More Than My Hometown

And This Bourbon Be The Blood

Kaydence's POV

I leaned back on the lounge chair in what Britt termed as her spa letting out a content sigh sipping the wine in my hand. Brax was hanging out with Memphis and Navy upstairs while I snuck in some girl time with my girls. Apparently, some kind of recording opportunity had come up for Brantley, at least according to Aaron, so I'd needed to shift a few of my things this week to keep me close to home. I didn't mind at all. Chase was on the road for a run up in the Midwest. I smiled to myself thinking about how sweet he'd been the last week because after that brawl at the awards all the shit had hit the fan again. Another reason we were having girls' night here instead of going out.

PJ was out of town with Brantley and Alec had deemed I needed to be next to invisible when I could just for security reasons. I kept the frown to myself hiding it behind taking a drink thinking about what Chase confessed he found out the morning after the awards. Explained a lot of Brantley's reaction that night then but I'd also had to promise Chase I would not confront Cole by myself. I was thinking long and hard about letting my temper get the better of me and not listening.

"What you in such deep thought about?" Brittany asked pulling me from my thoughts. I lifted my eyes meeting the inquisitive stares of the ladies surrounding me. Caroline raised an eyebrow in question while Miranda looked full of devilish intent. Lord help, I would be crashing here tonight I could already foresee it. That and Ran pulled out the bottle of tequila from her oversize bag near her feet. "Things have settled down haven't they?"

"Yea a little,'' I said with an absent shrug. They all knew I hated talking about this. Only did when I really was about to break. "I've stayed out of public when I have been able to since. Thank the lord for grocery deliveries. Gonna be hard when I start the second leg of my tour in a couple of weeks."

"Chase going with you any?" Brittany asked making Caroline's head whip around. While she supported me wholeheartedly, Caroline had never swapped off of team Brantley regardless of the hell we put each other through. Britt and Kasi leaned more towards Chase just because he had literally been there to pick up the pieces I was still putting back together. While Miranda was just Miranda and didn't give two shits either way as long as I was happy. And if it gave her the excuse to shoot someone at some point, well all the better. "Or are you waiting until the official papers are signed?"

"Haven't given it much thought," I said with an eye roll shaking my head. "I mean it's not like it isn't public knowledge no matter how much we try to hide it. Someone keeps leaking photos."

"You are a hundred percent done with BG?" Caroline asked quietly giving me a look like she knew something but didn't want to say. "I mean there is a lot of history there Kay and..."

"Lina," I sighed shaking my head blinking back the tears threatening to fall. "What choice do I have? The awards were the first time I actually laid eyes on him in almost a year and it was in the middle of a brawl with the man I was accused of cheating on him with. He won't speak to me and stays drunk most of the damn time. So you tell me why I should fight for that."

"I get your point," Caroline said holding her hand up in defeat while Miranda passed me a shot with an evil grin. "I just had to ask."

"Well, I have a question to ask," Miranda said with an evil grin passing the tequila bottle around the group. Kasi buried her face in her hands shaking her head. Brittany leaned over trying to cover Miranda's mouth only to get bit and pushed away playfully. Caroline groaned. "Oh, all of y'all stop. Someone has got to ask it and it seems I am the only one with balls to do it."

"Dear heaven on earth do I even want to know what this question is going to be," I muttered turning my wineglass up and debating a refill as all eyes locked on me. "What?"