Page 113 of Rock On

“Where are you?” I demanded, probably with a lot more irritation than I intended.

“I…” She faltered. “I’m in Las Vegas.” She paused. “Where are you?”

“Are you kidding me?” I opened my mouth.

Then I burst out laughing.

“Jesus.”

“Tommy?”

“I’m at home!” I said, throwing up my hand even though she couldn’t see it. “Your home, I mean.”

“Oh.” She was quiet for a beat.

Then she snickered. “We just got here. We’re in a car on the way to the hotel.”

“You went anyway?” I asked in confusion.

“I did. You don’t get to run away like I did. If we have a problem, we have to talk it out. That’s what Allisha said.”

“You talked to Allisha?”

“Not today, but in therapy. She said it, like, a million times. Don’t you remember?”

“I remember,” I mumbled. “I just maybe forgot for a minute.”

“Didn’t Wynter tell you where we were?”

“She’s not here either.”

“Oh. She might have gone shopping or out with friends after she dropped us off at the airport.”

“Shit. Now I don’t know what to do. Should I drive up?”

“Well, yeah. You’re not leaving me by myself in a hotel in Vegas with a bored toddler!”

I chuckled. “Yeah, okay. I’ll go to the bathroom and hit the road again. I was already to Fontana when I turned around. This time of day, on a Sunday, it’ll probably take three-and-a-half hours to get there. Less if traffic cooperates getting out of L.A.”

“Oh, babe, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. This is on me. I should have called to tell you I was coming back.” I was already headed to the bathroom to freshen up so I could get back on the road. “And I handled this whole situation like a dumbass anyway. I’m sorry. We should have talked things out.”

“It’s all right.”

“Did you get a room?”

“Nope. I was planning to knock on your door.”

“I’ll call the hotel and let them know you’re arriving before me. I think Z and Presley are already there, although they didn’t bring Jeremy.”

“That’s okay. River’s hungry so I’ll see if they want to get dinner. If not, we’ll order room service and I’ll get him ready for bed.”

“I got the two-bedroom suite, so we could have a little privacy.”

She chuckled. “Now why would we need privacy?”

“Well, I don’t want to traumatize him by watching me grovel.”

---