Read Online Out of Rhythm (Face the Music Book 1) by Shona Husk - Free Book Online
Authors: Shona Husk
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used to keeping secrets.
He grunted and stared out across the ocean. ‘When I look at the problems we’re having with the second album, I wonder if I made the right choice.’
She had nothing to say to that. It was a gamble they were all taking. How close had he come to chucking it in and coming home? How long would he and Lisa have lasted before the truth eventually came out, or he started resenting that she’d made him choose?
‘She was always jealous of you.’
‘Ha.’ Lisa wouldn’t have touched her life with a ten foot barge pole and a hazmat suit. ‘You’re a good friend and I like hanging out with you.’
‘And that’s all.’ He didn’t look at her as he spoke. Had he actually thought something would happen?
‘Yeah.’ She was so tempted to tell him that it was her, not him…but she didn’t want anyone looking over her shoulder. She didn’t want Kirsten to be in their line of sight. So she bit her tongue. After all this time it wasn’t hard. ‘If I was a guy, you wouldn’t have even thought about it.’
‘True.’ He turned. ‘But you aren’t. Is every girlfriend I ever have going to be jealous?’
What, was he turning this around on her? ‘I don’t know. Is any boyfriend I have,’ she almost choked on the blatant lie, ‘going to be jealous?’
Dan frowned. ‘I’d never thought of that.’
Of course not, because he was wrapped up in his own world. She sat silent for a little longer, well aware that she needed to head home and grab her overnight bag — would she ever stop living out of a suitcase — before going round to Kirsten’s, but not wanting to rush Dan.
‘We could try.’ He glanced at her with a smile.
Gemma stood up. ‘That won’t help the situation. Find a groupie.’
He grimaced. ‘Not my thing.’
‘Neither am I. Don’t make being friends with you hard work. If you want to talk or write, I’m here, but if you want to make passes at me so I can reject you, forget it.’ She took a step away. ‘For the record, I don’t think you’re a dick…yet.’
She wished she knew how to help him, but this was something he had to work out for himself, the same way she’d had to.
He sighed. ‘Self-fulfilling prophecy.’
‘Got lyrics for that?’
Dan laughed and Gemma realised it had been a while since she’d heard him laugh. For how long had he been unhappy? Over how many months had the situation with Lisa unfolded? She didn’t know.
‘No…maybe I should work on it.’
‘Yeah, maybe you should.’
At some point they’d have to all sit down and try to put something together. Right now that felt too much like work, and they were all tired and needing a break, in spite the need for momentum breathing down their necks. If they didn’t cough up, then someone else would be ready to step up.
He stood up and dusted the sand off his jeans. ‘Thank you for listening.’
‘You’d have done the same.’ She hoped that was true. ‘What are you going to do now?’
‘Nothing.’ he shook his head. ‘Did you want to have pizza at Mike’s?’
She looked at him, but there didn’t seem to be an ulterior motive hidden in the invitation. ‘Nah. I’m catching up with Kirsten.’
‘Your parents being cool?’
Gemma sighed. She didn’t want to have that conversation. ‘Same as always.’
‘That sucks.’ He pushed his hands into his pockets and he started walking toward the car park with her.
Yes it did.
‘Do you ever wonder if you’re doing the right thing?’ he asked as they reached her car.
She didn’t want Selling the Sun to vanish, it was all she had. If Dan had seriously thought about quitting, had the others?
Had there been conversations she hadn’t been a part of? No, she couldn’t think like that.
‘Every day, lately…but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.’ Regardless of the ups and downs, she loved her job. Was Dan asking about the band or Lisa? If it was Lisa he’d probably dodged a bullet, but she couldn’t think of a
He grunted and stared out across the ocean. ‘When I look at the problems we’re having with the second album, I wonder if I made the right choice.’
She had nothing to say to that. It was a gamble they were all taking. How close had he come to chucking it in and coming home? How long would he and Lisa have lasted before the truth eventually came out, or he started resenting that she’d made him choose?
‘She was always jealous of you.’
‘Ha.’ Lisa wouldn’t have touched her life with a ten foot barge pole and a hazmat suit. ‘You’re a good friend and I like hanging out with you.’
‘And that’s all.’ He didn’t look at her as he spoke. Had he actually thought something would happen?
‘Yeah.’ She was so tempted to tell him that it was her, not him…but she didn’t want anyone looking over her shoulder. She didn’t want Kirsten to be in their line of sight. So she bit her tongue. After all this time it wasn’t hard. ‘If I was a guy, you wouldn’t have even thought about it.’
‘True.’ He turned. ‘But you aren’t. Is every girlfriend I ever have going to be jealous?’
What, was he turning this around on her? ‘I don’t know. Is any boyfriend I have,’ she almost choked on the blatant lie, ‘going to be jealous?’
Dan frowned. ‘I’d never thought of that.’
Of course not, because he was wrapped up in his own world. She sat silent for a little longer, well aware that she needed to head home and grab her overnight bag — would she ever stop living out of a suitcase — before going round to Kirsten’s, but not wanting to rush Dan.
‘We could try.’ He glanced at her with a smile.
Gemma stood up. ‘That won’t help the situation. Find a groupie.’
He grimaced. ‘Not my thing.’
‘Neither am I. Don’t make being friends with you hard work. If you want to talk or write, I’m here, but if you want to make passes at me so I can reject you, forget it.’ She took a step away. ‘For the record, I don’t think you’re a dick…yet.’
She wished she knew how to help him, but this was something he had to work out for himself, the same way she’d had to.
He sighed. ‘Self-fulfilling prophecy.’
‘Got lyrics for that?’
Dan laughed and Gemma realised it had been a while since she’d heard him laugh. For how long had he been unhappy? Over how many months had the situation with Lisa unfolded? She didn’t know.
‘No…maybe I should work on it.’
‘Yeah, maybe you should.’
At some point they’d have to all sit down and try to put something together. Right now that felt too much like work, and they were all tired and needing a break, in spite the need for momentum breathing down their necks. If they didn’t cough up, then someone else would be ready to step up.
He stood up and dusted the sand off his jeans. ‘Thank you for listening.’
‘You’d have done the same.’ She hoped that was true. ‘What are you going to do now?’
‘Nothing.’ he shook his head. ‘Did you want to have pizza at Mike’s?’
She looked at him, but there didn’t seem to be an ulterior motive hidden in the invitation. ‘Nah. I’m catching up with Kirsten.’
‘Your parents being cool?’
Gemma sighed. She didn’t want to have that conversation. ‘Same as always.’
‘That sucks.’ He pushed his hands into his pockets and he started walking toward the car park with her.
Yes it did.
‘Do you ever wonder if you’re doing the right thing?’ he asked as they reached her car.
She didn’t want Selling the Sun to vanish, it was all she had. If Dan had seriously thought about quitting, had the others?
Had there been conversations she hadn’t been a part of? No, she couldn’t think like that.
‘Every day, lately…but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.’ Regardless of the ups and downs, she loved her job. Was Dan asking about the band or Lisa? If it was Lisa he’d probably dodged a bullet, but she couldn’t think of a
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