“Let’s see if she can say the alphabet backwards,” said Chord.
The doctor, a middle-aged man with thick-rimmed glasses, returned to the room. “Oh, hello.” He smiled, pressing his glasses up on his nose. “Looks like your visitors came just in time to see you discharged.”
“I’m her pop. Thanks for treating our girl.” Billy shook the doc’s hand, all strong and manly. “How’s her throat?”
“Very good considering the circumstances. Addison has some light bruising but it should fade in a few days. I’ve prescribed her some medication for the pain. Just rest and she should be fine.” The doctor’s cheeks reddened. A pause. The doctor was clearly working up to something. “Mr. Wanks and Mr. Price, my daughter is a big fan. Would you mind signing this?” The doctor held out a pad of paper and a pen.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Warren muttered. Still he signed the paper, as did the rest of the two bands. The doctor thanked them profusely and left.
Billy scratched his chin. “Maybe we should cancel Coeur d’Alene.” The next tour stop. “Hang out in Seattle for a bit while you recover.”
That was exactly the opposite of what I wanted. There was no way we’d be able to hide this from the media. It would be announced that the show was canceled because of Billy’s daughter. The fans would have a field day. My face would be plastered all over social media. Enraged ticket holders would graffiti my picture, drawing on devil horns and tails. They wouldn’t care about the circumstances. When your father was a superstar, he didn’t belong to you alone. A part of him always remained with the fans.
“No.” I scrambled from the bed. Instantly, Warren’s hands were on my shoulders ushering me back down. I didn’t miss that Billy’s eyes widened at the gesture. I settled in the bed. “Hands off, Price,” I said, smoothing the sheet back over me.
“Stay the fuck in bed,” he barked.
“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d think there was something going on between you two,” Daisy said. For the most part, she’d been quiet. As soon as she spoke, the look on everyone’s faces, except for Warren’s and mine, changed. Now everyone looked speculative, curious, as if they were trying to sniff out some big secret.
“Excellent observation, Daisy love,” Billy said. Then he turned his attention to me. “You and Price seem awfully chummy.”
I licked my lips, suddenly finding my lap fascinating. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Warren’s chair screeched as he stood, rising to my defense or his. Most likely his, Warren did things out of his best interest only.
I popped my head up, eyes landing on Daisy, sending her a pleading look. Billy didn’t see, he was too busy staring down Warren.
“I’m sure Billy appreciates you helping Addy out, Warren,” Daisy piped up. “He’s very grateful.” She nudged Billy.
“Yeah, grateful,” Billy said, shaking back to life.
“I bet Gabe will be grateful, too,” Daisy said. “In fact you should call him, Addy. I’m sure he’d want to know you were injured and are all right.”
Warren twisted toward me. “Gabe?”
Billy smiled, but it was hard-edged. “That’s right. Gabe. Little bird’s boyfriend.”
Then just to make it worse, Jett helpfully added, “He gave her that hickey.”
This was it, the end of the line. All the secrets I’d carefully kept—my quickie marriage, my painful hospital stay, my fake football player boyfriend—Billy was about to find out. Game over. As soon as Billy knew about Warren and me, I’d spill the rest. Billy would give me that silent look and I’d fold like a cheap suit.
Warren’s jaw ticked. I shut my eyes and waited to hear Warren’s confession. Actually, Billy, Addy and I are married. We’ve been married for three years and I’m too much of a bastard to sign the divorce papers. Also, we’ve had sex, lots of really hot, steamy sex. If you hadn’t interrupted us the other night on my bus, we probably would’ve had some more sex. Scratch that, we wouldn’t have had sex, but Warren would probably say something like that, just to get under Billy’s skin.
Plop. I felt something land on my stomach. I opened my eyes. A cellphone rested right on top of my belly button. “There’s my cell phone, Addy,” Warren said, his mouth flat, unimpressed. “Go ahead and give your man a call.”
Dammit, Warren must’ve known I was lying. It was probably Jett’s hickey comment that did me in. Warren waited, his silence calling my bluff. I picked up the cell phone, handling it like it might burn me. I slid the unlock button. “Code?” I asked when the screen prompted me.
