Page 49 of Deeper

Funny, it was about to get ugly.

“All right then, call Paul,” Nazanin said as she returned to her brother.

“That can wait until morning,” Zander groaned.

“No, I think you need a reality check. We’ve all been worried sick and I caught the first flight I could. Call him now.”

Zander fished his phone from his pocket and quickly unlocked it, scrolling through his contacts.

“On speaker,” Nazanin instructed.

Reluctantly, Zander did just that as the phone began dialing out.

The phone didn’t ring long on the other end before it was quickly picked up. A man with an American accent answered. “Zander?”

“Hey, Paul, what’s up?” Zander asked casually, all too aware that Nazanin was watching him.

“Oh, not much, just enjoying my Sunday evening. Hey, just one question, buddy.”

Zander was confused. “Uh, shoot.”

“At least tell me, did you wear a condom?”

“Acondom?” Zander repeated.

“Yes, a condom—did you wear a condom when you fucked me? Because that’s what you did by cancelling this tour and going ghost for a whole fucking week.” Paul snapped into his phone.“You just bent me over with no fuckin’ Vaseline and stuck it to me raw!”

Zander sighed, going and taking the phone off speaker before heading down the corridor to his office.

Nazanin stood back, a self-satisfied look hanging on her face. “Right then, he’s going to come back down to Earth now.”

“He was going to talk to him tomorrow,” I spoke up.

With Zander gone, Nazanin didn’t pretend to come off friendly. “It’s better that he gets his shit together now rather than later.”

“He’s under a lot of stress and pressure.”

Nazanin’s hand grazed her collarbone. “I’m his sister. I know him more than anyone. He lashes out when he’s overwhelmed, and he always needs someone to step in and pick up the pieces. That’s why I’m here.”

While I didn’t know the details of his entire day last Sunday, from what I did know, Zander hadn’t been reckless at all outside of cancelling his tour and show. “He hasn’t done anything crazy.”

Once more that critical brow rose. I got it then thatIwas where Zander was being reckless.

“Make no mistake, Idofeel bad for you,” Nazanin said with her best attempt at a sympathetic look. “Jolene pulled that stunt, and of course Saad decided to react. God knows men don’t always think with their heads…up top.” The sympathy morphed into pity. “It’s a shame you were caught up in their war.”

“It’s not like that,” I said.

She came close, looming over me. “You werenothingmore than just a quick little fling, a mere distraction. Nothing more, nothing less. Why not be smart and cut your losses now and walk away with some dignity?”

I clasped my hands together to keep from hitting her as I fixed her with a polite smile. “You have your opinion, and I don’t give a fuck. See how we both win?”

Nazanin took in a breath, caught off guard.

That’s right, I bite too, bitch.

I went and waited for Zander in the entertainment room. The TV was on, but I wasn’t the least bit caught up in whatever Lifetime movie was playing on screen. My head was elsewhere, against my better judgment, caught up on Nazanin’s words.

She knew Zander’s disappearing act was partially linked to Jolie. Zander admitted his ego being bruised by the sight of her with another man helped pushed him to not perform.

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