Ultimate Game Changer Read online

  She scoffs. “Just shut up and carry my bag, will ya?”

  My mouth drops open on its own accord before I can stop it. “Seriously, we’re not going anywhere until you lose your damn attitude. You don’t have to come.”

  She huffs, my words getting to her. “Oh, really? Great! Then give me my suitcase; I’d be more than happy to go back home. I have a Netflix marathon waiting for me.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I say quickly as I scramble to stop her from taking her suitcase and packing it back up in her car.

  “Look, I didn’t want to come, this was your doing entirely. I’m sure I’ll have a good time, maybe I’ll even thank you at the end of this… but I was actually looking forward to time away from Cade. We don’t ever spend a day apart, and for once in my life, I was excited about my alone time. Sorry if I’m not jumping for joy that we are on our way,” she says.

  “I know what this tour means to Cade, and I also know what you mean to him, so I knew this experience wouldn’t be the same for him without you. Sorry if that makes me a jackass,” I reply snidely as I pull her heavy bag inside.

  “There you are,” Cade greets her as soon as we approach the van. “Perfect timing too because we gotta hit the road. Give me this.” He takes the suitcase from me and begins heading around the side to throw it in the back.

  Everyone is already packed inside, and the only spots left are in the very back. I climb into the vehicle, making my way past my bandmates to the back seating area. Emerson follows suit, and in no time, we’re off.

  ***

  We’ve been driving for nearly three hours before I need a break from the van. Some fresh air, or maybe even a smoke. I’m thankful when we pull into a gas station in Plymouth, Massachusetts. I make sure to use the restroom, grab a few snacks, and then grab a pack of Camel Turkish Royals before standing off to the side and lighting one up. Naturally, I see Red and his nappy-head come heading toward me. He’s been sleeping the entire ride, so he’s groggy.

  He doesn’t even have to ask before I hand him one of my cigarettes and my lighter. He’s the mooch of our group. There’s always one of them. He always claims to have no money even if we just got paid, and we never know where his money goes. I don’t know if anyone does.

  “Where are we?” he asks in a gruff voice, through sleep-filled eyes.

  “Plymouth,” I respond, blowing smoke out at the same time.

  “Plymouth…?” he repeats, confused.

  “Massachusetts.”

  He nods his head simply, inhaling. “How much farther do we have to go?”

  I chuckle, shaking my head. Typical Red, clueless as ever. “We’re playing Washington, DC tonight, man. We still have about six more hours to go.”

  “Seriously?” he gasps.

  I nod. “Seriously.”

  “Oh, shit, I better load up on beers!” he says, the thought occurring to him. “Thanks for the smoke, man. See ya in a few.” He drops the half-smoked cigarette on the ground, stomping it out.

  I glance at our van, attempting to see inside from where I’m standing. It’s impossible. Finishing up my cigarette, I begin walking back to the van. Cade is closing the gas cover as I walk up. “Should we ask if she wants anything?” I motion with my head toward a passed out Emerson in the back seat.

  Cade cranes his neck to see his twin. “Naw, she won’t even know we stopped.”

  “Should we at least see if she has to use the bathroom? When is the next time we are planning to stop?” I ask.

  Cade chuckles slapping me on the back. “If you want to wake her, by all means,” he pauses. “But have you ever seen her when she’s been woken up? It’s like the Incredible Hulk… it’s not a pretty sight.”

  I shrug off his words, sure that I am going to be the one taking the blame when she wakes up and realizes that no one bothered to see what she needed while we were here. Climbing into the van, I settle back in beside her, taking her in from the corner of my eye. She is a near exact replica of Cade, except the female version. Her long, blond hair cascades off her shoulders as her chest rises and falls. She looks so peaceful.

  For a moment in time, I debate pulling a prank on her while I have the upper hand, but I decide against it and instead, watch her sleep. It might sound creepy, but to me, it’s calming. Soon enough I find a matching rhythm to my breathing, and I’m joining her in dreamland.

  Chapter Three:

  Emerson

  “Alright all you lazy fucks back there, we’re here.” I hear Cade’s booming voice announce as the van comes to a stop.

  There is a lot of groaning, shifting, stretching, and overall irritability coming from the rest of the band who took the liberty of sleeping, minus Spencer, who is an insomniac. I don’t think he sleeps more than a couple of hours a night.

  The van doors are opened, and a cool breeze seeps through. I yawn, my eyes are blurry. I’m groggy tired; I hate road trips and I’m annoyed that I was forced on this trip. I could be in my bed right now drinking a glass of wine, but instead, I’m here with my brother and his friends.

  I mean, it’s different for me because I am Cade’s sister. In a way, I get special treatment from his buddies, but it also sucks because it’s like having five overprotective big brothers rather than one. Not that Cade is much older than me; he was only born eight minutes earlier.

  Once I am out of the van, I take in their venue for the gig tonight. “Wow, you guys really chose a classy place here, didn’t ya?” I mock as my eyes rove over the bars on the windows.

