by Tess Oliver
“He pulled me out of the crush of reporters. But it’s over. He made that clear.”
Eden pushed my bangs out of my eyes. “I think you’re still recovering from that scene outside of the coffee shop. You might be over thinking this.”
“How do you know about the scene in front of the coffee shop?”
“The power of the internet.” She lifted her phone. It was a picture of Barrett carrying me through the crowd. It hurt just looking at it. “There are more.” She clicked through a few more photos. “Look at him, Finley. He kept his cool, as usual. But the look he’s giving the reporters makes it clear that he would have hurt anyone who got too close to you. And those pictures have gone viral even faster than the pool picture. These pictures just took him up to major hero slash heartthrob status.”
I took hold of the phone and stared at it. “Those last few minutes in his arms . . . “ My throat tightened. “Our talk was terrible. He was cold. It wasn’t my reaction to the news story that had turned him off.” I sighed thinking how shitty the whole thing was. “It was because I shut him out that morning. I was so steeped in my own misery, I completely ignored him. He took that as me not caring much about him.”
Eden reached across the counter to a napkin and handed it to me. I wiped the tears off.
“Finley, you do have this way of shutting people out when you’re upset.” She looked down for a second. “That time when you took all the pills-- the days before you were in that really dark place. I followed you around hoping you’d talk about your feelings and let me in on your sadness. But you never said a word. It was painful to just sit by and know that I barely existed at a time when you needed someone the most. I’m sure that’s what happened to Barrett. And someone like him has probably never been hurt by a girl before. You gave him a double hit-- to his ego and his heart.”
“I don’t even realize I’m doing it. When I’m feeling down, I stop thinking of everyone else’s feelings and concentrate solely on my own personal pity party. I’m sorry that I acted that way toward you, Eden. And you’re right, it might have saved me a lot of grief if I’d opened up to you back then. Now I’ve done the same thing to Barrett. But I think there was far more damage to his ego than his heart.” I brought up a smile to ease the worry in her face. “He is a man, after all.”
Cole walked into the kitchen with Jude. Both of them had a glint of relief in their eyes.
“Great news,” Jude said. “They caught Reggie in Belgium. He confessed to the whole damn thing. He’d been sleeping with the girl, and she’d threatened to tell the police that it was rape if he didn’t pay her off. Reggie and Dad had had words the week before, and Dad had threatened to fire him. So he decided to make Dad the fall guy for the murder.”
I jumped up and hugged both my brothers. I was in desperate need of good news and now I had it.
Jude squeezed me. “It’s hard to know how much damage this has done to the band’s reputation, but with the focus off dad now, it will drop out of the news cycle pretty fast.”
“That is such good news,” I said.
“There’s more, Fin. Dad’s on his way home. He is taking a one week break from the tour to calm his nerves, or at least that’s what he said. If he took any longer it might look strange and suspicious.” Jude looked down at me. “And he promised no entourage. Plus there’s more good news. Apparently, the production company he invested in has signed three big blockbusters and things are taking off. He wants to involve himself in the business and start weaning himself off concerts and tours.”
“Oh my god, that is fantastic. I can’t wait to see him. He couldn’t have timed his return any better.”
Cole was staring at his phone as usual. “News organizations are posting headlines about dad not being involved. ‘Nicky King framed by Black Thunder’s roadie’,” he read. He moved his thumb a few times and laughed. “Barrett is making more headlines than dad now. The new sexiest man alive?” Cole read. “Lucky bastard.”
CHAPTER 22
Rett
I sat on the couch and stared at the television. The local news anchor babbled on about the possibility of rain, which was always a big deal in Los Angeles. And, it seemed, this storm could bring as much as one inch of precipitation. It was amazing how they could blow everything up out of proportion to make even shitty little stories seem interesting. Even stories that turned out to be completely false like the Nicky King story, a news event that had screwed with my life completely.
Jimmy walked in the front door and seemed surprised to see me home. “Did you work today?”
