A few seconds of processing told me what he meant, and I couldn’t even think of getting upset. “Of course not.”
“Really?”
I took his hands in mind. “Van, do whatever you need, whatever Phillip needs. Be there for him. I’ll be fine.”
“But we were supposed to have time together, just us.”
“We will. Another time. Phillip needs you right now.”
“He does. I was talking to the guys, and I think we’re going to head up to my house. Disappearing for a few days feels like it might be best. It’ll help Phillip get his head on straight and keep him out of the spotlight. We can figure shit out as a band.”
I nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m sorry,” he said as he buried his face against my stomach. “This is so fucked up. I’m so worried about him.”
“I know,” I said as I ran my fingers through his hair. “He’s lucky he has you guys.”
Van sighed. “I hoped he realizes it.” He raised his head to look at me. “Are you going to go home now?”
I hesitated, not having really thought of what I was going to do. But if I went home, I could try to reconnect with Amy. She’d have a hard time ignoring me face-to-face.
“I guess so.”
“I wish I could go with you,” Van said.
I smiled. “Me too,” I said as I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. “You can still call me. We can talk whenever you want.”
“It won’t be the same. I had all these things planned for us,” he said around a sigh.
“Save them for another time. I’m not going to lie and tell you I won’t miss getting some full-on Van-time, but as long as you promise me that we’ll do it eventually, I’ll get over it.”
He smiled. “Van-time. Why does it sound so sexy when you say that?”
I returned his smiled. “Because you know what Van-time entails.”
“Mmm, I sure do,” he said as he gently eased me onto my back and slowly crawled up so his face hovered over mine. “I actually wouldn’t mind some of that right now.”
“I thought you were tired?”
He shook his head. “Never too tired for that, not with you.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” I said, but he was already slipping his hands under my shirt.
I knew he wasn’t going to stop, and I figured it was probably for the best. I needed to get my fill of him before we were apart for five days. That was going to be hard. We hadn’t been apart for that long since we’d gotten back together, and I’d become so dependent on his presence. I knew he needed to be there for Phillip, but selfishly, I wished we could have had our week together. I had a feeling it would have been fairly perfect.
Chapter Eighteen
Elisa
I hadn’t been thinking about the time of year, so of course when I went to Amy’s sorority house, no one was there. It was almost summer, and classes at UCLA were over. I’d tried calling her again, and again she didn’t answer. So I tried my mom, figuring she could tell me where Amy was living for the summer, but when she didn’t answer I assumed she was with a client. She was an interior decorator, and when she was with someone important, she didn’t take any calls.
Sighing in frustration, I decided to go see my dad. The drive out to Pasadena wasn’t bad, and when I got there his receptionist, Robyn, said he was free and to go on back. She told me he was in Studio B, so I headed back there, knowing the way all too well. I’d worked for my dad while I’d been in high school and during my first two years of college, answering phones and running errands. I think he’d been hoping I’d continue to work for him after I graduated, but he knew where my passion lay at that point, so he was more than happy to help me pursue my dream job.
When I walked into the studio, I found him fiddling with the soundboard in front of him, tweaking the mix of a song that was heavy in guitar and banjo. It had a cool sound, so I stood there and listened to it. My dad looked up and smiled, nodding his head in time with the beat.
I smiled back at him, taking a few moments to appreciate how truly elated he looked. I thought I’d seen my dad at his happiest when he’d been performing all those years ago, but after he switched to producing, I knew he’d truly found his passion. He’d always loved the creation of music, the small tweaks to the sound that would grab your ear and keep you listening – and he was good at it.
I loved that he still looked like a rock star, even though he hadn’t performed in a long time. He was on the dark side of fifty, as he liked to say, and his brown hair was salted with gray, but he’d never given up the look he’d worn when he’d toured the country with Shadowmen for close to twenty-five years, always favoring fitted t-shirts, worn jeans and boots. He’d never been one to put on airs, even though he had more than enough money to do so.
“You like it?” he asked me as he turned down the volume on the song.
I smiled. “Of course. Who is it?”
“Sabrina Tyler,” he said, pausing to watch my reaction.
It took me a few seconds to process that, which he’d probably assumed would happen.
“Sabrina Tyler? As in the child star/teen pop star who crashed and burned at eighteen?” I questioned.
He nodded. “That’s her. A few stints in rehab combined with some real vocal and guitar training, and this is supposed to be her comeback.
“Well, I love the song. Is that bad? I kind of hated her when she was doing all that crazy shit a few years back.”
My dad leaned back in his chair. “She’s actually a really nice person, and she’s got a hell of a voice. I’d say the crazy shit was a product of the drugs, but that’s just me. She didn’t seem at all crazy when she was in here, and Heartbreak Records just signed her to a two album deal.”
“That’s the label that represents Sydney and Westside. That’s a big deal.”
“It is. You should have seen the fanfare when she was in here – too many people in suits putting in their two cents. But Sabrina impressed me. She knew what she wanted, and she was smart about it. She stood her ground when she needed to, and she was open to suggestions. Because of that I think her album is going to be pretty strong.”
