No Commitment (Capital Kingsmen #1) - Lisa Suzanne Page 0,10

again a decade later. I’m no longer the skinny band nerd and she isn’t the girl who waits for her mom and dad for a ride home. Things changed, and even though we agreed to no commitment just yet, we both knew it was there before the chain of events that tore us apart.

I can’t let that shit keep us apart anymore. I need to see her. I only have one goddamn week, and I’m not giving up just because time has moved forward. I wanted to think things through, to act with discipline and care, but I don’t have time for that because fucking Tommy volunteered us to be in the studio in seven days.

And so I stand up, too. I toss my napkin on the table just like Trevor did, my appetite suddenly gone. Despite the exhaustion of just getting back home after being gone two years, I have something I need to do, and I have a limited amount of time to do it in. I don’t have a plan, but I don’t have time to come up with one, either. I’ll figure it out on the plane, I guess.

“I’m going to Milwaukee,” I announce, and with those as my parting words and stunned expressions on their faces, I walk out the door.

CHAPTER 6

TYLER

I book a flight from my phone while the Uber driver takes me back to my place, and I set quickly to the task of packing. The last thing I want right now is to live out of a bag again, but this is for her.

I’ll do anything for her.

I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but it’ll be less than a week since I have to be in the studio Tuesday at eight thanks to Tommy Fucking Stevenson.

I’m just zipping my bag when Tommy bursts into my room. The hope I had to get out the door without a confrontation shatters before my eyes.

Did anyone eat the meal they ordered at that restaurant?

“Dude, you can’t go. We need you here,” he says, or rather, he begs.

But I won’t be moved. I have shit to take care of. “I’ll be back by Tuesday morning at eight.” I don’t look at him as I say the words, opting instead to sling my bag over my shoulder to prove the point that I’m going.

“We need to make decisions as a band about what the fuck we’re putting on this album before we hit the studio,” he argues.

I sigh and unplug my phone charger to take with me. “We’ve talked it to death. We’ve got most of it planned, and you’re used to making decisions without me, so just do what you’re going to do anyway.”

I make a move toward my doorway, but he’s blocking it. He doesn’t budge.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he spits.

“You wanna do this now?” I spit back, my fists balled with anger and my short fingernails digging into my palms as I get ready to unload. “Here’s what it means. It means you are the one who wanted me to go on that reality show. You are the one who booked an international tour spanning twenty-four months. You are the reason my entire life fell apart, and now I’m back and need to fucking fix it. But I can’t, because you are the one who volunteered to get us back in the studio in a week.” I’m yelling at him by the time I’m done.

He doesn’t look surprised or sorry or regretful. Instead, he pins his gaze on me. His voice is eerily quiet as he unloads his next words on me. “And look where the fuck we landed because of all those decisions.”

We stare off across the small space for a few beats, and then I realize I have nothing left to say.

He, however, does have more. “You’re not the Tyler you used to be, and I don’t know if I even like this pussy standing in front of me.”

“Oh get the fuck out of here, Tommy,” I say.

Anger simmers in me once more, but I’m okay. I won’t let it boil over.

Until he says his next words.

“She changed you, man. Some bitch from out of nowhere took away the guy I loved and had so much respect for since we were in fucking high school. I don’t even know you anymore.”

Nobody calls Dani a bitch.

Nobody.

Tommy doesn’t even know her.

Fuck that. Fuck him and his low blow.

“Fuck you, Tommy.” My balled-up fist pulls back before I know