Page 75 of Love is a Lyric
Ben turned with a growl. “I can’t think.”
Jo snorted. “Not a new problem for you.”
Drew held up a hand. “Now now, we came here to help Ben. And help, we shall. Ben, sit down. You’re making me antsy with your pacing.”
With a grunt, Ben dropped back into his chair. “You all wasted a perfectly good weekend coming here.”
“That’s what I told them.” Jo leaned forward against her knees. “I mean, Drew was probably just going to lie in bed watching Netflix.”
Drew crossed his arms. “I was n—okay, I probably was. I gotta be honest. I’m knackered—thanks Noah for the word—and just the thought of this tour coming up makes me feel ten thousand years old.”
Ben knew exactly how he felt. They weren’t yet thirty, but this life was tiring with its constant stress and activity. “That’s why I came home.” He hadn’t talked to anyone about why he’d chosen to return to Ohio after everything blew up, but this group of people dragged up his deepest thoughts. “Our tour ended, and we were supposed to spend a few months on the beach recuperating and preparing to head into the studio.”
“And then Quinn and Conner…” Drew cursed. “You know, when I joined you for the first leg of the tour, I suspected something, but I hoped I was wrong.”
“You weren’t. I just think Quinn knew before I did.”
“Knew what?” Jo asked.
“That I didn’t love her.”
Noah snorted. “Not a far stretch. We all know Quinn Hayes. She’s not an easy woman to love.”
Ben sighed. It wasn’t just that. He’d always known she was difficult, but he’d overlooked a lot. That wasn’t the reason he didn’t love her. It just wasn’t right, their relationship. “I tried. So hard.” He buried his face in his hands. “What if it’s over? What ifFateis through?”
None of them answered for a long moment until Dax, the quietest of the bunch, spoke up. “It’s never over as long as there’s music.”
Drew nodded. “He’s right. The fans will come and go. The money is nice, but it can’t make us happy. But what do you feel when your fingers fly over the strings of a guitar?”
He hesitated for a moment. “Everything. I feel everything.”
They all nodded in understanding because they felt it too.
“And the girl?” Jo asked. “What do you feel when you look at her?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? “I don’t know.”
“Bollocks.” Noah raised a brow. “You know.”
This isn’t love.The problem was, no matter how much he wanted her, she didn’t feel the same way. Piper would always put others first, including Quinn, including Ben and what she thought he needed.
Drew’s eyes shone as he looked at the group. “Awwww I knew we’d be good at this relationship advice thing.”
“Even though none of us can keep a relationship going.” Jo laughed.
“Not true.” Drew scowled.
Noah nudged her. “I had that girlfriend last year.”
Dax only shrugged, not denying it.
Jo pushed away from Noah’s knees. “All right, we’re doing this. Drew, as far as we know, you’ve never had a girl last more than a few nights.”
“I’m busy,” he grumbled.
She turned to Noah. “And you broke up with your girlfriend last year because it didn’t sound good when she sang in the shower—after three weeks. I’m pregnant by pretty much the worst human being, and none of us know what the heck Dax gets up to when he’s not with us. Am I missing anything? Ben is our only hope for a stable relationship, and he just fell in love with his ex-girlfriend’s sister.” Her chest heaved like she’d just gone for a run.
All four men stared at her, their pathetic rockstar lives flashing before them.
