K. Linde - Take Me for Granted

That didn’t mean I was going to walk out on the guys or Ari. It just meant…well, what the fuck did it mean? That I’m keeping my options open? I wasn’t. I wouldn’t compromise what I believed in. I just wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the opportunity to get everything I wanted.

We closed out the set with “Letting You.” The crowd cheered loudly with the success of our show. My eyes were locked on Ari’s. I needed to talk to her. I wanted to tell her to meet me now, that we needed to talk, that we needed to make this right between us. But I couldn’t. I’d talk to her later. By then, maybe my anger wouldn’t be simmering so close to the surface.

Hollis was waiting just offstage when we exited. He clapped me on the back like we were old friends. “Fucking great show, Grant!”

“Thanks.”

I tried to keep my enthusiasm to a minimum, but Hollis had a certain charisma about him that made something simple sound amazing. I could understand how he’d gotten so far in the business.

“So, we good to talk? I got us a room.”

Miller, McAvoy, and Vin looked at me expectantly. Yeah, shit. I hadn’t told them about this. I hadn’t even told them that I was with The Drift when I’d joined up with them earlier. “The guys can come with us, right?”

“Of course! Hollis Tift. Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking the guys’ hands.

Miller’s face relaxed. “We’ve spoken on the phone. Great to finally meet you in person.”

In hushed whispers, I filled the guys in on what I knew and why Hollis wanted to speak with me…us. Though I wasn’t sure exactly what he would say, I slung my guitar over my chest and talked confidently about it to the guys. This was our opportunity, just like they had all been saying.

We walked into a small room that was strangely reminiscent of our meeting with Frank—except Hollis lounged casually against the wall with his arms crossed and a big smile on his face.

“ContraBand,” Hollis said like he was testing the weight of the word. “Glad you guys are here. I was lucky enough to see your Halloween performance while I was in town, and after seeing what I just saw, I think you have a pretty marketable look and sound.”

Everyone tensed, anticipating the letdown.

“What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?”

I glanced over at Miller. Our eyes met, and he shrugged. Nothing. I’d been planning to go down the shore with Sydney while Ari was out of town, but I could cancel. It seemed like the same thing passed over everyone’s faces.

“No plans,” Miller said.

“How would you like to open for The Drift in New York City?”

It took a split second for reality to set in. Holy shit! We were being invited to play a huge show in the city. The Drift played sold-out shows all across the country. Opening for them could be our in.

“Are we signing a contract? Or is it just for the one show?” Miller asked, always getting straight to business.

“No official label contracts just yet,” Hollis said. “We’re looking for you guys for this show, and then based on how everything turns out, we’ll discuss terms from there.”

Another audition. Well, this one already seemed like a better opportunity than the show that Frank had shown up for. Hollis had said yet. That had sounded promising. I knew we’d rock out any show we performed, and this time, there was no mention of me ditching the band.

“So, are you in?”

“Definitely!” I said.

All the guys agreed.

Hollis handed us paperwork to fill out to confirm that we would be in attendance on New Year’s Eve. I scribbled down my information and then handed it off to Hollis.

“McDermott!” he called, stopping me at the door. “Are you going to be around the rest of the night? I’d love for you to introduce the rest of the band to The Drift.”

I smiled, feeling as light as air. “Yeah. Let me just put my guitar back in my room, and I’ll come back.”

“Perfect.”

I exited with the guys, and despite the high I was on, I could tell Miller and McAvoy wanted to say something. I wasn’t going to push them to initiate a conversation though. If they wanted to talk to me about hanging with the band, they could, but I’d helped get us this gig, so they couldn’t be pissed with me.

“I’ll meet you back here later,” I said.

Miller opened his mouth to say something but then shook his head. McAvoy nudged him, but Miller just grumbled something under his breath.

“Man, you going to talk to Ari?” McAvoy asked.

I was taken aback. “Why?”

“She just walked out of here pretty upset earlier,” Miller offered.

“She was crying,” McAvoy added.

Shit! I’d made her cry? I felt a part of me die. Yeah, fuck, I need to talk to her. But what the fuck am I supposed to say?

“I don’t know,” I finally said.

“Just remember what I said about her,” Miller said, giving me a knowing look.

How could I ever forget that Miller had said Ari had knocked humanity into me? What kind of person would I be at this point without her? I for sure would have fucked one of those chicks in the back room, if not more than one. I would have pushed the limits. All right, I’d fucking talk to her when I got back.

I told them as much before walking out of the venue with my guitar strapped to my back, leaving the rest of the guys to hang out backstage.

It was fucking cold outside, and the temperatures sobered me up further. I’d been a dick to Ari. She’d been out of line, but I’d acted like…well, like me. I’d done what I always did. And she was better than that.

My thoughts were broken when I heard what sounded like someone falling behind me. I turned around and saw a girl sitting heavily on the ice. She was wincing and holding her hand against her chest.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Um…yeah. I just hit the ground pretty hard.”

“How’s your hand?”

She grimaced. “It’s bleeding a bit.”

“Need help getting back inside or anything?”

I wasn’t exactly chivalrous, but she was kind of pretty. I would feel like a dick just leaving her out here. After how I’d treated Ari this afternoon, I felt like maybe I owed it to this girl to be nice.

“Oh, no, thanks. My cabin is just ahead. I’ll just go clean it up there.” She struggled to her feet and started walking uneasily again.

