Page 60 of Reverb
That put color back into her cheeks. “Gayyoungyou. You were, what, twenty? And scrawny.”
He glanced at his hands and smiled—a quick flash of teeth—before that fell away. “David can have your back in ways none of us—” he gestured to the band, Adrian, and Marcella “—can.”
Finally Mish’s gaze met David’s, and hers was warm and steady. The heat that curled into David’s chest wasn’t lust. It was...he didn’t know. Complicated—that’s what it was.
The words were out of his mouth before he even thought about saying them. “If you’ll have me.”
The crinkles at her eyes weren’t from tension now. No, there was a happiness there David didn’t understand. “Yeah. I will.”
Zavier grunted, and that man’s expression was one of supreme satisfaction.
Dom was the only one not focused on them. His focus was glued to the screen and he chewed on one of his nails. “This fucker.” His voice was jagged and sharp. He sat back, not looking at anything, but working his jaw.
“Babe,” Adrian said. “It’ll be all right.”
Dom closed his eyes. Mish patted his knee. “Sweetheart...”
He exhaled. “I know. I have no right to be angry.”
“Yeah, you do,” Mish said, echoing David’s own thoughts. “We’re family.”
At that, Dom opened his eyes and wrapped Mish in a hug.
The pang David felt was an intense longing he’d never experienced before. That need to have what these people had. He could hardly breathe for the way that desire tangled into his soul.
Family. His hadn’t beenthatbad, just...distant. Especially after his successive coming-outs. He barely talked to his sister anymore. He exchanged emails with his parents a couple of times a year. Most of the folks he’d known in the army had fallen away.
He was used to being alone.Likedbeing alone, or so he told himself.
He shook the feelings away. “This guy isn’t a fan of the group, I’m sure of it now.”
“Why?” Mish asked.
“The way he talks in those emails. It’s focused on you and your look. Not on the music, or your playing. Or how you interact with the guys or fans.”
Dom sat back on the couch. “Huh.” That seemed to be the voice of everyone’s thoughts.
Zavier straightened. “Then how does he know Mish?”
That was the thing. “Don’t know.” David paused. “It’s just a theory.”
Mish stirred. “Like I said before, I don’t think it’s a previous friend or lover. They weren’t...like that. Even the ones who were jerks.”
“What about from high school or—” Adrian waved a hand “—someone who knew you before you were famous?”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t look like this in high school.” She gestured at herself. “We moved around a lot. Plus, after my mom passed, I changed my name.”
David’s world tipped sideways a little. “You changed your name,” he repeated. His former name slid across his consciousness and away. “First and last?” He’d only changed one.
She nodded. “Mom’s last name was Sullivan. She never married the sorry sack of shit that sired me. I didn’t want his name anymore.”
In the silence that followed, no one asked her what her name had been and David rejoiced. Her family—the people in this room—understood the power of names.
It was Marcella who broke the silence. “Here I thought Mish was short for Michelle.”
Mish grinned. “Nope.” Her smile fell away. “Honestly, I can’t think of anyone from my past.” She dug out her phone. “I keep a photo of my mom and me on here. Hang on.” She scrolled a bit, then handed her phone to Ray.
He blinked a few times. Zavier leaned over. “Oh. Yeah. I see what you mean,” he said.
