Page 24 of Places I've Never Been

She sighed and pushed on the link. Devon’s latest post filled the screen.

A faker is hooking up with a sellout who’s only interested in money. #sad #AdamBrooksDelusionalGlory

She cringed. “I don’t think there’s anything you can do to help with this.”

He leaned over to get a look at her phone. She almost hid it from him, then realized how ridiculous that was because he was tagged in the tweet, so he was bound to see it eventually.

“Delusional Glory? That’s the best he’s got? Hell, my own father came up with something more creative than that.” Adam snorted and sat back in the chair.

“He did?” She tried to picture her own father saying something like that and couldn’t.

“Oh yeah, he told me we’d forged new advances in noise pollution, and that we all demonstrated a complete and total absence of talent.” Adam’s eyes danced with amusement.

She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. “He did not. He didn’t tell you that.”

“Ask him. He’d tell you that, and more. He’s actually the one who came up with the Delusions of Glory name. Not that he knew he was doing it. Mostly he was trying to convince me how stupid the whole band thing was. Look how that turned out. Seriously, forget about that crap. If you don’t react, they get bored and go away.”

Her lighthearted amusement vanished in the face of harsh reality. “No, not always. The last time I ignored a post like that,the guy camped out on my doorstep. He brought a tent and everything. The video of him singing to my door went viral. The police finally hauled him away, but not before a horde of paparazzi had documented it from every angle. The look of betrayal on his face will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

“He deserved worse than that.” He pressed his lips together.

She raised an eyebrow at that. She didn’t disagree. The incident had been creepy and made her feel unsafe, and she’d asked the guy to back off too many times to count. He just wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Well, anyway, that’s why I try to stay off social media. It doesn’t usually end well, for me.”

He nodded. “I get that. But you shouldn’t have to hide who you are just because some people can’t get a grip on reality.”

“Maybe not. But life’s easier that way.” Mattie looked back at the tweet. “I just wish some people could figure out that writing a song is not the same thing as having a relationship. They take the emotions around the project and turn them into forever, and nothing lasts forever. The project ends, and they’re supposed to move on to something—or someone—else.”

Mattie bit her lip to stop the babble. She’d said more than she meant to say, but Adam was surprisingly easy to talk to, and he seemed sincere in a way a lot of industry people weren’t. It was probably because he had family around him. That firm foundation of love and support kept things real. A tiny flare of jealousy ran through her, followed by the cold realization that she was in trouble. Adam Brooks made her forget she was supposed to keep her distance.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Adam said. “Sure, the project might end, but the song can last a really long time, right?Might as well be forever. I still sing ‘My Girl’ in the shower, or ‘Purple People Eater’ while I’m driving.”

She saw the goofy look on his face and couldn’t stop the giggle. “Point. I still like to sing ‘Over the Rainbow’ when I’m in a bad mood.”

“See? Some things do last forever.” He looked smug.

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. And those songs are only from the forties and fifties. That’s hardly forever.”

“Hey, they came out long before we were born, and they’ll be going strong long after we’re gone. That’s as close as it gets, right?”

He sounded so sure of himself. He had no idea how quickly things could change.

“We should get to work.” She turned off the sound on her phone and placed it upside down on the table. “Let’s give the paparazzi something to talk about and run through the rest of the album.”

Chapter Six

Adam stepped back into the studio determined to take Mattie’s mind off everything that was bothering her. First, he sent a quick text to Lucas.

Buzzards camped outside. Need a ride.

The studio had a side entrance meant for deliveries that was hidden from the street. His manager happened to have a van with a cleaning company logo on it for just such an occasion.

When? How’s Bellamy?

Adam glanced at Mattie. She was trying to hide it, but she was looking at her phone again.

He sent back:Distracted.Give us a few hours.

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