“I’m this way, too.”

She finally looked up into my face, and I swore I’d seen her somewhere. Damn my bad memory!

She smiled, and we walked together in silence. Before Ari, I probably would have taken this girl up to my room for a quickie or something.

We reached the ski resort hotel, and she started rifling through the small purse in her hand. I nodded to her and started to walk in the opposite direction. I let the feeling of giving up easy game pass over me. I’d have Ari alone later, and I’d convince her to have pretty epic make-up sex.

“Hey!” the girl called, jogging up to me. “Sorry to bother you again, but, um…I don’t have my key. Do you think I could wash my hand in your place before braving the cold again?” She suggestively fluttered her eyelashes at me.

I wondered briefly if she was telling the truth or just trying to get a step closer to my bed.

I could have sent her back to the lodge. It wouldn’t be the worst thing I’d ever done to a chick before, but it wasn’t like it would really hurt anything. I was heading right back out anyway.

“Sure. I’m going back to the lodge after I put my guitar up. I’m Grant.”

She smiled a knowing, maybe even triumphant smile. “I’m Kristin.”

As much as I’d wanted to rush backstage to talk to Grant, I’d forced myself to chat with my friends for a few minutes. A knot formed in my stomach over what had happened, and I just wanted to scream.

How could he go from having sex with me to getting drunk with some girls to acting like a total jackass to serenading me onstage all in the span of an afternoon?

I didn’t care how wasted he was. I knew that I needed to talk to him. Grant was just being stupid and stubborn. I might have been in the wrong by going on the defensive when I’d found him backstage, but he would have flipped his shit if he had found me in a similar state. I wanted him to have his space to be the person he wanted to be, but I didn’t want that to jeopardize who he really was.

My mind was all clouded. I was going to agonize about this all night if I didn’t go and find Grant.

When I made it backstage, the room was even more packed than it had been before. The later shows were supposed to be completely full, and bands were getting their equipment together. On instinct, I returned to the spot where I’d seen Miller and McAvoy earlier, but they weren’t there.

Unfortunately, Donovan Jenkins was.

“You following me, beautiful?” he asked with a wink.

“Hardly. I was just looking for Grant.”

“Again?”

“Yes, again,” I said irritably.

“You should reconsider your seventeenth-century assumptions and keep a closer eye on him.”

Okay. I didn’t care how much I liked The Drift’s music. Donovan Jenkins was officially on my shitlist.

“I don’t need to keep a closer eye on him. Now, if you haven’t seen him, then I’m going to continue looking.”

He reached out and grabbed my arm as I started to walk away.

I stared down at it in disgust. “Don’t touch me.”

He slowly released me. “You’re not like most other girls.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“Well, I haven’t seen your boy. He probably went off to celebrate.”

My stomach fluttered. This didn’t sound good. “Celebrate what?” I knew my voice sounded lighter than normal, but I couldn’t control it.

“ContraBand is opening for us. New Year’s Eve in New York City. They just signed the paperwork after the show. Are you going to be there, too?” He gave me his most dazzling smile.

And yeah, damn, he was attractive, but he wasn’t Grant.

Right now, that was all I could focus on. Grant was opening for The Drift in the city. I was happy for him. This was what he’d wanted, but still…the news scared me. It made my stomach twist, and I felt a bit nauseous.

Grant hadn’t told me about this. As far as I could tell, he hadn’t even come looking for me. And now, I didn’t know where he was, except for hearing Donovan’s vague notion of celebrating. That didn’t sit right with me either.

“Hey, Ari,” Miller said, walking up to us.

Sydney had finally reappeared after the blowout with Vin, and she was standing awfully close to Miller.

“Hey. Have you seen Grant?” I felt a sense of déjà vu wash over me at the question.

“Yeah. He went up to put his guitar away. He should be back any minute.”

I released the breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. Just putting his guitar away. Totally normal. No reason for me to worry.

“Thanks,” I said appreciatively.

“Hey, Ari,” Donovan said.

Ugh, he knows my name now.

“Think about New Year’s.”

I rolled my eyes and kept walking. I couldn’t even dignify that with a response. If I was going to be in New York City for New Year’s, then I was going to be with Grant. Donovan Jenkins wasn’t even on my radar.

Jogging up the path to the rooms, I felt a burst of adrenaline rush through me. I’d been basically holding my breath since I walked out of the private room. I didn’t like fighting with Grant. We were both too stubborn and strong-willed for it. All it did was make me emotional and irritable.

Once I reached the door to his suite, I took a deep breath. I wasn’t looking forward to this conversation, but it was necessary. I pushed open the door and froze. My stomach lurched, and I felt all the air push out of my lungs. Grant was standing there, just outside of his bedroom, kissing a naked woman.

My gasp must have brought him out of his stupor, and he forcefully shoved the woman away from him. That was when I recognized her—Kristin.

My world spun, and I latched on to the doorframe. Grant turned abruptly, and our eyes met across the distance.

“Ari,” he whispered, his face aghast.

I thought I might be sick. Bile touched my throat, and I had to push it down to keep from throwing up. I’d never doubted him. I’d thought he had been sleeping with other women before we were serious, but even then, he’d claimed that he hadn’t. Even in a compromising position back in the private room, I’d never once suspected that he was cheating on me. And now…with the proof before my eyes, I just felt disgusted with him, with myself, with everything. How had I believed him?