.  She  comes  a  half
second  after  me,  her  juices  gushing  out  of  her,
wetting my thighs and hers. I shoot about five tons
of spunk into her.

A hard knock on the door grabs my attention.

“We’re up in three. You good to go?” Benjy says.

I gently lower Cherry to the ground, kissing her

sweaty forehead. “Yeah. I’ll be out in a sec.”

I am good to go. I have her scent in my lungs,

her taste on my tongue, her cream soaking my dick.
There’s no better way to start our stadium tour than
in  this  exact  condition.  I  swipe  her  panties  off  the
floor  and  stick  them  in  my  back  pocket.  She
watches,  a  tiny  bit  dazed,  as  I  pull  her  skirt  down
and straighten her T-shirt.

“You ready, Cherry?”
She shakes off the stupor and pushes away from

the door. “I’m ready.”

I give her another kiss on the forehead.
She frowns. “What’s with the baby kisses?” She

points to the spot on her head.

I give her a sly wink. “When I perform tonight,

CHERRY

“ Y

LEFT

.” I roll to my side in the tub. Linc

stands there with a sleeping Bailey in his arms. Her
head is resting on his shoulder. Seeing him hold her
never gets old. It warms my heart each and every
time.

“Can you blame me? Look at this tub.” I laugh

before  going  under  the  water.  He  stands  over  the
tub  looking  down  at  me.  I  come  back  up  for  air.
“We basically have a small pool in the bathroom.”
He  holds  the  back  of  Bailey's  head  so  he  can  lean
down and kiss me.

“I got us food.” I let out a sigh. As much as I

love this tub, we all know that I love food more.
Plus, I know I won’t have any problem getting Linc
to get back in with me after we put Bailey down for
the night. I grab a towel, drying off my hair the best
I can before pushing it back and snagging my robe.

When I enter the living area of the hotel suite,

Bailey is shoving mashed potatoes into her mouth
like a crazy woman. She definitely gets her appetite
from me.

“How was the press today?” He pulls out a

chair for me. I start to sit in it but he slips into it
first, pulling me down into his lap.

“We rocked it, didn't we, Bailey Bells?” Bailey

swings  her  arms  around  in  agreement.  “Press  is
easy  when  you  have  a  baby.  She  steals  all  the
attention.  No  one  gives  a  shit  who  we  are  when
she’s around.”

“I bet Nick doesn’t like that.” He lives for the

spotlight.

“I don’t know. He was carrying Bailey

yesterday and got hit on three times. He asked if he
can take her out tomorrow.”

I laugh. “Nick does not need help picking up

girls. They fall all over themselves in front of you
guys.” I lean forward, pulling one of the silver
covers off a dish.

“Cheese plate.” I moan, snagging a few slices.

“You’re trying to get lucky tonight.”

“Already lucky.” His hands slip under my robe

to rest on the inside of my thigh.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of room service,

but I do miss your breakfasts.” We’ve been on the
road a lot. Sometimes I don’t even know what city
I'm in. It always feels as though we’ve only landed
and then we’re boarding again in no time. Then if

the venues are within a certain distance from each
other,  we’re  on  the  bus.  I  just  go  wherever  Kate
tells me to. She’s been a godsend since they got rid
of  Hal.  I  enjoyed  watching  Linc  knock  him  on  his
ass.  He’d  cost  us  the  one  thing  we  couldn’t  get
back: time.

I have so many regrets about the time we lost. I

should have known Linc would have been there in
a second  if he  knew  I was  pregnant.  I think  a  part
of me had been selfish because I wanted him to be
there because of me and not only because he found
out  I  was  pregnant.  We  learned  a  valuable  lesson.
No  one  will  ever  come  between  us  again  or  make
us question what we have.

“You over being on the road?”
“I didn't say that. I just said I miss your

homemade breakfast. I don’t care where I am. As
long as my family is together.” I grab a grape,
popping it into my mouth.

