I walked into Elaine’s office and she was sitting behind her desk, her glasses were propped on her head and she looked deep in thought.
“Hey,” I said as I dropped in the chair across from her.
“Hi. Did you get me a copy?”
I laughed. Elaine and I had grown so close this year. “I did. The cover is gorgeous. I can’t wait to read the article.”
I handed her a copy.
“Wow. Great cover. And that’s the tattoo he got for you, right?” She winked and chuckled.
“Yes,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat.
We both opened to the article and read in silence. The first portion was all about how the band met. Cruz hoped that they would be able to hide the discord amongst the band, and as I read it, I didn’t sense any tension. The interview with all the guys was short, and the photographs of the four of them together were peppered across the five page spread. There were several more of Cruz solo, and I studied each and every one of them. He looked amazing. Thank God this hadn’t come out while we were apart. It would have been torture. I turned the page to read Cruz’s interview. They labeled it: Riley Lawson (RL) and Cruz Winslow (CW).
RL - So Cruz, people report all sorts of things about your relationship, are you or aren’t you in one, and if it’s on or off. So, let’s start there. Are you in a relationship with one girl?
CW - Yeah. Have been for over a year. With one girl. I don’t know why it’s such a mystery. Most of the songs I’ve written are for her. I’ve sung to her on stage a couple times and talked about her at our concerts repeatedly. She’s with me as often as she can be, because she’s going to school.
RL - I assume we’re talking about Jade Moore?
CW – Yes.
RL - So, when that story from Farrah Clearwater came out that she was with you in Miami, it was a lie?
CW - A blatant lie. I don’t fuck around on Jade. I was with my girl the weekend Farrah claimed she was with me. I have no idea why she made it up.
RL - Why didn’t you come out and defend yourself?
CW - Because it feeds the flame. I don’t need to justify lies with a response. As long as Jade knows the truth, that’s all that matters to me.
RL - I like that.
CW – Thanks.
RL - So, tell me, where do you see yourself in five years?
CW – Honestly…I don’t know. I definitely see myself married to Jade. She’ll be in med school then. I hope to be writing music, maybe teaching art, traveling, all that good stuff.
RL – Doesn’t sound like the life of a rock star.
CW – I think the only way to make it in this business is to have a life outside of it. Or you’ll drown in the chaos of it all.
RL – That makes sense. Is it difficult doing the long-distance thing? Especially while being on the road?
CW – It’s not fun. Jade’s the real deal, you know. She works her ass off. She wants to be a doctor. She’s the best person I know. And dating me isn’t easy. She’s been forced into the public eye, and it’s attention she never asked for.
RL – I’m sure that’s not easy. You have to trust one another immensely.
CW – There’s no problem there. Jade and I are solid.
RL – So if she has years of school left, and you’re on tour, how long can you keep this up? You know, being apart?
CW – As long as we need to.
RL – Good answer.
CW – Thanks. (laughs).
RL – So it appears people just really want to know you, and you’ve been pretty private up until now. We got a ton of questions that our readers sent in. Do you mind if I fire through a few of those?
CW – Sure.
RL – Okay. What do you do for fun?
CW – Hang out with my girl, go to the beach, galleries, travel.
RL – Favorite color?
CW – Black. (laughs)
RL – (laughing from previous answer) Okay. This is a popular one. How did you and Jade meet?
CW – In the dorms. My brother, Adam, and I went to check out the new freshman, and I met her.
RL – Love at first sight?
CW – For me, yes, absolutely. For Jade, no. She hated me before she loved me. (laughs).
RL – You grew up in a Hollywood family, has that helped you deal with fame?
CW – I don’t actually know. Possibly. I definitely think it helped to get us here.
RL – This one’s a good one. What inspires you to write music. Do songs just come to you?
CW – I think life inspires me. Most of the songs I’ve written this past year have been inspired by Jade. So, I guess love probably has a lot to do with inspiration.
RL – Wow. I like that. I have to say, I didn’t expect you to be so—open and honest.
CW – I try to keep my personal life private, you know? But I don’t have anything to hide. It’s more to protect those I love. Which is a very small group of people. (laughs).
RL – I get that. What about school? You were attending Northwestern before you went on tour, one of the top academic schools in the country. Have you always been a good student?
CW – Yes. School has always come easy for me, with the exception of science.
RL – That’s ironic, huh?
CW – Why’s that?
RL – Because your girlfriend wants to be a doctor, I’m guessing she’s pretty good at science. (laughs).
CW – Oh, yeah. She is. She actually tutored me, and that’s how I wormed my way into her heart. (laughs).
RL – Well, it looks like that was a good thing. You’ve been together for quite a while now. How does she handle the pressure of the press, and the attention?
CW – Jade puts up with it for me, but she has no desire to be in the spotlight.
RL – She sounds like a keeper.
CW – One hundred percent.
RL – One last question, because I know we’re going to get it after some of the photos are printed when this article goes to press.
CW – Okay.
RL – What is the meaning behind your tattoo? More Jade?
CW – Exactly what it says. More Jade. I always want more. (laughs).
