Page 52 of Hold Still

Ozzy

MY EARS POUNDas visions of that moment replay in my head. Bare-assed, Luis jumped out of the bed yelling “Ozzy!” He searched for something to cover up his little dick while Teresa yanked the sheet up to her neck.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” I’d growled at her. Then I looked over at Luis, now wearing a white robe and sporting a smirk. The fucker.

A soft hand lands on my tense forearm. “Ozzy,” a light voice says, bringing me out of my misery from over three years ago.

Blinking, I turn to the woman next to me. “I’m okay.” Needing her touch, I place my hand over hers, keeping it in place.

“I can’t believe they did that to you,” she whispers.

A sad chuckle escapes. “Yeah. Took me a couple of minutes to get my head back together.” I fall silent, remembering the fallout.

“What did you do next?”

I slant a glance toward McKenna. “I went down to the hotel bar and got shitfaced. A couple of people recognized me. I chose two of the women and went back to their room. Fucked them both for a day, and then flew back and rejoined the tour.”

She doesn’t say a word, but her cheek tightens. “I understand.”

I release her hand and try not to miss the comfort it gave me. We sit in silence for a long while.

On a whisper, she asks, “When did this happen?”

“Three years ago.” Three years, one month, five days; not that I’m counting. “I threw myself back into the tour with a vengeance. Partied harder. Hooked up.”

“I remember.”

I turn to her and run my fingers through her hair. “I know.”

Her eyes close and she pulls away from my touch. “Did you ever find out why she did this to you?”

“She told me she was lonely.”

She snorts.

Ignoring her, I go on. “Said college was hard and she needed someone on her side. Plus, she was taking care of her aunt who had a stroke.”

“Not that I’m making excuses for her, but that’s a lot of responsibility and she was young.”

I nod. “Eleven years younger than me.” Shrugging, I continue, “I think Luis did it to get back at me.”

“You’re probably right. What was a shitty thing Platinum did, breaking you guys up the way they did.”

“He didn’t have ‘the look.’” I use air quotes around the phrase. “I did.”

She smiles and ruffles my hair. “Still do. Even at your advanced age.”

I laugh. How could this woman get me to laugh when I’m spilling my guts to her about the worst time in my life? Getting myself back under control, I say, “Yeah, well, it’s all over now. Signed, sealed and delivered.”

“You got divorced?”

I nod. “Day before Cole’s wedding.”

She flinches. “That took a while.”

“Things can get dragged out if one party wants them to.” I rake my fingers through my hair. McKenna knows the person dragging out the proceedings wasn’t me.

“I’m amazed nothing about this hit the tabloids.”

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