“We need a home.”
“We have the apartment,” I remind him.
“I think we can afford something better. It’s

tiny. Bailey needs her own space.” I know he’s
right, but I like that we are all so close together.

“Maybe I like being crammed in with you.” I

turn on his lap, straddling him.

“I love being crammed inside of you too,

Cherry.”

I smack him on his shoulder and shake my head

at his comment. “I’m being serious.” I rub myself
on him a little, feeling his hard cock press into me.

“Me too.” He pulls the shoulder of my robe

down and peppers soft kisses along it. “Let me buy
you a house. I want Bailey to have a yard to play in
and”—he pauses and I turn to look at him—“I
want her to have siblings. Sooner rather than later.”

“We have all the time in the world.” I lean

down, brushing my mouth against his. He deepens
the kiss.

“Bailey.” Linc pulls back from the kiss. I can

see the mashed potatoes in his hair.

“You got him good.” I turn in his lap to hold my

hand out for a high-five. Her little fist hits it and she
lets out a giggle.

Linc pulls his shirt off, using it to wipe the

mashed potatoes off him. “You sure you want me?”
His hand slips around my stomach, pulling me back
into him.

“I want another one.”
“Linc, I’m not on anything and you’re inside

me every morning and night. What do you think
that means?”

“That I’m missing getting inside of you in the

middle of the day.”

“Maybe.” I drop another kiss on his mouth.

“Why don’t we eat dinner, give Bailey a bath and
then you can give me a bath since you interrupted
my last one?”

“Deal.” I try to get off his lap, but he doesn't let

me up. “You can eat here. You’re the one who likes
cramped spaces.”

I settle into him. “You know, most famous rock

stars would be out on the town. Partying it up.”

“I’ve got the two cutest girls in the world in my

hotel room. Why would I go anywhere?”

“I love you,” I tell him before I take a giant bite

of my cheeseburger.

“Good, because I already got us a place and

we’re getting married in the backyard next week.”

I pull the burger away from my mouth.

“What?”

“I have it all planned already. Brian helped

me.” I smile, happy that the two of them finally get
along. It was a rocky road to navigate at first, but
now they respect one another and Brian is the best
uncle to Bailey. Don’t tell Nick and Benjy that,
though.

“I love you,” I say again.
“Love you too, Cherry girl. Always and

forever.”

EPILOGUE_

At Home With the Biermans

Cherry Bierman is pregnant with Linc’s second
child. It’s the first line of the email I receive from
the band’s manager in reply to my multiple
requests for a feature on the young couple. My
prior inquiries—all ten of them—have been
ignored. The band manager, Kate Wilson, meets me
at the airport and drives me three hours to
Shindale, where the band Local Hero grew up and
have made their home.
When I arrive at the Bierman residence, Cherry
apologizes because Linc’s on the phone with Nick
and Benjy. “They’re FaceTiming a session.”
Nick has started producing tracks for other acts
and Benjy is also writing music on his own. Linc
joins us a half hour later with a big smile on his
face. The call went well. He won’t tell me any

secrets, though, no matter how many times I ask.
Cherry says that he’s always been like this. He
doesn’t like anyone to hear the songs until they’re
finished. Except for Cherry, of course. Linc
surmises that at least half the songs are inspired by
her but he won’t tell me which ones.
The need for the FaceTime session is because the
band’s on hiatus. Officially, they are working on
their second album and taking their time doing so.
The smash release of Persona Non Grata, the
band’s debut album, was followed by a grueling
ninety day tour around the world. Four continents
and two years later, it is time for a break.
Unofficially, though, it’s because Cherry Bierman
is pregnant. The story of the first pregnancy is
well-known band lore by now. Through a series of
misunderstandings, Linc wasn’t aware that he had
a kid until he went home to play a festival. Local
Hero was a rising band, opening for popular acts
and amassing a giant following of their own.
Despite all the success, Linc was becoming
increasingly depressed. Worried that the new band
might be a one-hit wonder, the band’s first
manager suggested a tour stop at home. When Linc
arrived home, he discovered he was a father and
told the band he was going to quit. Cherry refused
to allow this and agreed to go on tour with them.
When asked if it was a difficult decision, Cherry
says it was a no-brainer. “Tours are pretty

