Page 33 of A Billionaire Rebel

“They are,” Haje said. “I asked them when I called about covering the funeral costs. They agreed and said that they hoped you would do it because they trusted you and liked you.” Her smile was tight. “They said Bair had always spoken highly of you.”

My gut twisted. I hadn’t known that Bair had ever talked to his dad or brothers about me. I’d been such a shitty friend.

Z leaned forward. “Now, the other options we discussed. From what we’ve heard about Hawk’s injuries, he’ll probably be fully recovered by September, but it still remains to be seen how long it will be before Otis is able to think about traveling again.”

“I don’t think any of us are ready to even think beyond tomorrow,” I said honestly. “And I don’t think the physical recovery is all that will come into play. I’m sure there’s going to be some serious issues with travel, not just for Otis and Hawk, but Kalini too. She was right there when it happened.”

Haje winced, the compassion on her face clear. “Of course, we won’t rush any of you into anything. We’ll call to check in, and at some point, we’ll ask for a meeting to discuss things. If any of them happen to ask you, please let them know that.”

“I will.”

We chatted for a few more minutes, but the important stuff had already been covered. Until the others were up to making decisions about the future, there wasn’t really anything else for us to discuss.

After leaving, I ran through a drive-thru, eating on my way to the hospital. Even if Otis’s ex-wife had visited a couple times, I wanted to visit, let him know that I was here for him. When I reached his room, it wasn’t his ex who was there, though. It was Kalini and Hawk.

“You look better than the last time I saw you,” I said to Hawk as I leaned against the empty bed next to Otis. “Probably helps not being interrupted by nurses every couple hours.”

“Definitely an improvement in care.” Hawk glanced at Kalini, who blushed.

“That is so unfair,” Otis complained. “You get to have Kalini cooking for you, taking care of you, and I get a sponge bath from a nurse who looks like my Uncle Alphonso.”

“Ouch.” Kalini laughed.

I agreed. We’d all seen pictures of Uncle Alphonso.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Not too bad,” he said. “These are some seriously good drugs.”

After a few minutes of the sort of casual talk that had always helped us destress after rough shows, Kalini asked the question.

“Did you meet with the label?”

“I did. They want me to say something at the memorial service tomorrow.” I started with that and then moved on to the rest, knowing that absolutely nothing about this conversation was going to be easy, but it was necessary.

The world hadn’t stopped because of our tragedy, and one day soon, we would have to figure out where we were going next.

Nineteen

Jae

Work had been blissfullyquiet all day. Just enough customers to keep me from being bored, but not so many that I felt frazzled. I’d also made a few pretty good sales, which I pointed out to Starla every time she teased me about staring off into space every now and then.

I couldn’t help it. The dream I’d had last night had been so vivid, so intense that my body still tightened every time I thought about it. I’d actually climaxed hard enough to wake me up, and my muscles had trembled for nearly a quarter of an hour after. I’d almost been too nervous to go back to sleep because I hadn’t known if I’d have the same kind of dream, and as much as I’d enjoyed it, I dreaded another one. I’d meant it when I’d told Jamie that I didn’t think Damon was looking for a relationship. I didn’t want to hope for something I could never get.

When I wasn’t helping customers or trying not to think about my dream, I was wondering how Damon was doing. Starla’d had the television on most of the day, and I knew it was in part because she knew I’d want to keep tabs on what was going on. The network coverage on Holden had lessened, but the announcement about Bair Appleton’s memorial service tomorrow had given the news and entertainment outlets plenty to talk about. There’d been plenty of speculation about what the band was going to do next, but no official word.

“How long do you think it will take Spencer to start coming around again?” I asked as Starla came out of the back and leaned against the counter next to me.

She shrugged. “He’ll probably wait until I’m not here, so we’re going to be scheduled together for a while. Maybe he’ll get bored.”

If he hadn’t gotten bored after more than three years, I didn’t think a few weeks of me working with Starla would do it. Personally, I figured he’d be more likely to do something really stupid, and our new security cameras would catch him. Whether or not the authorities would do anything about it was another story.

Maybe he’d be arrogant enough to do something when Damon was around, and the presence of a member of the Holden family could prompt a stricter response than the hassling of a mere mortal.

The door opened, and I stiffened, only to relax when I saw Damon walking toward me. A thrill went through me, and I couldn’t bring myself to quash it. I liked that he’d sought me out again, even if it was just for a distraction from what was going on. I would enjoy the time we spent together and keep the memories for after it ended. No expectations and no regrets.

“I’m going to go straighten the shelves,” Starla said with a grin. “Behave yourself.”

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