Plat, page 16
Up until now, everything had been stupidly easy with Ariel and me, and my other friends all really liked her, so it was hard seeing that my twin didn’t like her at all. I didn’t know for sure what was going on with her, though, and it had been hard to read her the last few days. Ever since her talk with Madeline she’d been a little more subdued. Not when it came to sex, but with everything else, and it made sense that she was nervous. Fighting the conservatorship was a big deal with huge repercussions for her if it didn’t go the way we wanted it to.
It never occurred to me she might be spiraling because of it until just now, and I had no idea what to do if she was.
I started to run again, determined to put everything out of my mind for a little while. Later, I’d figure out how to approach her about it. If she was going through something related to the bipolar, we needed to talk about it. She was always going to be bipolar, and if we were going to be together, I had to learn to deal with it when things happened. I mean, if wild sex was the worst of it, I wasn’t too worried, but I was smart enough to know that probably wouldn’t be the case. We had to talk, though. Sooner rather than later. As soon as I worked up the nerve to bring it up.
I wasn’t sure what Casey had in mind for the jam session Friday night, but I was surprised to see Marcus there when we arrived. Especially since he was sitting behind a drum set.
“Hey!” Casey waved as she picked up her guitar.
“Hey.” I was glad I’d brought my bass with me, even though my intention had only been to practice and maybe write a little. I hadn’t been expecting to play, and I definitely hadn’t expected to play with my brother.
How long had it been since we’d been on stage together?
“With you here, it occurred to me it was the perfect opportunity to play some music,” Casey said as we joined her and Marcus on the small makeshift stage. “With a singer and a bass player in the house, and me on guitar, my first thought was to add digital drums, but then I remembered Marcus had been your drummer once, so we have a band.”
“I haven’t played in a long time,” Marcus said, glancing at me briefly and then looking away.
“Even if you keep it simple, just enough to keep the rhythm, we’ll figure it out.”
“But what are we going to play?” Ariel asked. “I know some of Nobody’s songs, but in general, I don’t do a lot of rock.”
“You must know ‘Nowhere Left to Fall’?” Casey asked, referring to one of our biggest hits with Pretty Harts.
“Well, duh.”
“And we can play whatever we feel like. It doesn’t have to be rock or Pretty Harts music. Hell, we can do Waylon Jennings or Taylor Swift for all I care.”
We all chuckled, and I picked up my bass, putting the strap over my shoulder. I noted that Marcus kicked off his socks and boots, sitting at the drum set barefoot. He’d always played barefoot, and I felt a slight wave of nostalgia to be on a stage with him even though I was still annoyed with him. Even if it was nothing but a jam session. Every time I saw him it got harder and harder to have this emotional distance between us. I had enough to deal with, though, and didn’t have it in me to start anything with him. Hell, I hadn’t even talked to Ariel yet about her bipolar stuff, much less anything else, so I was happy for a musical distraction.
“Let’s start with ‘Bedroom Lies,’” Casey said, bringing me back to the present. “I learned it and sent Marcus a copy of the demo tape you sent me, so he’d have an idea what to play.”
“I’m rusty as fuck,” Marcus called out, tapping on the snare drum. “I played in a band for a year or so when I was in the military, but not since.”
“And I’ve never been in a band,” Ariel told him, chuckling. “Usually, it’s just me, with back-up dancers and recorded music. Last month with Nobody’s Fool was my first time ever playing in a band.”
“Then I guess we’ll figure it out together.” Marcus grinned at her.
I wasn’t sure if Marcus was being nice to her because Casey was in the room or if it was his way of apologizing to me, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Casey and Marcus were both warming up, and Ariel was adjusting her microphone.
“By the way,” Casey called out. “Lance sent me the video he took on his phone of your performance at Club Inferno—it was fucking amazing.”
“I didn’t realize he recorded it,” Ariel said. “Will you send it to me?”
“I want to see, too,” Marcus said.
As close as Ariel and I had grown over the last few weeks, the moment Casey and I were on stage together, I almost forgot about Ariel. Casey and I had played a lot of shows together, and it was so good to find our groove again. I loved Bash and the others, but there was a reason Casey had become the superstar she was. She was talented, but it was more than that, and I’d never gotten over the excitement of being in a band with her.
“One two three four!” Marcus counted off, and we started “Bedroom Lies.” There was no cohesion, though, and Casey shook her head, turning to look at Marcus.
“Slow down a little.” She turned to me. “Remember—they’re not Pretty Harts. You need to focus on finding your rhythm with Marcus and Ariel. I can find my pacing once the rest of you get into a groove.”
We had two more bad starts, but the third time was good. By the fourth time, we were in the groove and everyone was starting to have fun. We moved from “Bedroom Lies” to “Nowhere Left to Fall,” and then Marcus surprised the hell out of me.
“Ariel, do you know the lyrics to ‘Revved on Remorse’?”
“Oh.” She smiled. “Yes, I think so.”
She looked up the words, and I looked at my twin. He was staring off at nothing, though, and I wondered why he would suggest that song. Did he know it was loosely about him? Did he sense how much of my soul I’d poured into that song?
