Page 73 of Lies and Lullabies
So that could wait. I stroked her silky hair, my eyelids pleasantly heavy. I dozed off for a while. When I opened my eyes, the clock read three thirty. Kira was asleep beside me, her hair tickling my bare chest.
During my tours, I’d often wake up in the night, my subconscious poking me to make sure I was in a safe place, and alone. But there would be no more wildness in my life. No more drunken exploits after a show. Lying here next to Kira, I knew that I wouldn’t even be tempted.
She stirred in her sleep, and I couldn’t resist pulling her a little closer. After a moment, her fingers splayed gently on my belly, tickling the fine hairs growing there. I lay awake just listening to her breathe. I could sleep tomorrow on the bus, when I’d be all alone again.
It wouldn’t seem so lonely, though. Not anymore.
* * *
The next time I woke,I knew all was well before opening my eyes. I was lying on my side, my ankles tangled with Kira’s, my hand resting on her hair.
It was the sound of soft little footsteps that roused me. They passed by Kira’s side of the bed, then turned at my feet. There was a scramble for purchase, and then the sensation of someone crawling over my legs, trampling down the bedclothes between me and Kira.
A warm little body filled the valley there. “Me too,” was all she said.
I held my breath as a little hand found my forearm, resting on my skin. I lay still, afraid to move a muscle. Maybe this perfect moment might last.
Vivi teased the hair on my arm with her fingertips, and Kira continued to breathe with a soft, sleepy rhythm.
Kira and I would never have childless years together. We’d skipped some things that normal couples enjoyed. We’d never duck out for a late dinner on a whim, or jet off for a carelessly romantic weekend.
But I’d squandered those years, hadn’t I? I’d done every whimsical thing that there was, and come up empty. I’d played concerts on four continents. I’d gotten drunk in every four and five star hotel you could name.
Kira hadn’t sewn any wild oats, though. And I began to imagine all the ways I might be able to make it up to her.
Eighteen
Adam
I hadn’t done the walk of shame in years. But now I stood in the hotel lobby feeling hungover and a little embarrassed.
Last night, after warning my sister against throwing her panties at a hot musician, I’d thrown mine at the band’s sexy tour manager. Hypocritical, much?
Technically, Kira never had to know. I could’ve snuck out of the hotel and gone home alone. But that meant making Kira and Vivi ride the T home just so I could save face.
That would have been a chickenshit move. So instead, I used the key card I’d been given yesterday to take the elevator up to the club level. Then I tapped on the door to Jonas’s suite.
Silence. The only thing I could hear was the pounding in my own achy head.
I waved the card in front of the sensor and opened the door. “Knock-knock,” I said, the sound of my voice muted by plush carpeting. I ventured further into the living room, peeking through an open doorway into the master bedroom.
What I saw there made my eyes prickle, because the three people lying quietly on the king-sized bed looked a lot like a real family. One of Vivi’s hands was on Kira’s belly, the other absently fingering her father’s wrist. It was just about the sweetest damned thing I’d ever seen.
But it frightened me. If Mr. Hottie swept Kira off her feet and moved her to Seattle, I’d be devastated. Especially now, at this odd and stressful juncture in my life.
Kira opened her eyes and looked right at me. Quickly, her expression turned sheepish.Sorry big brother. I went to bed with him after all.
I gave her a wink and walked all the way into the room. I traveled around the giant bed and flopped down next to her. “So this is where the party is,” I said, followed by an involuntary groan. “Oh, my head. Kiki, do you have any aspirin in your bag?”
“Sorry, Uncle Adam,” she said. “I didn’t plan ahead for you to party like a rock star.”
On the far side of the bed, Jonas chuckled into his pillow. “I’ve got you covered. I travel with a quart bottle of Advil. We also need breakfast and a vat of coffee.”
“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Kira said. “Move, Adam.”
“Make me,” I said, my eyes closed against the dull ache at my temples. But a few seconds later, I yelped “Ow!” as my sister rolled right over me to get out of the bed. “Meanie.” I gave her a little kick as she walked away.
And then I noticed something. “Hey, new nightie?”
