Page 49 of Drive
Nine songs were proof ofthat.
“If they’re just songs, then write us something else. Hell, write about anything else,” Kate groused. “Climate change. Shithead presidents. I don’t care. Just no more songs about the girl who gotaway.”
Jacques winced, and Kara, ever-observant, caught it. “Leave him be, Kate,” she whispered, but it was a whisper that everyone in the pool househeard.
“No, I won’t. I mean we already have a fan club of teenagers who want to know the identity ofthe girl with rain in her name,” Kate said, pulling a face. “And I don’t think it’s to invite her to asleepover.”
This was news to Jacques. “Are you serious?” he asked,frowning.
Kate shot him a sour glare. “Don’t you read the posts on our Facebookpage?”
Jacques blinked. Kate rolled her eyes and blew out a breath of disgust. “Well, you should. Your little Rainey friend is one of ourfollowers.”
His eyes bugged. “Sheis?!”
“Uh, yeah.” Kate curled her upper lip and gave him ano duhexpression. “She only likes everything I post. And I just want to be like‘Bitch, please, don’t like our shit and leave our dude-bro twisting in the frickin’wind.’”
His eyebrows leaped. “Dude-bro?” Jacques asked, choosing what he guessed was the safest part of her statement to respond to. Rainey followed their page and liked all of their posts? What did thatmean?
“Yeah, man.” He could have been wrong, but Kate’s look of disdain might have softened just a little. “You’re the only guy who had enough balls to join Heroine. That means we kind of have to claim you. And no bitch treats one of us likethat.”
Jacques raised a mystified brow. “I think… I’m…flattered?”
Kate scowled. “Yeah, well, don’t let it go to yourhead.”
He bit down on his smile. “Iwon’t.”
“Can we play some music now? Preferably not a love song?” sheasked.
“Let’s do ‘Jane Says’ just for fun,” Des suggested. “Dream it up alittle.”
And so they did. The played for another hour before Kate called for a break. Jacques didn’t object. He took his phone and headed outside. Alone, he sat in one of the Crawford’s poolside loungers and pulled up Heroine’s Facebook page. Sure enough, Rainey had put thumbs and hearts on most of their posts. Her Facebook handle was R.M. Reeves, but the picture — even in profile — was undeniablyher.
He tapped the screen to enlarge the picture, and the sight of her forced a groan of longing from his chest. It was a candid shot. Someone had snapped it of her while she wasn’t looking, her chin angled down, her eyes on the book she cradled. She wore a serene smile, completely untouched by the world around her as a world of words held hercaptive.
Jacques went back to the band’s feed, noting she’d liked the most recent post, one Kara had sent at the beginning of their rehearsal just a couple of hours before. And seeing that swept aside the last of hisdoubt.
He dialed her contact and pressed the phone to hisear.
Rainey answered on the second ring. “Hello?” Did she sound a little breathless, or was that wishful thinking? And if she was that eager to talk to him, why hadn’t she just called back? Anger licked him with a tongue offlame.
“So your phonedoeswork.” His words were sharp, but for some reason, he couldn’t make his tone match. Instead, the low rumble of his voice merelyteased.
“Hi, Jacques.” She still sounded breathless, eager, and she let his greeting slide. “I-I’ve been meaning to callyou.”
Meaning to call him? What the hell did that mean? He hadn’t heard from her in three weeks. She didn’t have a chance to call him in three weeks? Jacques clenched his teeth. He wanted to let his words fly, but the relief in her voice — relief, and what sounded like happiness — held himback.
“Oh, yeah?” he ground out, needing her to give him something — anything — to make her three-week silence makesense.
“Yes, I-I—” She was obviously nervous, her voice halting. “I’m so sorry for the way I’ve behaved. I’ve wanted toexplain…”
He waited a moment for her to continue. When she didn’t, he gave her a nudge. “You wanted to explain?” His voice was gentler now. He could afford to be gentle. She wanted to talk to him. That much was clear. And she was nervous, which meant she cared what he thought. Maybe this could besalvaged.
He heard her clear her throat. “I wanted to explain after Artmosphere, but I didn’t think I could.” Her voice went soft and faint, but then she inhaled and seemed to forge ahead. “And then I heard you guys on the radio at Festival, and I knew I neededto.”
She’d heard the Festival show? Which meant she heard him pour his heart out. But she hadn’t called him. That was nearly a weekago.
Jacques couldn’t help the sarcasm heavy in his tone. “Well, what’s yourhurry?”
