Page 72 of Secondhand Smoke
They were more focused than before, but the red rim around them contrasted the blue in the most hauntingly beautiful way.
“Can you walk?” he asked her gently.
She nodded and took a step to prove it. She appeared steadier on her feet than Jake did.
Together, Barrett and Nell walked to his friends, who all nodded at them, their eyes scanning Nell like they were checking her for injuries.
Toni caught Barrett’s eyes, and gave him a nod that said “I’ve got your back, man”.
Barrett never doubted that for a second.
The crowd had begrudgingly started to disperse, and although the band’s gig wasn’t even halfway through, Barrett figured it was best they all collected their stuff and called it a night.
He told them so, and they all started to go that way before their path was cut short by Neil. His face was red. The man was large and entirely terrifying when he wasn’t laughing and handing them an envelope filled with cash at the end of the night.
“You . . .” Neil’s finger went right to Dennis and Paulie. “I never want to see your faces here again.”
Barrett’s heart sank. When he looked at his friends, the twisted shock confirmed they felt it too.
“Come on, man—”
Neil cut Paulie off with a firm finger in his face. “You’re beating up my customers while I’m paying you, you little shits.” He shook his head like he was holding himself back from saying something much worse. “You’re fired. Grab your shit and get out.”
He spun before they could try to defend themselves, and the four band members and Nell just stood there, unsure what else to do or say.
* * *
“I’m sorry.”
Barrett closed his eyes at the sound of the familiar words. His shoe scuffed on a pebble that made a tinny clunk as it hit Nell’s bike spokes. She hadn’t let him push it as he walked her home, claiming he was too beat up. They were already nearing her hill, and this was the first thing either of them had said.
His head ached, and his fingers rose to his temples and rubbed. “Stop that.”
“I am. It’s my fault.”
“Stop it.”
“I shouldn’t have—”
He spun on her, staring down at her. His hands itched to touch her. Her hand or her face, or her lips maybe. But he bit his tongue and kept it to himself. He wasn’t sure if she was hurt anywhere. What if he accidentally touched a bruise and made her wince? His head throbbed at the thought, annoying him further.
“I never want to hear those words from your mouth again, you understand? I’m sick of them. I’m sick of you taking the blame for everything. You are not some horrible villain, okay? I swear, if I hear it again, I’m going to . . .”
To what? What could he do?
Nell was startled, her eyes wide and her lip pulled between her teeth. She too had stopped walking, her bike still between them.
Barrett knew what he wanted to do, but that probably wouldn’t be well received.
“I’m going to make you practice your chords over and over until you have calluses like mine, got it?”
Nell’s face was sallow, her eyes still red, but her lips rose in relief. “You always know the right thing to say.”
Never heard that one before, but he liked the sound of it.
“Can I say thank you?” she asked.
Barrett crossed his arms, feigning annoyance even though it had disappeared. “If you’d like to.”
