Dare to Rock

by Carly Phillips

  She shrugged. “That’s when the head of the Children’s Committee can meet. I have an idea I need him to approve.”

  He drank the last of his caffeine fix and put the mug in the sink. “What’s your idea?”

  She blushed but explained, “I want to throw a prom for the teenagers in treatment.”

  He blinked, surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t think these kids have enough to look forward to. There’s a lot they miss out on. I saw the idea on the news. Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York ran the event last year. I have the connections to make it happen here. I want to bring in a makeup team, a hair team, wigs if necessary for those cancer patients who lost their hair.” Her hands flew with expressiveness as she continued. “With Ella’s help, because she works with designers, I can get dresses donated, and these kids can go to their own prom. I don’t care how old they are, imagine how excited they’d be!”

  Her enthusiasm sparkled from her eyes, determination in her voice and expression. He loved watching her get so animated about a subject.

  He leaned back against the kitchen counter, the cold granite at his back. “I don’t think anyone will be able to resist your enthusiasm,” he said, awed by both the idea and the selflessness behind it. When she’d given bone marrow at such a young age, the choice hadn’t been hers exactly, but now the way she gave back, it was.

  “I hope you’re right. Dr. McCann holds tight to those purse strings, but I already have promises of people and businesses who will donate, so I’m sure that will help the cause.” She blew out a long breath and laughed. “Jeez, enough about me. What are you doing today?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Not sure. I was thinking about visiting my mom but …” He trailed off, wishing he’d never brought up the idea.

  “But what?” she asked.

  He turned away, not wanting to admit how badly he’d screwed up with his family. Avery had issues with her father, but her old man deserved it. Grey’s mother was selfless and wonderful, and he hadn’t understood her. Hadn’t treated her with the love and respect she deserved. If he told Avery, she’d be disappointed in him, and he wasn’t sure he could handle seeing condemnation in her eyes when he admitted that he hadn’t been home to visit since his return to Miami.

  “Grey?” Avery placed a hand on his arm, bringing him back to the present.

  “I haven’t been over to see her yet.”

  “What? Why not?”

  He blew out a deep breath and turned to face her, finding Avery looking concerned as she stared at him. “I just haven’t been back in a while.”

  “What’s a while?” she astutely asked.

  He closed his eyes as he answered. “Years.”

  He let the word hang in the air while she digested the information. Even to Grey it was ironic. When he was struggling, and later making some money, he’d come home. Called often. Once he’d hit the big time, he hadn’t had time to visit. Hadn’t made time, he amended. Oh, he’d sent money, bought his mother and stepdad a house, provided items that he thought they should have to make their lives easier.

  None of which made them happy. Having each other made them happy. A visit from Grey would make his mother ecstatic. And he hadn’t given her that. Because he was ashamed.

  “Grey, why? You love your mom, and I know she loves you.”

  “I …” He stammered, searching for the right words to explain the inexplicable. “For years I was embarrassed about my stepfather’s job as a janitor. Even though it was perfectly respectable and honest work, work that put food on the table.” He shook his head, remembering how he’d avoid the hallways if he saw his stepdad at school, ducking the other way.

  “You never said anything to me.”

  “Because I was humiliated. Your father owned buildings; my parents cleaned them.” He hated how shallow it all sounded now. “That judgment I felt, it was part of my need to run, to get away and make something of myself.”

  “I thought that had to do with how your real father treated you,” she said quietly.

  “It was, in part.” Grey’s biological father had molded his mind and warped his perspective in so many ways. “I wanted to be better than the good-for-nothing son he said I was. Although my brain didn’t work like his or my sister Julia’s, I was worth something,” he said, jabbing himself in the chest.

  He felt a pinch and looked down to see her nails curling into his arm. “You’re worth everything,” she whispered.

  He shook his head, unable to let himself believe her words. Maybe one day, when he’d made things right at home, he’d appreciate what she was saying. “I didn’t treat my mom or Ricardo any better than my father treated me. I didn’t realize it until …”

  “Go on. Say it. Whatever it is, get it out.” At some point, she’d come up beside him, her soft body curled into his, as if she knew he needed her close.

  He blew out a breath, dizzy with the word bouncing around his brain. “I never understood her second marriage or their happiness at just being together until I had everything … and realized I was still empty inside.” That was the point when he’d decided he needed to walk away from that life and come back, find the person he used to be. Find Avery.

  “Oh, Grey.”

  He shook his head hard. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t deserve it. I’m more ashamed of how I felt about them than I ever was of them.”

  She stepped in front of him and clasped his face in her hands. “That’s why you’re such a good man. You aren’t your father. You learn from your mistakes. So you were young and stupid.” She shrugged. “Your mother loves you. Not only will she understand, she’ll be so happy to see you she won’t even think about the past.”

  But he would. He’d remember the real estate listings he’d sent them for mansions that required servants, not understanding when they’d turned him down. He wanted them to have anything he could afford. He hadn’t begun to comprehend at the time that money couldn’t buy happiness or fulfillment. Now he knew differently.

  Now he had to face them again. And he didn’t want to do it alone. “I know I shouldn’t ask, but will you go with me to visit them? After your meeting.”

