Page 104 of Crimson Desires

“Jack, I’m very disappointed in you,” Dad said, each word uttered through ground teeth.

I bit the inside of my cheek. The anxiety in my chest felt like a buzzing hornet’s nest. “Dad, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t lie to me—did you or did you not assault a member of Killing Kiss?”

“I did,” I said. “But please, let me explain.”

“It is never acceptable to attack another person. Not even to mention one of the most important names in our industry."

"Dad, you're not listening to me."

"I understand that he was talking with Aster. But jealousy is no excuse for-,”

“He was going to hurt her!” I snapped, finally fed up with being talked over. “Fuck, Dad. Listen, you know that I’m not a violent guy. I would never hurt anyone without a reason to do so. At our post-show party in Nashville, Zephyr told me that he saw Aster and Arnold walking into Killing Kiss’s tour bus. I went to go check on them. When I walked in, Arnold was pinning her to the wall, about to...” I felt my throat dry. “Dad, you have to believe me. As soon as I got Aster out of there, we told Rick and Manny what had happened—and Ava’s talking to them now to get this all sorted out.”

Dad scrutinized me. I could tell that he was trying to see if I was being honest, or if I was full of shit. Maybe it was because he was my dad—but I could never get a lie past him. Not even on a video call.

Deciding that I was being truthful, Dad sighed. “Jesus, Jack. You should’ve called Dave.”

“I know. But I wasn’t thinking clearly. As soon as I realized that Aster might be in danger...”

Dad nodded. “I understand, son. Listen, even if the other members of Killing Kiss stand up for you, the damage from Arnold’s post has already been done. All we can do is try to manage the misinformation.”

“What about Kaleidoscope Radio?” I asked. “They told you that they were going to release a favorable cut of the interview. They lied.”

“I talked to the CEO of Kaleidoscope Radio. As it stands, it appears that the video was edited and published by an unauthorized employee. We think that it was the interviewer himself who uploaded it, but we can’t be sure yet. Regardless, I’ve asked them to take the video down. Thankfully, they've agreed."

"So, there's no problem?"

"Now hang on. I didn't say anything about there being no problem. Even if you weren’t technically at fault for these mishaps, Jack, you’re still the one who’s going to pay for them. I know it’s unfair, but you’ve been in this game for a long time. You know that this is just how it is.”

Dad’s expression had relaxed considerably.

I tried to take a deep breath. It felt like there was a weight on my chest, keeping me from getting enough oxygen to my lungs.

Dad cleared his throat. “We’re going to have to manage your next moves very carefully. First, addressing the controversies. You’ll need to release a public statement. I’ll have Ava write it for you, and you can post it before your show tonight. Then, we’re going to need to work on repairing your image.”

“And what’s that going to entail?” I asked.

“You need to do something nice. Something to put your name in the headlines for all the right reasons,” Dad said. “Even better if it involves Aster somehow. If she’s the crux of your conflict with Arnold, you’re going to want to show the world that you’re able to own up to your mistakes and provide reparations to the related parties. Is there anything that you can do for her that might make an impactful story?”

The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Her dad.”

“Explain.”

“Aster’s father has a chronic health condition of some kind. He’s been in and out of the hospital throughout the tour—and Aster just found out that he needs to receive expensive emergency surgery.”

“So, you could surprise her by paying for it.”

“I...”

I furrowed my brow. Something about paying for Aster’s father’s surgery just to repair my image felt wrong.

Yet, the idea was tempting. Ever since Aster had mentioned her concerns about paying for her father’s surgery, I’d thought about paying it for her. If Aster were any less independent and headstrong, I probably would’ve already done so.

Then again, if Aster were any less independent and headstrong, I probably wouldn’t have fallen in love with her.

On the surface, paying for Aster’s father’s surgery would be a win-win. Aster wouldn’t have to worry about money, and I would have a great fluff story to bolster my public image with. But still—a small voice at the back of my head warned me against it.

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