Page 29 of Love is a Lyric
9
Piper
Waking up to an empty house should have been peaceful, especially when said house sat above a stretch of white sandy beaches with the sun sparkling off the water.
So why did it suck so much?
Piper went through the routine of her morning—setting the coffee maker, taking a shower, picking up the enormous amount of stuff the band left lying everywhere.
She’d quit the day before. Quit. A laugh bubbled out of her. It was better than a cry, at least. Here she was in the house she’d found for what was supposed to be a relaxing break after a successful tour, and she couldn’t snap out of assistant mode.
Clean up after the band. Make sure they’re caffeinated. Check their schedule. Forget you’re a person and not a robot.
She sighed as she scrolled down the to-do list on her phone. None of it mattered anymore becauseFatewasn’t here. The indestructible band had self-destructed, and all she’d been able to do was watch.
The moment she’d awoken and stepped out into the house, she’d known Ben was gone. She didn’t blame him. Quinn and Conner would inevitably return to the house trying to save the band, and she didn’t want to be here when they returned either.
But unlike Ben, she didn’t have a choice. Quinn was her sister, they were the only family they had, and if she didn’t fix this, she’d lose that last connection to her parents.
But fix it how? How could she ever forget the pain in Ben’s eyes? How could she ever forgive Quinn for so carelessly hurting someone like that? Someone who thought fate tied them together—when in reality, it was all a giant lie, one Piper hated her role in.
She contemplated calling Drew and seeing if she could start months early. Matt could spend the time training her to anticipate Drew’s every need before the tour.
But something made her stop. Drew wasn’t the one who needed her.
Her phone rang in her hand, and relief washed through her when Chase’s name appeared. Sliding her thumb across the screen, she brought the phone to her ear.
“Hey.” She wasn’t sure what else to say, if she should tell him Ben needed him.
“What the heck happened in Florida?” It appeared she didn’t need to.
“Honestly, Chase, I’m still not exactly sure. Quinn and Conner…”
A string of curses flew from Chase’s mouth. “I always knew Quinn would be the one who broke him.” He cursed again. “She’s always been a selfish diva who only cared what he could do for her career.”
Piper flinched at the venom directed toward her sister, but she couldn’t say anything to defend her. It was all true. Ben Evans and Quinn Hayes were rock’s sweethearts, loved for their love. It had never been a marketing ploy for Ben, but she’d started wondering if the same held true for Quinn.
“You still with me, Pipes?” She hadn’t realized Chase was still talking.
“Yeah, just… everything is so messed up. I quit last night.”
“Freaking finally. You’ve always been too good for that job.”
“I’m going to work for Drew Stone.”
Silence.
Then a low whistle. “That dude is hot, Piper. Did you know he turned down a hockey contract after being drafted in the first round to pursue his music?”
She did know that. Chase was a bit of a hockey fanatic, and he never shut up about it. “We’re getting off topic here.”
“You’re right. Just… when you work for him, I want to meet him.”
“Chase, your brother is famous. How do you still do the stars truck thing?”
“It’s a skill.”
She sighed and stepped out onto the deck, phone in one hand and coffee mug in the other. “I don’t even like coffee.”