  “Of course I will,” she said, her eyes suspiciously damp.

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled. “Now can we get dressed so I can eat my muffin?”

  He was ready for a mood lightener. “Not unless I can eat your muffin first.” He squeezed her ass in his hand.

  She squealed and turned, taking off for the bedroom. He followed … and it was a long while before they made it downstairs to the bakery.

  He drove her home, and she kissed him good-bye and ran into her building, last night’s clothes balled in her hand, his tee shirt and a pair of old running shorts on her sexy body.

  * * *

  Avery made it home from Grey’s, waved to Ella, and rushed to shower and get ready for their appointment at the hospital. She was running late, which left no time for conversation about Avery’s love life on the way to the hospital. Instead they prepped for the meeting.

  By the time they survived the pitch and discussion with the ever-so-pleasant Dr. McCann, Avery was exhausted. And being woken up by Grey’s tongue and other body parts last night was only part of the reason. She was sore in places she hadn’t known existed, and muscles she’d rarely used felt a sweet ache that reminded her of Grey. She’d done her best to keep her mind on task and any goofy smile off her face during the meeting. She’d have plenty of time to revisit things later and sort out her overwhelming feelings.

  By the time she walked out of their meeting with Dr. McCann, she was glad she’d scheduled the meeting before Ella’s upcoming business trip, so she could have her friend there with her, pushing the cause. Ella often volunteered too, both of them having a unique perspective and understanding of both the patients and their situations. The prom was a dream they shared, and both were determined to make something special happen for these children.
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br />   Dr. McCann had been his usual dour self, but he was impressed with the idea. Avery waited until they rounded a corner, made certain they were alone, and turned to her friend.

  “Well? What’s your take?”

  Ella leaned against the nearest wall and groaned. “I’m cautiously optimistic. I just got the feeling that he didn’t think we could pull this off with no budget. Easier to put the load on us than to just say no,” she muttered.

  Avery nodded. “That’s his M.O. But we are going to show him what happens when he challenges two determined women. At least he said we can hold the event at the hospital. I’d have been willing to ask my father for a ballroom at his hotel, but then the most critically ill kids would have missed out.”

  And those were the kids whose smiles she wanted to see the most. “And this way nobody has to leave the premises. They’ll have medical staff and equipment surrounding them should they need it.”

  Ella’s eyes swam with relief at that too. “So venue is one thing we can cross off our to-do list.” She glanced at her notepad. Avery had a similar list in her purse. “But now we have to find music, get the food donated, handle setup, and clean up ourselves, not to mention everything we already have to plan for pre-prom.”

  Avery nodded. “Dresses for all ages, tuxedoes for the boys, the makeup, hair …” Her shoulders drooped as the list grew. “And Dr. McCann won’t agree until we have all our i’s dotted and t’s crossed.”

  “In blood,” Ella muttered.

  Avery blew out a long breath, meant to be an agreement. “But we can do this.” It would take every bit of persistence and connections they had, but Avery had faith.

  “We can,” Ella agreed. “So now that that’s settled, tell me about last night. Because I can’t remember the last time you didn’t come home. Or remember to text or call if you weren’t.” She folded her arms over her chest and pinned Avery with her best mom stare.

  Avery winced. “I’m sorry if you were worried.”

  “I knew you were with Grey, so I wasn’t worried. I am, however, curious.”

  “It was … amazing,” Avery admitted, feeling her cheeks blush and her body flush with warmth.

  “I’m really happy for you. I knew you two had unresolved feelings,” Ella said, sounding pleased with her powers of deduction.

  “Yes, well, we’re working out those feelings.”

  “In bed.” Ella grinned.

  Avery rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

  “And that’s an improvement over the way you felt last time we spoke.” Ella glanced at her phone, reminding Avery she hadn’t checked hers since before the meeting.

  She pulled her cell from her purse and realized she had six missed calls, some duplicates from various siblings. “So many missed calls,” she said, concerned something was wrong.

  “Is everything okay?” Ella asked.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe one of them left a text.” If not, she’d be calling them ASAP.

  She opened her text messages, and Olivia’s name popped up first. She read out loud. Click this link, then call me.

  Avery clicked on a link to today’s local newspaper. And a photo of her and Grey leaving his apartment this morning showed up on her screen. She wore his too-long tee shirt and a pair of gym shorts, her dress and shoes from last night in her hands. And the headline screamed out at her in all capital letters … REASON FOR TANGLED ROYAL BREAKUP!

  “Oh my God,” she said as the blood rushed from her head.

  “Whoa.” Ella led her to a set of chairs down the hall and eased her into the first seat. “Breathe,” she instructed.

  Avery pulled in deep breaths, trying to calm down and not end up in a full-fledged panic.

  “Let me see that.” Ella took Avery’s phone and stared at the screen. “Well, shit.”

  “No wonder everyone’s been calling me.” Her siblings would see this article and know she’d immediately stress.

  She was going to have to reassure them she was okay, even if her heart was racing, her hands were shaking, and she still had flashing spots in front of her eyes.

