Page 15 of Rock Hard
Alice was glad she could give Carly a day of normal in her otherwise insane world. It was so nice to see her smile and hear her laugh. She had missed her so much, more than she had even imagined. The daily FaceTime helped, but it wasn’t the same.
The sun was long past the horizon when they finally left the park. Neither one of them was anxious to see the day end.
They sat up on a quiet hilltop, enjoying ice cream while looking out over the lights of the city below. To the left, they could see the massive Ferris wheel of the park they had just left. Far off to the right was over-the-top pyrotechnics and lasers from the venue as the Animals of Rock continued well into the night.
“I can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun,” Alice told her.
“Me, either,” Carly agreed.
As the evening had progressed, the teen had become less animated, more thoughtful. Alice guessed Carly was thinking the same thing she was—that their time together was quickly drawing to a close.
“When will I get to see you again?” Carly asked.
“I don’t know,” Alice answered honestly. She had already checked the schedule, and the two big names weren’t going to cross paths anytime soon.
“Do you miss him?”
Alice knew what Carly was asking. Under that scowling, indifferent, teenage persona Carly wore like a second skin was a very intelligent, astute young woman. She would pick up an outright lie right away. So, Alice didn’t lie.
“I missyou.”
They were quiet for a little while, then Carly asked, “Are you going to get in trouble?”
“For what?”
“For taking the day off to spend with me.”
Again, Alice understood where Carly was coming from. Rex had always required her to be within shouting distance, especially on concert days, to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Even when he was performing, he expected her to be backstage, ready and waiting to do his bidding.
“No. Johnny’s got it all under control. He’s pretty self-sufficient, actually. He told me to have fun.”
Carly’s eyes widened. “He sounds pretty cool.”
“He is,” Alice agreed. “Johnny is kind and thoughtful. Very smart. Generous to a fault.”
“You really like him.”
“Yeah.”
Alice knew that by not going into more detail, she might be giving Carly an inaccurate portrayal of her and Johnny’s relationship. That might be for the best, though.
More silence.
Carly stared out at the fireworks shooting from the venue, part of the big finale. “You know, I always kind of hoped that you and my dad ...” She broke off, cleared her throat, then continued, “Silly, I know.”
“It’s not silly.” Alice had secretly wished for the same thing, so many times. That one day, Rex would open his eyes and see past all the glitz and glamor and worshipping fans, and recognize that he had a daughter and a woman who really cared for him and would be there long after the curtains closed and the screaming stopped. Unfortunately, life wasn’t based on wishes.
“Everything happens for a reason, and no matter what, I will always be here for you. If you need me, you call me ... anytime, anywhere, and I’ll be there. Got me?”
Carly sniffled and nodded. Then she gifted Alice with one of her incredible, warming hugs.
“Now, come on; I’ve got to get you back before someone notices your Houdini act.”
“No one will,” Carly murmured quietly.
The sad thing was, she was probably right. It didn’t appear that the situation had gotten any better since Alice had left.
The ride back to the hotel was a quiet, somber one.
