Page 73 of Fractured Frets

“Thanks, Sutt.” Half-smiling, I shook my head. “Not helping.”

“Everyone loves you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, I do.” I lowered my chin and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I’m worried about Slip. Something was off last time we saw each other. Even during our calls, he hasn’t been himself.”

“How so?”

“I’m sure he’s just tired from touring. I’ve been exhausted and overstressed at work.” I rested my head back against the seat. “Last time he was home, he was restless every night. His hip was bothering him. He’s on strong meds, but he’s still in pain. He’s always good with Mom but when she had too much to drink and had a flare-up, he was convinced she was faking it. All weekend, he was up and down. It was just a weird few days.” Maybe I read too much into everything because my hectic film schedule was getting more overloaded. “Every time I asked him if something else was going on, he said no. I’m worried he’s pushing himself to the limit.”

“He probably is.” Sutton never downplayed anything. “All the guys are. What they do each night on stage is insane.”

I stared at the bubbles rising in my glass, popping into the air. “Yeah. Slip puts so much pressure on himself to ensure he gives the fans a great show and be the fun-loving rock star when they meet him. He can’t have an off day. But that fall on stage two months ago aggravated his old injury. He hates having to take it easy. Those online articles that slandered him for being dull during their concerts hit him hard. The gossip sites don’t care if he’s hurt.” I worried he’d do more damage if he didn’t take care of himself. Fuck...he was like my mom.

Sutton swept her hair back over her shoulders and sighed. “No, unfortunately the media are fickle. They love you one minute, hate you the next. But I’m sure Slip will handle it. The guys have had worse news written about them over the years. They’re not the room-trashing, drug-taking, womanizing guys they used to be. True fans are at their shows for the music and to see them perform live. They don’t care what the headlines say.”

“Yeah.” I swiveled my head toward her. “We’ve been in enough of those lately.”

She arched one eyebrow skywards. “You want Flint and I to create a few while I’m with him? Take the heat off you and Slip?”

A small giggle escaped me. I’d know she’d do that if I asked her to. “Thank you, but no.” I curled my legs up and shuffled around to face her. “I can’t believe you’ve got two and a half months off and are traveling with the guys for the rest of the tour.” My filming breaks were never that long and always full of publicity obligations and taking care of Mom. I’d be back in the US for promotional duties in ten days.

A big grin lit her face as she shimmied her shoulders back and forth and clicked her fingers through the air. “I’m gonna be a groupie. I get time with my man.”

I loved that she was happy. “You’re going to have so much fun.”

“Yep.” Her gaze softened as she smiled. “Flint’s in his element. He loves touring.”

“They all do.” I twisted my flute around on top of my leg and pinched my brows together. “But Slip struggles with popularity. The gossip surrounding us hasn’t helped. This Harper news hasn’t gone away.”

“It will.” Sutton gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, but it did little to relieve my lingering concerns.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore.” I stared toward the front of the plane, focusing on nothing. The stresses from work, worrying about Mom, and being apart from Slip had taken their toll. I needed this break more than ever. “Sorry. I don’t want Harper in my head, causing more issues between Slip and me.”

“Don’t be sorry.” She threw me a sympathetic smile. “It’s hard being apart, especially since you’ve just gotten married.”

“It shouldn’t be this stressful, right?”

“Don’t let the shit get to you.” Sutton jabbed me in the thigh. “Slip is good for you. He’s making you take control of your life. This is your chance to figure out what you really want. Is it acting? Staying in Vancouver? Taking more care of your mom? And most importantly, how strongly do you feel for him?”

I picked at some fluff on my leggings. “Everything scares me.”

“Why?”

“Because I haven’t allowed myself to feel anything for so long. But Slip makes me feel everything in overdrive.” Just thinking about him lifted some of the weight off my chest. “I want to experience new things. Do more. Have fun. After Noah left, I just existed. I put on this bubbly, happy face. I did what I was told to do and never questioned anything. But now I do.”

“That’s awesome.” She slapped my leg, then dialed down the volume on her voice. “I know it’s taken you a long time to get over Noah. I’m glad you’re giving Slip a real chance. The moment you met him, something changed in you. I couldn’t work out what had caused it because you kept seeing him in secret for so long. But I understand why you did. You needed to take it slow, let yourself be vulnerable, open up to him, and learn to love again. And you’ve done that.” She picked up her flute and tilted it toward me. “I’ve never seen you more in love and happier than I’ve seen you with Slip. Own that. Now it’s just the finer details you need to work out. And that’s okay. You’ve got time.”

My head fell back against the seat. “Why can’t I see a logical, sane way to be together?”

She lifted one finger off her flute and pointed at me. “Maybe you need to change your expectations about marriage.” Her blasé tone hit hard and low. Shit. Do I? “He’s not gonna be a husband that you come home to every day. You won’t be cooking meals together every night. You’re not about having babies and being a housewife.”

“True.” I’d have liked to see him on a daily basis though. “But what makes things even more challenging is my show got renewed for another two seasons.” I didn’t hesitate when the studio asked me to resign, and my agent had renegotiated a phenomenal new deal—one I couldn’t refuse. I’d yet to break the news to Slip. Not sure he’d be happy about it. “That means another two or more years in Van City. Longer if the show continues.”

“Ohhhh.” Sutton pouted. “I’ll miss you. But that’s so exciting. Distance has never been a problem for you and Slip, so don’t make it one.” She tapped a long fingernail against the console. “Treasure the times you are with each other, always plan to see each other, and trust the way you feel. Trust him.”

There! That is my problem.

Sutton drained her glass and waved at Renee for another, then turned back to me. “I know that’s hard for you to do. I’ve been there. I was a nervous wreck when Flint first went away on promo and was afraid of women throwing themselves at him, but that has passed. We’ve grown to love each other more and trust each other completely. When we’re in the same room together, he only has eyes for me. He comes home to me. Communication is key. I’ve never known you and Slip to have any issues there. You text each other all the time.”

---