Page 33 of Love is a Lyric
10
Ben
Waking up in the twin bed of your childhood home wasn’t the kind of morning routine fit for a rockstar who played in front of thousands of screaming fans. A rockstar who had girls begging for just a bit of his attention, just a glance their way.
A rockstar with a penthouse apartment in L.A.
Yet, he’d come home. When everything started falling apart, he just wanted his mom.
Yep, take away his rockstar card. If only the others in Rockstars Anonymous could see him now with his toes hanging off the end of the bed.
As a teenager, he’d begged his mom for a bigger bed and gotten one, but they’d put this one in the attic. After he moved out, they switched them again to make room for his dad’s treadmill.
He rolled over, having to catch himself before falling out of bed. The flowered comforter twisted in his legs.
“What time is it?” he groaned as he fumbled for his phone on the floor where it was plugged into the charger. He didn’t know what time he’d gone to bed, but the sun had already made an appearance by then. Chase dropped him off before his parents were even awake. Did they know he was there?
His brother stayed for a little while, but Ben wasn’t in the mood for talking, so he’d slept in his old room, wishing the sports posters still lined the walls to remind him of the kid he once was.
The one who thought his dream of being a rockstar would mean a life free of normal problems.
Like a best friend’s betrayal.
And a broken heart.
Sunlight streamed through the small window, casting shapes along the ground as he turned his phone on to see a plethora of texts from Drew. What did the guy want now? He swiped the notifications away, not wanting to deal with anything or anyone from that world.
One in the afternoon. He shot up in bed. Crap. Had Chase told his parents he was there yet?
The smell of something cooking wafted under his door, and his stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since before everything happened.
Rolling out of bed, he ran a hand through his hair and peeked out the window. An uncharacteristic blue sky welcomed him home. He’d almost hoped to let Columbus’ normal gray skies dampen his mood even further.
Bacon. That was what he smelled. He kicked aside the shirt he’d discarded on the floor before crawling into bed and looked down at his bare chest, having no motivation to slip anything on except a soft pair of sweatpants.
Out in the hall, the wood floors were warm underneath his bare feet. He padded down the stairs and rounded the corner into the wide kitchen, expecting to find his mom cooking on the stove.
Instead, the sight stopped him. Piper flipped bacon in a skillet as she chatted with Chase and swatted him away from the plate of finished bacon.
Chase saw him first, his smile growing sad. It told Ben one thing. He knew, probably from Piper. Ben couldn’t stand the pity in Chase’s eyes, and his voice came out gruffer than he’d intended. “What are you guys doing here?”
Piper turned at his voice, her smile hesitant. “Morning… or should I say afternoon?”
“I repeat, what are you doing here?” If Quinn sent her, he’d blow a fuse.
Her smile fell, and one shoulder lifted in a shrug.
Chase’s glare cut through him. “I’m here because my best friend and my brother have come home for the first time in a year.” He pointed to Piper. “She’s here because Piper Hayes is a freaking saint who somehow cares about you.”
Piper’s face flushed. “I couldn’t stay there.”
Those words made him feel like the biggest jerk in the world. Of course she couldn’t. There were sides to this rift, a line drawn through the band, and Piper had stepped onto his side.
“I’m sorry.” He sidled up to her and dropped a kiss on the side of her head.
“I know.”
Before he could say anything else, his parents walked through the back door. “Lunch is served.” His dad balanced a plate of burgers on one hand.
