Read Flesh & Bone - a contemporary romance: The Minstrel Series #2 for Free Online Page B

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    “I never cheated on you, Yvonne. Not once. And I could’ve. On tour? Girls are throwing themselves at me all the time. But I didn’t.”
    Yvonne sniffled. “What can I do to make this better?”
    “How long have you been sneaking around?”
    “Basti…”
    “Tell me the truth.”
    Yvonne stared at the sidewalk, and then glanced back at her building where Karl leaned against the door, his hand covering one eye as he watched them with the other.
    “Two months,” she whispered.
    Two months? That was before their last tour even started. The whole time Sebastian was on the road, staying loyal, Yvonne had already started something with Karl. Karl was the one who’d hooked up with groupies. This was why he had been so adamant that she not come along with him on their next tour.
    “We’re over.”
    “Basti, no!”
    Sebastian stared at her small fist on his arm, and he grimaced. Yvonne’s grip loosened and she shrank back under his steely glare.
    He didn’t care that he left Yvonne sobbing in public. He was glad she felt some pain. Hopefully, it equaled the scorching burn inflaming his shredded heart.
    He walked briskly around the block, keeping his eyes averted when he passed anyone, thankful for the dark of night. He really didn’t feel like going home. What he needed was a good strong drink.
    How could Karl do this to him? They’d been friends since they were eleven years old. They’d shared dreams about starting a band and making it big one day. They were inseparable in those days.
    Then, when Sebastian was seventeen, he’d met Yvonne. She was in his advanced math class. It wasn’t love at first sight, or anything. She didn’t actually talk much, but she was a good listener. She was there when his dad kicked him out of the house. She was the one who knew some guys who were looking for a roommate, and she helped him find a place to live.
    They just kind of happened. He was grateful for everything she’d done for him and he eventually fell in love with her. Karl watched the whole thing unfold, and the closer Sebastian got to Yvonne, the testier Karl got with him. He and Karl argued over her; Karl said Yvonne was like their Yoko Ono, bad for the band. They didn’t talk to each other for three days after that fight, and then Karl admitted to being jealous. He showed up the next day with a new girlfriend on his arm, and all was forgotten.
    At least, that was what Sebastian had believed.
    What a mess. Dirk expected them to write music for their next CD and Sebastian couldn’t even picture being in the same room with Karl right now. Or ever.
    Damn him! He wanted to punch something, but his good sense had taught him to preserve his hands. He rubbed his right fist and wiggled his fingers, satisfied he hadn’t broken anything.
    A door opened ahead of him and Sebastian heard the sound of applause. He looked up, surprised to find the sound was coming from the Blue Note Pub. Somehow he’d found his way back to a place of comfort and familiarity. Maurice sold good beer, too.
    He slipped inside, grabbed an open stool at the bar and ordered a drink. He pulled his cap low, keeping to the shadows of the darkened room. He took a moment to catch his breath, and wrap up the pain and anger to a manageable size. When his drink arrived, he gulped it back. He ordered another, determined to put Karl and Yvonne out of his mind. They weren’t worth his time. He wasn’t worth it. She definitely wasn’t worth it.
    Maybe if he drank enough, he’d believe it by morning.
    Maurice was on the stage calling the next act, and Sebastian watched with interest as a slender girl with shoulder-length brown hair and a limp made her way to the stage. It was awkward to watch her maneuver up the lone step, cane in one hand and guitar in the other. She managed to sort it all out and Sebastian caught his breath when she faced the audience. It was the girl from the soup kitchen. Now he remembered where he’d seen her. It was here. Maurice