“Huh. Interesting,” I said, pushing off the doorframe.
“I think so. So, to what do I owe the honor of my oldest daughter coming to visit me? Your mom said you were in town for a few days, but I wasn’t sure we’d get to see you.”
I sighed. “I’m actually try to track Amy down.”
My dad laughed. “Ah, that’s exactly what a father wants to hear. You couldn’t even humor me a little and pretend you wanted to see your old man.”
“Dad,” I said, rolling my eyes at him. “You know I love you, and I’m always happy to see you, but Amy won’t return my calls. She’s mad at me for something that wasn't even my fault.”
He nodded. “I heard something about that.”
“From her?” I asked hopefully.
“Nah,” he said. “Your mom said you girls were fighting over a boy.”
I felt my eyes get wide. “No, we’re not! Not even close.”
My dad threw his hands up in surrender. “Hey! I might have gotten the details wrong. You want to enlighten me?”
“No, it’s not worth rehashing,” I said around a sigh, knowing my dad would hit the roof if he knew Troy had hit on me. I wouldn’t put it past him to do something drastic.
“Well, maybe you two can talk things out when she gets here,” he said, catching me off-guard.
“Amy’s coming here?”
“She is. We’re having lunch. She should be here in about ten minutes.”
“Mind if I invite myself?” I asked him as I took a seat in the chair next to him, turning to face him.
“Of course not. Hell, I barely see my girls. It would be a treat to have lunch with you both at the same time,” he said, winking at me. “And until Amy gets here, you can tell me all about life on the road.”
“Do you miss it?”
&n
bsp; He shrugged. “Parts of it, but I like being home with your mom each night. I know it wasn’t easy for her to be married to a musician.”
A shadow must have passed over my face as I contemplated his words, or my dad could just read me that well, but before I knew it, he was eyeing me skeptically.
“What?” I asked him.
“That look you just gave me.”
“I didn’t give you a look.”.
He laughed. “Who’s the guy? Which defunct rock star has stolen your heart, and do I need to be worried?”
“Dad!” I chastised him, but I could feel my cheeks get hot.
“Come on. Don’t keep me in suspense. I’m imaging the worst at this point. You forget how many of those guys I know.”
I took a deep breath. “You can relax. It’s just Van.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Van? Van Salvatore?”
I nodded sheepishly, knowing what he was thinking.
“The guy who broke your heart two years ago,” he said resolutely. “I’m not sure that’s much better.”
I sighed. “That was a long time ago, Dad. He’s different. He’s a good guy.”
“Oh yeah?”
I nodded. “Yeah. He’s actually great.”
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
I hesitated before nodding, figuring it wouldn’t do me any good to lie to my dad. “I am. But I haven’t told him yet. Everything’s still really new.”
“He’s not here with you this week?”
I shook my head. “No, he’s with the other guys from Westside. They went away for the week – guys only.”
He nodded. “Dodging the media, are they?”
“A little,” I said, not surprised to hear that he knew what had happened with Phillip. There was very little that happened in the industry that he wasn’t aware of.
“It’ll blow over,” he promised. “He’s not the first person to show their fallibility in front of the cameras.”
“I know, but you also know it’s different for a band like Westside. When part of your image is being wholesome and upstanding, it doesn’t look good to be wasted at an event with millions of fans watching.”
“I agree. What did Katherine say about it?”
“She wasn’t happy. We all got talking points for how to navigate through questions from the press, and I have a feeling there are going to be tighter controls on alcohol in the future. She feels like she can smooth over the fallout and the attention will die off pretty quickly, but she’s also going to do what she can to prevent something like this from happening again.”
My dad nodded. “Katherine’s good at what she does, but she’s also a stickler for professionalism when it’s warranted. She doesn’t stand for anything that could hurt a band’s success or reputation.”
“I know. She’s ruthless when she wants to be.”
“That she is. So how does she feel about you dating someone who’s in the band you’re working for?”
Dammit. I should have known he’d go there.
I bit my lip to buy time. “She, uh, actually doesn’t know that we’re dating. No one does. It’s sort of something we’re not telling people about until the tour’s over.”
“That’s a long time to keep such a big secret, Elisa.”
“I know, but there’s no other way. You know as well as I do that Katherine would be pissed if she found out.”
My dad laughed non-humorously. “She’d be more than pissed.”
“I know.”
“And you’ve thought this through. You’ve thought about what’s on the line?”
I nodded. “I love him, Dad.”
“Enough to hurt your career for him?”
“I’m not sure I can see a way to get everything I want,” I said honestly. “I want to be with Van, and I want my job. I won’t quit on Westside in the middle of their tour, and I can’t wait until October to be with him. I’m sort of stuck.”
“Be careful,” he warned, telling me what I already knew.
“I’ll do my best,” I told him, right as the door behind me opened.
I turned around just in time to see my sister glaring at me. “What is she doing here?!”
“Hi Amy. How are you?” my dad asked her.