“Let’s do it,” Marcus said after Ariel had looked over the words.
He counted off, and we had another false start.
“My fault,” Ariel said, laughing. “I was too focused on the lyrics.”
“I can sing it with you,” I told her, moving to stand beside her.
“Excellent.” She smiled at me, and everything in my life was momentarily perfect. I was playing with my best friend, my twin, and the woman I was falling for. There was literally nothing better. And singing my favorite Pretty Harts song? This was epic.
Seven years of nothing but hate
A million hours tryin’ to seal my fate
I’ve got a burning need to go all the way
Come on, take a chance, today’s the day.
“I love this song!” I hadn’t seen Erik come in, but he had his hands in the air when we finished, a big grin on his face. “You’re going to play it again, right?”
“Hell yeah.” Casey grinned at him. “What should we play next, babe? You have a favorite song, something everyone knows, that we could do a cover of?”
He frowned. “What about ‘School Girl Wish’? Everyone knows the words, and even if you make it more rock than pop, people are going to be dancing and singing along. Plus, I’m willing to bet Ariel knows the words.”
We all laughed, and Ariel nodded. “I’m game if you are.”
This was going to be epic.
26
Ariel
I was surprised at how many people started to fill the massive ballroom. Casey had told us she was having the stage built and changing the acoustics so she would have a place to perform any time she wanted, in addition to any official events they held there, so it was fun to see what she’d put together. Tonight, we were testing out the lights and sound system, since they’d just recently been installed, but it almost felt like a real gig.
I recognized quite a few of the people who came in, including the Royal Protectors we’d met, the kitchen and housekeeping staff, and some of Erik’s family. It was fun watching everyone’s faces as they slowly figured out that Casey Hart was going to be performing for them. They knew her as Queen Casey, of course, but there were plenty of staff members who undoubtedly knew Pretty Harts. Some of the housekeeping staff looked excited, and several of the Royal Protectors approached Marcus, asking him questions and high-fiving him.
“You know what’s weird?” I said to Tyler as we got ready to get back on stage.
“What?” he asked.
“I’d started to hate performing, but whenever I get on stage with you, I love it again.”
He leaned over and lightly kissed me. “I love hearing that.” He slid his hand into mine, and we climbed the steps to the stage. It was weird being excited about performing again, and it occurred to me it was one of many things my father had ruined for me. I was finding my way back to music, though, and now I just had to hope Madeline would get me free of the conservatorship.
I didn’t have time to think about that, though, because from the first notes, the crowd was into us. There were maybe fifty people in the room, which was nothing for Casey and me, but it was magic in an intimate setting like this. I messed up some lyrics, Marcus stumbled over a few parts, but no one knew that but us. The crowd acted like we were the Beatles in the 1960s. And it was fucking awesome.
“Freebird!” someone yelled out. We all laughed since that was kind of a joke any time a band played cover songs.
When we ran out of songs we’d rehearsed, we fumbled our way through a few classics like “Mony Mony” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which led to Casey doing one of her incredible solos. It was shorter than the ones she’d done on tour, but she probably hadn’t played live in over a year, so it made sense she would be out of practice. Not that anyone could tell, of course.
Then we were done, and someone brought us towels and water.
“That was awesome,” Casey said, handing her guitar to someone I didn’t know.
Marcus was putting his socks and boots back on, shaking his head. “Damn, that was fun, but I’m fuckin’ wiped. I’m obviously not in rock-star shape.”
“Bash runs five to ten miles a day to stay in shape and keep up his stamina,” I told him. “It’s not easy.”
“Definitely not.”
“I’m starving,” Casey announced. “Anyone up for a late dinner?”
“I could eat,” Marcus said.
“Me too.” I was suddenly starving.
“Count me in.” Tyler nodded.
“Hey, is this going to be a regular thing every Friday night?” Joe Westfield, the head of security at the palace, came over to us.
“Probably not,” Casey said, laughing, “but maybe a few times a year. I can invite my musician friends to town and entertain everyone.”
“I will admit to having a great time tonight,” Joe said. “Thank you. All of you. I’m a big fan of yours, Ms. Fox.”
“Please, call me Ariel.” I smiled at him.
Instead of leaving to eat, we were approached by dozens more people, and Casey was gracious to all of them. She’d recently told me she did her best to find a balance between her royal status and earning the respect of palace employees, but it wasn’t always easy. Tonight, I never would have known she struggled with it. She handled it like the pro she was, talking to everyone and taking a few pictures, though she dragged Tyler or me into them with her.
“Okay, we’re heading out,” Casey said to the stragglers who were standing around talking to us. “We’re hungry.”
We headed up to the royal apartment, and there was a feast waiting for us. It was simple, but there was a ton of food, including mini-burgers, fries smothered in cheese and bacon, bite-sized baked brie bites, fresh fruit, and raw vegetables with dipping sauces. It had been set up buffet-style, so we all filled plates and settled around their dining room table.
“What’s going on with the conservatorship?” Casey asked as we ate. “Did you talk to Madeline?”
“I did,” I said. “I hired her, and she’s getting copies of everything so she can figure out what direction to go with it.”
