she says is the problem.”
Brian drew a long breath in through his nose. Blew it out. Ah. He’d hit a nerve. “Her fuckin’ mother, man. After Candace and I got together, Sylvia pulled me aside and was all ‘Just promise me, Brian, that you’ll see to it she finishes school’.” He shook his finger in the air, taking on a high-pitched, scolding tone. “‘And don’t make me a grandmother yet!’ Like I’m hell-bent on making her drop out and knocking her up. Shit. I need a cigarette.”
“Still? It’s been months.”
“It really hasn’t.”
“Damn. You fell off the wagon.”
“Just a couple times.”
“Well, I’m back now, and I’m telling you straight. Cut it. The fuck. Out.”
“I know. The gym was probably a really good idea tonight.”
“I’m tuned in to you, dude. But despite how perfect you and I seem together, I could never be with anyone who has no Acid Bath in his collection.” He closed the CD case and put it aside. “All joking aside. You gonna marry her? This is the one out of seven billion?”
“It is. And I am. I’ve got to. It’s like…sometimes…”
“Speak.”
“Sometimes I think I’m not going to make it another day without getting a ring on that girl’s finger and changing her fucking last name from theirs to mine. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her, and I want it to start yesterday.”
“Then do it already. I knew something was eating you up. You’re like a friggin’ caged beast—it’s all over you, and you’re smoking again, for fuck’s sake.”
“I already sent her running once. It’s not right for her yet. It has to be right.”
“Yeah, but you’re solid now. Look, stop stressing out. Candace is cool with me. She’s a big help and I can’t see her stirring up any drama. The girls like her. If she wants to hang around us that much then God bless her. And please, go ahead and ask her to marry you before your head explodes.”
Just a few nights ago, he’d been singing the complete opposite tune to Macy. What sunshine and rainbows had she injected into him since then?
“All she’s thinking about right now is getting through graduation. I don’t want to sabotage her with my alpha bullshit.”
“I do have one beef with her. She spooked all your groupies. I kinda do miss them.” Brian laughed as he turned into the gym’s parking lot. Ghost grinned to himself. That was more like it. He sounded like his old self. Brian was a volcano sometimes; he had to blow his top to someone before he could settle back down. “And I’d love to stand up for you, but don’t expect to get me in no tux. Unless I can rip off the sleeves, add some chains or something.”
“Don’t worry about that. I think elopement would be our only option. Between my family and hers, can you imagine the circus any wedding of ours would be? My mom’s ready to put a hit out on Candace’s mom as it is.”
“No way, man. This wedding has to happen if only to see your moms scrap with each other. I’d pay good money for that. Hell, I’d wear a tux for that.”
“Any more problems out of Raina?”
Well, there was a good-mood killer. Raina had texted him five times today. He’d bet money that Mark, that son of a bitch, had given her his number. Why those two didn’t just fuck each other and forget about him, he didn’t know.
She’d wanted him to know how immature he was being for resisting her return to the band. How it must mean there were still feelings he wouldn’t admit to. Ha.
“Aside from driving me nuts? No.”
“You don’t think she’s going to scare Macy away?”
Ghost scoffed. “Macy would wrestle that girl down, tie her in a half hitch and throw her hands in the air. Raina’s all talk.”
Brian killed the engine. “I’m thinking you might be right, if what Candace says is true. The exterior is deceptive.”
“Right? I think that could be said for us all, though. What do you think about her? Honestly.”
“That she’s kind of stuck up on her own pedestal. I probably need to get to know her better, though.”
“Yeah. Coax her down, and she’s cool.”
They grabbed their bags, exited the truck and headed toward the building. From what he could see through the glass wall, looked like they would have it mostly to themselves, which was a good thing. A few people were walking on treadmills or working the ellipticals.
“What’s