Page 103 of Fractured Frets

“Alright then.” Flint jerked his thumb toward the main villa. “Let’s go have some vodka, play some pool, and see the sun come up.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Flint? Slip?” Sutton’s shrill voice pierced the night from over near the terrace. “Guys? Come back. Quick.”

Worry flashed in Flint’s eyes. My heartbeat stalled.

“That doesn’t sound good. Let’s go.” Flint clutched my hand and hauled me to my feet.

At a steady jog, and with me ignoring the ache in my hip, we headed toward the villa.

But the moment we stepped inside, my knees buckled.

Maddy sat on the sofa. Tears streamed down her face.

Fear trickled down my spine, then speared the center of my chest.

“Maddy’s leaving,” Sutton said, curling into Flint’s embrace.

Fuck. What? My heart imploded. Were we over? Just like that? What happened to waiting?

“Baby, no.” I rushed to Maddy and fell to my knees. My hip screamed in pain, but I didn’t care. “Please don’t go. We’ll work things out. I promise.”

She shook her head. “It’s not about us. It’s Mom. She’s in the hospital.”

“Oh, shit.” I clutched her trembling hands in mine. “What’s happened?”

“She collapsed on the way to an appointment. She couldn’t breathe. Bridget was with her, called the ambulance, and took her to the hospital. The doctors ran tests and couldn’t really find anything wrong. She’s in horrible pain and insists it’s her lungs. She’s finally agreed to have surgery to drain the fluid off them,” Maddy whimpered and lowered her voice. “I have to go home.”

“No. Please stay. Can’t the surgery be delayed until you go back?”

Maddy shook her head. “Mom needs it done now.”

“But we only have a few more days together. Bridget is with her.”

“I have to go. If I stay, I’ll just sit here worrying about her. I don’t want that. I need to be there for her. She needs me. I’m all she’s got.”

I closed my eyes, but my guts twisted. It was so wrong to have horrible thoughts when someone was sick, but I didn’t put it past Valerie to opt for this surgery just to get Maddy home. She was supposed to have had this procedure months ago. Suddenly she needed it when Maddy was with me? I didn’t want to follow that train of thought, but I had.

“So, are you just going to drop everything and run home to her?” I tightened my hold on her hands as I spoke through my tensed jaw. “You do this every time she calls with a problem. If the doctors can’t find anything seriously wrong with her, not even a flare-up, that screams to me she’s playing you. She wants you home just because she doesn’t want you here with me.”

“Please, don’t say that.” Maddy pulled her hands free of mine. “This isn’t minor, Slip. It’s surgery.”

“I get that.” I closed my eyes and took a breath to keep calm. “I love that you care about your mom—I do.” I splayed my hand across my chest. “I will do everything to help her. But this is not urgent. It could wait. She knows that. You know that.”

“Don’t do this.” Fresh tears welled in Maddy’s eyes. “She needs me. She’s my mom.”

“I need you too.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” Maddy cradled my face between her hands and pressed her forehead against mine. “I promise. When you’re home next or after the tour. But right now, I have to get on a plane back to LA.” Anguish tore through her soft tone. “Ava’s in the dining room, trying to get me on the next flight out of Rome or Milan.”

“Okay.” I nodded, my mind still spinning. “I’m sorry. I’ll come with you. She’s my mother-in-law. My family too.” The long flight, a short day in LA with Valerie, then returning would tire me. I’d wanted to avoid quick turnaround trips when Mom’s birthday first came up. I’d have no time to rest before hitting our next show, but I’d do this for Maddy.

I glanced at the guys. A second of holy shit passed across their faces, but then they nodded.

“You can’t.” Maddy sniffed and wiped her nose. “You have the tour.”

“It’ll be cutting it fine, but I’ll be back before our show in Austria.” If not, we’d cancel or reschedule a show or two.

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