Page 103 of Starstruck
I swipe my thumb across the bottom of the screen. “Hello?”
At my greeting, the words, “This is a collect call from the Toronto South Detention Centre. This call will be recorded. Please press one to answer,” come through the other end.
I freeze in place.
I know who’s calling. It’s the one person I promised myself I’d never speak to again. But the fact that I’m receiving this call after the events of yesterday and at quarter-to-seven in the morning has my interest piqued.
Considering for a moment longer, I poke my head back into my room to find Lennon still sleeping soundly. I shut the bathroom door so she won’t overhear, exhaling deeply.
Then I do as the recording says and press one.
“Hello, Baxter,” are the first words I hear when the line clicks, and my heart drops at the sound of his voice.
Fuck.
“Was nice of you to come to the trial yesterday. Though it’s unfortunate things went the way they did, isn’t it?”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. Nothing good is going to come from this conversation.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I want you to help me. I want you to put an end to this mess.”
“What makes you think I would do anything to help you?”
His answering laugh is nothing but evil. “We both know things aren’t going to go my way this afternoon, thanks to that little girlfriend of yours. Nice going, by the way. She’s hot, even if she is the reason I’m going to prison.”
I grit my teeth at his mention of Lennon. “Don’t fucking talk about her. You killed her parents. What did you expect?”
“Well, it definitely wasn’t for my very ownbrotherto be fraternizing with the people trying to ruin my life.”
I grit my teeth, my heart sinking into my stomach at his mention of our relationship.
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re not my brother anymore,” I grit out in a whisper. “My brother died nearly eleven years ago in the same accident that killed Mom. You ruined your life all on your own.”
He hums. “That may be true. But it’s also true that with onelittle phone call, you could make it all go away for me. You owe me, after all.”
“Ioweyou?” I scoff. “You’re out of your damn mind. Glad to see the years of drinking have finally caught up to you.”
“You abandoned me!” he shouts. “Mom died, Dad went to prison, and before I even turned eighteen, youleft, never to be seen or heard from again. You skipped out on me and left me to fend for myself.”
“This phone call is about eleven years too late.Youare the reason I cut you off. That day in the courtroom for Dad’s trial ringing any bells?”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
“Everythingyou said wasn’t true!” I huff, ensuring I keep my voice low. “You took his side forkilling our mother, and you expected me to be okay with that?”
“Whatever,” he scoffs. “Make the phone call, or I’ll ruin your life just like your girlfriend’s family is ruining mine.”
“Your threats mean nothing to me. Nothing you do is going to change anything.”
Except even as I say it, I know it’s not true.
“You sure about that? I’m guessingLennondoesn’t know about your relation to me then, does she?”
I swallow roughly. I knew not telling her sooner would come back to bite me.
“If you don’t help me, I’m telling the world I’m your brother. We’ll see how people feel about theinfamous Baxter Jamesonce they find out he’s related to the man responsible for the deaths of the world’s biggest rock stars.”
