Diving Into Him by Elizabeth Barone

“Nothing to talk about.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He watched her, concern in his eyes. There was something else there, too: regret. She swallowed hard. “Don’t get mushy on me now, Whalen.”
    He took a deep breath. “It’s just that I miss you, Jett. I miss us . We were so close.”
    “I know.” She gave him a smile, but still didn’t look at him. If she did, she was going to start crying. Emotions roiled through her, tripping all over each other. For once, she understood why men thought women were crazy. She gritted her teeth. She needed to not be a ball pit of emotions. She needed to keep her personal problems outside of the band. That was what had essentially given Perpetual Smile the kiss of death. “Let’s get going, gang.” She strode away from Griff, dropping her cigarette to the ground. She could worry about everything else later. For the time being, she needed to get more songs written.
    She hoped that Perry’s neighbors weren’t opposed to noise.
    “Are you riding with me, Costa?” Griff called to her.
    She turned. “Right.” She gave him a bright smile and a thumbs up, then walked toward the car again.
    Koty ambled around the corner, his hands in his pockets. He caught up with Max. They bumped fists and walked together toward a beat up Taurus that she assumed belonged to Max.
    Perry climbed into a car that was about three sizes too small for him. He rolled down his window. “Follow me,” he called to Max.
    “Did you borrow your girlfriend’s car?” Max shot back.
    Buckled into her seat in Griff’s rental, Jett covered a smile. She couldn’t force the men to get along, but she could enjoy their banter—as long as it didn’t get too bloody.
    “I wouldn’t call her my girlfriend,” Perry drawled. He put the car into gear and sped away, leaving a cloud of sand leftover from the winter in his wake.
    Griff chased after him, Max tailing them. Jett forced her thoughts away and played co-pilot. “I’ve been to his place,” she said. “He’s been in his neighborhood for less time than we’ve been in Boston. Let’s beat him there.” She had Griff take a shortcut. Twisting in her seat, she made sure that Max and Koty were still behind them.
    “Maybe I shouldn’t ask you this.” Griff pushed the car to thirty miles an hour, five above the speed limit. “I feel like I’d be a shitty friend if I didn’t, though.”
    Jett sighed. “Then don’t.”
    “So, you don’t want me to be a shitty friend, or you don’t want me to ask?” He slowed down as the light ahead turned red.
    She rolled her eyes. Tugging her pack out of the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a cigarette.
    Griff snatched it out of her hand. “No smoking in the rental.” He tucked the cigarette behind his ear. “Did something happen between you and Mr. Jackson?”
    Taking a deep breath, she put her cigarettes away. “Not everything is about him.” She tossed Griff a dirty look as the light changed and they inched forward into traffic. “I’m just stressed about playing in someone’s apartment. You weren’t there. You have no idea what we’re about to walk into.” She crossed her arms. “Plus, what if his neighbors given us a hard time? I mean, it’s a really crappy neighborhood, but we probably won’t be able to practice past like ten at night.”
    Griff nodded. For the rest of the ride, he didn’t mention either Koty or the band. He handed her cigarette back to her, though, and cracked her window open an inch. “Just this one time.” He sighed.
    Watching the smoke from her cigarette curl from her lips to the window, she wondered how soon she would be able to find a new guitarist. With the way things were going, there was no way that she and Koty were going to be able to work with each other.

Chapter 12
    Jett nodded in time to the beat of the drums, eyes half closed. A smile curled the corners of her lips. Lifting the microphone to her lips, she opened her eyes and belted