“Can you stop saying that?”
“You’re so determined not to answer my questions. How can I stop asking them? Don’t you know me at all?”
“I know you far too well. That is why I’m pleading the fifth.”
I glimpse my reflection in the fridge's glass. My cheeks are flushed. I tuck the phone between my ear and shoulder and pull the door open so I don't have to keep looking at myself.
“Ok, I’ll stop. For now,” she backs down. “But I will set that glorified trailer home on fire if you lie to me. So he’s crashing our weekend?”
I ignore her threats and putting down my top of the line, expensive RV. “I don’t want to leave him in the RV while we go out partying.”
“Can you imagine, we’re all hanging out having fun and a rockstar is locked in there. Do you tie him up when you leave?”
A sigh is my response.
“Gag him?”
“Drew.”
She laughs. “Okay fine. Can he be seen out in public?”
“You know Wayne won’t let anyone see him. It’s one of the few reasons I’m friends with you people.”
“Ha. I mean it. Real talk Krista, the press are saying he’s stolen money from his record label and vanished.”
“What?”
That isn’t what Jude has been telling me. Admittedly I’ve not checked up myself. I didn’t see the point of reading all that bullshit when I know none of it is true.
“They’re saying he is a part of it?”
“They’re speculating,” she corrects. “But you know how the press is. They’re running with it. So, did he?”
“Of course he didn’t. That was all their manager. Who is a giant prick, by the way.”
“You met him?”
“Yeah. That’s not important, none of it. You, more than anyone, know not to believe the shit the media prints, Drew.”
A while ago there was a scandal in Wayne’s family, and it took a long time to die down. They’re still feeling the effects a year later, and Wayne’s oldest brother has disappeared completely from public view. Not because he did anything wrong, it’s because he lost his faith in humanity.
“Well, if you trust him, he is welcome, but I reserve the right to make my own judgment.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
The door to the fridge closes. This time when I see my reflection, I’m smiling.
Chapter 16
Left to my own devices while Krista is inside, I foolishly scan the internet. There are stories breaking about Cody and how he fucked over Reckless Soul. People are speculating whether it has anything to do with why the band is on a break. Or more importantly, why I’ve disappeared. Some are even speculating I have something to do with the fraud. That boils my piss.
I fire a text off to Paul about it because contacting Solene might bring on more problems than I can be assed to deal with right now. He gets back to me straight away, thank fuck.
Paul
Yeah, the label is aware. Far as I know, they are gonna put a statement out about it saying the two aren’t related so don’t freak out
Jude