Page 104 of Fractured Frets

“Slip...no. You have a huge line of concerts coming up. You need your rest. Please stay.” She wound her arms around my shoulders and hugged me tight. “I’ll be okay. I’m sorry I have to cut our time short.”

Three days together wasn’t enough. I buried my nose into her thick hair and breathed her in. “I just don’t like it when life interrupts our plans. I hate it when we fight. I don’t want to do that anymore. I just want to be with you.”

“I do too. We’ll be together soon. I love you.”

“Ti amo.”

Thank God she was still mine.

Within the hour, a helicopter flew in and picked up Maddy. I hated saying goodbye. I hated her stepping out of my embrace. Hated her letting go of my hand. After I took one last taste of her lips, she turned and dashed into the helicopter. Emptiness and loneliness exploded in my chest the moment she disappeared into the air.

It would be a month until I saw her again.

“Fuuuuck!”

Frustration furled through my veins. Yet again, my time with Maddy had been interrupted. Valerie had a power over Maddy that worried me. I was convinced Valerie was jealous Maddy was spending time with me, not her. I prayed that I was wrong.

I didn’t want to be irrational. Or illogical.

Valerie was sick. I understood that. I did.

But my gut wouldn’t let the notion go.

I didn’t like compromising my time with Maddy. It burned me to the core when our tight plans had to change. Shit! Had I turned into Valerie?

Fuck. No.

Valerie was important to Maddy. I’d always respect that.

It was just extra hard to say goodbye to Maddy when we were holding on by a frayed thread.

I already missed her like crazy.

I stormed back inside the villa and grabbed a bottle of vodka off the bar. I excused myself from my friends and headed into my room. I strode into the bathroom, found my pills, and swallowed two oxy. My hip ached, but my chest hurt like a fucking bitch.

The drugs would stop me from feeling.

Feeling everything.

And I didn’t want to feel anything anymore.

Chapter 29

SLIP

THE PAST – FEBRUARY – 5 MONTHS AGO

Two weeks out from ending the three-month US and Canadian leg of our tour, the hangover from hell pounded my head, and nausea swayed through my stomach. We’d arrived in New York earlier today after two shows in Boston. The after-party last night had been bigger than expected. A ton of alcohol had made for one wild night after a harrowing couple of days.

After Cole’s daughter had gone missing at the venue when Hannah—Charlotte’s grandmother, currently playing nanny—had fallen asleep, and we’d turned the place upside down to find her, Ava had been sent home to LA for breaking bodyguard protocol and for sleeping with Cole...again. I didn’t know Cole and Ava still had a thing for each other. But then...we all had secrets. Me included.

At least having a girlfriend wasn’t one of them anymore.

I was counting down the days until Maddy and I had a week off together before my band and I headed overseas.

With a night off before our next show, the guys and I would have dinner with Everhide—our friends, mentors, label owners, and biggest supporters. We wouldn’t be on this tour if it wasn’t for them. They’d signed us. Put us in front of Ashlem. Helped us become bigger than we ever could’ve imagined. At least tonight would be a relaxed and chilled affair. No press. No fans. No craziness.

As the guys and I entered the swanky restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, I swiped my hand down my face, erasing the beads of sweat. After last night, I swear pure alcohol poured out of my skin. I’d fail a breathalyzer test...and a drug one too. Swallowing strong pain-killers was the only way I made it through each show.

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