Dangerous Rock (Dangerous Noise 3)

I clear my throat.

"For a second, I thought you were getting ready to make due on all those threats to leave the band."

I'd rather not share this detail with Mal, but he's not going to drop this. I keep my voice even. "She wants a divorce."

"And you don't?"

I nod. "Being with her feels right."

He chuckles. "That's it?"

"What else is there?"

"True." He thinks for a moment. When he speaks, his voice is matter of fact. "So you have a week to convince her to stay married to you?"

"Yeah."

"She's a smart girl. You're going to have to do better than it feels right to convince her."

That much I know.

I haven't figured out the how.

But I'll get there.

Somehow, I'll get there.

11

Joel

After Mal leaves, I join Bella in the kitchen. She's sipping tea and reading. A mostly empty bowl of cereal is next to her.

I refill her bowl and steal her spoon. "Is that Harry?"

She blushes. "This whole wand thing is making me self-conscious about enjoying a YA fantasy series."

"What book are you on?"

"Prisoner of Azkaban." Her lips curl into a smile as she studies my expression. "Nothing to say about that one?"

"That's the one with the werewolf?"

She nods.

"You know werewolves are one big metaphor for male sexuality."

"They are?"

I nod.

"No offense Joel, but you don't strike me as the intellectual type."

I mime being stabbed in the gut. "How could you? I'm very fucking intellectual."

She raises a brow. Really?

I laugh. "My sister. She's a shrink. She used to talk about this shit all the time." I take another bite of cereal, chew, swallow. "Werewolves are all about how male sexuality is dangerous and scary. Men get this urge to become animals and they can't stop themselves from transforming into beasts."