Chapter 17
SLIP
THE PRESENT – JUNE
After four weeks touring the UK, surviving every day on pain-killers, and a few nights aided by cocaine, I was on a plane back to LA to see Maddy. This break couldn’t have come soon enough. I needed rest...and to stay clear of blow. Yep, I was done with that shit.
Cole and Flint traveled with me to catch up with Ava and Sutton. Lewis and Tia had opted to stay in Ireland before we toured across Europe after a week off.
Cole could barely sit still during the flight, excited that Ava and her son, Josh, would be with us for the remainder of the tour. Ava was joining our team as our new executive assistant, relieving some of April’s workload so she could solely focus on her love of publicity. I’d added enough work onto April’s task list over the past couple of months—I didn’t want to give her any more. Once I got home, I just wanted to stay in bed with my wife for the entire duration of the break.
Fuck. Sleep. Do nothing.
I needed that .
Maddy and I had to go to one function for her work on Saturday night. We had no other plans.
Perfect.
Just before midnight on Thursday, I walked into my room. My heart exploded at the sight of Maddy naked in my bed... our bed. She’d arrived home two hours before me.
After making slow, delicious love to her, my soul reset.
My head was clear for the first time in weeks.
Maddy was my everything.
Following a restless night thanks to my sore hip, I woke late on Friday morning next to Maddy, and we lazed by the pool over lunch. We then headed to her house to spend the afternoon with her mom and have dinner. While we waited for her to get home from an appointment Bridget had taken her to, we sat on the sofa, watching a movie and having a glass of wine. The pain in my hip was tolerable thanks to my meds.
Maddy kept glancing at her watch. Her mom was super late—no doubt delayed at the doctor. I didn’t mind more alone time with my wife. As I took a sip of the rich red, my cell phone pinged. I grabbed it off the coffee table and read an email from my brother, Julian.
Mom’s 60th. Italy. Next month.
I planned it around your tour. #yourwelcome.
Shit! I scratched my brow and ran through dates in my head. I opened my band’s scheduling app and scanned the list of our shows.
“What is it?” Placing her hand on my thigh, Maddy curled her fingers around my leg.
“Julian and Dad are organizing Mom’s sixtieth birthday in Italy next month.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet.” She fell against my side, nudging her arm into mine.
“Yeah...it’ll be huge. They’re tying the party in with a family tradition. Every five years, all my relatives, including cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, catch up for a few days at my uncle’s villa in Tuscany. It’s this really old vineyard near Firenze —Florence—that has been on my mom’s side of the family for generations.”
“Were you born in Italy?”
“No.” I placed my cell phone on the coffee table. I’ll deal with Julian later. “Mom and Dad met at college in Florence, and they moved to LA for work after they got married. My brothers and I were born and bred in California.” I sank back into the sofa and memories of summer vacation in Italy flooded my mind. Great food. Playing hide-and-seek in the vineyard. Swimming in the creek. Good times. “The trips to see the family are usually a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I won’t make this get-together.”
Missing Mom’s birthday would drive the wedge between me and my family deeper into my chest and give them another reason to be disappointed in me. For them, family came first. They never understood that I often had to put my work and other priorities before them. This time the priority was Maddy, and I’d never regret that. “Timing sucks. It’s at the beginning of our next break when I’m coming home to see you.”
“Oh.” Maddy nodded slowly and hugged her wineglass against her chest. “Next month, I’ve got a publicity tour for the new season of my show. We’re only going to get two days together during that visit and most of the time will be spent attending functions. Are you sure you want to miss your mom’s birthday?”
I swiped my hand back and forth across my scruffy chin. Thanks to time-zone differences and travel durations, I couldn’t see Maddy and go to the party. Could I? Nope. Not possible. Dates don’t align.
“Yes. It’s only a birthday. I’m not going two months without seeing you.” My tone may have been carefree, but my insides ached. Yeah...I’d miss catching up with my cousins. My immediate family? Not so much.
“But a sixtieth is a big deal.” Maddy rested her head against my shoulder. “The guys would probably go with you, right? Sutton is joining you on the tour too, since she has time off before filming her next season. Ava and Tia will be there. You should go to your mom’s party.”
