5. Zayden

Chapter five

Zayden

"Wait, wait, wait." Ella leans forward in her seat, blonde hair falling forward. "And your Carter was just there, dancing on the dance floor?"

When Ella asked if I wanted to meet for a late brunch at Lettie's Diner, I couldn't say no to some french toast and a good tête-à-tête. I needed to tell someone about my night with Carter.

Over the last few months, Ella and I have become really good friends. I knew she would get a kick out of the whole story.

Nodding, I chuckle. "Wild, right?" I feel like a teenager gossiping with the popular girl during recess. I bounce in my seat. Damn, I never acted like this before. Not even when I was a teen. "And get this. Remember the guy I told you about that I met at Rocktoberfest?"

"No!" She gasps and her eyes widen. "No fucking way."

I nod again. "Yup. It was him. Carter was in the crowd that day."

"Shut the fuck up." She covers her mouth, but I can see the wide smile between her fingers. It's a rare occurrence when Ella cusses, so I know she's really shocked.

My smile is so wide that my cheeks burn. "I'm glad we're friends, Ella."

"Me too. Although, this whole fairytale romance thing you have going with Carter is making me jealous. It's like a damn Hallmark movie come to life." Her eyes sparkle as she takes a sip of her mimosa. I'm probably jumping ahead of myself, but it's been a while since I've had good news to share with people. I can't wait to tell Olly and Noah. With both of my brothers finding love recently, I'm sure they'd appreciate it if I was off the market and settled down too.

Ella stands. "I'll be right back. I'm going to order a scone. Did you want anything?"

"Nah. But thanks. The food is amazing here, but the coffee? Not so much. I'm planning to go to Cinny Latte after. Their coffee is to die for."

When my phone vibrates, I instinctively feel a rush of nerves and excitement swirling in my stomach.

Arcade Lake Group Chat

Olly: How was the show last night? Was the rhythm guitarist as good as Beckett made him out to be?

Dallas: Please say yes. I want to find a new guitarist before Leslie gets wind that old man Olly is retiring.

Olly: Sorry, bro. I'm all about that domestic life now.

Emery: Trust me, you guys would retire too if you saw Olly's new boo. Ezra is sexy as hell.

Olly: Hey! Eyes to yourself, asstard.

Beckett: Ass tard? How cute, even Olly's name calling is more mild.

Dallas: Children, children. Enough. I really wanna hear what Zee has to say about the guitarist.

Zayden: The band was really fucking good. It felt like I was at an actual AC/DC concert.

Dallas: I fucking told you guys!

Zayden: Here. Incoming. I recorded a video for everyone.

Zaden: (Video Attachment)

Emery: Fuck that noise. There's no way.

Beckett: Fucking here we go! This is why I had Zayden check them out alone.

Olly: I don't get it. The rhythm guitar is really good.

I scrunch my brows in confusion. What the hell is going on? It's not like Emery to act like this when it comes to the band. Emery might be the lead singer and the most popular guy in the band, but he is always fair.

Zayden: Agreed. And I saw him in person. This is just the video. Imagine him live.

One of the hardest things about not having my brother in the band anymore is how much I'm going to miss playing with him. Our musical chemistry is off the charts, especially when we play live. Olly and I not only compliment each other, we feed off of each other's energy. Our music is so technical that without a rhythm guitar, our music won't make sense; the whole song would change. The guy I watched on stage last night has that special charisma, that sense of excitement when he plays, and if he can learn our songs, I have a good feeling we would mesh well.

Dallas: What's your problem, Emery?

Beckett: His problem is he can't share well. The kid idolizes you. And I know for a fact he already knows all of our songs.

Emery has left the chat.

Whoa. What the fuck? It's not like Emery to overreact or be dramatic. Dialing his number, I give him a call, but get sent straight to voice message. My phone buzzes with an incoming text, not even a minute later.

Emery: My step brother is NOT joining the band.

Emery: I'm still pissed, but uh, can you add me back into the group chat?

Oh. Wow. Okay. I chuckle. This makes so much more sense now.

"What are you smiling over here?" Ella asks, as she sits back down with a raspberry scone on a cute little plate.

"Apparently the guitarist I was watching last night is Emery's step brother. I never met the guy, but I heard he was talented as hell."

"So what's the issue?"