  “Actually, you’re about to eat your words because this is one of my most favorite venues to play at in Washington,” Geo says with a smirk.

  “Really?” I turn around, my stare leaving the front of the venue, shifting to Geo’s dark skin and black hair.

  He stops unloading and then pulls out his phone from his back pocket. “Check it out,” he says quickly initiating a Google search of the place. He hands the phone over to me when the image results load. “It’s like a Speakeasy inside, and they have an outdoor backyard area that is a fun place to hangout. Every time I’ve ever been here, it’s been a packed house and a fun show.”

  I smile at him, handing the phone back. “I take it back then. I can’t wait to see inside.” Geo nods and then goes back to the task at hand.

  “What can I do? How can I help?” I ask Braxton as he passes by carrying band equipment.

  “You can leave this job up to the men, we wouldn’t want you to mess up your manicure,” he jokes snidely.

  I huff, my cheeks reddening. Looking down at my fingernails, I’m actually ashamed of what they look like. I’ve never been one for flashy things and honestly, growing up with Cade, I ended up more of a tomboy than anything else. I mean, besides my long hair, I am the least high-maintenance girl I know. I don’t wear makeup, minus a little eyeliner, mascara, and blush. You’re lucky if you catch me in a dress and heels, and I don’t mind getting down and dirty. It’s all a testament to the tragedy I had to overcome at such a young age and just how quickly I had to grow up… but if he’s going to be an ass about it, then I’m not going to lift a finger, just like he suggested.

  I grab my small purse and throw the strap over my body. Glancing one more time at the awning with the name of the venue, I begin trudging in the opposite direction.

  “Hey, where ya going?” I hear a voice shout from behind me. I don’t have to turn around to know that it’s not Cade asking, so there’s no reason to answer. Instead, I flip a bird and hope that it’s enough to answer their question.

  “Ouch, Em, I thought we were friends,” Braxton calls out to my back. I ignore him. It’s the nature of our relationship. We each give each other crap, but at the end of the day, I know he’d have my back. They all would.

  ***

  After a couple of hours exploring Washington on my own, I return to the venue an hour before the show is to begin. There is a handsome devil stationed out front smoking a cigarette. His eyes watch me approach, taking in my ove
rsized gray sweatshirt and blue jeans. He has dark, long hair with tattoos on display all over his arms and neck. His long hair is slicked back, and he is wearing a black band t-shirt and skin-tight black jeans.

  “You here for the show tonight?” he asks, motioning with his head toward the black front door of the venue.

  I nod. “You could say that.” I approach him slowly. “My brother is in one of the bands playing tonight.”

  This seems to pique his interest. “Oh, yeah?” he asks as his gray-blue eyes light up. “Which one?”

  “Um, The Deafening Silence,” I answer, fidgeting with my hands inside my sweatshirt pocket.

  “No shit?” the handsome stranger responds. “What’s his name?”

  I pull one of my hands out and run it through my long blond hair uncomfortably. I’ve never done so well with flirting because I’ve never gotten a chance before. Most of the time Cade or his buddies ruin my chances, so I stopped trying a long time ago. “Cade.”

  He laughs, blowing out smoke from his lungs and then drops the cigarette he’s holding to the ground. “I’m Aiden; I’m in The Glass Houses, we asked The Deafening Silence to be on this tour with us. After we had them open for us back in Portland, it just felt right.”

  “Yeah,” I reply, “I remember that show. It was a fun night.”

  “You were there?” he asks surprised as he leads us both into the venue.

  I nod my head. “Yeah, I’ve been to every one of their shows.”

  Aiden looks me up and down, making me self-conscious in my lackluster choice of clothing. “What’s your name?”

  “Emerson.” I can feel multiple pairs of eyes on me before we are even ten feet into the venue. It’s something I’ve become accustomed to.

  “Em.” I hear Cade call out for me from the side of the stage. He gives me a ‘what gives?’ look, but I don’t want to be rude.

  Aiden glances at Cade, nodding at him before he walks off.

  I saunter over to Cade, already annoyed with his brotherly antics.

  “What was that all about?” he asks, watching Aiden like a hawk.

  I shrug. “Nothing, we just met outside.”

  Braxton walks up to us, giving me the same look Cade did.

  “Oh, come on!” I throw my hands in the air for effect. “I didn’t fuck him if that’s what you want to know,” I say bluntly.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Cade says, covering his ears. “First of all, you’re sick. Secondly, if he put his hands on you in any way, I’d kill him. I’d tear his balls off one by one and then make him eat them for dinner. Don’t play with me, Em.” His eyes are becoming manic, his skin color growing red.

  “Calm down, Dad,” I say, knowing that it might be too low of a jab. “Nothing happened. I know the rules – no boyfriends until I’m free of you. Got it.” I can’t help myself, it’s flowing freely out of my mouth like word-vomit. I turn on my heel and march my way back toward the front door I came through.