“Oh, that’s why your name has been trending all over the place,” Casey said. “I figured your dad was behind the engagement announcement and all that.”
I sighed. “Yeah. In retaliation for me challenging the conservatorship.”
“Engagement?” Erik asked curiously.
“To Darren Randall,” I said wryly.
Erik squinted a little. “Darren Randall? The old fart from Urban Whiplash?”
Casey snorted out a laugh. “Yes, dear.”
“Why would anyone believe that?”
“My dad has been trying to set us up for years,” I said quietly.
“He’s like a hundred and seven, and you’re, what, twenty-five?” Erik didn’t look impressed.
“It wouldn’t be the first time a young celebrity married a powerful man in the industry,” I pointed out.
“Sure, but what’s his end game?” Casey asked. “Since we all know you’re not actually engaged to him.”
Tyler grunted. “Hurting her. What else?”
“So this is a smear campaign?” Marcus asked me. “He wants to make it look like you’re cheating on your fiancé?”
I shrugged. “More like he wants to do whatever he can to keep his control over me. The worse he makes me look, the harder it’ll be for Madeline to prove I don’t need a conservator anymore, that I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
“What’s does Madeline say?” Casey asked.
“She wants me to go home to L.A. and fight for myself, but I’m not ready,” I admitted. “He’s threatened to send me to Cunningham again, and I’d rather die than go back there.”
Casey squinted. “That psychiatric hospital in Santa Barbara?”
“Yes.”
Even Marcus looked a little appalled, but I tried to ignore him since he made me uncomfortable most of the time. Tyler had said he was merely overprotective, but it felt like something more to me, like he really wanted to come between Tyler and me, which hurt.
“Can’t Madeline protect you from that?” Casey asked.
“I don’t know. We don’t know much yet. She wanted time to read the conservatorship and dig into everything. She said coming to Limaj wasn’t the best move on my part since my dad could use it to say I’m behaving irresponsibly.”
“And those pictures leaving Club Inferno probably didn’t help, either,” Casey said softly. “But you’ve been fine since you’ve been here, and all of us can attest to that. You know we’ll have your back.”
This was the perfect opening, and I cleared my throat. “By the way.” Tyler had said he would apologize to Casey privately for our sexy tryst in the garden the other day, but I was going to get in front of it here, with both Erik and Marcus in the room. “I wanted to apologize. Tyler and I never should have fooled around in the garden like that. We honestly didn’t even think about the fact that there are cameras everywhere, and it was so stupid of us. I hope you—”
“Stop.” Casey shook her head. “There’s nothing to apologize for. The palace is private. If Erik and I want to have sex in the garden, we can. If—”
“We can?” Erik interrupted, his green eyes gleaming with mischief. “I thought you said we had to behave appropriately?”
“You said that,” she corrected him, without breaking her gaze with me. “I’m the wild rock star, remember? Now hush.”
“But—”
“Would you let me finish my sentence?” she asked, laughing though she gave him a look of exasperation. “Anyway.” She turned back to me. “You’re my guest. If you want to enjoy the gorgeous backdrop by fooling around in the gardens, go for it. I can’t stop the staff from gossiping about it, but you have nothing to apologize for.”
“That’s very gracious of you,” I said softly. “I know it’s no excuse, but I’ve been under my father’s thumb for so long, with no freedom, no fun, no nothing, I feel like I have so much to make up for. It won’t happen again, though.”
“Bummer.” Erik grinned. “I was thinking we’d start a new fad around here.”
Casey rolled her eyes. “Ignore him, please. He’s just showing off in front of Tyler and Marcus because we all know he’s a total prude.”
Erik lifted his eyebrows as he leaned back in his chair. “You are so going to pay for that.”
“I fucking hope so.” Casey grinned back at him and gently changed the subject. The guys started discussing duty rosters and an upcoming soccer game, so I lost interest and fiddled with the food on my plate.
“You’re a million miles away,” Casey said softly as the guys scooted their chairs closer together.
I smiled. “Just wondering how long it’s going to take to get a court date and if Madeline can win so I can have some semblance of a life. Not to mention, access to my money. I hate feeling broke.”
“Did your dad cut you off?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I haven’t tried to use any of my cards since we left Vegas.”
“If you need anything, let me know—it’s just a loan,” she added when I started to protest.
“I feel so needy,” I whispered in frustration. “I don’t have enough clothes or cash or credit cards or anything. It’s ridiculous to be worth what I’m worth and have to borrow money from my boyfriend.”
“It’s temporary,” she soothed. “Don’t think about all that. I know you’re good for it. Spend this time getting closer to Tyler and enjoying Hiskale. There’s a lot to see and do, even as it gets colder. There will be a million events coming up for the holidays, and you two are welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“Tyler has to think about the band back in Vegas, and if I’m going to challenge the conservatorship, I need to get back to L.A. I don’t know how long we’re going to be here.”
“Well, for as long as you’re here, worry less and enjoy more. You want to do a spa day? Erik’s cousin, Elen, and I were talking about going. You want to join us?”
“I’d love to.”
“I’ll book it tomorrow and let you know.”