RL – Before this interview, I wouldn’t have guessed you a romantic. (laughs).
CW – Only with one girl. (laughs).
RL – As it should be. Thank you for talking with me today, Cruz.
CW – Sure. Thanks for having me.
There was a closing paragraph thanking Cruz and the band for taking the time to meet with Rock the Band.
“That was something,” Elaine said, fanning her face with the magazine and laughing. “That boy is crazy about you.”
My cheeks burned, and I bit down on my bottom lip. “Yeah, that was so nice.”
“Nice? You have a rock star pledging his love for you to the world. That’s damn sexy,” Elaine said.
I laughed and shook my head. I was so glad Cruz and I were back on track. He really did love me. I didn’t doubt that. “I know. I wish I could go surprise him tonight for his birthday.”
“Why can’t you?”
“Well, I have a review session tonight, which is mandatory. I’m working with you tomorrow morning.” I chuckled and held my arms up in question. “And I have a review session for my final in anatomy tomorrow afternoon. Why it was scheduled on a weekend is beyond me.”
“Okay, I’m going to give you a little unsolicited advice. You’ve got a long road ahead of you with school, kiddo. Find your balance. Go to your review session tonight and fly out right after. It’s not that long of a flight to New York. And I don’t even need you tomorrow. You can have someone take notes for you at the review session tomorrow. Do you have anyone you trust in there?” she asked.
I twirled my ring around my finger. “Maybe. I could ask
Brayden. But I’d have to book a flight, and it’s such short notice.”
I wanted to surprise Cruz, and I could probably try to reach Lennon to ask Ponch if he would fly me, but they were in meetings all day and had a show they were getting ready for. And doing it on such short notice would be a lot to ask of Ponch. I’d need to book my own flight. I had a credit card with plenty of room on it. I could do this.
“You text Brayden, and I’ll look up the flights. You could get in late tonight and fly home Sunday. You’d technically have two nights there, and it would be the best birthday surprise.”
“Okay. Let me text him. Thank you. I can’t believe you’re helping me with this,” I said with a laugh. My mentor had become so much more. She was a friend too.
“Are you kidding? This is the most excitement I’ve had in years.” She smiled while her fingers tapped out the info on her keyboard.
Me ~ Hey. Is there any way you could take notes for me at the review session for anatomy tomorrow if I need to miss it?
Brayden ~ Of course. Everything okay?
Me ~ Yes. Everything is great. I appreciate it so much.
“He said yes,” I said, shaking my head. Still surprised I was doing this.
“It’s meant to be. What time is your review tonight?”
“Six to eight,” I said, moving to the other side of her desk and pulling out my credit card.
“Can you get to the airport for a nine-thirty flight? It will get you into New York a little after midnight with the time change, but hey, you’ll be there on his birthday, right?”
“Yes.” My hands were shaking as I typed in my credit card info and booked the flight.
This was going to be the best surprise ever.
And it was my way of saying I was ready to jump in with both feet.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cruz
I dropped down on the couch in our suite. I’d been in rehearsals all day, as this was a new venue we were performing in tonight. Jade had given me bits and pieces about the article, and she seemed pleased with it. I’d had dozens of texts from friends and family. My mom had phoned to say she loved the cover and the article. My father had gone radio silent over the last few days. He hadn’t been welcome to join our family therapy sessions yet, and Lennon and Mom were both still not speaking to him. He’d been calling me incessantly up until two days ago. My family was still in the midst of a shit storm, but we were finding our way through it. I was surprised I hadn’t heard from my father today, as no one had been more excited about the spread in Rock the Band than him.
I liked Riley Lawson, and the interview was fair and honest. She didn’t twist any of my words or make any assumptions. I was thankful for that, because I’d been warned that they could make you appear a certain way if they didn’t like you. That wasn’t the case here.
I tried to call Jade before I went to grab a bite to eat with the guys on our way to the show. She’d be heading to her review session, but it was worth a try.
It went to voicemail, so I sent her a text.
Me ~ Hey. Just leaving for dinner and the show. Hope the review goes well. I’ll talk to you at midnight. Love you.
More Jade ~ Talk to you tonight. Just started review. Love you more!
“What the fuck is going on with Luke?” Adam asked as we watched our manager huddled in the corner with his phone. He raised his voice multiple times, which wasn’t like Luke.
“The fuck if I know,” I said.
“You guys aren’t exactly the easiest band to manage. He’s always putting out fires. It’s probably nothing.” Tia stretched her neck from left to right and did a few stretches. The girl did some crazy ass stunts in her act, so it never surprised me that she needed to warm up before she went on.
The crowd was already rowdy and loud—the energy palpable.
“You aren’t in this band so keep your ass out of our business,” Dex said.
“Okay, chill out, dude. She’s just trying to help.” Lennon moved between them.
Dex kept wiping his nose and there were remnants of white powder there, because he didn’t care to clean himself up. The dude was so out of control, I wondered how he was still functioning.
“Fuck you, Lennon,” Dex mumbled before reaching for a bottle of whiskey and tipping his head back.
