Page 11 of Drive
Because she’d lost. She was a loser. Rainey was a weak and useless loser who couldn’t be relied on to help anyone else because she was too fragile. She’d always been toofragile.
The doctor explained a little more about the blood transfusion, which they would perform immediately. Rainey listened, but she also bit the inside of her cheek and tried not to give ground to the tears that wanted to form behind her eyes. When Dr. Roberts left them, Rainey tried to busy herself by stacking the books on Holi’sbedside.
“Don’t sulk,” Holisaid.
“I’m not sulking,” she said too quickly. Rainey couldn’t make herself face hersister.
“You know why I did that, right?” Holi askedgently.
Rainey brushed invisible dust from the stack of books. “You think I can’t handle it.” She tried to keep her voice steady, flat. But even she could hear the hurt in herwords.
Holi sighed. “I just think you don’t need to go through that. I mean… there may be blood… and pain.” Her voice softened, and still it felt like a blade piercing Rainey’sgut.
She turned away, facing the door, and screwed her eyes shut, silently ordering herself not tocry.
“But I still need you,” Holisaid.
Right. To fetch books and water the plants and go to the grocerystore.
“In fact, I need you to call Ash.” The tremor in her voice made Rainey spin on her heel. “I’m scared, Rain. Can you call him and tell him what’sup?”
Shoving her self-centered feelings aside, Rainey reached for her sister’s hands and sunk into the chair beside her. “Of course,” she said, talking past the lump in her throat. “Of course I’ll callhim.”
Chapter 5
Fourtimes.
The morning after he’d met Rainey Reeves, Jacques sent her a text to see if he could take her to lunch. It was approaching noon, and she hadn’t responded. He knew this because he’d checked his phone four times thatmorning.
Which was four more times than he’d ever let himself check his phone. For anyone. For anyreason.
Jacques had learned young that chasing after someone who didn’t want to be caught was a job only a fool would undertake. He’d watched his father be that fool, and Jacques decided long ago he wouldn’t follow in the man’sfootsteps.
So when he caught himself checking his phone a fifth time after he dropped a rider off at the Volkswagen dealership on Johnston Street, he knew he needed a distraction. He allowed himself to stop at Guitar Center on his way home. He needed a set of strings, and he could always use an extra pick, but he really wanted to look over the store’s bulletin board for musician postings and leave his own notice in hopes of assembling anotherband.
Thinking about building another band was an excellent way, Jacques decided, to stop thinking about the girl he’d picked up yesterday. The girl who’d made him lose his voice at first sight, made him blush — of all things — when she’d said he sounded like Eddie Vedder, and praised his driving skills when he’d almost gotten herkilled.
Stepping into a music store, whether it was Guitar Center, or Lafayette Music, or Prof Erny’s, always gave him the same feeling — like a shot of caffeine. They all smelled the same, like wood polish, crisp paper, and ozone. Clean and full of promise. Jacques walked through the entrance, inhaled through his nose, and felt his mindclear.
Jacques borrowed a Sharpie and a sheet of paper from the cashier — a kid who looked too young to be behind a shop counter before the end of a school day — and he neatly penned a notice. He tacked it up on the message board and scanned the other flyers with waning hope. Zilch. No drummers looking for a gig. No bass players trying to connect. But then his eye fell on a hot pink sheet of paper tacked to theboard.
ALL FEMALEBAND
SEEKS MALEVOCALIST
TO ENHANCESOUND
WE’RE NOT FUCKINGKIDDING
ASSHOLES NEED NOTAPPLY
Jacques barked a laugh.Who the hell was this? The band’s name wasn’t included on the flyer, nor were the names of any of the members. He stared at the sheet of paper, telling himself he’d be crazy to take itseriously.
He wrote his own songs, and he had his own sound, a rough, soulful, alternative sound he was trying to establish as a brand that was recognizable and sought after. Branding, he knew from his two years in UL’s business program, was critical for product success, and even though Jacques thought of himself as an artist first, he knew if he was going to make it beyond bars and music festivals, he had to see his music as a businesstoo.
Still, the flyer piqued his curiosity. What would he lose by calling thenumber?
He tapped the digits onto his keypad, walked out of the store, anddialed.