terrible,” she admits. She sits on the patio of her
ten thousand foot custom built house overlooking
an Olympic sized pool. A platter of fresh fruit,
meat and cheeses are laid out. Linc is on the phone
with his label telling them about the progress of
the most important thing in his life. No, it’s not the
album; it’s his wife’s pregnancy. “She’s twenty-four
weeks and the baby’s kicking,” he’s telling his
label president. I can’t hear what Andy Treats’
response is, but from the wide grin on Linc’s face,
it must be good.
“It’s sort of ridiculous, isn’t it?” Cherry says to
me, waving a hand toward the pool and the
extensively manicured grounds.
“Not at all.”
“Property in Shindale doesn’t cost as much as in
LA.” She’s apologetic about the excess, but it
doesn’t look gaudy. It’s a big house and a big pool
and a green lawn, but it’s cozy. I like it a lot. I
wouldn’t want to leave this paradise either. I ask
her if she plans to stay here if the band tours
again.
“No.” It’s Linc who replies. He’s done with the
phone call and has returned to Cherry’s side. The
two are like magnets. No matter how far away they
stray, they always return to each other.

LAY

down the magazine article on my lap and rub

my stomach.

“Did you like the write-up?” Linc asks me. He’s

sprawled across my feet, pen in hand, the latest
track from Nick playing through the phone’s
speaker.

“It’s nice.” I was so nervous about it. I worried

I’d  be  misquoted  or  portrayed  as  the  evil  wife
keeping  Linc  from  his  music,  but  that’s  not  how  it
read at all. I’d been written as Linc’s savior and his
muse,  which  is  weird  but  nice.  Reading  about  our
break-up  and  the  secret  I’d  kept  from  Linc  didn’t
hurt like I thought it would. I’ve gotten over it. We
were  young  and  have  learned  from  it.  It’s  part  of
growing up together.

When people ask you how are you doing, you

always  give  a  social  response,  right?  “I’m  doing
good,  thanks  for  asking,”  you  say  even  when  you
aren’t  doing  good.  Like,  during  that  year  when  I
was  pregnant  with  Bailey,  I’d  wake  up  and  see
news  about  Linc  killing  it  on  stage,  hanging  out  at
strip clubs, being inundated with offers to suck his
dick until his eyeballs rolled out of his head. I’d go
to the grocery store and while I was picking up my
cans of tomato and boxes of pasta, someone would
ask if I was doing okay. I’d always say I was fine,
but I think everyone knew I wasn’t fine.

How could I be when my only lover, my best

friend, and my other best friends were living the
greatest life ever and I was stuck at home,
unwanted, with a bun in the oven?

Nope, I was not fine at all. Neither was Linc.
But now I’m married to the biggest rock star on

the planet. I’ve got a house larger than the country
club  in  the  county  seat.  My  man’s  lying  shirtless
just  two  feet  away  and  our  second  child  is  only  a
few  weeks  from  being  born.  These  days,  when
anyone  asks  how  I’m  doing,  I  give  the  same
response: “I’m good, thanks.” But now the reply is
honest. I am doing good.

I rub my belly again. For a time there, I worried

that I’d be alone, but I guess the reporter is right.
Linc and I are magnets. We’ll always find our way
to each other’s side.

so much, I had to write another one. This

time,  I  mixed  my  love  for  the  rock  star  hero  with
the  baby.  Hope  you  enjoyed  reading  it.  I  have
another  book  in  the  oven.  Look  for  it  next  month.
Until then, stay safe and sane.

XOXO Ella

ALSO BY ELLA GOODE_

FU High:

, and

(Twins #1) and

(Twins #2)

(Michigan, Easy and Annie)

His Bold Heart

(Chelsea & Wrecker)

Her Secret Pleasure

Captive Ride

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