Page 20 of Busted String

Once he entered his own room, Nico slammed the door shut and leaned against it, trying to steady his breathing. He felt a knot of anxiety tightening in his chest as he thought about the gig they had to play thatnight. The fear that Jace might not even show up gnawed at him, making him feel even more helpless.That little fucker!

Nico paced the room, his thoughts spiraling into worst-case scenarios. What if Jace didn’t come? What if the performance fell apart because of the tension between them? He could almost see the disappointed faces of their fans, hear the awkward silence that would follow a botched song. The pressure was suffocating. It wasn’t fair to Mark and Sammie, either. As the band manager, he was supposed to keep the band functioning and at peace with each other, not try to fuck the lead singer.

He threw himself onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The anger he felt towards Jace was mixed with a deep sadness. He wanted so badly for things to work out between them, but he couldn’t ignore the destructive habits that Jace clung to. It hurt to think Jace chose those habits over him.

To distract himself, Nico picked up the phone and ordered some food. He had little appetite, but he knew he needed to eat something. As he waited for the food to arrive, he tried to focus on the music, on the performance they had to deliver. But no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts kept drifting back to Jace and the uncertainty of their relationship and how all this would affect the band.

Nico felt a tear slip down his cheek, quickly wiping it away. He hated feeling this vulnerable, especially when they had a show to put on. But the pain was too raw to ignore. All he could do was hope Jace would show up, and that somehow, they could make things right.

After he finished eating and took a long nap, his phone rang, breaking the silence. He picked up the phone with the hope it was Jace.

“Nico,” Mark said. “Jace hasn’t been here since you two left. We both called him, and he didn’t answer. The limo is going to pick us up in an hour.”

“Oh fuck! Are you ready to take over if he doesn’t show up?” Nico said. His pain again turned to anger.That no good pain in the ass!He could only imagine all the shit Jace was into when he was a kid. He had to figure out a way to save him from himself. Where the fuck was he all day? He had friends here, so he must be with them.

“I’m always ready for that, but this is Jace’s hometown and they’re expecting him. You heard them chanting his name last night as if he was the only one in the band.”

“Yes, well, he jumps all over the stage. They eat that up and his voice…”

“We’ll meet in the lobby.”

“See you then. And thanks.”

Nico stood in front of the mirror, pulling on his favorite pair of jeans and the Sacred Fire T-shirt he had been wearing became a second skin. He removed the shirt and put on a green one. His outfit had a draped, layered look, with a scarf over one shoulder, also adorned with gold patterns.

He meticulously fastened his large, gold earrings, which had an intricate design, resembling traditional Indian jewelry. They hung from his ears and were quite ornate. He put on multiple necklaces, including one with large black beads and another with smaller green and gold beads. Each one a small piece of his identity, followed by an array of bracelets and necklaces that clinked softly as he moved. The most time-consuming part of his routine was fitting his colorful turban over his long hair, ensuring every side strand was perfectly tucked away and leaving the rest down his back. Finally, he slipped into his black boots, feeling their familiar weight and comfort.

Once he was satisfied with his look, Nico headed to the lobby to meet Mark and Sammie. The absence of Jace was a heavy cloud over their heads as they climbed into the limo, each of them silently fuming and worried.

The tension in the limo was suffocating, but as they arrived at the club and walked inside, they spotted Jace at the soundboard. He was dressed in black leather, his hair streaked with blue, a sight that instantly washed away Nico’s worries. A wave of relief rushed through all three of them as soon as they laid eyes on him, knowing that their band was complete and ready to rock.

Jace ignored all three of them as if they weren’t there. He wasn’t noticeably drunk, and he had a Coke can in his hand. Jace staying sober was a relief on many levels. Nico walked over and smiled.

“You look hot tonight! Glad you could make it,” Nico said, then went to his drums without waiting for a response from Jace.

Mark and Sammie were approaching Jace when the girl from last night unexpectedly appeared, jumped on stage, embraced him, and planted a kiss on his lips.

Chapter Eleven

Jace

Jace was relieved when he saw the rest of the band show up. He wasn’t sure if he would have to do this show alone. Then there was Nico. He couldn’t have dressed any hotter. Why did he have to look like that tonight?

Laura saw him in the café talking to Mary when she came for breakfast, then she sat down and talked to him. Jace ended up spending all day with her, and it turned out to be fun. Her apartment became Jace’s refuge for the rest of the day. She was kind enough to add blue streaks into his hair. All the way back to high school, she wanted more from him than he could give. When she kissed him on the lips in front of the band, he saw Nico roll his eyes. What was he supposed to do? He wouldn’t push her away and be rude.

Jace figured he needed to talk to Mark and Sammie before Nico. He walked over to them. “Hey, sorry about today. Things got messed up, but I’m okay now.”

“You owe me,” Mark said.

“For what?” Jace asked.

“Because I had to practice singing your solos. We didn’t know if you’d show up or not. That’s how my day went. Thanks to you.”

“Sorry about that. I wasn’t in a place to talk to anyone in the band.”

“Fuck you too!” Mark said.

“You could have sent us a text,” Sammie said.

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