Tia got called out on stage, and we sat and watched as she warmed up the crowd.
Luke walked over, and he didn’t look happy. “You guys ready?”
“What’s going on?” Lennon asked.
He let out a long sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “Shit. I didn’t want to tell you until after the show, but I don’t want you to be blindsided out there if anyone shouts something out to you.”
“What is it?” I asked, and my stomach twisted.
He stared at Dex as he spoke. “Fucking Farrah Clearwater is claiming she’s pregnant.”
Dex laughed with zero emotion.
“She’s claiming it’s yours, Cruz. She’s gone to the press.” Luke turned to look at me.
“What? I’ve never even met this chick,” I said.
“I know.”
“Is it yours?” Lennon asked Dex. “Why doesn’t she just say she banged you?”
“The hell if I know. It can’t be mine. I wrap my shit up. She was obsessed with Winslow the night I banged her though,” Dex admitted.
What the actual fuck.
“Well, the article in Rock the Band makes it clear that I was never with her. Let people think what they want. I’ll demand a paternity test and we can share the results publicly,” I said. This girl was a crazy bitch, and I worried about how it would affect Jade. We were barely back on track, and I was trying to earn her trust. I’d talk to her tonight and see how she wanted me to handle it.
“Okay. And maybe you could try to talk to her?” Luke said to Dex.
“I can do that,” Dex said, surprising me. Dex wasn’t usually the most cooperative guy.
“And FYI dude, you can get a girl pregnant even if you wrap it up. I’d demand a paternity test to make sure it isn’t yours since you actually did sleep with her.” Luke didn’t hide his frustration.
Tia came jogging off stage and high fived me on the way out. We put on one hell of a show and it was fairly drama-free. I was tired and ready to call it a night. Luke was still putting out fires on his phone, and when I stepped on the tour bus, he chucked his cell phone at the wall. Everyone stilled. The dude never lost his cool.
He dropped to sit on the bench and buried his face in his hands.
“Dude, what’s going on?” I sat beside him, and Lennon and Adam stared with concern. Dex boarded the bus with three chicks in tow, not a care in the world.
Yeah, dickhead, you might have a kid on the way, but by all means, have some fun.
“Take them in back,” Adam said to Dex, shooting him a warning glare.
“Yes, your highness. Will do.” He cackled with laughter as he walked toward the back of the bus.
“Your father gave an interview that just came out. It’s going viral. He said Cruz was planning to leave the band. He basically blamed Jade for it. She’s going to take a shit ton of heat, Cruz. Even if we make a statement and try to clear it up, he planted a seed and put it out there. He also commented on Farrah’s claims that you got her pregnant. He said he hoped it was true because it would mean you probably wouldn’t leave Exiled if you were with someone else.”
I pushed to my feet and kicked the large box sitting on the floor beside Luke. Little pieces of cardboard flew through the air and rolls of toilet paper made their way across the bus.
“Motherfucker,” I spewed.
I had some crazy bitch I’d never met claiming she was pregnant with my child, and a father who’d thrown my girlfriend to the wolves along with causing a shit ton of grief for the band.
“Jesus.
What is wrong with that man?” Lennon dropped to sit beside Luke on the bench seat.
“Dex,” I shouted at the back end of the bus.
Dex stumbled out toward me. “You bellowed?”
“I need you to call that chick and straighten this out. Do you have her number?” I asked.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. We don’t want to make things worse,” Luke said, running his hands through his hair. “Your dad basically just validated her like it’s a real thing.”
“Fuck.” The voice that left my body was unrecognizable as my anger bounced off the walls.
“I talk to her sometimes. It wouldn’t be odd for me to text her,” Dex said, and we all turned to look at him with surprise. They were friends? What the actual fuck. How had he not stepped in before now.
“You talk to her? Jesus, Dex. For fuck’s sake, call her and get her to change her statement. Get her to tell the fucking truth,” Lennon said, pushing to his feet and getting in his face.
“Dude. I don’t talk to her daily. We snap and text here and there.”
“Then try to clean this mess up. You’re the one who brought her into this situation, the least you can do is help fix it,” Luke said.
Dex put his hands up defensively. “I’ll call her now.”
I dropped to sit next to my brother, as we listened to Dex make the call. Unfortunately, we could only hear one end of the conversation, and it was all, uh huh, and mmhmms. I rolled my eyes and Luke mouthed several questions to ask.
Why did she make this up?
What is her beef with Cruz?
Dex listened intently, nodding and smiling the entire time, which made me want to rip his fucking face off. He ended the call as we pulled up to the hotel.
“What did she say?” Lennon asked.
“She said she originally made it up because it got her a shit ton of followers on social media. Hey, at least she’s honest.” Dex smirked.
“Why not say she banged you? Which is the truth.” I said.
“She said she actually liked me and didn’t want to do that to me. Plus, she thought with you being the lead singer, it would get her more attention.”
“Christ. What is wrong with people? So, what’s the deal with the pregnancy?” Luke moved toward the door to exit the bus.
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