  “This is from this morning. I didn’t even see anyone watching us.” Where had they been? How had she not known her photo had been taken? “How did they know to wait outside his building?” she asked Ella.

  “I’m sure that’s standard operating procedure for the paparazzi,” her friend said, her hand still on Avery’s back.

  How did Grey live like this? she wondered.

  “How are you holding up?” Ella asked, concerned.

  Avery swallowed hard. “Not well. I’m going to be a public pariah. The woman who broke up America’s favorite band.” She shivered at the very idea of that kind of awful publicity.

  The fact that it was all lies didn’t matter. People believed what they read, she thought. And worse, the drama probably wasn’t over. This kind of publicity was part of Grey’s life. If their relationship continued, she’d be continually sucked into the drama and made the focus of media scrutiny, she thought, a sudden headache building behind her eyes.

  “Hey. One problem at a time, right? Let’s get through this situation before we worry about what happens next. Come on. Let’s get you home.”

  “Good idea.” She had a sudden yearning for the quiet of her apartment, where she could relax and think things through.

  Avery rose to her feet and Ella followed. “I’ll be fine,” she said out loud, trying to convince herself. And she was, until she arrived at her apartment complex to find reporters waiting outside her building.

  “Holy shit,” Ella muttered. “We’re going to make a run for it, okay?”

  Stunned, Avery nodded.

  They shouted questions at her as she and Ella rushed toward the entrance.

  “Avery, how’s it feel to break up one of the biggest bands in the country?”

  “Avery, any regrets about taking Grey away from the band and dragging him to Miami?”

  “Avery, anything to say to the disappointed fans?”

  Past memories mixed with the present. The men with cameras closed in on her as she made her way to the entrance. Ella grabbed the handle and pushed Avery inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

  Avery breathed out a harsh breath.

  “Assholes,” Ella muttered.

  “Let’s get upstairs.”

  Ella grabbed her hand and they ran for the elevator.

  A few minutes later, Avery was safely inside her apartment. Her heart pounded and sweat dripped off her body. She ducked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face and cooled herself off. Calming down didn’t happen as easily, and she barely refrained from throwing up.

  She didn’t know how to process what had just happened. Her worst nightmares about Grey had come to pass, and she didn’t know how to handle it.

  * * *

  After taking Avery home, Grey worked out in the gym of his building, opting for a hard-core treadmill run instead of going outside and dealing with fans stopping him along the way. Sweating and tired, he walked back into his apartment and picked up his cell to check messages. He wondered if Avery’s meeting had been successful, but he hadn’t heard from her, but he did have a shit ton of alerts.

  He glanced at Lola’s text first. Read and call me ASAP. He clicked the accompanying link, took one look at the photo she’d sent from the local morning paper of Grey and Avery, and his blood pressure soared through the roof.

  “Fuck!” He barely stopped himself from throwing his phone into the nearest wall. Just when things were falling into place with Avery, this happened. Publicity she didn’t want with a negative spin guaranteed to cause her trouble and pain.

  His blood boiling, he scrolled through the rest of his texts, including one from Simon with a thumbs-up, way-to-go message. All publicity is good publicity.

  “Asshole,” Grey muttered. The man made money off them any way he could and knew that any media attention sold music.

  Grey looked at
his email next, scrolling through until something that looked like fan mail stopped him cold. His email went through Simon’s agency. Always. Grey’s personal address was off-limits, and he went to great lengths to keep it that way.

  Chills traveled through him as he read:

  Dear Lover,

  You betrayed me. You know we are meant to be together, but you are fucking that whore. I saw her leave your apartment this morning. That should be me. It will be me. I tried to be nice, to send her messages on her blog, but she isn’t getting the hint to leave you alone. Don’t worry. I will take care of things so we can finally be together.

  Love, now and forever,

  Emerald

  Emerald. Emerald. He racked his brain for a connection, and suddenly he remembered one. At the fan event Simon had arranged before their last few concerts in Miami, Grey had been in a particularly good mood since their touring days were coming to an end. He’d had his game face on, flirting with female fans, keeping them happy and engaged.

  A woman had approached him wearing a sparkling green shirt, extremely low cut, her red hair sprayed hard. She’d leaned over the table, getting too close as she’d asked for an autograph. Marco had stepped forward, and Grey had known he had to get the woman out of there fast.

  He’d winked at her and asked, “What’s your name, or should I just call you Emerald, to match your shirt … and your eyes.” Corny but she’d eaten it up.

  Unfortunately he’d had to sign her chest and not a photo, after which she’d deliberately flashed not just her tit but also her nipple before Marco had grabbed her elbow and escorted her to the next guard at the exit. It wasn’t a sight Grey wanted to remember, and he’d put it and her out of his mind almost immediately. But clearly she recalled the meeting much differently and put much more meaning into it. Now all the crazy in his life was invading Avery’s.

  Grey swore out loud. Could this fucking day get any worse? It was like the universe was conspiring to keep them apart, placing every potential obstacle in their path. This Emerald chick had been stalking and sabotaging Avery’s blog, and to make matters even worse, the media had painted a target on her back by accusing her of breaking up the band. The exact kind of publicity she sought to avoid.