Page 81 of Sweet Temptation

Today, I’d tried to keep my mind occupied with other things. I’d asked a few friends to come over to help me get ready for the party tonight. And I’d remembered to book myself a hair appointment with my amazing stylist. Elle kept insisting there was no discernible damage from the hair-catching-on-fire incident, but I wanted a trim just to be sure.

Then I’d spent the rest of the morning chatting with my bandmates, trying to distract myself. I’d talked to both Ashley and Xander over the phone, and I’d been messaging Matt, commenting on his Instagram posts from the Dirty tour. Matt Brohmer was one of the few rock stars I knew at his level who actually posted his own stuff. Ash and Xander sure as hell didn’t.

I knew I was in trouble when I actually sent Matt a cute meme of a kitten playing a bass guitar.

Time to put the internet down and back slowly away.

I practically danced with relief when Elle arrived just after lunch.

I hugged her immediately.

Then I hugged Flynn, who looked both uncomfortable (for himself) and sympathetic (for me). He said something about going for a smoke, then disappeared out to the driveway.

“How’re you doing?” Elle asked me as soon as we were alone. Ronan had briefly come to check out who was here, then disappeared back into his room, where he was presumably working on security guy stuff. I’d let him know that Elle was coming over, so at least he didn’t give her the ice-cold stare down that Carissa had received.

“I’m doing my best to carry on with life as usual,” I told her as we headed to the kitchen. She sat at the bar while I put on coffee. “But nothing is usual about this.”

“I know, babe.”

“We’re waiting for the damn restraining order. I keep thinking I’ll feel better once I know it’s in place, but really, what’s the difference? Either way, if he shows up here again, I call the police. Or Ronan does. A piece of paper won’t keep him away.”

“It may. It makes the penalty to him a lot worse if he comes anywhere near you. Why would he risk that?”

“Why would he climb my house like cracked out Spider-Man in the first place?”

Elle scowled. “Cracked out?”

“Ronan said he had a pipe on him. He found it in the yard.” I hesitated, then added, “He offered meth to some of my girls, at my shows.”

Elle went silent, but her look of disgust and concern said it all. I hadn’t told her about that.

Maybe I should’ve. She would’ve pushed me to talk to Brody or Jude sooner, and maybe I would’ve listened, and none of this would’ve happened.

Who was I kidding. I wouldn’t have listened.

“What do you think he was planning to do if he got in the house?” I asked her.

“Maybe he thought you weren’t home,” she said firmly.

“Maybe. Or maybe he thought I was in bed and he was planning to let himself in. My car was in the garage. He could’ve seen it through the window.”

“Maybe you need to stop thinking about this.”

Yeah. Definitely.

Much easier said than done, though.

I didn’t want to ask myself the worst questions… Was he planning to rob me? Hurt me? Rape me?

Did he have any plan at all?

But all those questions just kept running through my mind, over and over again.

I kept reminding myself of what both Ronan and the police had told me.

He didn’t have a weapon on him.

But it didn’t make me feel much better.

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