Page 5 of Loved Out Loud
“Screw you,” Xan growls.
“He’s fine,” Tobias adds as we all speak at once.
“Calm down, boys. I’m just pointing out that it's naive to think the environment of a rock tour won’t be more enticing than Stone hiding away in one of his homes like a hermit. Between the women and the parties...” he trails off.
“And Jade is on board with this?” I ask, trying to diffuse the anger seeping through the line from my bandmates. “What about Hazel herself?”
“She’s not my concern. It’s agreed upon by her people, and that’s all that matters.”
No one speaks for a moment. I don’t like the idea of using her as a form of smoke and mirrors for my addiction issues. The way he said it was agreed upon by her people doesn’t sit right with me either. But if Jade thinks it’s a good idea, then it might have merit.
“It’s up to you, Stone,” Xan says.
Darren clears his throat. “It’s actually not up to any of you. The decision has been made.”
I set my phone down after the call ends and stare down at it as the news from the call sinks in. The screen lights up with another call, but it’s not from Xan or Toby. It’s Darren again.
“What?” I say instead of a greeting.
“It’s just you and me on this call.” Street sounds filter down the line from him. “I have an idea of how we can make sure the story stays off your addiction and sobriety.”
I run a hand through my hair, tugging on the longer, dark strands as I exhale heavily. If I don’t listen to him now, he’ll just show up here bright and early tomorrow morning. I want to spend the last few days alone before being crammed on a bus with other people for months.
“Okay.”
“I think you should take the author out on dates. It’ll help her, it’ll help you. People will eat that shit up.”
“No. I’m not getting into a fake PR relationship.”
“No, no, no,” he says quickly. “Not a full out relationship, just go out and about with her. Let the paps get a few good shots occasionally. Just enough intrigue to make people wonder.”
“I’m not going to drag another person into the line of fire just to make my life easier.”
“It’s not just about you.” He pauses while a car door slams and the street noise fades. “Think about everything you’ve dragged the guys into with you. They deserve a break.”
I grunt into the line, unable to argue with that statement.
“Listen, just think about it. Don’t give me an answer tonight. We’ll talk later.”
He ends the call without even waiting for my response. Which is fine, I don’t have anything else to say. What could I even say? I do owe the guys this. A tour with no bad press, the heaviness of my addiction not painting the world around me in shades of black and gray.
The back of the book faces upward, Hazel’s photo on the back smiling shyly up at me. Her somber eyes are hidden behind a pair of funky glasses while she sits on the steps of the New York Library. She's wearing black tights under a little gray plaid miniskirt with a plum-colored sweater on. Her long, dark hair falls in soft curls over her shoulder.
She’s pretty. At least having her on the bus will give us something nice to look at instead of spending hours staring at the same two faces for hours at a time. And Jade will have some feminine energy to surround herself with. Maybe it won’t be that bad having the new girl tag along.
Three
HAZEL
Light poursthrough the space between the blinds in Greg’s bedroom as I hear my phone vibrate on the table beside me. I lift my head and crack an eye open to read the text from Sierra asking me to meet her for an early lunch today. After shooting off a quick response to let her know I saw the message, I sit up, the covers pooling around my waist.
Greg rolls over, his salt and pepper hair mussed as he opens his whiskey-colored eyes and gives me a brief smile.
“What time is it?” he asks with a scratchy voice.
“A little after eight.”
He grabs the sleeve of my shirt and tugs at my wrist. I drop down beside him, letting him pull me to his side and laying my head on his chest. My body melts into the comfort of his touch.
