Page 16 of Heart Break Her

Co-workers?

All it takes is one person whispering in another person’s ear, and it doesn’t matter how sheltered a person is from pop culture, the information will find them eventually. Spreading like a twisted game of telephone.

This is the last thing I need, that my family needs. Especially after what happened a little over a year ago. I’m supposed to be the rock of the family, the solid one, the good one. The daughter my parents can count on.

The last thing they need is more stress or heartache after everything with my brother. And I had to go get myself into the worst, most public kind of trouble.

For what? Orgasms.

My phone rings, and I jump, dreading looking at the screen. But when I do, I see it’s Merry.

“I know.” I skip thehello, how are youbecause shit has hit the fan, and I’m too busy wiping it off my face for pleasantries.

“I’m outside and coming in.” She sounds as out of breath as I feel. “I still have the spare key you gave me forever ago. But I’m calling first because I didn’t want to just walk in and scare you.”

She hangs up, and I realize Merry got here really fast for being on the East Coast only yesterday. After Enemy Muse left town last week, they shot across the country. Yet she managed to somehow get here less than twelve hours after the video went viral.

I shouldn’t be surprised; Merry works for the band, and there’s no doubt in my mind they would have been the first to find out. They probably have people on their team specifically designated to continually watch the press for anything that might cause a wave. And Merry is proof they found one.

A tsunami is more like it. They probably shipped her off for damage control.

Not like I leaked it.

Not like I’ll talk.

If I could crawl under a rock and hide, I’d pick the biggest one right now. A mountain, as a matter of fact. I’d lift it up and bury myself. Now that I think about it, an off-grid community with no internet isn’t sounding bad.

“Cassie.” Merry walks into my bedroom with a forced smile, and I realize how much I’ve missed her, even if it’s only been six days. She pulls me in for a monster hug, and when she backs away, she places both hands on my shoulders.

She looks the same as always. Dark everything, even her eyes. But the purple in her hair has been replaced by magenta and she’s rocking a new Monroe piercing. The speed at which things seem to shift and change when living the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle never ceases to amaze me.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Merry asks, leading me to my bed, where we both take a seat.

She’s not being executionary, but I don’t blame her for asking. After all, who fools around with one of the world’s biggest rock stars and doesn’t tell her best friend about it?

Me, that’s who.

I tucked my night with Sebastian away in my memories and placed it under lock and key for safe keeping.

“I don’t know.” It’s the honest truth. “I wasn’t quite sure how to process it. That’s not the kind of thing Ido. My family is going to kill me.”

“They won’t. And if they try, I’ll be your human shield. Don’t worry.” Merry forces another smile, and I wish there was real comfort in her expression because then it would mean I might be able to get past this. “Did it happen the night of the unplugged show?”

I nod.

Her eyebrows pull tighter. “But you left?”

“I did, almost,” I say, the memory of Sebastian leaning against my car beneath the pale glow of the streetlight still fresh in my head. “I ran into him outside. He was smoking, we got to talking, and one thing led to another.” I wave my hand in a circle and let it finish my sentence.

My phone rings, and I jump again.

Mom.

“Fuck.” I bury my face in my hands and ignore the call.

Merry hits the silence button and tosses it onto the desk. “You need to ignore the world for a while.”

I nod, fighting tears as I look back up at her.

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