  “Where the hell are you going?” Cade’s voice booms behind me.

  I turn around slightly. “Out. I’ll be back to hitch a ride to the next town.”

  Cade’s eyes are wide with panic and I know I’m taking it a little too far. I’ve never missed one of his shows before.

  “You’ve never missed any of our shows before,” he says softly, almost defeated; our twin connection kicking in.

  I nod. “There’s a first time for everything. Plus, it’ll be good for us to spend a few hours apart.” I wink at him before glancing at an equally shocked Braxton and then heading through the door.

  Chapter Four:

  Braxton

  God, that woman drives me absolutely nuts. Is she fucking crazy? We are in a city she has never been to before, and at nine at night she decides to go exploring, alone. Has she never seen Unsolved Mysteries before?

  She’s got my blood boiling, but I know Cade is taking it harder. I pat him on the back as we ready to be the first band to play. “Hey, you okay, man?”

  He glares back at me, understandably upset. “We’ve never been apart, Brax, not since that day. What if… what if something happens to her?”

  “Nothing is going to happen to her,” I reply, attempting to calm his nerves. “She’s smarter than we give her credit for; and let’s face it, you guys aren’t twelve years old anymore. She can take care of herself. Plus, if anything bad happens, you’ve got that twinning thing going for you, right? Like instant intuition.” I don’t know if my words make any difference to him, but he huffs and then goes back to tuning his guitar.

  At first, I think she is just being stubborn. I think there is no way she would miss one of Cade’s shows. She never has… but when we get to the final song, and there is still no sign of her, I’m past worried—I’m pissed. She knows how much he worries about her, and to do this on the first night of the tour is a bitch move. I hope she gets better by tomorrow, or this might turn into the road trip from hell.

  There is a brunette in the corner of the room who has been eye-fucking me since we got onstage. Her breasts are perky and large, and she is wearing a skintight blue dress that hugs her in all the right places, and barely covers her cleavage. She licks her lips slowly as we finish our song, clapping in rhythm.

  “Tell me you see it,” Cade says from beside me.

  “Oh, I see it.”

  “Good, because if you didn’t, I was about to call dibs,” he says cracking a smile. “That’s okay; there will be plenty more of that on the road.” He steps back, rolling up a cord. “Hey, you haven’t seen her… have you?”

  If there is one thing that makes Cade soft, it’s Em. I’ve never seen him care for anyone like he does her. I shake my head. “No, sorry, man.”

  He sighs. “It’s fine. She’ll be back. She has to make it to the next city somehow.”

  We continue packing up our equipment; and although I know I’m the one who is supposed to be manning our merch table, I can’t let this opportunity pass through my fingers, so I approach the bombshell in the back of the room. Her eyes trail my every move, watching me make my way to her slowly.

  “Hi,” I say simply.

  “Hi,” she replies, her eyes looking straight through me. Are they brown or green? I’m lost in her stare.

  “Your band was great,” she says breaking the awkward moment.

  “Thanks.” I rub my hand over my sweaty hair. “What’s your name?”

  “Tiffany,” she says, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder.

  “I’m Braxton.” I reach out my hand to shake hers. “You here with anyone?” I ask casually, glancing around for any angry looking males.

  She smiles mischievously. “My husband is in Glass Houses.”

  My mouth drops open in surprise. “Really? He’s one lucky guy. If you don’t mind me asking, who is it?”

  She steps closer to me just as A Night to Remember takes the stage, bringing her lips close to my ear, sending chills down my spine. “Aiden.”

  I nod in understanding. “Aiden is a good guy, and if he snagged you off the market, then he must be doing something right.” I am about to walk away, defeated, when she kisses me suddenly, sending my heart into overdrive. “What the fuck are you doing?” I growl, pulling away.

  “Oh, it’s okay, Aiden won’t mind,” Tiffany says, throwing her arms around my neck and kissing it softly.

  “The fuck he won’t!” I pry her arms away from my neck, my eyes bulging from my head, looking for any sign of Aiden. He’s going to slaughter me.

  “Oh, come on,” she says, still trying. “We have an open relationship. Do I really have to spell it out for you?”

  “So what, you fuck other people but still go home to each other at the end of the night?” I say, deducing exactly what the hell she has going on with Aiden.

  “Precisely,” she says, nodding.

  “Fuck no,” I growl. “I’m not into that weird shit.”

  She lets go of me, still smiling. “That’s fine. Maybe you’re not into it today, but
you will be. They all come around.”

  “Okay, now you just sound like a slut. I’ll see ya around,” I say sliding past her.

  Aiden has some weird shit going on at home, and I don’t want to get mixed up in it.

  Chapter Five:

  Emerson

  I felt like a jackass the entire night for missing Cade’s first show, and the only way I knew how to cope with it was by getting hammered. Luckily, I met a couple of cool cats at the bar around the corner who also let me take a few hits off their joint, so I’m feeling good. My cheeks are hot and numb, and my feet feel like I’m walking on clouds.