Chapter 14
14
CASH
Three Weeks Later
Britt slipped on a cardigan over her dress, then checked her phone as she grabbed her bag from the counter. “I won’t be late,” she told me, not looking up.
I leaned against the kitchen doorway. “Where are you going again?”
“Jasmine’s place. A few of us are getting together for some wine and girl talk.” She glanced at me with a small smile. “You don’t mind, right?”
“No. Go have fun.”
“I’ll text you when I’m on my way home.”
She shut the door behind her with no kiss goodbye or even a hug. I stood there for a second, staring at the space she’d left behind, then pushed off the doorway and walked into the living room.
Turning on the TV, I scrolled through the menu and then settled on some cop show. The couch felt too big, and the apartment too quiet as it did most nights with Britt’s long hours she worked and the time she spent with her friends. Back in Houston, I had friends to call if I wanted to get out of the house for a while. Since moving to Boston, there was no one.
Just Britt.
The episodes blurred together until I tossed the remote aside and ran a hand down my face. Sitting around with nothing to do wasn’t going to help me feel any less lonely. I needed to get out and be around people, even if I wasn’t talking to them.
After ordering a ride to take me to Flanagan’s, I headed for the door. A beer and a change of scenery sounded better than another night staring at the walls. I’d thought not having a client at the moment would be better for me and Britt, but it seemed she spent all of her free time with her friends, and it was weighing on me.
The car dropped me off and when I walked inside, the bar was packed with people. A Red Sox game played on the TVs above the bar, and a few guys cheered when a double was hit into left field. I took a seat at the bar, ordered a beer, and half-watched the game.
“You into baseball?” the guy next to me asked, nodding toward the screen. He looked around my age, dressed casually in a Red Sox T-shirt and jeans.
“Yeah, grew up watching it,” I replied, taking a sip of my drink. “You?”
“Big time. Name’s Nate.” He offered a hand, and I shook it.
“Cash.”
He grinned. “You don’t sound like you’re from around here. Let me guess—Texas?”
I chuckled slightly. “Houston. Moved here in January.”
“Bet that was an adjustment. Winters here don’t mess around.”
“I’m not used to scraping snow off my windshield just to go to the grocery store, that’s for sure,” I said, taking another sip of my beer. “Are you from Boston?”
“Born and raised. You a Sox fan, or am I about to be disappointed? ”
I smirked. “Astros.”
Nate groaned, shaking his head. “Damn. And here I thought we were gonna be friends.”
“Hey, I respect the Sox. That doesn’t mean I’m switching teams.”
“We’ll see about that.” He tipped his beer toward me before taking a drink. “You come here often?”
“No. Just needed to get out of my apartment.”
“Good call. Flanagan’s is solid. And if you ever wanna lose at darts, let me know.”
I laughed. “You that good?”
“Only one way to find out.”
We played a few rounds and had a couple more beers. It was the first time in a while I’d had a casual night out that didn’t revolve around work or Britt. It helped, even if the feeling wouldn’t last.
By the time I got back to the apartment, the place was still dark. I checked my phone and saw Britt hadn’t texted like she said she would. Tossing my keys on the counter, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed to the shower. When I got out, there was nothing from her.
When I finally gave up and went to bed, I had yet to hear from my girlfriend. And she hadn’t texted or come home when I fell asleep.
The ringing of my phone pulled me out of sleep. When I picked it up, I saw an unfamiliar California number on the screen.
“Hello?” My voice was rough and thick with sleep.
“Hey … it’s Silas.”
I sat up and rubbed a hand over my face. Beside me, Britt was curled up under the blankets asleep. I hadn’t even heard her come home last night.
“What’s going on? You good?”
“Yeah. I mean, I will be,” he muttered. “Listen, I’m finishing up here next week, and I need a sober companion. ”
I swung my feet over the edge of the bed. “That’s good. You should have someone looking out for you, helping you stay on track.”
“And I want it to be you.”
I blinked, not sure I heard him right. “Me?”
“Yep. You.”
I exhaled, my mind already running through the logistics. “Silas, I live in Boston. You need someone in LA. Someone close.”