I looked pointedly down at my Kingston Construction shirt. “No, I just put this on because it makes my eyes look bluer.”
“Yeah, yeah. Everything all right? I tried to call you, but your phone kept going to voicemail.”
“I had to shut it off. It seems every girl I’ve ever met is trying to get ahold of me. Phone kept ringing and I was sure the job supervisor was going to crush the damn thing in his fist. So I just turned it off.”
Jimmy looked relieved when I mentioned job supervisor. “They’re going to let you stay on with Kingston Construction?”
I flipped off the television and put my hands behind my head as I leaned back. “Yeah, but I may have fucked that up too. The other crew members were treating me like crap because I’d been seeing Finley. I guess they thought I was trying to sleep my way to the top. Between their scowls and their jokes about my new hero status, it made for a shitty day. I’ll have to find a different job if it keeps up.” I plopped my steel-toed boots up on the coffee table and kept them there even beneath Jimmy’s glare of disapproval. “You were right about all of it once again, big brother. Getting pretty fucking sick of it too. Maybe sometime you could make a prediction about my life that doesn’t suck. I need a little good luck to come my way soon.”
“I promise to stop giving out so much unwanted advice. It’s just a habit I got into with you because you are always doing such stupid things.” He walked into the kitchen and pulled a soda out of the refrigerator.
“Yeah, well I’m still fucking up royally it seems. Even with your unwanted advice.”
The couch cushions tilted as Jimmy sat down and opened the can. “This time it wasn’t stupid. I think this girl was probably worth the risk. I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but I don’t think you need to worry about finding someone else.” He tossed back the soda and sighed. “Scottie told me there was even a Facebook fan page for you. Everyone is placing guesses on what movies they’ve seen you in. Oh, and Scottie said the marriage proposals were floating in already in case you want to check into those. Apparently, Claudia from the California Institute for Women says she will have your children once she finishes her ten year sentence.”
Without lifting my head I turned to face him. “This is all very comical to you, isn’t it?”
He drained the can and crushed the it in his fist. “I won’t lie, I’m enjoying it.”
“Once they discover that I’m not part of the Hollywood set, the fever will cool. A dirt poor construction worker from the valley isn’t going to hold their interests long.”
He stood up and looked down at me. “Look, Rett, you were sort of long overdue for a bit of heartbreak. Now you’ve been slapped with it and you see what it feels like, so you might think twice before going back to your old social life of sneaking out with shoes and shirt.”
I pulled my feet down to the floor and sat forward with a laugh. “This coming from a man who has never had his heart broken but who has made plenty of girls cry. You’ve got just as much bad karma as me in the girl department. You just happened to have an amazing girl who was so fucking nuts about you, you never had to worry about being left out in the cold. If you think this is going to straighten me out then I hate to break it to you but that’s not the case. This whole thing has had the opposite effect. I plan to go back to my old ways and stay there.”
“It’s your life, Rett,” he said coldly. “Now get showered and changed. Nix
is having a party, and it’s your turn to be the designated driver.” He went to the kitchen and grabbed a beer this time.
“I’m not really in the mood for a party.”
He returned to the family room. “Tough shit. Taylor is at school so she can’t drive, and I want to drink. It’s your turn to stay sober. Besides, Nix said that some of Scottie’s nursing school friends will be there, and they’re all probably expecting to see the pretty boy whose face is all over the internet.”
“You know I fucking hate to be called pretty.”
“I know. That’s why I said it. Now get cleaned up, Mr. Hero, so you can pull your ass out of this funk and return to your old ways. I’m tired of you being so grouchy.”
“Once again, this coming from the man who makes the Grinch look jolly.”
***
Normally a room full of pretty girls sipping frothy drinks would have been like a day at an amusement park for me, but not tonight. Worst of all, I had to stay sober. Jimmy always seemed to know just how to turn the screws more when they were already torturously tight.