“Zero eight one four,” Warren replied.
August fourteenth, our wedding anniversary. What was Warren thinking? The screen lit up and on the background there was a picture of me. We had been in Prague. I’d found a beautiful glass ring to buy and modeled it for Warren as he snapped the picture. It was before we were married. I’d slipped the ring on my wedding finger as a joke and Warren had removed it with his mouth. “Better keep that finger free, baby.”
Why would he have this picture? Why, if I meant nothing to him like he’d intimated in Rome, would he keep a photo of me and relive that moment every time he looked at his phone?
My eyes fluttered to Warren’s. His cheeks were flushed under his tan. He looked away, jaw clenching.
“It’s late, I don’t want to wake Gabe.” My excuse sounded feeble.
Warren’s glare turned on me full force. “Make the fucking call, Addy.” If Warren had a hate list, Billy would be number one and Gabe would be number two. Warren had never understood my close relationship with Gabe. He’d even tried forbidding me from contacting him. That hadn’t gone well. I’d told Warren where he could stick it, complete with a lovely hand gesture.
I dialed as if my fingers were on fire. Don’t answer, don’t answer, I mentally pleaded. Two rings and Gabe picked up. “Yeah?” On my end, silence. I couldn’t make my voice work. “Hello?” he prompted.
“Gabe?” His name came out of me as a squeak.
“Yeah, who’s this?” His voice was loud on the other line. So loud, I was sure everyone in the room could hear it. Deftly, I clicked the volume down.
“It’s me. Addy.”
“Addy? What’s the matter? You sound funny.”
“I know. I… I got into some trouble at the concert tonight. I went into the crowd and got a little roughed up.”
“Are you okay? Do you need me to come up?” He was fully alert now.
“I’m fine. No need to come up.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. But I couldn’t tell Gabe that, not here, not now. “I’m okay. How are Pete and Mel?”
I could hear the smile in his voice. “They’re good. They miss you.”
“Tell him about family dinner,” Billy chimed in.
“What’s that?” Gabe asked.
“Billy wants to get together with you and your parents when the tour comes to Portland.” I played with the sheet on the bed. Warren was sitting back down, his foot tapping a furious beat. His mulish face reminded me of a cranky toddler. It was very likely Warren had never outgrown his terrible twos.
Gabe chuckled. “That should be interesting.”
“Give him the date.” Billy inserted himself into the conversation again.
“What does he want now?” asked Gabe.
“He wants me to tell you the dates we’ll be in Portland.”
“Flower, tell her the date,” Billy hollered to Daisy.
Daisy took out her phone and scrolled through it. “It’s the twenty-fourth and the twenty-fifth.”
“Did you hear that, little bird? It’s the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth,” Billy repeated.
Ugh. I didn’t get super annoyed with my father often, but sometimes he could be like a chigger under my skin. Plus, my drugs were wearing off and my throat was starting to ache again. “Do you want to talk to him?” I held the phone out to Billy.
Billy stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Of course not, little bird. You’re doing a fine job.”
“Then keep your mouth shut.”
Billy put his hand to his chest, a mortally wounded expression on his face. “You speak like that to me? Your own father?”
I ignored him. Shifting in the bed, I turned away from broody Warren and the room. “I better go,” I said into the phone to Gabe. “He’s just going to get worse if I stay on the phone.”
“Jesus, he’s like a kid sometimes,” Gabe said.
“I know. I’ll see you when we come to Portland?”
“Of course. I’m looking forward to it. Love you, Ads.”
His sentiment was much harder to deflect on the phone. And the truth was I did love Gabe. Just not in the same way he loved me. “Love you, too.” It was wrong to say it. I felt awful. Those words ignited a spark of hope in Gabe. But the truth was, no matter how badly I wanted Gabe to be the one, he wasn’t. I turned back around and held out the phone to Warren. “Thanks,” I said.
He took it from me. And by the look on his face—the anger, the hurt, the betrayal—I knew Warren had heard every last word of my conversation with Gabe. I refused to feel bad.
