Page 46 of Secondhand Smoke
“I know.” Barrett shook his head, trying to clear it.
Nell had completely distracted him.
The story about the funeral was like something from a movie. What kind of person said those things to someone they grew up with?
Nell had fallen from grace.
On the surface, he had assumed it was grief, but after hearing what that Jake guy had said to her, he was starting to believe there was more to her spiral.
He was also incredibly distracted with worry that he’d scared her off.
Too much information about himself and his shitty childhood was just the kind of thing to scare a girl away.
“Well, you’ve got to get back in it by Sunday, or else we’re going to totally tank it in Bellevue.”
“You got us another gig?” Barrett was drawn back into Toni’s garage-turned-studio. He looked over at Dennis, brow raised.
“Apparently, those girls weren’t the only people who liked us. A couple of people asked when we’re coming back.”
“Fuck yeah!” Toni slammed his sticks into his cymbals, the crash ringing in Barrett’s ears. “Dude, youhaveto ask Duncan to come. I swear this stuff started happening when she showed up.”
“Ask her yourself if you’re so eager to be around her.” Barrett turned his back to him and grabbed his water, chugging it until it was gone.
“I can’t fucking believe it.” Toni sounded astounded.
Barrett glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Toni’s curls swung as she shook his head back and forth, mouth open.
Barrett raised a brow. “What?”
“Is Scott Barrettjealousright now?”
God, everything made him think of her, even his own first name. She’d called him that at least five times now, and the more he heard it come from her mouth, the more he liked it.
“No way,” Paulie said, looking between the two of them.
“He totally is.” Dennis had a shit-eating sneer on his face.
“I’m not.” Barrett glared at them and held onto his guitar to do his best to appear collected.
“You know you are so easy to read, right?” Paulie asked.
“Am not.”
“You haven’t met my eyes since I said her name,” Toni said.
“I thought you didn’t have a crush on her anymore,” Paulie added, recalling Barrett’s past admission.
“Idon’t.”
“If you want us to believe you, you’re gonna have to be a hundred times more convincing,” Dennis said.
“Fuck off.” Barrett looked at the clock, cursed under his breath, and released his guitar from around him. “I’ve got to go. I have lessons with Janelle.”
If she was even going to show up anymore.
“Oh yeah,realconvincing.”
“If I don’t leave now, I’m gonna be late.”
