Page 8 of Entangled
So far, no one has found him out here, so his decoy measures seem to be working. I can’t imagine a celebrity lifestyle. I’d hate to have everyone’s noses in my business. Austin handles the fame well. Despite his fortune, he doesn’t let the attention go to his head.
I’ll never forget the day we met. My solitary move-in attempt started out rough. Raw from my divorce and too sad to give a fuck about anything, I nearly broke my back, trying to lug my furniture inside. Less than an hour into my efforts, Austin showed up—with beer and honey bourbon ribs—to offer his help. We instantly hit it off and have been friends ever since.
He sips his drink. “Besides, what’s life without all the bullshit?”
“Hell if I know.”
We fall into companionable silence for a few moments. That’s one of the things I love most about our friendship—I don’t need to think of shit to say or put up a front—we can justbe. I lost touch with my friends when I joined the military. It was ten times worse after I got home. None of them want anything to do with me now, so I stopped trying. I’m a loner. I don’t need friends. Yet Austin makes human connection feel effortless.
He officially lives with his actress fiancée in Memphis, so I don’t see him as often as I’d like, but we always hang out when he’s in the area. Lately, he only retreats to his secret mountain hideaway when he needs the time and space to write music. While his place isn’t much bigger than mine, it’s equipped with a recording studio and small apartment.
Austin wandered over tonight with chicken wings and beer when he saw how late I pulled into my driveway. Naturally, I had to share my day’s insanity with him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy laugh so hard.
“I still can’t believe she threw a vibrator at you.”
“You and me both, dude.” I left out the part about how her intoxicating scent clung to me, and I spent most of the day with a semi. He doesn’t need to know I nearly pulled my truck over to rub one out.
He chuckles, fiddling with his guitar pick. “Better yet, I wonder what her boyfriend thought when you interrupted their digital get-down.”
I stiffen and take a long pull of my beer, unnerved by the jealousy coursing through me. Some lucky bastard has front row seats to her sexy performances. I’d give my left nut to take his place.
Austin elbows me. “Maybe if you’d actually try dating again, you’d find someone.”
“I have nothing to offer.”
“I call bullshit.”
“I’m a shell of who I used to be. Chelsea called me a downer. I mean, things were fine until after my deployment.”
Austin sets down his guitar. “You went through some crazy shit. How could she expect sunshine and rainbows after all that? And it’s not like you didn’t go to therapy.”
“Therapy didn’t make the nightmares stop. The flashbacks still paralyze me.” PTSD is a cruel bitch. It’s bad enough to endure a traumatic event the first time. When your mind forces you to keep reliving it? That’s torture. My scalp prickles as I rub the scar on my stomach. “I’ll probably always be fucked up.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “You’re not fucked up, man. You’re tryin’ to heal. It’s not your fault your wife had no compassion.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I stare across the room at the shadow box containing my Purple Heart medal, hating that my past darkened the mood. He didn’t come over here to spend his free time wallowing with me. “So, how’s the music going?”
“You’re changing the subject, but I’ll let it slide this time.” He motions to his guitar. “We got a few songs recorded when I was in New York, but we had to cut it short.”
“How come?”
“Jake’s best friend lost his wife to breast cancer. They’ve been buddies since elementary school, so he wanted to be there for Jesse through the aftermath.”
Jake Bennett, the King of Ballads, is one of Austin’s closest friends in the entertainment industry. They’re currently collaborating on a new album which will be a fusion of their music styles.
“Damn. Cancer’s a bitch.”
He shakes his head. “Yeah. Jesse’s not coping well. He’s staying with Jake for now because he’s afraid to be alone. He and Hannah were high school sweethearts. The whole thing’s a mess. It’s really fuckin’ sad.”
I know that fear of solitude. I dealt with it when I came home from overseas, every time Chelsea went out with her friends and left me alone to think.
“Won’t it be hard for you and Jake to get studio time once the baby comes?” I ask, ready for another subject change.
“Probably.” He grins and rubs his hands together with glee. “But that’s OK. I’m excited to be a daddy.”
I can’t help but smile with him. “You’ll be great. How’s Kate feeling?” While I’ve never met her, Austin speaks about her all the time, so I feel like I know the woman. “Everything going well?”
His face falls, and he releases a heavy sigh. “Physically, yes. Emotionally, not so much.”
