Regret || Reggie Peters

//*Chapter Seventeen*\\

•Asher POV•

"Julie and I were thinking we start with Stand Tall." Luke informs.

We're opening for Panic! at the Disco.

"Perfect." Alex says.

"Sounds good." Reggie mumbles.

He's been avoiding eye contact with me since he accidentally blurted out the L-word.

"Sounds good?" Luke questions in disbelief. "Dude, wake up! I wanna hear it sounds awesome!"

"Sounds awesome!!!" I shout really enthusiastically.

Luke wraps his arm around me in a headlock before giving me a noogie. "That's the spirit, Asher! Look guys, I know this isn't how we wanted things to turn out but we gotta be all in tonight. This is our second chance at playing the Orpheum!"

"I get it, I get it." Reggie says, glancing at me for a moment before continuing. "But it's hard. I mean, do we even know what's on the other side when we crossover? And what about Asher?? We don't even know what his unfinished business is!"

I sigh before speaking up. "Actually, I think I might." I say and all their heads whip around to face me. "I've always dreamt of having a family..."

"Uh, rude."

"Alex, you know what I mean."

"Uh, Ash...you're a ghost. That might make it a little hard to reproduce, since you can't even touch people." Reggie tells me, as if I'm the clueless one.

I mentally facepalm. At least he's talking to me again. "No, Reg. I'm talking about Ashlynn."

Reggie gasps. "You're into girls now?!?!"

Oh my gosh. This might take a while.

"My niece, Reggie!!" I shout. "Ashlynn is my niece and I want to get to know her and my sister."

"Our sister." Alex cuts in. "And why would you want to put yourself through that??"

"Ashlynn saw me, Alex." I tell him and he shuts his mouth. "She saw me and I have to know if Andi can see me too. I have to know if I have a chance at having a family."

"Who's Andi?" Reggie asks.

"Their sister, dumbass." Luke responds.

"Oh, I thought you guys were talking about that manager lady who almost made us famous at that Café. Wasn't her name Andi?"

"Oh my gosh." I breathe. "Andi Parker. That's her."

"Well, she definitely didn't see us." Alex says and my whole body deflates.

"It's fine guys." I tell them, though my smile doesn't reach my eyes. "As long as you guys make it I'll be fine."

Reggie slams his fist down onto the piano.

"Here." He says, as he passes me a piece of paper. "If you're so fine with leaving us, then at least take this! Maybe you'll realize that you already have a family." And with that, he's gone.

I look down at the piece of paper and read through the words.

Each word is like a blow to the gut. It's a song...about me?

I have to go see Reggie right now! I have to-

"Agh!" The three of us all fall back in pain simultaneously, as a jolt hits us, more painfully then the times before.