Chord ✔️

Chapter 36

Chord

By the time I got to South Bridge, Tam informed me that the show was already over. I'm bummed that I missed the entire show, but I'm at Sears now. That's something. Hopefully my mom will see it that way anyway. I walk out onto the rooftop bar that is currently hosting The Middle's private after party. Obviously I wasn't asked for ID or any type of credentials when I came into the building with Tam (he met me out front). Everyone who works for my parents knows who I am, including venue and after party staff. Getting in here so easily made me a little nervous actually, given how well I've been getting away with my new identity as Logan. But it's cool. I'm not in North Bridge, I won't see anyone I know. Hopefully.

I look around the party and smile to myself as I see either Luke or Liam standing talking to one of Jay's bodyguards. I suspect it's Luke, but honestly it's hard to tell. My eyes land on Lyra next. She's standing with Jonah and both of her parents. Her older brother Aaron is no where to be seen, but he's still away on some security job so I hadn't expected to see him here. Someone I don't know is talking to Joel and Sarah is fussing over Jonah's messy hair. Lyra is staring at Luke/Liam. So yeah, it must be Luke. I wonder where Thing One is tonight. No sign of my parents yet, so I head over to him.

"Luke?" He turns away from the bodyguard and beams at the sight of me. He thought I wasn't coming, and here I am.

"You're here! Were you at the show?" He asks me while thrusting a beer into my hand and clicking his fingers at a waitress, signalling his request for a new drink. He's not meaning to be rude, he can just be a bit abrupt sometimes. And he's used to people doing whatever he wants them to.

"No, I just got here." I inform him as I watch Tam wondering off in the direction of the Evans family. Melody's standing with them too now. It never takes Tam long to gravitate towards her, and he's actually spent some time with her in North Bridge since school started. No idea if they're dating now or not of course, he's always discreet about his personal life and I never ask him about it. But I should stop being so self centred and ask him what's going on with Melody, she's practically my family after all. I'll make enquiries later.

"The show was good." Luke informs me as the waitress returns with a new beer for him. He thanks her. See, not rude. Just a bit thoughtless sometimes. "My dad threw his back out again though, a doctor's looking at him as we speak."

"He okay?" I ask. Jay has had a lot of problems with his back lately. Retirement is probably on the cards for The Middle in the next few years.

"He's fine, he just needs to remember he's not a fucking teenager anymore, you know? I'm only twenty-one and I get a sore back sometimes!" Luke laughs at this. "So how are things at NBU? We haven't heard from you much since you moved here."

By we, he means him and Liam. They're a duo. A package deal. So I gotta ask.

"Where is Liam anyway?" I look around the rooftop, but there's still no sign of him. Luke's mom is walking over to us though. Great. She's a force to be reckoned with. Small, but dangerous.

"He's still in Malibu. He wanted to come but..." Luke trails off as his mom comes to a halt in front of him.

"But he's too busy fucking every girl within a ten mile radius, right?" Erin says mockingly to her youngest (by like three minutes) son. "That's what you were gonna say, right, Luke?"

"Um, pretty much." Luke laughs at his mom and she punches him on the arm playfully before turning her attention to me.

"How are you, Chord? It's been months." She pulls me in for a hug against my will, but I allow it. There's no point whatsoever arguing with Erin Montgomery.