Page 16 of To Bring You Back
“Only God can change that.”
“Well, you’re all the way up there.”
So he might as well try. “We’ve already fought in public twice.”
“You have her number.”
Because John, not Adeline, had given it to him. Calling when she would immediately hang up would solve nothing. “She can reach me too. I left Tim’s number.”
“How romantic.”
“Who said anything about romance? This is about survival. I think you’re right. She needs something, but if she won’t speak to me, I can’t help her, and I can’t help Awestruck.”
“Songwriting’s still stuck, then.”
“More or less.” Gannon strummed his pick across the strings, then let his hand rest.
John’s voice brightened. “Me and Matt should come up.”
“You, sure, but Matt wouldn’t help anything.”
“He could use healthy ways to occupy himself.” The false luster wore off his tone.
“Why?”
“He hauled off and punched a guy at a club. Avoiding charges cost a pretty penny.”
Gannon rubbed the heel of his palm against his temple. If John knew, Tim did too, but he had said nothing. The guy really didn’t want Gannon distracted. With that mindset, would Tim put Adeline through to Gannon if she called?
He went back to the melody he’d been circling. Matt’s problem wasn’t just having too much free time. The natural fearlessness that enabled him to try his hand at sports like rock climbing, surfing, BMX, and snowboarding seemed to have led to one risk too many, and now he was in too deep with all the wrong entertainments. “I’m not sure band commitments will straighten him out.”
“Some accountability might. There are consequences for our choices, but everyone around us acts like there aren’t. We’ve got to do each other the favor of speaking up when no one else will.”
Matt was an expert at turning a deaf ear to their advice, but they could try. Besides, Awestruck had a couple of shows over the summer. It’d been months since the end of their last tour, and extra rehearsal time wouldn’t hurt.
Gannon reached for his pencil, jotted down the first words in what might turn into a song about addiction. Maybe Matt could still benefit Awestruck after all. “All right. There weren’t many private, gated rentals, so the one I got is huge. There’s plenty of room for you guys.”
“See you soon, then. Tell Addie I said hi.”
Gannon hesitated.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got for us.” John disconnected.
That last part might as well have been a threat. John and Matt would expect more than old music and one song about Matt to work on. He needed to talk with Adeline again. The sooner, the better—and without an audience this time.
“Lakeshore Victory Church. This is Adeline.”She cradled the phone with her shoulder, typed the last word in an email, and hit send.
No one answered her greeting.
“Hello?”
Drew appeared in the office door and crossed his arms.
“Hello?” Since no response came, she hung up and focused on the pastor. “What can I do for you?”
“I’ve been thinking about your problem.”
She touched her throat, which still burned with unspoken truth. She needed to tell someone the whole story. Tegan would be a more appropriate audience than Drew, but what would her roommate think when she found out Adeline wasn’t who she’d seemed all this time?