After much convincing, that included some whiny begging, Billy decided not to delay the tour. But I did elect to stay an extra night in Seattle. Or rather, Billy decided I should stay an extra night in Seattle then catch up with the tour via plane ride at the next stop, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It was also decided Daisy would stay with me. Billy booked us into a suite at a five-star hotel in downtown Seattle.
Billy kissed Daisy rather inappropriately outside the hotel. Then he turned to me. “You’ll be all right?” he asked, eyeing me carefully. “I can stay.”
“I’m fine.” I even tilted my neck to show that it didn’t hurt. It did hurt. It so hurt. But I knew Billy—if I gave any indication of pain, he’d cancel his next show or, worse, put me back in the hospital.
“I’ve hired a private security detail for you for the rest of the trip. Her name is Kelly. Along with being an excellent shot, she has a nursing license. She’s going to stay with you tonight, make sure you take your pills and follow the doctor’s orders. Then she’ll act as your bodyguard for the rest of the trip.”
“That’s totally unnecessary,” I bit out.
“I’m not taking any more risks with your safety, little bird.” He touched my nose with his forefinger. I batted it away. I’d hated when he did that when I was seven, and I liked it even less now. I could always sense when I was being condescended to. “Now…” He held out both his arms wide and shook his hands. “Embrace me. I’m going to miss my girls.”
I gave Billy a quick hug. Daisy sank into his arms and they did some more inappropriate kissing. I wandered off into the lobby of the hotel. It was really spectacular, marble floors, crystal chandeliers, huge flower arrangements that made the cavernous room smell like gardenias and peonies. I was looking forward to spending the night in a plush bed and having room service in the morning. I decided my injured neck and I would take advantage of Billy’s generosity.
Daisy came breezing through the lobby doors, smiling, her cheeks rosy. She looped her arm through mine. “Let’s check in and order sundaes. Then you can tell me what’s really going on between you and Warren.”
I groaned. Daisy’s quietness allowed her to observe much more than the usual person. And apparently, she’d been eyeing my interactions with Warren closely.
I yawned and stretched my arms in an exaggerated way. “Wow, I’m beat. I’m going hit the sack.” We’d settled into our three-bedroom suite and quickly ordered burgers and ice cream sundaes, the remnants of which lay on the coffee table. Daisy had gone over Wanks and Janks’ touring schedule while eating, then responded to a couple emails. Now that she was no longer my nanny she functioned as an assistant to the band. Well, mostly Billy’s assistant. He needed a lot of one-on-one attention.
Daisy glanced up from her phone. “Hold it right there, missy. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
I fell back into the plush couch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I closed my eyes and rubbed them.
Daisy snorted, which sounded weirdly elegant. She tossed her phone onto the coffee table. I had her undivided attention. Lovely. “I’m talking about the heat between you and the prince of darkness.”
I popped open an eye. “The prince of darkness?”
“Warren Price. Or better yet just War. I think that describes him a lot better. What could you possibly be thinking, Addy? What about Gabe?”
Frowning, I pushed myself deeper into the couch. “Gabe and I aren’t really dating,” I mumbled.
Daisy cupped her ear. “Come again?”
“Gabe and I aren’t dating,” I said louder. “I just wanted Billy off my back.”
“You lied to us?” Her tone was accusatory.
“Ugh, you sound like Billy.”
“Addy.” Her voice softened. “Why?”
Fuck. Tears filled my eyes. I blinked them away furiously. “I don’t want to disappoint him.” Him being Billy, of course.
“Oh, Addy.” Daisy moved toward me but was waylaid by a knock on the door. She hesitated, indecision all over her face. She wanted to comfort me, but the knock kept coming; the person on the other side of the door insistent.
“It’s probably the nurse-slash-bodyguard Billy ordered.” God knew where he’d found this person, especially this late at night. I pictured myself being followed around by a woman who looked and acted like a cross between The Rock and Nurse Ratchet.
Daisy opened the door a crack. “Hello?” Her voice was unsure, almost timid.
“Hello, lass,” a deep voice with a thick Scottish accent said.