“We’re playing in Boston and New York just a few days after I leave here. Then we’re rescheduling the rest of the tour. I need someone with me I can trust and not be starstruck or some shit.”
I ran a hand through my hair. I needed to talk with Britt and tell her how I was feeling about how things were going with us. Getting a new client—even if it was her brother—would put yet another strain on our relationship since I’d have to be gone again. “I don’t know, man. We’re practically family.”
“Exactly. That’s why I want you.”
Movement in the bed caught my attention, and I turned to see Britt stirring, her eyes barely open as she looked at me. “Who is it?”
“Silas,” I mouthed.
That woke her up a little more. She pushed herself up onto her elbow, watching me.
“You still there?” Silas asked.
“I’m here.” I exhaled. “You really want me to do this?”
“I trust you, Cash. You get it. And I don’t want some random person treating me like I’m just a job, or following me like a little puppy because I’m in a band.”
I cracked a smile at his words. He was a rock star, but I would not treat him any differently than I had when I met him over Christmas. “One sec.” I pulled the phone away and whispered to Britt, “He wants me to be his sober companion.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened slightly. “That’s a good idea.”
“But I’ll probably have to go on tour with him.”
“Sounds fun. I’m jealous.”
I stared at her for a beat. Was she actually jealous? Because she didn’t seem bothered at all about the possibility of me leaving. Maybe she wanted to get rid of me so she could continue to spend time with her friends and not feel guilty. Was she even feeling guilty? Without any more hesitation, I said to Silas, “All right. I’ll do it.”
He let out a relieved breath. “Thank you. The staff here suggested that you fly to LA to pick me up, then we can head back to Boston together. My manager, Rina, said she’ll help make all the arrangements.”
“Sounds good. I’ll start getting things together here.” My words gave me pause. “Wait. Where are you staying while you’re in town?”
“Probably at my parents’, but only for a few nights before heading to New York.”
“Okay … Well, being your sober companion requires me to live with you. Since I have a place, how about you stay with me and Britt for the few nights you’re in town?”
Britt balked, but whatever. She wasn’t even home most of the time, anyway.
“Is my sister cool with that?” Silas asked.
“Yeah,” I lied.
“All right. Cool. Then I’ll see you at LAX in a week.”
“Sounds good. Get some rest.”
I hung up and Britt asked, “Silas is staying here?”
“Just for a few days while he’s doing his shows here and then we’ll go to New York.”
“How exciting. You get to go on tour like a rock star.” She grinned.
I snorted a laugh. “It’ll be different than my other clients for sure.”
One Week Later
The airport was packed with people moving in every direction, dragging suitcases and shuffling through lines. I spotted Silas near the check-in counter, baseball cap pulled low, arms crossed over his chest.
“Hey,” I greeted when he looked at me .
“Hey.” He gave me a fist bump. “Ready?”
“Yep.”
We headed to security, and the line moved slowly, giving me time to lay things out for him before we got on the flight.
“We should go over a few things,” I told him.
He exhaled. “Go for it.”
“You know this already, but I’ll be with you twenty-four-seven. That means Boston, New York, LA. Wherever you go, I go.”
He nodded, adjusting the strap of his backpack. “Right. I kinda figured that.”
“And even though I’m dating your sister, everything will stay confidential and I won’t share anything with Britt or your family or anyone for that matter. But you need to be upfront with me about anything that might be a challenge. If something feels off, tell me.”
He glanced at me. “Like what?”
“Like if you’re feeling restless. If something’s stressing you out. If you’re struggling with cravings, even if you think it’s not a big deal.” I paused, letting that sink in. “My job isn’t just to make sure you don’t use in the moment. It’s to help you maintain your sobriety, to make sure you don’t get into situations that could set you back.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded again. “I get it.”
“Being on tour will be a little difficult because we won’t be able to have a normal routine, but I’ll figure out the towns where we can go to meetings. And no matter what, we need honest communication. I can’t do my job if you hide anything from me.”
Silas sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I hear you.”
We stepped forward in line, handing over our IDs before moving to the conveyor belt. Silas kicked off his shoes and tossed his backpack into a bin. “I can work with that.”
“Good,” I replied.
I knew things with Silas were going to be different from other clients, but I had a feeling everything was about to change.