Quinn practically does a cartwheel. “Awesome—”
“Hey, Chandler?” Skylar chimes in. “Given everything with Memphis is settled and Phoenix seems to be doing better, it won’t be an issue if I hang back here for the European tour, right?”
Chandler looks at her like she’s sprouted another head. “We need you on tour, Skylar. Phoenix is still getting drunk—”
“No, I’m not,” Phoenix interjects, and I don’t miss the look of sympathy he shoots Skylar. “I haven’t had alcohol in over two weeks. The only reason I sent that text last night is because of a dare.”
Chandler stops drinking his coffee. “A dare? From whom?”
Oh fuck.
He slaps Storm’s back. “This guy.”
Despite looking flummoxed, Storm doesn’t miss a beat. “What he said.”
Chandler crosses his arms. “Why the fuck would you dare Phoenix to send me a text telling me he wants to rip my clothes off and then tie me up and taste me?”
Memphis spits out his beer and Quinn chokes on her cookie.
Storm’s eyebrows shoot up and he gives Phoenix a what the fuck look. “I…”
“Phoenix dared me to send a dick pic to Gwyneth’s sister, so Storm was getting him back for me,” Memphis cuts in.
Storm shrugs. “My bad, Chandler. Thought you might be into it.”
I’m not even surprised they’re sticking up for each other.
Chandler makes an irritated noise in his throat. “Aren’t you three a little old for childish games? Grow up.”
“Which Barclay sister did you send the dick pic to?” Quinn asks with a grin. “Was it Jessica—”
“Hey, Juvie,” Storm says. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
She pops up. “What?”
Placing an arm around her slim shoulders, he leads her to the bathroom. “It’s in here.”
When she steps inside, he closes the door and leans against it, blocking her from exiting.
“What the hell?” Quinn yells. “Let me out!”
Skylar takes the opportunity to slip out of the kitchen. I don’t miss the way she briefly squeezes Storm’s arm when she passes him.
“Anyway,” Chandler says, even though we’ve all tuned him out. “We should be in Florida tomorrow morning.”
Upon realizing no one is paying attention anymore, he throws his hands up and heads for the back of the bus. Looking down at his phone, George follows suit.
“Will we be passing through Hillcrest?”
I figure I should ask before getting my hopes up.
Phoenix nods. “More than passing through. Tomorrow night’s show is there.”
“Oh.”
I’m thinking of ways to convince my asshole boss to give me a few hours free so I can see my dad when Phoenix adds, “Storm and I talked to Chandler. We told him about your father, and he agreed to give you the day and night off.”
I’m so stunned I can’t even speak.
Storm looks at Phoenix. “As long as Phoenix is on his best behavior.”
Dammit. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. “Well, there goes that.”
Storm walks over to Phoenix and clamps a hand on his shoulder. The move makes poor Quinn, who must have been mid-push, fly out of the bathroom like a cannonball. “He’ll be a good boy for one night. Right?”
“Lick my nut sack,” Phoenix grits out before focusing on me. “Go spend time with your dad. Everything will be fine.”
Scowling, Quinn gets off the floor and glares at Storm. “You’re such an asshole. Skylar was right. Boys are only good for one thing.”
Storm and Memphis exchange a glance and Phoenix looks positively horrified. “Oh really? And what’s that?”
She bats her eyelashes. “Lifting heavy stuff. Duh.”
I swear there’s a collective sigh of relief from all three guys.
They’re starting up a different conversation when she glances at me, cups a hand over her mouth, and mouths, “The D.”
Once again, Skylar’s not wrong.
CHAPTER 59
LENNON
“Thanks.”
I quickly give the Uber driver a tip on the app and grab my luggage from the trunk. Seeing as I’m off duty today, I asked if I could sleep here instead of the hotel. In typical fashion, Chandler hemmed and hawed before reluctantly agreeing…as long as I promised that my ass would be back on the bus by nine a.m.
I was going to tell Mrs. Palma I was coming home when I spoke to her yesterday, but I wanted it to be a surprise.
After placing my suitcase on the porch, I stick my key in the lock. Given my dad tends to sleep in, he probably isn’t up yet, but I can’t wait to see him.
Mrs. Palma—who was watching television on the couch in the living room while crocheting—screams and then jumps up when she sees me.
“Oh my god!” Running over, she wraps her arms around me. “I wasn’t expecting you home for another ten days.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Well, it worked. I nearly had a heart attack.” She cradles my face as we break apart. “You look…is everything okay? How come the tour ended so early?”
“Everything’s great,” I lie. “The tour isn’t over, though. They’re performing at a venue in Hillcrest tonight, so Chandler gave me the day and night off.”
Smiling, she waves me into the kitchen. “Seems he’s not so terrible after all.”
I huff out a laugh. “Oh, he is. But Phoenix and Storm convinced him—” I stop talking when I catch myself.
I’ve been vague about my relationship with Phoenix. Not that there is one anymore. After yesterday’s meeting, I made it a point to return to the bunk, and he went back to the lounge. We haven’t spoken since.
Which suits me just fine.
“Phoenix convinced Chandler?” she questions as she fills a teakettle with some water.
Whenever she asks about him, I skate over the issue by telling her we’ve fallen into a professional relationship. Then I switch topics.
Do I hate not being honest with her? Yes.
But she’s the only person who knows the truth, and she was the one who convinced me that I was strong enough to handle this.
I don’t want to disappoint her.
“It’s not a big deal. Plus, it wasn’t just Phoenix. It was Storm, too.”
She simply nods.
“Is Dad awake?”
She takes two coffee cups out of the cabinet. “No, he’s still sleeping. Last night was a…” her voice trails off, but she doesn’t have to finish.
It was a bad night.
Which means today will most likely be bad, too.
Probably best I let him rest a bit longer.
“Lennon,” she begins as she places a tea bag in each of our cups. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Guilt infiltrates my chest. “I know.”
I’ll fill her in after I’m back home for a bit and Phoenix has been purged from my system.
She urges me to have a seat at the table. “You never have to be embarrassed. I won’t judge you.”