Bri
Everett and I are sitting in the living room after Hannah and Garrett left, trying to figure out what it is we’re going to do with the hand we’ve been dealt. Both of us are quiet. I’m assuming he’s doing exactly what I am, going over all the scenarios about what we can do and what the outcome will be.
I’ve never been the type to be fully involved in my career. I was comfortable enough to let things go as they would and worry about them when I had to, but now I’m regretting that in a big way.
The quiet is interrupted by our cell phones going off at the same time. We glance at one another.
“Shit.” Everett inhales deeply. “Our cell phones going off together means nothing good.”
I have to agree with him. My stomach churns as I reach over to grab my phone from where it sits face down on the side table. My hands shake as I think about what this may be. Obviously, the universe is against us right now, but we have to be adults and take things as they come. We have to deal with them the best we can.
He looks at me with a slight grin across his roguish face. “We can look at them together if you want.”
“You sure?” I ask.
“Yeah, it will be the best thing. If it’s bad news, at least we’ll both know at the same time. That way, neither of us will be dealing with it without the other.”
“Alright.” I nod. “Let’s do this.”
We both have our hands on top of our phones.
“Ready?” Everett asks.
“Ready,” I confirm.
“One, two, three,” he counts.
On three, we both flip our phones over. When I see the text message, my stomach drops. Anxiety like I haven’t felt in a long time travels through my body.
There, in big, bold letters, is a text message from our attorneys. It says Bryson and the record company have won their injunction from a judge and it’s been signed. I can feel the color drain from my face and I know without a doubt the fight isn’t over - it’s just beginning.
“What the fuck does that mean?” EJ roars.
I shush him, trying to read and comprehend what’s happening. At the bottom of the message, in layman’s terms, it says we aren’t allowed to perform the songs. “We can promote the songs, but we can’t play them on our social media and we can’t play them in public.”
“Son of a fucking bitch,” Everett curses loudly, throwing his phone across the room. “What are we supposed to do? If we can’t do any of that stuff, what can we do?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “This has turned into such a shit show.”
Neither one of us seems to have anything to say. Madison texts me that she’s looking into it at the same time Everett is hit with a barrage of text messages that I assume are from his bandmates. His phone moves across the floor as they all come in, vibrating against the wood.
Sick of it all, I head to the bedroom, change, and lie down. It might not be time for bed, but it sure is time to get out of the real world. I just need a few minutes to figure out how the fuck I’m supposed to feel. At some point, I must have fallen asleep and Everett must’ve come into the bedroom.
He’s tossing and turning and it’s woken me up. He’s breathing so loud, it’s on my nerves. Turning, I look over at him. “Could you please stop breathing so loud?”
He glares back at me, obviously in a mood to argue. Maybe we both are but, judging by the look on his face, whatever he’s about to say isn’t going to be polite. “Okay, I’ll stop breathing. How about that? I’ll just die.”
Raising an eyebrow at him, my nose flares. “You know what I mean. You’re angry and you’re huffing. I was taking a nice nap and not facing the world. It was good and you woke me up.”
“Well excuse me, I have to breathe.”
“Why are you being like this?” I sit up in the bed, folding my arms over my chest.
“Because I’m pissed.” He sighs, running his hands up his cheeks and into his hair. He grips the edges, almost as if he’d rip the hair out by the root if he could. “I’m pissed that somebody thinks they can tell us what to do. All we want to do is make music and support our family, enjoy our jobs. They’re being assholes about it and it looks as if somebody wants to use us to get back at my parents for shit that happened twenty years ago. I mean, it’s just dumb. Fucking stupid.” He spits out the word. “All of it. If I would’ve known this could happen, I probably would’ve never signed my contract.”
“You and I both know that’s a bunch of bullshit. You would’ve signed your contract.”
“I mean, would I have? I love performing and I know you do too, but I hate all the political bullshit that goes with it. I don’t want to suck somebody’s ass just to be able to do what I was put here on earth to do. Anyone who knows me, knows I was born to be the lead singer of a band. It’s been my calling since I was young,” he huffs.
“Well Everett, there are fifty-thousand other people in the world who think this is their calling too. What makes you think you’re different from them?”
“Fuck you, I am different.” He glares at me, seeming to be hurt by what I just said.
“That’s not what I’m saying and you know it. We were lucky to get where we are. Now, we’re gonna have to fight. Just like so many others do. We’re not special.”
“Screw you, lady. I’m fucking special.”
“You know what I mean.” I laugh. “Why are you getting so butt hurt over me saying you’re not special?”
His smile showcases his dimples and it’s all I can do not to give in. “Because I am.” He shrugs. “My mom told me so every day since I was born.”
This is the Everett I love. The one who doesn’t take things so seriously and is able to laugh in the face of what could be a life-changing situation.
“Look,.” He sighs. “We’re not going to be able to change anything until they allow us to play music. What do you say we get out of Nashville? I can take you to my Huntington Beach house.”
This is news to me. “I didn’t know you had a house there.”
“I do. It’s small, nothing like this one.” He looks around at what could be considered a mansion here in Nashville. “But, it backs up to the the beach. I can see the ocean from my bedroom window and I love it. We just haven’t had time to go there but, since we’ve got nothing but time now, what do you say?”
I think about it for a few seconds, but it doesn’t even take me that long to know I’m going to say yes. “When can we leave?”
He glances at his watch. “Maybe mom and dad will let us use their plane and we can leave tonight?” Winking at me, he gets up off the bed and goes for his cell phone.
I follow him, grabbing hold of his shirt to turn him around, a huge smile on my face. “This is the best idea you’ve had in a long time and I can’t wait to spend some time alone with you.”
He bends down, nuzzling my neck. “Can’t fucking wait, babe. Can’t fucking wait.”