Absorbed(18)

“God, where’ve you been? I’ve been thinking—” The door to the soundproof room thuds shut, cancelling out whatever the hell it is Sinjin is saying.

Cal sets his guitar to the side and sits backwards on one of the uncomfortable rolling chairs our label places around these rooms. The look on his face matches the one I’m sure is on my own—worry. “You don’t think he’s trying to get f*cked up do you?”

Wyatt’s digging around in the mini-fridge, but when his head comes up, he’s shaking it from side to side. Cal and I both look over at him, waiting impatiently for clarification. At last Wyatt shrugs. “He made a friend in rehab.”

“A friend?” I ask. Wyatt hurls a bottle of water at me, but I reach up and catch it. His aim is just as shitty as Kylie’s. Staring at him darkly, I unscrew the top from the water. I lean my shoulder against the wall. “I’m assuming a female friend.”

Wyatt nods and takes a swig of the Bud Light he found in the fridge. He makes a face at it, turning the bottle to the side to check the date. “That’s what I heard. Fuck, that’s all I know. Ky’ll be able to tell you her whole life story if you ask.”

Kylie. No shit she’ll be able to tell me about Sinjin’s mystery woman. Cal groans before I have a chance. “Goddamn, Kylie knows everything. She’s been all over my ass for months about Heidi, but I can’t—”

The door cracks open, and all three of us look like we’ve been caught in the act as Sinjin comes back into the studio. Wyatt downs the rest of his beer and Cal gets up from that lousy ass chair as Sin walks a little more aggressively than normal to his drums.

“Everything okay?” I demand, and he shrugs.

“Been a lot better and so much worse, so it’s good.” He sits down behind his drums and shoots an edgy look around the room at the rest of us. “Just wanted to throw this out there, I’d like to get this done so I can go on home for the night.” He drags the drumsticks out of his back pocket and stretches his arms, managing a forced smile. “Shit to do.”

I’m worried about Sinjin long after our rehearsal is finished. I feel like a nag for texting him later that night and like a f*cking * for getting anxious when he doesn’t respond. As soon as Kylie comes into work the next day, I turn her back around to take her to lunch. She’s suspicious, and rightly so because as soon as we’re seated at the restaurant of her choice—the Cheesecake Factory of all places—I start up on the questions.

“So what do you know about her? And don’t give me that confidentiality bullshit because you know how important this is.”

Her dark brown eyes widen, and she runs her fingers nervously through her short hair. She drinks almost half a glass of water before responding. “Look, I’d planned on telling you everything once Sin got settled in and you all got over that hump. Sorry for being secretive, but trust me we haven’t been talking as long as you think. It feels like it took me forever to get back into her life, so I’ve been taking it slowly—”

“Kylie,” I say, but she continues.

“She doesn’t talk about you. She doesn’t mention you, but I know it’s just a matter of time before she does. And when she does, I think you have a good chance. I know she loves you.”

I plunk my elbows down on the table, and Kylie jumps. This restaurant is jam-packed, and I don’t want someone else witnessing this conversation, so I lean forward. “I’m assuming this isn’t about what’s going on with Sin.”

This time, instead of going wide-eyed, her face furrows into a deep frown. I watch her carefully as she breathes in and out of her nose before finally cocking her head to one side. “Ah, shit.” She mimics my position, placing her elbows on the table and bringing her head closer to mine. “Well, I can tell you about that, too.”

“Nah, I think we should finish what you started first. You’ve been talking to Sienna.” There’s no anger in my voice, no pain or hurt, but something else. Eagerness. I dial that emotion back before I add, “How long?”

“Nearly a month now,” she says in a tiny voice.

Okay, that one stings, but I force my head into an awkward ass nod. “Thanks for letting me know.”

Kylie releases a breath, blowing a strand of that fire-engine red and blond catastrophe out of her face. “It’s not even like that Lucas. You were working on the song, and then Sinjin got out. When I contacted her, I didn’t even know if she’d get back to me.”