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Chapter 9
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No Strings Attached Chapter 10
"So, we've played everything you're going to play a million times at the studio, right? Same thing. You know you can do it, because you've already done it. But, if you get a little nervous, Uncle Jimmy is going to be right there and he's going to be playing along with you on his guitar. Every note of the song, just like you do at home. If you need to, just look over at him. He'll be right there with you the whole way through."Leia launched herself at me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I awkwardly just stood there for a minute before reaching down and patting her back."Okay, I gotta get back to my seat. You gonna be okay? Just look at me or your mom or at Uncle Jimmy. We've got you."She nodded and when I turned to walk away, she grabbed my forearm again. "Thank you, Mr. Alex.""You're very welcome, sweetie."I tried to be as quiet as possible as I went back and took my seat. The other little kid, Leia's friend, stared at me the whole time as if I had stolen her candy. I had no
No Strings Attached Chapter 11
Then there was the crushing humiliation, the intense mortification of losing my shit at the dude who stopped us. And that got a thousand times worse as Alex glared at me, annoyance still written across his face as he refused to let me get away without telling him what I was talking about."Well?" he asked testily as I froze."Can we talk about it somewhere else?" I asked quietly."What? I just had to—""Please, Alex." My voice shook and I turned even redder, more pissed at myself for sounding pathetic than I was embarrassed. "Just your car, even?"He almost said no. Then he studied me for a moment, sighed, and jerked his head towards the parking lot. We said nothing as we walked through the lot, save for Alex pointing out which car was his and me mumbling a quick "thank you" as he opened the passenger door for me."Flustered" and "flattered" were then added to the growing list of emotions I was experiencing.He got into the driver's seat but didn't turn the key. I tried to collect my
No Strings Attached Chapter 12
I got out of the car before he could say anything else. My pulse threatened to burst through my skin as I unlocked the front door, not looking behind me, not checking to see if he followed. When the front door shut with a quiet click behind me, I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, though my shoulders slumped with disappointment.At least, they did for the ten seconds or so before Alex pulled the door open again.I turned towards him; he reached for me. Without a second thought, his lips were pressed against mine, urgent and soft and leaving me breathless. It was like being showered with sparks, like something had burst above us and was raining electricity and heat and desire over us in the front hallway.I had never wanted someone so badly in my life.His hands were confident, one holding the back of my head as he kissed me and the other sliding to my waist and around my back, pulling my body tight against his. I gasped as he bit at my lip, tongue flicking over the sp
No Strings Attached Chapter 13
Big Mike took a deep pull of his Cherry Coke and signaled for the waitress. "Can I get the check and another one of these," he pointed to his plate. "to go? Thanks.""I got it, Mike.""Nah, you get the next one.""Okay, thanks. So, Leia did really good, right?""At what?"I paused. "The recital. Playing. Nervous, but she settled in. She even did that little foot stomp thing like Jimmy. Cute as hell.""Wasn't there, but good to hear it went well.""You... What? Sure you were. She saw you. When she first came out.""Nope. Forgot all about it. I'll make the next one.""You shitting me?""I said I'll be there, I'll be there.""That's not what I meant and you know it.""Yeah, whatever."Pushing back in my chair, I looked across the table at him."Are you pissed at me?"He threw his napkin on his plate. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fucking pissed. It's been a quarter of a fucking century. What the hell is wrong with you? I wasn't close to Rebecca, not like I was with you, but I knew her. Probably bette
No Strings Attached Chapter 14
Eyes still flashing, she leaned back and looked at me, waiting for me to continue. I guess that was something. She wasn't just storming out."I'm not a psychic, and I'm not trying to make any stupid claims that make me into anything other than a jackass that shit all over Jimmy, but his wasn't a story with a happy ending. And yeah, I was a dick. I got it. For the time it took to write those articles and for all the effort it took to avoid telling you it was me, yeah. A big dick."But I'm not going to fall on my sword and pretend that's the whole story. He's sober. He didn't just get sober, he's staying sober. He's cleaned up. He's playing better than ever before. You know where he was yesterday? He was the reward for a high school band class. They averaged an eighty-five for a big test or some shit and he went in and spent the afternoon with them. Jimmy. Mr. Rock Star spent his afternoon jamming with some high school kids because they got good grades. He plays with Leia all the time.
No Strings Attached Chapter 15
"I told Jimmy.""About you and me?""About Curt Llama.""Ah."There was a tense, awkward silence."I mean, I didn't really tell him. He kind of overheard.""How pissed is he?""Um. He said that was 'classic Alex,' called you a fucker, and said he was going to ask for a raise."Alex laughed, startling both of us."Shit. Well, he probably deserves it at this point."Again we fell quiet. I sipped water to fill the silence."When you said you'd make it right if I gave you another chance, what did you mean?""I want to do the right thing," he said."What does that even mean, though?"Alex put his glass of water back down on the coffee table and hesitantly took my hand. I let him, my heart fluttering when his fingers brushed against mine."Well, for starters, if I was lucky enough to spend a night with you again, I wouldn't leave while you slept. I have realized that it's a shitty thing to do."I couldn't help it; I laughed."I'm not gonna keep shit from you. No secrets, no... no other alte
No Strings Attached Chapter 16
Alex POVI wasn't angry. How could I be angry? It was just. No matter how fucked up things got, you could only get truly angry if you thought that things weren't fair and just. I deserved every bit of this. Ember was fate, slapping me in the face and telling me it hadn't forgotten what I'd done. Two and a half decades had gone by and I'd successfully hidden. My guilt was in the past and I was living my quiet grey life. No love, no glory, no fame but also no pain.Then she strode through the wreckage of my life, making me remember what was possible and what I had lost. I'd fucked women over the past twenty-five years. I'd had good times since my world ended. There were even times when I was happy. But Ember was the first thing since they died that was real. She was the first new person that I felt that I might be able to love. And she turned out to be my son's best friend and I was such a crappy father that I didn't even know she existed.Well played, Fate.I couldn't go back to my bed
No Strings Attached Chapter 17
"You are?"I nodded and sat on the edge of her bed."I'll call Al—uh. I'll call the studio again tomorrow and we'll... we'll see. Maybe Uncle Jimmy can come over instead and help you learn some new songs."She sniffed again, wiping her face with the pillowcase before sitting up."I'm sorry I yelled at you, Mommy," she said. "I didn't know you were sad, too."I had to blink very rapidly and stare up at the ceiling as she hugged me.She was practicing her guitar a few minutes later, quiet strumming as I gently closed her bedroom door and went back to the kitchen. I picked up my phone and scrolled back through the messages.I'm sorry. I didn't know. Can we talk?Ok, if you don't want to talk, that's fine. Can you just let me know you're ok?Should I bring Leia for her lesson tonight or no?Called Lini, she just said you're not there. Alex, just tell me if you're okay. I'm worried.It's been four days. Are you even fucking alive?You asked me to keep bringing Leia for lessons but I can't
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