Blame it on the Tequila by Fiona Cole (the reading strategies book txt) 📕

Blame it on the TequilaBlame it on the Alcohol Series

Fiona Cole

Copyright © 2021 by Fiona Cole

All rights reserved.

Cover Designer: Najla Qamber, Qamber Designs

Photographer: Regina Wamba

Cover Models: Jared Sternaman, Hannah Peltier

Interior Design: Indie Girl Promotions

Editing: Kelly Allenby, Readers Together

Proofreading: Janice Owen, JO’s Book Addiction Proofreading

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Contents

Playlist

Prologue

1. Nova

2. Nova

3. Parker

4. Nova

5. Nova

6. Parker

7. Nova

8. Nova

9. Parker

10. Nova

11. Parker

12. Nova

13. Parker

14. Nova

15. Parker

16. Parker

17. Nova

18. Nova

19. Nova

20. Parker

21. Parker

22. Nova

23. Parker

24. Parker

25. Nova

26. Nova

27. Parker

28. Nova

29. Nova

30. Nova

31. Parker

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About Fiona

Also by Fiona Cole

Playlist

There’s a lot

Open Hands - Ingrid Michaelson (feat. Trent Dabbs)

Is That Alright? - Lady Gaga

Grace - Rag’n’Bone Man

Your Name Hurts - Hailee Steinfeld

Glitter In the Air - P!nk

Right Now - One Direction

Take Me Home - Chord Overstreet

Hello - Adele

Falling like the Stars - James Arthur

Happy - Leona Lewis

Sorry - Mali-Koa

coney island - Taylor Swift (feat The National)

If Our Love is Wrong - Callum Scott

New Year’s Day - Taylor Swift

Take on the World - You Me At Six

Rise Up - Imagine Dragons

Love in the Dark - Adele

evermore - Taylor Swift (feat. Bon Iver)

Hurricane Drunk - Florence + the Machine

Won’t Let You Down - Callum Scott

Always Remember Us This Way - Lady Gaga

Looking Out - Brandi Carlile

Is There Somewhere - Halsey

Even If It Breaks Your Heart - Eli Young Band

Bill Murray - Matt Nathanson

Where’s My Love - SYML

Tempo - Lizzo (feat. Missy Elliot)

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Feel Something - Landon Austin

Always Be Loving You - My Brothers And I

Breakups - Seaforth

Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon

Leaving My Love Behind - Lewis Capaldi

Always - Isak Danielson

First In Line - Matthew Mayfield

when the party’s over - Billie Eilish

Take Me to Church - Hozier

Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

Lo/Hi - The Black Keys

Jump Around - House of Pain

Wish That You Were Here - Florence + the Machine

Secret Love Song - Little Mix (feat. Jason Derulo)

You Are the Reason - Callum Scott

Say Something - A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera

Way Away - Yellowcard

I Forgive You - Kelly Clarkson

Heat Above - Greta Van Fleet

Pain - Nessa Barrett

Two of Us - Louis Tomlinson

Falling - Harry Styles

To Mama Lucia.

Prologue

Nova

PAST

“I’m so sorry, Nova.”

I watched Parker’s head drop to the white sheets of my hospital bed, his dirty-blond waves looking almost white in some spots from the harsh fluorescent lighting.

Lifting my hand slowly, I dragged my fingers through his hair, enjoying the thick texture, remembering just days ago that I thought I’d never feel it again.

“It’s okay.”

He shook his head hard and lifted upright, but not pulling away. As if struggling to do so, he hesitated before meeting my eyes. His usual ocean blue eyes dulled against the dark circles and bloodshot exhaustion, but they flared with his flexing jaw.

“It’s not okay. It’s not okay, Nova. Jesus. It’s—”

The deep lyrical voice I loved to listen to cracked, and he looked away, dropping his chin to his chest.

He was right. It wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. The part he played wasn’t okay.

But right then, I needed him by my side more than I needed to blame him for what happened.

So, I slid my hand up his forearm until I could link my fingers with his, careful to not bump the IV rehydrating my body.

He held on tight and kissed one knuckle at a time with reverence and so much more.

“Just talk to me,” I requested on an exhale. I’d barely woken up from my last nap, and already I could sleep again.

“What do you want to talk about?” he asked.

I started to say anything when a floppy-haired blond popped his head around the corner, his goofy smile flashing behind a handful of wildflowers.

“Did you tell her?” Oren asked, maybe a little too excitedly for the situation.

I darted my eyes to Parker because I had no idea what the hell he needed to tell me and found him with a shut the fuck up look on his face.

I flashed back to Oren just in time to watch the smile drop. “Ohhhhh. Well, my bad.” He sat the daisies down on a chair next to him and started backing away with an awkward laugh, only to bump into the other two members of the band, Ash and Brogan.

“What the fuck, dude? We want to see her,” Ash grumbled.

“He hasn’t told her yet, and the look he gave said to get the fuck out,” Oren tried to whisper, but he sucked at it, so we all heard.

Parker groaned and dropped his head.

“We’ll be back,” Brogan called as Oren ushered them out.

As soon as they left, I focused on Parker, who chewed on his bottom lip and rubbed a hand over his face. Never a good sign for him to do both. One meant stress, and both meant I needed to brace myself. In the few years since Parker Callahan came crashing into my life, I’d only seen the combination a handful of times.

“Tell me what?” I asked. I was too tired to brace myself or dig it out of him.

“It’s nothing right now.”

Heaving a sigh, I dropped my head back on the pillow. “Distract me, Parker. Tell me.”

“Are you hurting?”

“No, I’m fine. I just want to not think about lying here right now. So, just tell me.”

One more hand swipe across his face, over his head, and around the back of his neck. “The music executive at the show offered us to go on tour with Rufio.”

“Holy