She just glared at him. “Did you invite her?”
“I did not. She just stopped by, and frankly, I’m thrilled to see her.”
Amy crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. “That’s because she didn’t kiss your boyfriend.”
I felt my jaw fall open. “What are you talking about?!” I said, right as my dad said, “On that note, I think I’m going to go in the other room.”
We both turned to him.
“Don’t leave,” I told him.
He threw his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I want no part in this.”
I knew he was probably thinking he’d seen enough knock-down drag-outs between his daughters over the years, and they were never fun to experience. But this time was different. We had nothing to fight about. I hadn’t done what she said I did.
“I didn’t kiss her boyfriend!” I told my dad.
“Yes, you did!” Amy said in frustration.
“All the more reason for you two to talk things out then,” my dad said as he scooted by me, patting me on the shoulder. He gave Amy a kiss on the cheek as he passed her.
“Let me know when you girls are ready for lunch,” he said as he left and closed the door behind us.
I turned to my sister who had her arms crossed and was glaring a hole through me. I decided to fight fire with fire and fixed her with a hard stare. “You want to talk about this?” I asked her.
“No,” she said, sounding like a complete brat. “If I wanted to talk about it, I would have called you back after the fiftieth time you called me.”
“So you didn’t lose your phone,” I said sarcastically.
“Of course not.”
“Great. Good to know. So you really think I kissed Troy?”
“That’s what he said, so yes.”
I laughed out loud. I couldn’t help it. It was so preposterous that she would even suggest it.
“Oh, you think it’s funny? Because it’s not. It was a shitty thing to do, Elisa.”
“Amy, I promise you, I didn’t kiss Troy,” I said, trying to hide my shudder.
“Then why did he say you did?” she demanded.
“Because he’s a sociopathic liar?” I ventured.
“He is not!”
“Amy,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I told you what happened. I was outside, and Troy came up behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders, and he hit on me – blatantly. I’m sorry that he did that, but it was all him. I didn’t invite him over, and I certainly didn’t do anything to encourage him. If you want the truth, I didn’t even like him when I met him. I thought he was shady, and I don’t think he’s a good guy, especially after the way he was ogling Veronica Isaac.”
“You’re lying!” she screamed, and I was glad the room was soundproof. No one else needed to hear our argument. “You’re jealous! You’re jealous that I have a boyfriend, and you’re alone. You were mad that night because Van was there with Veronica, and you wished he was there with you! Troy wasn’t ogling her, Van was, and it made you mad. You’re a jealous bitch, and I’m sick of it!”
I started to open my mouth to defend myself and to tell Amy that I wasn’t jealous, that actually, I had a boyfriend, that Van and I were together, and the last thing I wanted was Troy, but I realized quickly that not only was she pissed at me, but she also didn’t seem like she was going to change her mind. If she knew that Van and I were dating, I wouldn’t put it past her to try to sabotage my career just to get back at me for what she perceived I’d done wrong. I couldn’t tell her.
“You know what?” I said, instead of proving her wrong.
“What?” she snarled.
“I’m not having this conversation. You’re my sister, and I love you. I would never kiss your bo
yfriend, and if you can’t believe that, then there’s really nothing else for me to say.”
I stood up and started to walk past her. She grabbed my arm as I went, and I noticed faint bruising around her neck that looked like it had been covered up with make-up. I looked up and met her glaring gaze.
“What happened to your neck? Did he do that to you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she growled.
“Fine,” I said, yanking my arm free. “Be with an asshole and a cheater who beats women. You’re on your own.”
“He doesn’t beat women!” she yelled.
“Right,” I said, reaching past her to open the door. I turned back to her. “Call me when everything comes crashing down around you, because it absolutely will. I might just answer the phone.”
I knew it was immature and so incredibly spiteful, but I was livid – for too many reasons to count. I was fuming as I stalked back out to the reception area where my dad was sitting in a chair across from Robyn’s desk, talking to her and tossing a racquet ball into the air.
Her chair was pushed back, and one of her hands was on her hugely swollen belly, the other holding a print out of my dad’s calendar for the following week. She was nine months pregnant with her third child, and in front of her on her desk were pictures of her other children, whose names I couldn’t remember. She’d only worked for my dad for about a year, so I didn’t know her all that well.
“You two get everything worked out?” my dad asked me.
“No. Not even close,” I said, feeling the tears starting to well up in my eyes. “She’s so stubborn.”
“I’ll talk to her,” he offered.
I nodded as my eyes filled with tears. My dad saw this and stood, pulling me in for a hug.
“You girls will get past this,” he said as I silently let my tears fall and he rubbed my back.
“I didn’t kiss her boyfriend,” I insisted.
“I know you didn’t,” he said softly. “You’ve never done anything but take care of Amy. She’ll realize soon enough that she’s got the story wrong.”
I had no idea how she could believe Troy over me, but she did, and it hurt like a knife in my gut. I took a deep breath and pulled away from my dad, looking up at him with tear-stained cheeks.
Westside Series Box Set Page 66