Page 36 of The Drummer's Heart

A small mirror suddenly appeared in front of my face, snapping me out of my salacious thoughts.

“You like it?” she asked.

I ran my fingers across the top of my head. “Amazing as ever. No one cuts my hair like you.”

There’s no one like you.

Never was, never will be.

“You should be good for a couple of months.”

I didn’t want to consider where I’d be two months from now. Because she wouldn’t be there.

There was a knock at the door, and both of us turned our heads. It was just after eight-thirty PM.

My brows drew in. “Are you expecting someone?”

She shook her head. “No.”

Unfortunately, there was no peephole. And after I opened the door, I wished I hadn’t. Because standing in front of me was the closest thing I’d had to a girlfriend since Nicole and I broke up. “Riley, what are you doing here?”

CHAPTER 12

ATTICUS

Riley shot me a look. “I should be asking you the same question.”

Nicole stood behind me quietly, and all I could think about was protecting her feelings. That meant getting Riley the fuck out of here.

“Let’s step outside, please,” I told Riley, leading her down the block where there was no way Mimi or Nicole would overhear.

When I felt comfortable that we were well beyond earshot, I stopped and faced her. “Why didn’t you call before showing up here?”

“You told me you were dealing with a family situation, Atticus. You conveniently left out the part where yourex-wifewas involved.”

I exhaled. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“Why? Because you didn’t want me to know what you’re up to?”

“Riley, even if Iwerehaving an affair with my ex-wife, which I’m not, you and I are not exclusive.”

“Yes, but I thought we had an understanding that when you weren’t touring…you and I would spend time together. Why did you lie and tell me you were coming to New Jersey to visit your family?”

An understanding created by you that I’d never agree to?“I didn’t lie. I said I had a familysituation, and that’s what this is. Nicole and I aren’t married anymore, but she’ll always be my family.”

I owed Riley the decency not to continue this conversation on the street, so I texted Nicole that I would be back soon.

We got in Riley’s car and drove to a bar in town.

Once there, I explained the full situation. While she wasn’t happy, Riley calmed down a bit once she realized the situation with Nicole wasn’t as cut and dried as she’d assumed.

“Will you tell me now how you found out where I was?” I asked.

She stirred the ice in her drink. “I called your manager and told him I needed to reach you. Doug said you’d had him order a set of drums to be delivered here and gave me the address. Said he knew nothing more than that. But what prompted me to reach out in the first place was a photo posted online—you and Tristan out with two women. One I recognized as his girlfriend, and I knew the second woman was your ex.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I’ve never shown you photos of Nicole.”

“No, but come on, Atticus. Of course I’ve peeked at your old social media posts over the years.”

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