Page 490 of Rock Me All Night
The article is mostly conjecture about how I'm a home-wrecker, well, band-wrecker. There are other questions too, about why we're all at the hospital. Apparently, a so-called fan recognized Tom, snapped pictures on her cell phone, and sent them into the gossip site.
Kara plays with the edges of her cell phone. "Drew doesn't have to know about this."
"I don't care."
"But Tom has been texting me, asking what you want to do."
"Why is he asking you?" I set the tablet on the bed before I give in to the temptation to contact him myself.
"I told him your phone is off for the day." She taps something into her phone. "Anything he wants to say is going through me." Kara looks at me. "Whatever happens with the band, you and I are family. Even if Drew does something stupid to get himself killed or thrown in jail."
"You think he would?"
"He knows better." She shoves her phone back into her pocket.
"The guys are always teasing Drew that he'll never find anyone as good as you."
"He won't. Drew hates everyone. Except the people he loves. He's pretty black or white."
"They never tease Miles about not doing better than Meg."
Kara plops on the couch. "Miles doesn't take the bait. Drew is easy to rile up. Sure you noticed. But Miles would be just as lost without her. More even."
"You know, I hated you when we were kids."
"Really?"
"Drew was my only friend in San Francisco. And my ally against our parents. It felt like you stole him."
"Sorry about that. Can't say I regret it."
I push the tablet aside to sit next to her.
Her phone buzzes. She groans as she checks it. "Tom sounds really upset. But there's no way I'm letting him talk to you right now."
"He didn't do anything wrong. He can't help not loving me."
Sympathy fills her eyes. "Um. How do you want to spin the story?"
"I don't care. Tom can decide."
Kara taps her phone. "If he decides, it will be something about threesomes and bondage. And your name will get connected sooner or later."
"Probably sooner being the guitarist's innocent baby sister. It's a lot more scandalous with that detail."
"True." She looks at me. "Are you sure? I can fuck with him. Tell him to make the story about your secret love affair with Pete, how you two are hiding it from Tom because he is a much better lay."
"No thank you." I lie back on the bed and stare at the stucco ceiling. "Tell him not to spin it. To make it the truth. That I handed him my heart and he stared at it like it was a hand grenade."
Kara plops next to me. "Oh honey, I'm sorry." She taps a reply and tosses her phone aside. "Are you okay?"
I say nothing.
She's quiet for a minute. Eventually, she gets up and looks over my camera. "What have you been thinking about up here?"
"Only what I'm doing with my life."
"So no big deal?" She smiles.
