Knowing there’s a high probability it’s true churns my stomach.
“I can’t believe he slept with a minor.”
Granted, he wouldn’t be the first musician to turn into a creep.
I just hoped he—and the rest of Sharp Objects—would be better than that.
Skylar fixes her glare on me. “Memphis swears he never touched a minor.”
Shocker. “So did a certain R&B singer who’s now—rightfully so—behind bars.”
She peers down at her shoes. “I get why you would assume the worst about him. But Memphis and I go way back. I know him, Lennon. He wouldn’t lie to me.”
My heart squeezes painfully in my chest.
Phoenix and I go way back, too.
“Sometimes the people you think you know best…turn out to be nothing but impostors.”
“I’ll get to the bottom of this one way or the other,” she declares. “Trust me. I always do.”
I want to ask her to elaborate, but the band barrels into the greenroom.
“There’s my girl,” George says when he sees me.
I get off the couch. “Hey.”
Slinging an arm around my waist, he kisses my forehead. “You know, George and Lennon made a great team.”
Skylar casts me a pointed look as she closes her laptop. “Aww, that’s so sweet.”
Phoenix walks over to the fridge and grabs a bottle of water. “That would be Lennon and McCartney, you bloody tampon.”
I want to jump to George’s defense, but you’d think he’d know that given McCartney not only wrote songs with Lennon and sang alongside him…he also played bass guitar.
The same instrument he plays.
Storm and Memphis snicker.
Not wanting this to devolve into another round of everyone attack George because Phoenix doesn’t like him, I say, “Lennon and George Harrison were friends, though, so it still applies.”
I don’t catch what Phoenix grumbles under his breath as George pulls me close. “Movie night tonight?”
“She always was a cheap date,” Phoenix mutters.
That does it.
“How would you know? You never took me on a date.”
The closest thing to one we ever had was Phoenix buying me a burger after I convinced our English teacher to let him take the final with the reading pen.
Granted, at the time, I stupidly thought it was the best day of my life.
Because not only did Phoenix ditch a girl to hang out with me…it was the very first time I shared my art with someone else.
I wish like hell I could press the rewind button and tell that naive girl with stars in her eyes to run far away and never look back.
“Wait a minute. You never took your girlfriend on a date?” Skylar questions.
“I wasn’t his girlfriend,” I say at the same time Phoenix grunts, “I was poor.”
You could hear a pin drop as everyone’s eyes ping-pong between us.
Talk about awkward.
“Oh, hey, pizza.” Reaching across Skylar, Memphis grabs a slice from the box.
“I’d love to take you out on a date sometime,” George whispers in my ear.
I scowl at Phoenix before directing all my attention to George. “Your room or mine tonight?”
Sighing, George grabs the remote and pauses the movie we were watching.
Or rather, the movie I was trying to watch because it’s boring as hell.
“Phoenix seems really bothered by the two of us.”
Ugh. I’d much rather watch the dull movie than talk about Phoenix.
However, George seems upset.
“Honestly, what doesn’t bother Phoenix? He’s in a perpetual state of—I’m a dick.”
As if on cue, a deep voice on the other side of the wall booms, “I’m not doing the motherfucking interview, Chandler. Get the fuck out.”
I jut my chin. “See? Dick.”
Seemingly appeased now, George snuggles closer. “So, about this kiss…”
Where’s the freaking remote?
“Lennon?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I kiss you?”
I mean, if you have to ask…
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I sit up.
George is nice and all, but I need more time to see if there’s a spark between us. Although even if there turns out to be, I still don’t want a boyfriend.
“I’m not trying to be a tease or anything…it’s just that kissing is kind of a big deal, you know? I like you, George, but I’m still not ready for anything serious.”
He sprouts up. “I know and I’m not trying to pressure you, I swear. I’m just really into you and want to see where this goes, even if it’s just casual.”
Casual. Glad we’re on the same page because I was starting to think we weren’t.
“In that case…yes.”
I close my eyes as he leans in.
A little too hard…because his forehead thumps mine.
“Shit.”
His nervousness would be adorable if it didn’t require the need for over-the-counter painkillers.
My head throbs and I brace myself for the inevitable migraine coming my way. “Ouch.”
“I’m sorry. Give me another chance.”
I don’t think letting him take the lead again is a good idea. I don’t want another injury.
“Maybe I should kiss you.”
He grins. “That works.”
I inch closer, but a heartbeat before our lips meet, something heavy hits the wall and shatters.
“What the hell?”
George sulks. “Sounds like someone is having another temper tantrum.”
Before I can scrutinize that any further, my phone rings.
Happiness billows through me when I see Dad flash across my screen. He never calls me himself anymore. It’s always Mrs. Palma who hands him her phone.
“I need a rain check. It’s my dad.”
Ever the understanding one, George gets off the bed. “No problem. I’ll come back later. We can pick up where we left off.”
Waving him out of the room, I bring the phone to my ear. “Hey.”
“Hey, Sue. It’s Don. I’ve got someone coming over to trim back the maple tree branches on my half of the property this weekend. Just want to make sure it’s okay.”
Disappointment sinks like a brick in my chest when I realize he thinks I’m Mrs. Palma.
That’s definitely a new one, but as usual, I play along because this is his reality.
“Sure. No problem.”
“Thanks a lot. See you at the HOA meeting later.”
“Wait,” I say before he can hang up. “How are you?”
“I’m good.” He’s quiet for a beat. “A little lonely now that Lennon’s away at school, but the holidays are just around the corner and she’ll be home then.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Yeah, she will.”
“I’m so proud of her,” he says and I can picture him smiling as he sits by his piano. “She was so scared to go away to college, but she faced her fears.” His sigh is expansive. “Granted, she has this awful math professor who she’s positive is out to get her—”
“Professor Hanks,” I interject before I can stop myself.