Page 130 of Fractured Frets

Slowly but surely, I was eating again, thanks to seeing a therapist. I had a long way to go to regain a healthy weight.

“I’m good.” I swirled my wine around in my glass. “But I had a long night. Mom had another bad flare-up. I had to take her to the hospital for treatment, but she’s okay.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She rubbed my back. “You here for three days?”

“Yeah. Back to Van City on Monday night.”

“I can’t wait to start back at the studio next week.” Excitement skipped through her voice as she rounded her shoulders and smiled. “Season three, here we come.”

I loved she was happy. Her TV show, Angels in LA, had become a hit, and she thrived in her role. We’d both landed parts we adored. It just sucked that our shows were filmed in cities thousands of miles apart. “Are you finally going to hook up with your hot boss this season?”

She giggled and scrunched her nose. “You think Ethan is hot?”

“He’s okay.” I grinned over the rim of my glass. But yeah, he is.

“I don’t see it. Maybe that’s because I’m dating the hottest guy on the planet.” She bit her lip, and a sexy shimmer passed across her eyes as she tracked Flint coming out of the house with a plate of meat to grill on the barbecue. She blew him a kiss. He grinned. Then she turned to me and nudged her arm against mine. “But I’ve seen the script, and sorry, you might be disappointed.”

“Gotta keep the fans guessing, right?”

“Yeah. And you? I can’t believe you’re going to be away for at least two more years.” She pouted and rested her head against my shoulder. “I miss you so much.”

“I’ll always come home to see you. Time will fly by.”

“I’ll visit you too.” She rubbed my arm, and hope weaved through her voice. “And maybe Slip?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We have to reset before we see each other again.” Was that even possible? I hoped so. I stared at the ripples running across the surface of the pool. “How’s he been these last few weeks?”

“Actually, he’s been good. Really good.” Sitting upright, she bobbed her head and swept her hair back over her shoulder. “He set his mind on getting better. He toned down the wild nights, didn’t drink much, took it steady on stage, and eased off the hard meds. The guys helped him a lot. One of them stayed with him all the time.” She softened her tone. “He had surgery the day after we got home. Only time will tell if it worked. But he really wanted to get off the pills and drugs, get sober, and rest. That’s why he went to rehab.”

I gulped down a large mouthful of wine to drown the ache in my chest. But it didn’t work. “I’m glad he’s getting help.”

She smiled, but no glint touched her eyes. “He misses you like crazy.”

“Yeah. I miss him too. It’s been hard.” I twisted my glass around in my hands, wishing it would make moving on easier.

She leaned back, propping herself up on her hand, and glided her toes through the pool water. “He asked about you all the time. He kept staring at his phone as if he was waiting for you to call or text like you used to do. He messaged you to see if you were okay, but you never replied. He hounded me to check in on you, which I did.”

“Yeah, I know. I did the same thing. So, thank you.” My stomach sank to the bottom of the pool. Not texting him had been one of the hardest things to do. One of the things I’d missed most. Sutton had respected my need to distance myself from him after what had happened. I loved her for that. “But we needed to sever ties.”

“I don’t think you can. Something always pulls you two together. Something made you want him all to yourself. Otherwise, Harper wouldn’t have brought out your claws and insecurities. The fights you had with Slip were never about different opinions and views of the world. They were about wanting to see each other more often. You could never stay away from him. Nor he from you.” She took a sip of wine, then balanced her glass on her knee. “You always found time to be with him when you were in town. Those moments, even if they were only short, bound you together. Yes, you got scared about getting hurt again. We all do. Yes, he got messed up on meds and drugs there for a couple months. But what happened to Phil has scarred the guys deeply. None of them want to go down that path. Not even Slip. I’m not making light of his problem, but he was strong enough to admit he has an issue. He will get better. I honestly believe that. Through all this craziness, you were always his end goal. And that look in your eyes tells me you’re still holding on too.”

“No, I’m not. I’m just still coming to terms with us being over.”

She flicked a finger toward my hand. “Then why are you still wearing your wedding rings?”

“Shit.” I held out my flattened hand before me. The yellow diamond sparkled in the fading afternoon sun. My breath shuddered through my chest. I’d take them off tonight. Maybe. Yes. No. Fuck. I tucked my hand underneath my leg so I couldn’t see the bands. “I’m just used to wearing them.”

Sutton sipped her wine, then licked and popped her lips. “So...have you signed the annulment?”

“No.” I rubbed at the ache lingering in my chest. “I haven’t had time. But I will.”

She gave me a yeah-right smirk. “If you really wanted to end things, you would’ve done that by now.” She shook my knee. “You still love him. With the guys taking a break, you could really give your marriage the chance you promised me you would.”

My pulse quickened, tenfold. “What break?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you.” Regret skipped across her eyes. “They had a lot to work out and didn’t want anyone to know until they’d finished the tour. They’ve agreed to take time off. At least a year or more. They’ll make an official announcement next week.” Worry clouded her eyes as she pursed her lips. “Flint’s nervous their hiatus will be permanent.”

He would be. He lived for the band. They all did.

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