Scottie walked over and handed me a soda. “Heard you were driving tonight.”
“Yeah, unfortunately.”
She smiled weakly. “I always hate it when people look sad, but I have to say, seeing it on your face just makes the whole world seem a little darker. You’re usually in such a good mood, Rett. I’m sorry that you’re feeling down.”
“Don’t worry about it, Scottie. I’ll stop feeling sorry for myself soon enough.”
She looked around. “I’ll introduce you to some of my school friends. There are a lot of girls dying to meet you.”
“Don’t think your nursing friends are the type I’m looking for.”
She looked disappointed.
“I tried the relationship thing, and it wasn’t for me. You and Taylor can put away your little matchmaker bag of tricks. I’m not meant to stick it out with one girl. I’m more the variety type.”
“Nonsense. So you had one bad turn. Big deal.” Scotlyn had lived through incredible tragedy and hardships and had still come out ahead. She was never the type to give up easily, which made her exceptionally cool, but when it came to me, I wished she would leave shit alone.
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Ain’t gonna happen anymore, Scottie. Give it up.”
I headed outside with my stupid, damn soda. Too many heads turned my way. I was ready for my fifteen minutes of fame to be over and done. I sat on the small retaining wall lining Scotlyn’s tomato garden. Three girls circled me the second my ass hit the bricks.
“You’re Barrett, right?” one girl with auburn hair asked.
“That’s me.”
“I’m Sarah, and this is Audrey and Vivian.” Their names evaporated the moment she said them. “Vivian and I were having a debate on how tall you are. I say you’re six-foot-two, but Viv thinks you’re six-foot-four.”
I stared down at my coke hoping I could transform it into a can of whiskey with just my mind. The girls waited for a response. Jimmy was standing across the way. His head nearly grazed the overhang on the patio. “I’ve never really measured myself but my six-foot-six brother has to duck in some doorways and I don’t, so I’m shorter than six-foot-six.” My terse answer didn’t seem to turn them off.
The third girl spoke up next. “It’s just you look so massive in those pictures where you’re carrying Nicky King’s daughter. Of course she is really tiny, isn’t she? What’s her name again? It’s a boy’s name.”
I didn’t answer. Every inch of Finley was incredibly feminine, and I’d never thought of her name as being a boy’s name. I thought about her, tiny and frail in my arms, and that cold feeling crept through my chest for the hundredth time. Dray walked outside with a bottle of whiskey in his hand as if he’d read my mind.
“If you girls will excuse me, I need to talk to Dray.” I got up and left them at the wall.
Dray was beaming as he lifted the whiskey bottle. “Thought you might need some.” He noticed the coke in my hand for the first time. “Ahh, shit, are you wearing the DD hat tonight?”
“Yes, so just fucking kill me and put me out of my misery.”
Dray shook his head in pity. “That’s why it’s so damn convenient living next door. I can get home safely even if I have to crawl on my hands and knees to get there. Which I might have to do now that you can’t share this with me. And I have the day off tomorrow, so I might just sleep all damn day.”
Nix walked up. “You keeping all that to yourself? Getting tired of beer and blender drinks.” He looked at me. “Rett, how’s the new life of fame treating you?”
“Look at him, Nix,” Dray said. “Our boy is in a bad way, and now he has to stay sober to drive Clutch home.”
“Really, Bro,” Nix said, “how are you holding up? I heard that whole thing with Finley didn’t work out.”
“I’m not seeing her anymore, so I guess you could say that.”
“That’s your fault, Rett,” Dray said.
“You don’t know shit about it.”
He lifted the bottle, took a swig and winced. “Shit, Cassie was right. It tastes like jet fuel straight.”
Nix grabbed the bottle. “I’ll find something to mix it with.” He looked pointedly at my can of soda. “Can I get you another coke, Rett?” He made no attempt to hold back his amusement.
“No thanks, I think this one will last me all night.”
