Page 548 of Rock Me All Night
"What's the truth?"
"Dad was an asshole. Learned guitar, bass, and piano trying to impress him but he never gave a fuck."
My chest pangs. My family isn't exactly sunshine and roses, but I always feel like my dad is proud of me. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Play three instruments well now."
"Why'd you stick with bass?"
"Like the way it feels in my hands."
"Can we make a deal?" I ask.
He cocks a brow.
"Let's agree not to lie or bullshit each other. Even if the truth hurts."
"You sure?"
"Why? Does my hair not look good this color?"
He laughs.
I nod. "I'm sure. I need honesty right now." How many times did I lie covering for Dad? Must be a few thousand. More even.
He bites his lip like he's thinking it over. Finally, he nods. "Okay."
We shake on it.
Already, I'm nervous over the potential to reveal myself. Okay. Need to grab something. I like him talking about music, like the passion in his voice.
I look up at Pete. "Tom, your brother, he plays drums, right?"
He nods.
"What's that like?"
"We create the rhythm together. There's a connection when we play—it's like nothing else."
"What about sex?"
"Nothing is better than great sex."
Mmm. I'm flushed and sweaty just thinking about being with him. But we need to talk more. I need to know more about him. "Can you believe that woman at the club? She called your ex a… a c-word right to your face."
"Not the first time I've heard that."
"You never think that?"
"A cunt is a beautiful thing, not an insult."
My cheeks flush. He looks at me, his lips spreading into a smile. He enjoys teasing me.
I like it too.
"So you really don't hate her for cheating?" I ask.
He takes a long moment to compose himself. When he speaks, his voice is low. Vulnerable. "You must know what's it like. Still hurts that she betrayed my trust. We were on and off that last year. Would have been easy for her to keep things off, but she chose to lie to me instead."
