Page 64 of For Eva

“So you’re sure about this, Eva? There’s no changing your mind?” Keith stared at me over the steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

I nodded, taking a sip from my own mug. “I’m sure.”

We were settled into a booth at Canter’s on Fairfax. I’d dodged his calls for several days, but when I finally reached out to see how Eric was doing, he’d insisted we meet up. I knew it was best to tell him my news face-to-face, so I’d agreed to join him for breakfast.

“Damn,” he said, disappointment in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Keith. I’ve got to get away from LA. So much of it reminds me of—” I swallowed, Danny’s name stuck in my throat. “Well, you know. I just can’t be here right now.”

“I know, kiddo.” He squeezed my hand across the table. “You didn’t deserve that.”

I nodded, averting my eyes so he wouldn’t see them start to glisten.

He slid his hand back and picked up his mug. “So have you told everyone? Will and Matt?”

“No. I need to call them, I guess. I’ve really only told my roommate.”

“How’d she take it?”

I sighed and shrugged. “She wishes I’d stay. But she gets it.”

“This life’s not for everyone, so I get it, too. It can be hard. Especially with everything that happened.”

“How’s he doing?” I asked, ashamed I’d waited to reach out to Keith about Eric. I knew a phone call to him would lead to a conversation about the future, and I hadn’t been ready to talk about that until now.

“I’m flying out to Denver tomorrow to bring him back. The doctor said he’s ready for rehab. It’s all set up, so I’ll take him straight there.”

“You’re amazing to be there for him like this,” I said as the waitress refilled our cups. “I wish there was something I could do.”

Keith looked across the table at me. “There is, Eva. Don’t leave until you see him.”

I chewed my bottom lip and stared down at the table.

“Look, I don’t know if you know this, but he was your biggest champion. In his sober moments, he’d tell me all the time how amazing you were, how good you were for the band.” He reached over and touched my arm, causing me to lift my eyes. “And he always wanted to make sure you were taken care of.Always.”

My chest tightened as I tried to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. I thought about the day he insisted Keith hire me…the time he stopped Jesse Trainor from harassing me…the night we sat on the rooftop in Cleveland eating Chinese food.

“Did you, um…did you tell him about Danny yet?”

Keith shook his head. “I wasn’t able to speak to him while he was detoxing. But I’m sure he’ll ask when I see him.”

I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. “What are you gonna tell him?”

Keith shrugged, taking a deep breath. “I guess the truth, as fucking tragic as it is. To be honest, Eva, I don’t know if the band’s gonna survive without Danny. You know he and Eric were magic when it came to songwriting. Will and Matt are good musicians, but they can’t fill those shoes.”

I nodded, knowing he was right. “So how do I see him? I mean, when can he have visitors at rehab?”

“The admissions counselor said to give it a couple weeks. Let him settle in and get acclimated to the facility.”

“Okay.” I placed my elbows on the table, resting my chin in my hands. “Just, um…just call me when you find out the details.”

“I will. First thing.”

I looked across the table into his kind eyes. I was gonna miss the hell out of him. “Thank you, Keith,” I said, trying to stop my chin from quivering. “For everything you’ve done for me…for Eric. You truly are one of the good guys in this fucked-up business.”

He smiled and averted his eyes, which had begun to glisten. “Enough with that. You’re gonna ruin my reputation as a hard-ass manager. I’ve worked tirelessly to get that distinction, you know.”

I chuckled and swiped my fingers under my own eyes. “Okay, no crying.”

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