Dray put his hand on my shoulder. “Look, Rett, I can see it in your face. You’ve convinced yourself that you don’t deserve Finley, and that’s why you’ve let this go so easily.” He tapped his chest. “You are looking at the king of self-denial.”
I looked at him. “I’m not denying myself this. I’ve just decided it’s easier to let it go.”
Cassie walked outside onto the patio. She was laughing at something Scottie said. Dray watched her for a second and smiled to himself. Then he looked at me. It was rare to see him with a serious expression. “Some things are worth it, Rett. Make sure that you’re not losing too much when you let this go, or it might just be too damn hard to win back.”
“I reached out of my world. That was my first mistake. We live such completely different lives, we might as well be from different planets. I’ll just slip back into my old ways and pretend like none of this ever happened.”
“All right,” Dray said resignedly, “sounds like you’ve made up your mind. Now I’m going to find my bottle of whiskey before Nix drains it.” He motioned with his head toward the wall. “Those three girls have not stopped eyeing you since you walked away from them. Looks like you’ll be able to take one of them home without too much effort. Or who knows, not that you needed any help, but with your new found fame, you might be able to take all three of them.”
“Way too much effort for me and my shitty can of coke tonight. Go enjoy your whiskey, you lucky bastard.”
***
Taylor’s car was already in the driveway when we pulled in. Jimmy had barely had time for three beers when she’d called crying that she’d gotten a bad grade on a dress design. Taylor’s bad night turned out good for me. Jimmy decided to go home early and console her. Which meant I was better off staying away.
We got out of the truck. “I’m walking down to the pool hall,” I called to Jimmy as I headed down the driveway. “See you later.”
“Aren’t you going to take the truck?”
“Nah, I might get plastered.” I headed down the street and checked my text messages. I’d told myself that this thing was Finely was completely over, but I’d checked my phone again and again for some message from her. There was nothing, which was what I’d expected. It didn’t make it any easier, but at least I wasn’t being completely delusional. I’d replayed the scene from the coffee shop over and over in my head. I couldn’t have been a bigger asshole, and I was sure that final act had made her hate me. The thing that had me the most confused was why the hell I was still thinking about it so much. I had to wipe my mind
clean of Finley King, and soon.
The pool tables were all in use when I stepped into the dimly lit saloon. Music from the jukebox vibrated the walls and the distinct smell of beer floated through the dank air. It was a local hang out and I’d spent more than my share of time at the bar and playing pool. But tonight, I wasn’t in much mood to play.
Cheryl, the lady who tended the bar, looked up as I approached. “Hey, Rett,” she said with her usual welcoming smile. She was someone who worked a day job and a night job like my dad had, but by the way she talked about her two kids it was obvious she spent all of her free time with them. Something my dad had never had done.
She slid me a mug of beer without needing me to ask for it. “I saw your picture all over the place today.” She smiled. “Who was the lucky girl in your arms?”
“Just a girl I knew.” I shook my head. “How the hell does a silly picture like that become such a big deal?”
She leaned forward and rested her arms on the bar. The lines in her face didn’t seem to indicate age as much as years of worry and laughter. “You don’t know, really?” Her eyes smiled. “Every girl dreams of an astonishingly beautiful man sweeping her up into his arms and away from danger. It’s just one of those fairy tale scenarios that makes a girl swoon. And you, my friend, fit the bill perfectly for fairy tale prince.”
I took a swallow of beer. “Looks can be deceiving.” I glanced around. A lot of the usual faces were in the crowd but one booth was taken by a pretty girl with long dark hair, a perfectly snug-fitting tank top and sin-worthy lips.
Cheryl obviously saw me zero in on her. “She’s been here all night. From out of town, I think. She came in with that guy over there at the last pool table. He’s been playing since they got here, and from the angry scowl on his face, he’s been losing his ass too.”
I drained the first beer. “Give me a couple tequila shots with the next one.”
“Hard day?” she asked. “You don’t usually bother with the shots.”