“I think you might have the wrong room,” Daisy said. I got up from the couch and stood behind Daisy, peeking over her shoulder.
Holy hot Scotsman. He was tall and broad-shouldered. His hair was blond, with streaks of brown, and long. Long enough it had to be tied back. A Highlander. My very own Highlander. Just what I always wanted. Someone above had been listening to my prayers. While traveling with the band in my teens, I’d gotten super into romance novels. It’s where most of my sex education came from. And man, did I love the ones featuring Scottish rogues.
“I don’t think so,” he said, answering Daisy. Damn, I could feel his soft burr settle in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if he could sing, if he would sing to me. I imagined him crooning a lullaby. “I’m looking for Addison Wanks.”
I elbowed Daisy out of the way. “I’m Addison,” I said, hitting him with a blinding smile and holding out my hand. His dry, warm palm encased mine. I caught Daisy frowning at me from the corner of my eye.
“Ach, lass. You have some nasty bruises. I’m here to care for you. I’m Kelly.” Our hands disconnected. It took a moment for me to understand what he was saying. Kelly, his name was Kelly. As in nurse Kelly, or murse Kelly. Billy had hired me a hot male nurse. I’d have to tell Billy he didn’t need to buy me Christmas gifts for the rest of his life. He’d just given me the ultimate present. Thank you, Dad. “Is your neck paining you, lass?” Murse Kelly asked in a deep timbre.
My hands fluttered to my bruises. It did feel a bit tender. “Yes.” I snuck a glance at Daisy, whose mouth was open. “I think I need to rest.” I thought about putting a hand to my forehead, but that might’ve been overkill.
Murse Kelly’s eyes softened in sympathy. “I can see that. May I come in? I have some cream in my bag that may take the sting out of it. I can even give you a light massage that’ll help with the soreness in your limbs. I read over the doctor’s report on my way here.”
I opened the door wide and Kelly stepped through. He wore a black T-shirt and plain black pants. The simple look worked on him. He carried a small black duffel. “Where’s your room, lass? I’ll run you a warm bath and then give you a massage.” While his back was turned I grinned at Daisy. She rolled her eyes at me.
�
�Let me show you,” I said to Kelly. As I led him to my room, I glanced back over at Daisy. She looked a little pale. She must be exhausted, I thought. “You should head off to bed, Daisy, we can talk tomorrow.” Or never. “You look tired.”
Daisy touched her cheeks. “Yeah, I need to get some rest.” Her hands moved to her belly. “I think I ate too much.”
We said goodnight and Murse Kelly massaged my shoulders until I fell asleep. The worst night ever had quickly turned to the best night ever.
The next afternoon we—me, my ex-nanny and my murse—arrived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I was in good spirits, blindingly thankful Billy had hired me a nurse-slash-bodyguard. My gratitude was mostly centered on the former. Murse Kelly was pretty to look at, but above all, he was professional and an amazing caregiver. Whatever magic salve he’d rubbed into my neck and shoulders had soothed the ache away. I’d been able to sleep sans painkillers. He’d also made sure I had a hearty breakfast and after, he’d rubbed more of his special balm on my neck. It even looked like the bruises were fading faster. I was beginning to believe Murse Kelly had the luck of the Scottish. Or was it Irish? Either way, he was a magic man.
By the time we arrived at the arena and were hustled backstage, rehearsal was just beginning. Billy was onstage and Daisy excused herself to go to him. I wandered the hallways aimlessly, Kelly trailing close behind.
“What’s your job exactly?” I asked him.
“I’m to care for you.” If someone could package that accent and sell it, I would buy it by the truckload. I’m to care for you. It sounded so nice. Since school began, I’d been working full time at the diner to make ends meet. I realized my poverty was self-imposed, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that someday the bottom would fall out again. I’d be on my own, like I was in that apartment when my mother died. For four days, I’d survived on scraps of moldy food and little heat, waiting for her to come home. That shit set in deep. My lesson had been learned: you could only depend on yourself.
Good Lies (A Wild Minds Novel) Page 9