It’s our party. They’ve been playing the new album in a loop all night. I’ve been trying to block it out but still cringe every time ‘Cry It Out’ comes on.
“You sound amazing.” Mallory closes her eyes and sways from side to side for a second. She smiles at Jacob. “Both of you. You complement each other really well.”
Jacob flashes a thin smile. “Pretty soon, Chaser can take over the whole thing by himself.” He slaps my shoulder and takes off before anyone can respond.
“Can’t wait to go out on the road with his moody ass.” Alvin watches Jacob stumble over to the bar.
Mallory sips her champagne. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I lift my chin at Garrett. “Watch him. He can’t get trashed in front of everyone tonight.”
Garrett rolls his eyes but goes after Jacob. Maybe he’s tired of playing babysitter, but fuck knows, Jacob doesn’t listen to a word I have to say these days.
“Jacob better get his shit together. I’m not in the mood for his sulking every night for the next couple months.”
“Are you planning to play it every night on tour?” Mallory asks.
“We’ll see how the crowd reacts.” Alvin swivels his head, checking out the party goers. “If it’s bumming ’em out, we’ll pull it from the set.”
Something crashes over by the bar, and everyone turns to stare. Jacob holds up a broken bottle of Jack Daniels and yells, “Oops!”
A few people laugh. Most ignore him. A few flashbulbs go off.
Fucking great.
Obviously, Mark never had the “you came this close to having the label drop your druggie ass” speech with Jacob. Or maybe he did, and Jacob doesn’t give a fuck.
Garrett puts his arm around Jacob and leads him out a side door.
“Fuck,” I mutter. I catch Alvin’s eye. “What are we going to do if he goes off the rails while we’re on the road?”
He shrugs. “Pray like fuck he doesn’t take us all down with him?”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chaser
The next morning, we wake up to the news that In Your Hands debuted at number two on the Hot 100 charts. A huge deal for a heavy metal album.
“We did it!” The paper rustles in my shaking hands. “Holy shit.”
Tears glitter in Mallory’s eyes and she squeezes her fists together under her chin. “I am so proud of you guys. You’ve worked so hard.”
“Come here.” I wrap her up in my arms, resting my chin on top of her head. “Thank you.”
“Call your dad.” She pats my chest.
I track him down at the clubhouse. “I have news,” I say as soon as he answers the phone.
“So do I. Hang on a minute.”
I roll my eyes at Mallory.
Papers crinkle in the background. “Are you listening?” my dad asks.
“Yeah, I kind of have something important to tell you, though.”
“In Your Hands, the third full-length studio album by American heavy metal band Kickstart displays a harsher, more aggressive sound than their previous work. Yet, it’s a thought-provoking collection of songs that avoids the hard rock clichés they became known for with their previous hit, ‘Candy Jar’.”
I’m speechless. “What is that from?”
“Local paper.”
I snort out a laugh. “No kidding?”
“Proud of you, kid.”
“Well, I have better news than the blessing of the County Freeman Journal.”
He snickers. “What’s that?”
“The new album debuted at number two on the Hot 100 chart.”
“Yeah? Who’s number one?”
I grind my teeth. “Penny Driver.”
“Never heard of her.”
“Of course not.”
“I’m proud of you, Russell,” he adds in a more serious tone.
“Thank you.”
“Getting ready to go out on the road?”
“We’re leaving this week.”
We talk a little longer before saying goodbye. I find Mallory in the kitchen fixing breakfast.
“Was he excited?”
“I think he was more excited about the local paper’s validation than the Hot 100 chart.” I snag a piece of bacon and pop it in my mouth.
She waves a spatula at me. “Go sit down.”
I groan as I plop down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “I’m going to miss having breakfast with you every morning.”
“Me too,” she says softly without looking over. “I’m worried you’re not going to eat enough out on the road.”
I flex my arms and puff out my chest for her. “You calling me scrawny?”
Without answering, she sets a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast on the table. My gaze drops to the tiny sleep shorts she’s still wearing. I reach out, catch her around the thigh and drag her closer.