Summer (Four Seasons #2) by Frankie Rose Read Free Book Online Page B

of that dream. It’s only one of many that I have, but that particular incident haunts me the most. I’m just lucky it stopped where it did. If it had played out in full…
    A hand slaps down on my shoulder. I jump so hard my coffee spills over onto a pile of papers on the table in front of me. Cole, owner of the hand, growls.  
    “Fuck, dude. Those are the notes we’ve been putting together while your ass was sleeping in.”
    I set my drink down, snatching up one of his discarded t-shirts to try and sop up as much of the spilled liquid as I can. “Sorry, dude. Don’t sneak up on me. You know I hate that shit.”
    “Jesus, Luke, anyone would think you didn’t want to—”
    “Just back off, Cole. I’m not in the mood.”
    “Fuck, man, don’t shoot. Paul’s not exactly doing anything. He can just write the sheets up again. No big deal.”  
    I feel like smashing something. Cole can give me shit for being late, for over-sleeping, but the truth of the matter is that I barely slept at all. After I woke from my nightmare, I stared at my phone for three hours, contemplating giving in and calling Avery. I miss her so goddamn much. She was the only thing I could think of that might have dispelled the ominous cloud hanging over my head. I was late because I had to battle with myself to even show up.  
    The door opens behind me and Cole disappears. Gratitude swamps me. I love the guy to death but right now I’m not in the best of moods and I’m liable to come to blows with the first person who pisses me off. My gratitude quickly evaporates, however, when I realize that Cole hasn’t left. Butler, our new band manager, has shown up and he looks like he’s on his way to a black tie event.
    “Butler. Hey, man,” Cole says. “Glad you’re here. We’ve been working on a few songs this morning. Why don’t you grab a cup of coffee and we’ll all sit down and talk things through?”
    “Sounds great.” Butler’s voice is high-pitched—not exactly the calming tone I could use right now. I shake hands with the guy, plastering on a smile so disingenuous that I feel like my face is going to crack, but Butler doesn’t comment.  
    “Morning, Butler,” I tell him.  
    “You look like shit, Reid. All night fuck-fest?”
    I try not to flinch. “Something like that.”  
    Walking toward the living room, I catch Cole’s gaze, and once again he does not look happy. He’s turning red as he leans in and whispers to me. “Is this about Avery, man? ‘Cause if it is, I have zero sympathy for you. You did this to yourself.”
    “I’m aware of your entire lack of sympathy.”
    He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Love is a cruel fucking joke. You get that, don’t you?”
    “I do.”
    “It’s gonna be fine, man. I promise you.” He slaps my shoulder again, giving me a tight-lipped smile. He may be mad at me for not throwing myself into this one hundred percent like he and the other guys are, but he gets it. He does feel bad for me, even though he’s right and I have done this to myself.  
    I take a seat next to Paul and kick my feet up on the coffee table. Cole drops a large pad of paper in my lap and throws a pen at my chest as he passes. I grunt at the weight of the pad landing heavily onto my balls.  
    “Good job you’re not using those these days, right?” Paul laughs.  
    Cole thumps him on his arm. “He will soon enough. A lead singer can’t be fucking celibate. It clogs their chi. You hear that?” he hisses, pointing a finger at me. “You need to get laid. Pronto. Now, start working on something new. MVP wants to see where we’re going, not where we’ve been.” He stalks off back toward the kitchen, where Butler is hovering by the coffee pot. I never thought I’d see Cole kiss anyone’s ass, but I witness it with my own two eyes as he pours Butler a mug of coffee and hands it to him. He doesn’t even treat the women he fucks with the same consideration.  
    Beside me Paul rolls his