Free Chase the Road (A Brothers of Rock - GONE BY AUTUMN - Novel) by Karolyn James

m
ready. ”
    “ Well, ” Sam said, “ there ’ s a little catch. ”
    “ A
catch? ” Blake asked. “ What? ”
    “ You
need more music. ”
    Everyone laughed.
    “ That ’ s a catch? ” Ryan asked.
    “ We ’ ll write a fucking album by
morning, ” Blake said.
    “ Get
the whiskey, ” Asher said. “ But if Blake writes it, it ’ ll only be bad, shit songs. Oh,
Maya, where are you? My heart screams your name. I can ’ t live with out you. Please … come keep me tame …”
    “ Keep
me tame? ” Ryan asked.
    Asher shrugged his shoulders. “ You write the lyrics then. ”
    “ You
guys are pieces of shit, ” Blake said.
    “ Either
way, ” Sam said, taking
control of the bus, “ keep
it in mind. You ’ ll need
something to follow up what we ’ ve
been doing. More music, more sales, more shows, you know the routine here. ”
    “ We
got it, ” Ryan said.
    “ Now,
I have it all set up for a little nightlife tour. Cars, security, the whole
nine. Just don ’ t get into a
fight. Don ’ t get arrested.
Don ’ t piss on anything or
anyone. Keep it … you know …”
    “ I
think we ’ ll be fine, ” Tanner said.
    “ I ’ m hanging here, ” Blake said. “ I don ’ t need that shit tonight. I ’ d rather be alone and just …”
    Asher turned and looked Blake.
    Blake braced for the shithead
comment, but it didn ’ t come.
Instead, Asher nodded and put a fist out. “ We
got you, man. Do what you need to do. ”
    An hour later, Blake sat at the
edge of his seat, half a bottle of whiskey downed. The guys were gone, the
night was on, and he had run through all the saddest songs he could think of.
He played some shit on guitar, wrote some shit down, and nothing was cutting
it.
    So he waited.
    Big Matty wasn ’ t on the bus, put up in a hotel
for the night, paid by the band. So he could have a bed to sleep in for once
and actually relax. Talk to his wife and kids. More so, to give Blake the bus
alone.
    The door opened and he saw legs, a
belly button, and tits.
    That ’ s
all he needed to see to give half a damn.
    “ Blake, ” said one of the security
guards. “ This cool? ”
    “ All
good, ” Blake said. He
looked at the woman and nodded. “ You
know what this is, right? ”
    “ Yeah, ” the woman said.
    “ Good. ”
    Blake pushed the bottle of whiskey
to the other side of the table and then stood up. He offered his hand and took
the woman right back to his bunk.
    A memory for her and another pound
of guilt to carry for him.
    When they finished, they both fell
asleep. Blake woke up and grabbed his phone. It was just before one in the
morning. He ’ d been out for
less than thirty minutes. He looked over at the woman next to him. Maybe he
could have at the very least gotten her name, but what the fuck did it matter?
He could have gotten to know her. Maybe she was a cool woman. Maybe she was a
true fan. Maybe she played guitar. Or she had interests that Blake had. Or
maybe she was his complete and utter opposite, and while it would drive him
crazy that she didn ’ t
understand a thing about him, maybe it would make him fall deeply in love with
her.
    Blake stared at the sleeping woman
for a few more seconds and then rolled out of the bed. He put on his jeans and
nothing else, then went to the front of the bus again. The damn thing was
starting to feel like a prison anymore. But that prison was all in Blake ’ s mind.
    He had his phone in his hand and
finally did something he should have done a long time ago.
    He called Maya.
    Not a chance did he think Maya
would actually answer.
    So when he heard Maya ’ s sweet voice say, “ Hey Blake! ” in that bright tone, he smiled
so big it hurt for a second.
    “ Maya,
hey. ”
    “ What ’ s wrong? Is everything okay? ”
    “ Yeah, ” Blake said as he looked around
the empty tour bus. “ Yeah.
Just hanging on the bus. ”
    “ Doesn ’ t sound loud. ”
    “ The
guys went out. Partying on the beach kind of thing. ”
    “ And
you ’ re not?