Page 112 of You Rock My World
“So you’re not mad I did it, the interview?”
“No.” Josie shakes her head. “Do you know how Billie is?”
I grip the wheel a little harder. “She got out of the crash unscathed. Not a scratch on her.”
Josie exhales, nodding.
I roll my shoulders, forcing myself to loosen my grip. “And she’s going away, she’ll no longer be a problem for us.”
Josie’s gaze snaps to me. “What do you mean?”
“Billie had so much crap in her system, any judge would’ve given her jail time. But her lawyers are negotiating a deal for rehab instead of prison.” I don’t know if this will change anything. If hitting rock bottom today will finally make Billie face what I couldn’t make her see for years. But I want to believe she’ll take the help this time. That she’ll come out of this experience whole. “She’ll be gone for at least six months. And hopefully, when she comes out, Billie will be ready to move on.”
“Wow.”
“Josie…”
“Yup?”
“I’m sorry I made our relationship public without asking for your permission.” I keep my eyes on the road, but I feel her studying me. “But with the fans backing me, you quitting your job, and Lily’s bossy text, I figured I could take the risk. That I could grand-gesture you.”
Josie’s smile really is a rainbow. “Feel free to grand-gesture me whenever you want, rockstar. I loved my song… You put so much of us in it…”
I look at her, then at the road, undecided.
“What?” she asks, because she always notices when something is going on with me.
“I really tried to put a lyric in there about how I’ll always let you eat my fries, but couldn’t find the right poetics.”
She stares at me, stunned. “Did you have a microphone on you that night and record our entire conversation? How do you remember stuff like that?”
“I just paid attention. I always do when I care. And I know you remember everything, too.”
“I guess we were both paying attention, then.”
I chuckle. “Good to know.”
Josie frowns. “Wait. How was Lily’s text bossy? She swore she only texted you I was at her place.”
“Yeah.” I snort. “Your sister was a tad more assertive than that.”
“What did she say? Can I read it?”
“Sorry.” I make a zipper-over-my-mouth motion just as I pull up to my gate.
Josie narrows her eyes. “Dorian.”
I kill the engine and turn to her, already undoing my seat belt. “That’s classified information.”
She’s about to protest, but before she can, I step out of the truck and round to her side.
I open her door, offering my hand. Josie eyes me, still mock-outraged, but takes it anyway. As soon as she’s on the ground, I scoop her up in my arms, pressing my lips to the shell of her ear.
“And we don’t have time to discuss it now, anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because now,Josephine, the time for talking is over.”
