bored in a class all day made me damn near psychotic.
My family struggled financially, which meant work kept them away from home and unable to keep track of me, thankfully giving me free rein to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to do it.
Mostly, my rebellion was about making a statement that I wouldn’t be controlled. By anyone or anything. Until Maya. She changed my world. Made me want to better myself. She was the reason I wanted to straighten my life out so that I could provide her with everything she deserved. So, I looked for a way to give her a good life. I even considered college before I realized how expensive it was. After weighing my options, I found the Army to be my answer.
If it hadn’t been for her, I’d probably still be in my parents’ basement getting drunk or high. Even though I didn’t end up with her, at least she made me see how I was throwing my life away. And even when I tried to get her back and failed, the Army had given me the confidence to never go back to sabotaging myself or my life.
Maybe that’s what Marc was doing. Rebelling. Maybe he just needed to find his way on his own terms.
“I’m not one to judge,” I acknowledged, discerning the fact that had I been in the same position, I could’ve ended up just like Marc. “I raised hell in my day too.”
He sighed, “Well, I hope he grows out of this phase soon. We started filming right after he graduated high school, you know, and he clearly wasn’t ready for somethin’ like this. Having the public analyze his every move was more pressure than he could handle. He went through girls in high school, but his caravan of women took on a whole new intensity after the show started. Having groupies dropping at his feet the way they do? I shoulda known it would happen like this. The kid’s got an addictive personality. Sports consumed him in high school, and his addiction to winning kept him focused on something positive. But when high school ended and the show started, he got stuck on the only thing that was right in front of him…girls. Then drugs. I thought involving him in the show would give his life the direction it needed. Thought involving him in the family business would keep him grounded. Unfortunately, his heart was never in the shop. Including him in the show was the worst thing I could’ve done.”
Damn. What was this? An episode of American Muscle Confessions ? With me as the shrink? As displaced as his revelations were, I felt bad for the guy. Seeing someone you love go down the wrong path must be hell.
“No one can predict the future,” I replied. “There’s no way you could’ve known how it would affect him.”
“Yeah. Right,” he sighed. “Ah shit, it is what it is. Can’t go back now, and there’s no use in trying. We can only learn from it and move forward.”
I nodded, “He’ll come around.”
“Maybe. I hope he does. But I can’t watch him go through it anymore. And I can’t enable his self-destruction anymore either. It’s not doing either of us any good.”
I waited for him to explain what he meant, but the event planner cut our conversation short when she announced that Dalton and Marc had ten minutes before going on stage. Dalton chugged the rest of his Jack and Coke before extending his hand, “See ya around, Matt.”
I shook his hand and watched as he and Marc were escorted out of the loft through the back hallway. I’d have a few minutes to meet Chloe at the door before they went on.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
~Chloe~
Present Day
“I thought you said you’d get us in,” Emily muttered in annoyance when the doorman refused to let us into the club.
“Chill, Em,” I snapped, unable to hide the irritation that her impatience sparked in me. “I’ll get in, but I don’t need to bring you with me.”
She giggled, “I know, hon. I’m just giving you
My family struggled financially, which meant work kept them away from home and unable to keep track of me, thankfully giving me free rein to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to do it.
Mostly, my rebellion was about making a statement that I wouldn’t be controlled. By anyone or anything. Until Maya. She changed my world. Made me want to better myself. She was the reason I wanted to straighten my life out so that I could provide her with everything she deserved. So, I looked for a way to give her a good life. I even considered college before I realized how expensive it was. After weighing my options, I found the Army to be my answer.
If it hadn’t been for her, I’d probably still be in my parents’ basement getting drunk or high. Even though I didn’t end up with her, at least she made me see how I was throwing my life away. And even when I tried to get her back and failed, the Army had given me the confidence to never go back to sabotaging myself or my life.
Maybe that’s what Marc was doing. Rebelling. Maybe he just needed to find his way on his own terms.
“I’m not one to judge,” I acknowledged, discerning the fact that had I been in the same position, I could’ve ended up just like Marc. “I raised hell in my day too.”
He sighed, “Well, I hope he grows out of this phase soon. We started filming right after he graduated high school, you know, and he clearly wasn’t ready for somethin’ like this. Having the public analyze his every move was more pressure than he could handle. He went through girls in high school, but his caravan of women took on a whole new intensity after the show started. Having groupies dropping at his feet the way they do? I shoulda known it would happen like this. The kid’s got an addictive personality. Sports consumed him in high school, and his addiction to winning kept him focused on something positive. But when high school ended and the show started, he got stuck on the only thing that was right in front of him…girls. Then drugs. I thought involving him in the show would give his life the direction it needed. Thought involving him in the family business would keep him grounded. Unfortunately, his heart was never in the shop. Including him in the show was the worst thing I could’ve done.”
Damn. What was this? An episode of American Muscle Confessions ? With me as the shrink? As displaced as his revelations were, I felt bad for the guy. Seeing someone you love go down the wrong path must be hell.
“No one can predict the future,” I replied. “There’s no way you could’ve known how it would affect him.”
“Yeah. Right,” he sighed. “Ah shit, it is what it is. Can’t go back now, and there’s no use in trying. We can only learn from it and move forward.”
I nodded, “He’ll come around.”
“Maybe. I hope he does. But I can’t watch him go through it anymore. And I can’t enable his self-destruction anymore either. It’s not doing either of us any good.”
I waited for him to explain what he meant, but the event planner cut our conversation short when she announced that Dalton and Marc had ten minutes before going on stage. Dalton chugged the rest of his Jack and Coke before extending his hand, “See ya around, Matt.”
I shook his hand and watched as he and Marc were escorted out of the loft through the back hallway. I’d have a few minutes to meet Chloe at the door before they went on.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
~Chloe~
Present Day
“I thought you said you’d get us in,” Emily muttered in annoyance when the doorman refused to let us into the club.
“Chill, Em,” I snapped, unable to hide the irritation that her impatience sparked in me. “I’ll get in, but I don’t need to bring you with me.”
She giggled, “I know, hon. I’m just giving you
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