Page 57 of Storm Warning
His eyes strain on the hunk of garbage in his hand. “I still got the hat he gave me back at this one event I saw him at as a kid.” He sounds elated, and the more enthusiasm he shares, the more my irritation grows.
Great, two fucking terrible mementos live on.
“You can have it.” I sound angry, probably because I am. And now I’m very much not in the mood to have him here too. “I’m not feeling well.” I brace my hand on his back, guiding him toward the door. “I’ll see you later tonight at the show if I feel better.” His brows furrow, but I refuse to budge. Not on this. So I push him a little harder toward the door. “You can let yourself out.”
I grab his shirt off the bed, shoving it into his arms. Confusion covers his face, as he slips it over his head. No pressing or retaliation, just uncertainty blooming in his eyes.
He clears my door frame and I slam the door behind him, placing my ear on it to listen for his exit. He huffs, but says no more. The weight of his body sounds down the stairs and the front door clicks closed. Rushing toward the window, I do my best not to be seen. He walks towards his truck, taking a moment to look back at my house before climbing in and driving off.
His fucking hero? I groan at the now evident nausea in mystomach. I thought the worst case would be a conversation, not finding out he’s a life long Slayton superfan.
What was supposed to be a liberating execution of my dad’s existence now just became the potential downfall to what could have been a great relationship.
34
RHETT - JULY 24, 2004
“Next stop, stardom.”I down my second shot of the night before pacing toward the fire pit. “How’s it feel to have not one but two offers on the table for a record deal?” I ask Sawyer as I ignite the stack of wood for our bonfire.
“Good, I think?” His tone isn’t filled with confusion, more so wonder in the possibilities that two offers bring. “It’s kind of crazy how quickly this all happened. Telluride Records is obviously my first choice, but it’s nice to know I performed well enough to warrant interest from another company too.” He grins, confident in himself, and it’s cool to know I had a play in it.
Having two options, undoubtedly, has to melt worry about him and Daisy from his shoulders, but starting out today, I didn’t think I’d be finding worry in my own relationship. Kaylee and I barely spoke at the show, and here I was, thinking this would be the day we tell our friends about us. Now I’m not so sure.
Everything seemed fine, better than fine even. But Kaylee is right back to, at the very least, pretending she hates me andI’m not even sure what the fuck I did to deserve it. One minute we were fucking around, and the next she’s shoving me out the door.
What was it about Slayton’s buckle?
It all started after I found the damn thing. The attitude. The walls going back up. After that, everything went from perfect to shit faster than I can blink.
Maybe the last name isn’t a coincidence? Or maybe the coincidence freaked her out? I mean it would be pretty weird to pick something up and then find out its connection not only to me, but also to her.
People have the same name all over the damn place, but having something like that fall in your path could be haunting. I just don’t know how that’d be my fault.
She’s a mystery. One I bet I’ll never solve, but that doesn’t mean I ain’t gonna try.
Daisy’s car bumps down the driveway, pulling us from our conversation, and me from my thoughts. Sawyers’ smile doubles as Daisy exits the car, and even with worry lingering in the air, I, too, smile a bit deeper at the sight of Kaylee. He grabs the girls each a beer as they walk up, while I take a long drag on mine. The sneer Kaylee wears tells me that she’s still in whatever mood she was in earlier. And not only do I need to figure out why, but also how to repair it.
Shots.
Ma would cringe if I told her that was my plan. I can hear her say, ‘drinking isn’t the way to solve anything,’ and she’s right. It’s not. But I’ll admit my judgement was off the moment I took my second shot and I’m not trying to get Kaylee drunk, just hoping she lets loose a little. Her stop is whatever she’s protecting herself from. I can see that plain as day, I just can’t currently see why she has her shield up. If it’s me, I’m fucked, but if it’s not, there’s a chance we can sort it out.
“Honorary shots for everyone,” I yell, setting my plan in motion. I lay out eight glasses on the deck bar. Turning my attention back toward the girls, I say, “While in Tennessee, am I right?” I let out a nervous chuckle, hoping everyone came to celebrate all the good that came from today. “Two each. One for our super star, and another for Miss Daisy gettin’ to sign him.”
My words mesh together a bit. Funny how quick the alcohol sets in.Lightweight.
“To tolerate you? Might need to make them doubles.” Kaylee’s words hold a bite to them, and if I didn’t know her, I’d be hurt. But I can see it in her eyes. She’s just used to the show she’s always putting on. Sawyer and Daisy both look at me for a reaction and Kaylee shoots me a wink.
I beam ear to ear. Alright, her issue isn’t amething, and that’s all I really give a shit about.
Everyone takes their shots, Sawyer and Daisy both equally choking theirs down.
“Doubles it is, Angel.” I lift the bottle to pour everyone another round, but Sawyer stops me from filling one for him, and Daisy follows.
Turning toward Kaylee, I question if she too wants to bow out. “Angel?”
“It’s not Angel, dumbshit,” She shoots me another fluffy insult.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I chuckle.
