A Sound Like Hope (Fallen Tuesday #3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jake bent and
opened his guitar case. He pulled out his guitar and put the strap over his
head. He went to his amp, plugged in, and started to tune up.
    “ So
that ’ s where we leave
everything? ” Trent asked.
    Jake looked at him. “ Leave what? ”
    “ Seriously? ”
    “ Hey,
let ’ s just play, ” Mack said.
    “ I
agree, ” Jake said as he
stared at Trent. He turned off his guitar tuner and hit an open chord with tons
of gain and sound.
    Trent smiled. Jake was a damn
prick. Nothing more and nothing less. In the band, it worked. When he and Trent
could put the past behind them, they came up with some of the best Fallen
Tuesday riffs and ideas. But right now, staring at each other, Trent felt more
apt to take his bass off and swing it at the smug look on Jake ’ s face.
    Luke stepped to the microphone and
Gray strummed on his guitar. When Mack started to kick at his bass drum, there
was finally enough noise to silence the raging voice in Trent ’ s mind, but that didn ’ t mean he could look away from
Jake and not think thoughts that should have been in the past.
    Trent had stood just like this,
staring at Jake, so many times, wondering when Jake and Chloe last slept
together. Trent didn't want a girl to come between the band, so when Jake
showed interest in Chloe, Trent let her go. It stung to see them kiss and know
that they were hooking up before and after practice. One night, Trent crossed a
line, just to prove to himself that he could get her back if he wanted, and it
had been his biggest regret since.
    “ Count
us, ” Luke said to Mack.
    Mack hit the sticks together four
times and the band began to play.
    It was musical perfection as the
guitars came together and the drums pounded. Trent ’ s bass was the chunky rhythm behind it all. This
was power. This was what the fans wanted. When it came time for Luke to sing,
it all came together. There was no one like Fallen Tuesday right now and Trent
was painfully aware of how fast those moments could come and go.
    After running through that first
song, Trent was sweating from his heart racing. The second the song ended, Luke
looked back and gave a thumbs up. Everyone looked at each other, smiling. Even
Jake and Trent. Out of respect.
    “ One
more, ” Mack called out.
    “ Do
it, ” Luke said.
    Just like that, Gray started
playing the loud riff to a new Fallen Tuesday song. It took Trent a second to
remember what to play, but the band played the song with ease and when it
ended, Mack jumped up from the drums.
    “ We
need to get back on the road, ” he announced. “ Seriously. ”
    “ Calm
down, man, ” Gray said. “ We have to finish the album. ”
    “ We
will, ” Mack said. “ On breaks from touring. That ’ s what we have missing right now.
When Luke got sick, we just cancelled everything. It ’ s like we left something out there."
    “ I
agree, ” Jake said. “ I ’ m
ready to tour. ”
    “ My
voice is fine now, ” Luke
said. “ But Gray is right.
We have to play this carefully. We ’ re
not just some small band anymore, guys. Everything we do and say is …”
    Luke looked at Trent and Trent took
his bass off. “ Yeah, we get
it. Everyone knows everyone ’ s
business. ”
    “ I
wasn ’ t saying a thing, ” Luke said.
    “ Sure
you were, ” Trent said.
    Trent was stopped by Gray. “ Come on, man. Don ’ t let all this get the best of
you. Not here, not now. ”
    “ Let ’ s just quit while we ’ re ahead, ” Luke said. “ Take
a breather and get Frank here. Why don ’ t
we all meet down at the soundstage in a little while? We can practice a little
more, jam out for a couple hours, maybe even write a new song or two. ”
    “ I ’ m good with that, ” Gray said. He kept his eyes on
Trent. “ You? ”
    “ I
like that, ” Trent replied.
    They packed up the gear they could
take with them. The big items like Mack ’ s
drums and the stacks of speakers and amps all stayed in the studio. The band
had the studio rented out as