TANTRIC (Book 3 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 6: Hippie Chics Fall In Love

It's Baby Time!  I feel like it's interesting to see it from Ashlynn's perspective. 

The song is Gravity by Sarah Bareilles. I think you'll understand why at the very end of the chapter...

Ashlynn

I hand Adam a chamomile tea.

Mac is pacing. Her face looks red and sweaty. Adam is tapping his fingers nervously, watching her stride.

He sips the tea automatically, makes a face, and gives me a sheepish grin.

"Sneaking that in on me? Mac's the one that needs it."

"I don't need tea! I need Leed to answer his damn phone! He hasn't updated us in hours! If he doesn't text in the next thirty minutes, I'm going to the hospital. I don't care what Tam says about Soundcrush causing a mob," Mac growls. "This is my nephew being born! Goddammit!!!" she yells as her call goes to voicemail again.

Trace breaks the balls on his pool table and sighs at the bad break. "Jesus Mac, can you stop ranting? Babies are born every day. You made me slip."

Mac flips him off as she leaves another voicemail.

"Awwwwwwww, you got no balls?" Kat teases him, pulling on his lip. Then she turns devilish. "My turn!" She swipes his pool stick and bends over, making sure to bump up hard against him. Trace bites his lip and puts his hand on her hips, leaning over her, like he's helping her line up her shot, but really just rubbing against her.

"Get off," she says. She doesn't need his help. She's gotten as good at pool as Guitar Hero.

"Later," he says and smacks her jean-covered ass lightly. "Me first," she laughs and proceeds to sink four balls in a row.

I shake my head. It's inspiring, how much confidence my sister has and how much balance she's got in their relationship. I was a little worried at first when they started dating, I guess because Trace always made me worry, when it came to Kat. He was always dragging her into danger—climbing trees, neighborhood pranks, skateboard mayhem—but if anyone is in danger in their relationship, it's Trace. In danger of losing his edge.

It's kind of beautiful and kind of sad, watching them fall deeper in love every day. I'm happy for them, but it shows me that our childhood is really, truly over. As much as they tease and compete and bicker, they will never return to the kids they were. They are growing into a real, adult relationship. I knew my childhood was over a long time ago, I guess that's why I wanted Kat to keep as much innocence as she could for as long as she could.

My little sister is far from innocent now. She's dating a rock star, an Instagram star in her own right, and loving the life that comes with it, and doing just fine keeping it all in perspective. And Trace is doing a great job reigning in his old lifestyle. He's completely faithful, he doesn't party too hard, he watches out for her without being overbearing. He lets her make her own choices. He's a good boyfriend.

I guess being a good boyfriend to a healthy happy girl seems like a cake walk compared to being the husband of a drug addict.

"Hello!??!?!" Mac is yelling into her phone. "Finally! What the hell is going on? Hold up, I'm going to put you on speakerphone."

"He's here. Fuck. He's amazing," Leed says through the phone. "He's got these big blue eyes, but Tam says they'll probably darken a little, like mine. He's just...looking around everywhere at the brand new world. He's so small. So fucking small. He weighs like...nothing, but Tam says he's normal sized. He's kinda...pale, though. Really pale, actually. Wasn't expecting that," Leed laughs. "Tam says that's normal for biracial babies and he'll probably warm up some."