Trouble Rising (New Adult Rock Star Romance): Tyler and Katie's Story #3 by Emme Rollins
Authors: Emme Rollins
Ads: Link
and I saw Sabrina nudge him and say something into his ear. After that he stopped scowling, but he pretty much ignored her existence for the rest of the night.
For my part, I went over and kissed Leanne’s scarred, ravaged cheek and welcomed her to the gathering. Tyler did the same, whispering, “Thanks for coming, Mom.” You’d never know, the way she beamed up at him, that Tyler was the one who had shot her husband in the head when he wasn’t quite a teen yet.
More secrets. So many secrets.
I hugged Sarah and Anne, and we chatted for a moment, catching up. But the whole time, I kept an eye on Jay. She was playing with Lucy and Henry, rolling a ball under the big, grand piano and giggling when they chased after it. She looked like such a kid herself, still, even though she was fifteen now. A stunning beauty, with long, dark hair that flowed like a waterfall to her lower back, it was her eyes that captivated. Big, round violet eyes.
“Who’s that?” Leanne asked. She’d noticed me keeping an eye on Jay.
“She’s…” Oh crap, how was I going to explain Jay? “My cousin. Here for a visit.”
It was the best I could do on short notice. Tyler’s eyebrows went up but he didn’t contradict me.
“Pretty girl.” Leanne smiled as Henry, who was crawling now, fought over the ball with his older sister. I felt bad for Leanne. Rob refused to let her have anything to do with her grandchildren. I knew Sabrina had taken them to visit Leanne a few times, without Rob knowing, but it was a tough situation.
Not that I blamed him, exactly. Leanne hadn’t exactly been in the running of any Mother of the Year awards when she was arrested on drug use and possession charges and her three kids had been put into foster care. My mother was a pain in my ass—but I knew she loved me, and I never really wanted for anything, not like Rob and Tyler and Sarah had. I couldn’t blame Rob for being angry—nor could I blame Sarah and Tyler for forgiving her and wanting to reconnect. I mean, the woman was their mother—and you only ever got one of those.
“Who’s hungry?” Daisy—Rob and Sabrina’s cook—appeared in the doorway carrying a tray full of something appetizery that smelled amazing. “There’s lots more in the kitchen—anyone want to help me bring them out?”
Of course, Rob and Tyler went to help, and Sarah and Anne did, too. Sabrina stayed to keep an eye on the babies, but they were too busy playing with Jay to notice. I sat on one of the sofas and patted the seat beside me for Leanne. She joined me, looking more than a little uncomfortable being in Rob and Sabrina’s house. I could only remember one other time that she’d been there—right after she’d gotten out of jail.
I waved at the other guys in the band—Tyler called them “the three stooges” when they weren’t around. They were sitting three across on another sofa, all of them drinking beer, busy on their phones. Nick was the only one who waved back—he was Trouble’s third-cutest band member and bass player. Jon, the tall, lanky, bespectacled keyboardist, didn’t look up from his phone. Kenny, the almost-chubby drummer, saw me wave but didn’t respond.
I’d always thought it was kind of weird, the way the other three members of Trouble were kind of distant. They were in the band, and they certainly reaped the benefits, but they just didn’t participate in the more “family” type things that much—and when they did, they stuck together, just like that, the three of them, thick as thieves.
Maybe it was the blood connection between Rob and Tyler—didn’t they say blood was thicker than water? But that didn’t explain it completely, because for years, no one knew Rob and Tyler were even brothers. That had been yet another secret they’d kept, up until a few years ago, when everything had sort of come crashing down around our heads.
“Do you have any idea why we’re
For my part, I went over and kissed Leanne’s scarred, ravaged cheek and welcomed her to the gathering. Tyler did the same, whispering, “Thanks for coming, Mom.” You’d never know, the way she beamed up at him, that Tyler was the one who had shot her husband in the head when he wasn’t quite a teen yet.
More secrets. So many secrets.
I hugged Sarah and Anne, and we chatted for a moment, catching up. But the whole time, I kept an eye on Jay. She was playing with Lucy and Henry, rolling a ball under the big, grand piano and giggling when they chased after it. She looked like such a kid herself, still, even though she was fifteen now. A stunning beauty, with long, dark hair that flowed like a waterfall to her lower back, it was her eyes that captivated. Big, round violet eyes.
“Who’s that?” Leanne asked. She’d noticed me keeping an eye on Jay.
“She’s…” Oh crap, how was I going to explain Jay? “My cousin. Here for a visit.”
It was the best I could do on short notice. Tyler’s eyebrows went up but he didn’t contradict me.
“Pretty girl.” Leanne smiled as Henry, who was crawling now, fought over the ball with his older sister. I felt bad for Leanne. Rob refused to let her have anything to do with her grandchildren. I knew Sabrina had taken them to visit Leanne a few times, without Rob knowing, but it was a tough situation.
Not that I blamed him, exactly. Leanne hadn’t exactly been in the running of any Mother of the Year awards when she was arrested on drug use and possession charges and her three kids had been put into foster care. My mother was a pain in my ass—but I knew she loved me, and I never really wanted for anything, not like Rob and Tyler and Sarah had. I couldn’t blame Rob for being angry—nor could I blame Sarah and Tyler for forgiving her and wanting to reconnect. I mean, the woman was their mother—and you only ever got one of those.
“Who’s hungry?” Daisy—Rob and Sabrina’s cook—appeared in the doorway carrying a tray full of something appetizery that smelled amazing. “There’s lots more in the kitchen—anyone want to help me bring them out?”
Of course, Rob and Tyler went to help, and Sarah and Anne did, too. Sabrina stayed to keep an eye on the babies, but they were too busy playing with Jay to notice. I sat on one of the sofas and patted the seat beside me for Leanne. She joined me, looking more than a little uncomfortable being in Rob and Sabrina’s house. I could only remember one other time that she’d been there—right after she’d gotten out of jail.
I waved at the other guys in the band—Tyler called them “the three stooges” when they weren’t around. They were sitting three across on another sofa, all of them drinking beer, busy on their phones. Nick was the only one who waved back—he was Trouble’s third-cutest band member and bass player. Jon, the tall, lanky, bespectacled keyboardist, didn’t look up from his phone. Kenny, the almost-chubby drummer, saw me wave but didn’t respond.
I’d always thought it was kind of weird, the way the other three members of Trouble were kind of distant. They were in the band, and they certainly reaped the benefits, but they just didn’t participate in the more “family” type things that much—and when they did, they stuck together, just like that, the three of them, thick as thieves.
Maybe it was the blood connection between Rob and Tyler—didn’t they say blood was thicker than water? But that didn’t explain it completely, because for years, no one knew Rob and Tyler were even brothers. That had been yet another secret they’d kept, up until a few years ago, when everything had sort of come crashing down around our heads.
“Do you have any idea why we’re
Similar Books