"Let's just say the two have some weird beef with each other."

Ella taps her chin jokingly. "Interesting."

My phone begins to ring, and I notice it's Leslie. I hit ignore and continue laughing with Ella.

I'm so caught up in our conversation that I almost miss the handsome man walking by. "Carter?" I call out. He pauses midstep, face is flushed. It's obvious he saw us. Looks like my Cinderella is back.

"Hey, Zee." His striking blue eyes bounce to Ella, and narrow.

Ah. He thinks he interrupted something. Guess I gotta prove now that Carter is in my life, he's the only one I have eyes for. "Are you busy? Come, join us."

He hesitates by our table. I jump up and grab a chair from the empty table next to us. I scoot his chair as close to mine as possible. Carter notices and chuckles, but remains silent. Another memory surfaces. Carter used to tell me that he wished he could find someone who showed a little more affection in public.

Since we are in a queer friendly town, don't have the paparazzi up my ass, and I'm next to two of my closest friends, I don't even hesitate to tangle my fingers with Carter's before bringing it up to my lips and kissing his knuckles.

"Ella, this is the man I was just talking about. This is Carter, my best friend." And hopefully something more.

Carter's eyebrows fly up in shock. The grin that follows lights up his whole face. I can't help myself. Just knowing that I put that look on his face has me lifting his hand back up to my lips so I can kiss the back of hand.

"Well, now," Ella drawls. "I don't kiss my friends like that."

"Carter's special," I quip back. "I want him to be more than just a friend."

Carter gasps, and his blue eyes search mine. "Do you mean that?"

"I do."

Carter smiles, and squeezes my hand. Then he reaches over to shake Ella's. "Hi, where are my manners?"

She shakes his hand. "Hi, I'm Ella."

"Carter. Carter Leeland."

"Leeland. Why do I know that name? Wait, are you the owner of Leeland Marketing?"

"I am." Carter gives her a genuine smile. "You've heard of me?"

Ella nods eagerly. "Yes, we have an interview together later this week."

Carter sits up straight. "Wait, you're Ella Gray?"

"The one and only." She stands, waving a finger between us. "You two catch up. I look forward to seeing you later this week, Carter."

They shake hands again. Once Ella is out of sight, Carter turns his sparkling blues toward me. "Wow. She seems nice. And here I thought she was one of your supermodels."

I shake my head. "I wasn't kidding, Carter. I want us to be more than friends. I know that might be crazy since we just met in person for the first time. But I've spent years getting to know you. I don't want to scare you away, but I also don't want there to be any misunderstandings between us. I might have a reputation with the media, but I haven't been with anyone since before Rocktoberfest."

Chuckling at Carter's shocked look, I take my fingers and press them under his chin. His mouth snaps closed. "But why? You didn't know it was me when we met."

"Can I confess something?" I ask him.

He nods.

"That day, I was singing that song for you, the Carter I met online. My best friend, and the man I had developed feelings for." No need to tell him how deep those feelings are. "Anyway, then we met, and something clicked. Even though I was singing that song for Carter32, I was wildly attracted to you in the crowd."

"Would you have tried to go further with me if I didn't run?"

"No. Not when I had such deep feelings for my friend online. No, for a moment I took advantage of the fact that we didn't exchange names, and I sang our song, pretending you really were my Carter."

"That's… fuck. That's something out of a romance. What are the chances?"

"It's why I was so damn shocked last night when you told me that you were my Carter."

"But what about the club? We danced before you knew who I was."

I nod, laughing. "Ella insisted I go out and try to get over you. I was like a lost puppy not hearing from you as often."

He leans forward and places a kiss on my lips. It's sweet and nothing more than the press of his lips on mine. When he pulls away, I blink in shock.

My fingers trail up to my tingling lips. "What was that for?"

"Think of it as the start of my apology. I'm so sorry for pulling away. I really was busy moving here to Olivia Cove, and starting my marketing business. But also, a part of me was scared. I still am." He waves his hand at me. "You're stunning, rich, and famous. You've been with a lot of beautiful people. And I'm just me. I'm kind of boring."

"There's nothing boring about you, love. You have been my rock over these past several years. Especially with the stalker."