I didn’t see my real family very often. If it wasn’t thanks to my work, it would’ve been by choice. Mom and Dad still lived in Pasadena, in the house I’d grown up in. My three older brothers and their families lived in The Valley. I used to be close and get along with everyone. Sunday lunches turned into late dinners. Stories, laughter, and games went for hours. But once I moved out of home and my band took off, everything changed. I was never around. My brothers resented my success, growing jealous of my income and lifestyle. Mom and Dad were hit and miss. They’d always encouraged my love of music, but wanted me to become a teacher, not join a band. They were beyond grateful I’d paid off their house and bought everyone nice cars. But despite every success the guys and I had achieved, and everything I’d done for them, I hadn’t become the stable, wholesome family man they’d expected me to be. Shame and embarrassment hung in their voices when my band hit the news for the wrong reasons. They’d never stopped hounding me to settle down. Stop partying. Get married. Have children.
Well . . . they couldn’t harass me about getting married anymore.
I loved my family, but I didn’t fit in. So I kept my distance.
My band had become my family. The guys never judged or ridiculed and were never jealous of me. We were equals. We’d supported each other through every high and low. Our friendship was thicker than blood.
I felt the same way about Maddy .
But being with her had made me reevaluate what was important to me. Made me determined to find the balance between life with her and music. That seemed impossible at present. We’d find a way after I finished the tour.
Damn it!
“I can’t do everything, Mads. Mom will be disappointed, but that won’t be anything new.”
She curled her legs up and rested them against my thighs. “But your family means a lot to you, don’t they?”
Despite our differences, I loved them. “Yeah. But my schedule doesn’t allow for it.” I was set to fly home after our show in Milan for a week, spend a couple of days with Maddy, then return to play in Austria. I’d miss the family get-together. “I’d much rather see you.”
“Me too.” She took a sip of her wine, then stared into her red. Distance clouded her eyes as she tapped her fingernail against the glass. “I know it’s a huge effort coming home to see me each break. I appreciate and love you for it—I really do. It’s a mammoth effort to coordinate our catchups. But...what if...I make no promises or guarantees here...but what if I can get some time off? If I can miss a few interviews that week, and the rest of the cast can do them without me, I’ll come to Italy. We can go to your mom’s party together.”
“Holy shit.” My heart filled my chest. “You’d do that?”
“Yes.” Her smile was pure heaven as anxious excitement swirled in her eyes. “I’ve never asked for unscheduled time off. I’m not sure if my producer, publicist, and the studio will be happy about it. Timing isn’t good around contract renewals. But this party is important to you. And you’re important to me...so yeah, I will.”
“That’d be incredible. But I know you’re worried about your show’s renewal and about being resigned. I don’t want you to risk your job.” Mom’s party wasn’t worth losing her role over. “ Do you think the series or you will be axed?”
“I honestly don’t know. The studio has been tight-lipped about everything. Everyone is nervous. Our ratings are strong. I’m one of the lead stars, but the producers haven’t liked my private life being dragged across the media. I am worried. I love my role on Vancouver Heights and don’t want to be culled.” She covered my hand with hers and held it against her leg. “But I love you too. Some time together might convince my bosses that we’re good for each other. So I’ll see what I can do about taking some time off.”
Wow. We were so alike—always trying to please everyone around us. Be everywhere. Do everything. But while we worked on our marriage, we had to do what was right for us. Her wanting to come to Italy reassured me she was truly in this. Wanted us to work.
“It’d be cool if we could go to the party.” I took her wine and placed our glasses down on the coffee table. I swiveled to face her and draped my arm across her waist. I swooped in and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. Mmm. So perfect. “You’ll meet my whole family in one hit.”
Maddy had met two of my three brothers, Theo and Julian, and my mom at the launch of my band’s new album. We hadn’t officially been together then, so the introduction had been low-key. This way, coming to Italy, she could meet everyone—cousins, aunts and uncles included. Shit ...was that a good thing? Yeah. Maddy could handle herself in a crowd. They’d love her.
Maddy’s eyes glinted as she scrunched her nose. “I can’t believe I haven’t met all your family yet.”
I ran my hand down her bare thigh and threw her a sexy smile. “If we’d stopped sneaking around sooner and weren’t so busy, you would’ve.” But I hadn’t met her brother or her dad either. