“That’s right,” said Garrett, an arm slung around my shoulders. “This is Ani.”
Lucas gave the arm side-eye, too. Then said in a flat, disinterested tone of voice, “Nice to meet you.”
I said a whole lot of nothing.
He was in his late thirties, with cheekbones to die for, short blond hair, and green eyes. Both handsome and horrible in equal measures, apparently. Which was disappointing.
A look passed between Garrett and Smith.
It wasn’t the first time people had behaved dubiously about Garrett and me. And it wouldn’t be the last. People love their opinions. I didn’t doubt what Chad had said about it being discussed around town. Wildwood was great. But there are jerks everywhere. And Garrett and I made for great gossip. He was rich and I was poor. He was world famous and I was nobody. It all made for great ammunition for the bitter, small-minded, and bored. Whatever.
“This is who the new songs are about, huh?” asked Lucas, keeping the beat all the while. “Guess I should thank her.”
“It wouldn’t be remiss,” growled Smith. His fingers moved over the strings of a guitar, picking out a tune as if it were nothing. No more than an afterthought. “Unless you want to fuck off back to L.A. and your early retirement.”
A muscle ticked in Garrett’s jaw.
Lucas swore and said in a snide tone, “Fine. Yeah. Welcome to the family.”
“Give me strength.” Smith looked to heaven. “Ani darling, let me give you the backstory. Once upon a time, Lucas dated Grace before Garrett. But he fucked it up. Big time.”
“It wasn’t for long,” said Garrett, rubbing my back. His smile was halfhearted. “They managed to keep it out of the media.”
“He was the reason she swore off musicians?” I asked.
“One of them. Yeah.”
Smith laughed. “A big fucking one of them. She didn’t even want to invite him to the wedding..”
Lucas curled his upper lip in anger. But he didn’t deny it and he didn’t stop playing.
“Where was I?” asked Smith. “Oh, yeah. Grace and Garrett got married and Lucas was the loser. The end.”
“That must have made things awkward,” I said quietly. Maybe one day I’d meet someone who hadn’t at least been half in love with Grace, but that day was not today. Clearly.
“Like you wouldn’t fucking believe. To see him still clinging to that crush even now is some bullshit. Try not to take it personally, Ani babe.”
Garrett sighed. “I said to call her by her name, man. Just her name. Why is that so hard?”
“Fuck this.” Lucas let his drumsticks fly. “This isn’t going to work. I’m out of here.”
“Apologize,” said Garrett, getting all up in the other man’s face.
“Thought we talked all of this out a long fucking time ago.”
“Not to me, you idiot. To her.” And Garrett pointed at me.
Lucas’s angry gaze lingered on my face before he turned away. “Shit. How can you replace Grace so easily?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“It’s only been a couple of years. Grace was . . . fuck. She was special, man.”
“Yeah. She was. And now she’s gone.” Garrett sighed. “But I’m still here, and I hope I have a lot of years of living ahead of me. I dragged my ass through every fucking day after she died. And you know it.”
Lucas nodded, his brow furrowed. “I know. I’m not saying you didn’t . . .”
“I loved her. I think we both did. But she’s gone and we have to accept that.”
“Fuck,” said Lucas, his voice fervent and raw. “I never tried anything. I swear, I never disrespected—”
“I know you didn’t. But you are disrespecting Ani, and that I won’t allow.” Garrett grabbed the other man by the scruff of the neck and stared into his eyes. “She makes me want to keep living. She makes me want to write songs and get up in the morning and go out and actually have a fucking life. I cannot overstate her importance to me. Do you understand?”
Lucas squeezed his eyelids shut. “Ani, I’m sorry.”
“Okay,” I said. “Apology accepted.”
Smith gave me a wink.
“If you’re getting the band back together,” I said, “where is Adam?”
“He’s going to be a tougher sell.” Garrett flicked his dark hair back from his face.
“Two bits of good news,” said the band’s manager. Someone I still hadn’t gotten around to meeting. She was a petite Asian woman wearing an orange power suit with a black Dead Heart tee and high heels. Talk about having an aesthetic. She was cool as all hell. “Adam’s agreed to at least talk to you. But you have to go to him. He’s set a time for tomorrow night. Which will fit with our meeting with the record label for lunch tomorrow.”
“You’re going out of town?” I asked.
“Yeah. Just for a little while.” Garrett frowned. “What’s the second bit of good news?”
“I’m Faye, by the way.” The woman stuck out her hand for shaking. “Nice to meet you.”