"Fuck. Zayden. I just read the article the other day. I know you told me it was bad, but I didn't know how bad. I wish I was there for you more during that time. And your poor brother. He deserves so much more. You both do. I was afraid to bring it up last night, but I at least want to say that now."

"Thank you, Carter. And you were there. You messaged me constantly. You checked in on me. Even told me when to eat and hydrate." I chuckle. "Do you know you totally have Daddy vibes? It's hot."

Carter laughs. "Is that something you like? Daddy kink?"

I grin. "Only with you. But I don't know if I can actually call you Daddy without giggling."

"No. I'd rather you call me Carter. I love the sound of my name on your lips."

This time I lean forward and kiss him. "Wanna get coffee with me? I was planning on getting something at Cinny Latte."

"I've never been there before."

"Oh, you're in for a treat. Since we both have a sweet tooth for our coffee, you're going to love this place."

We walk down the street hand in hand. And I can't help but fall for this small town even more. Ella and Noah were right. So far, the towns folk haven't batted an eye at my celebrity status or the fact that I'm holding hands with another man. The feeling is exhilarating and freeing.

Right before we reach the cafe my phone buzzes. I glance down and see that it's Leslie. I sigh. "I'm so sorry. It's my manager. I have to get this." I tug Carter toward the side of the building. My Cinderella doesn't need to get any ideas and run off.

"Leslie, what's going on?"

"What's going on? Are you fucking kidding me? I've been blowing up everyone's phones and no one has been answering."

Fuck. Of course I was the one who had to answer.

"Was anyone going to tell me that Olly is quitting?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Damn it.

"You have a fucking tour coming up, not to mention Rocktoberfest is right around the corner. That doesn't give you enough time to find a fucking replacement and hope he can nail Olly's parts."

"We'll make it work."

"Fuck that. You assholes should have already had a backup in mind, with your guy's fame, I've told you that shit happens and there needs to be backups at the ready."

I sigh. Fuck, he's right. But the whole band has been so stubborn. We didn't like the idea of being so replaceable, or the thought of some asshole fucking up our songs we've worked so hard on.

"You get a hold of the guys. I'm flying the rest of them out tomorrow. I'm sending you the address to a local studio in Olivia Cove. You will hold auditions there starting Thursday."

"Auditions? We don't want the public getting a hold of this information yet." My heart pounds as adrenaline feels like it's pumping through me. If the media finds out, they might twist all the progress and awareness we brought with Dee Rama's article.

"Too late. Your brother should have just manned up and not let his emotions affect him so much. I'm text all of you the info. This isn't up for debate. The label is pissed." With that, he hangs up.

Holding up my index finger to Carter, I pull up the band's group chat and furiously start typing.

Arcade Lake Group Chat

Zayden: FYI: Leslie found out Olly is leaving the band.

Zayden: He's flying everyone out here to Olivia Cove. Apparently the label is pissed and auditions start Thursday.

I'm so fucking angry, I want to text the band and vent to them about what Leslie said about Olly needing to man up. Fuck that noise. Leslie is out of here as soon as his contract expires at the end of the year. Olly didn't do anything wrong. As if hearing my inner turmoil, Olly is the first to message back.

Olly: Fuck, guys. I'm sorry.

Emery: Ugh. How the hell did he find out?

Dallas: That was my fault. I was on the phone with Emery last night and someone overheard me and posted about it on social media.

Beckett: Fuuuck. Well, Em, you should consider letting your brother audition. It's either that or we might get stuck with some ass hat trying to change our style.

Emery: Step brother.

Beckett: Whatever, man.

Zayden: Keep your phones on, fuckers. I can't play messenger right now. I'm about to go on a date.

Immediately, I see all the band members start typing at once. Laughing silently, I put my phone on silent and place it back in my pocket before any of their replies can come through. I'm still shaking with rage. I hate Leslie. He doesn't care about us. He doesn't care about my brother's well being. He's just in it for the money.

"Is everything okay?" Carter walks to my side and rubs comforting circles on my back. "Is there something I can do to help?"

My shoulders begin to relax under Carter's touch. When we make eye contact, my anger dissipates. There's always been something about this man that just helps settle me. Ground me. And he's even more comforting in person.

I nod. "Just need a distraction."

"Will it help if I kiss you?"

Glancing over at the man I'm in love with, I nod again. "Please, Carter. Kiss me."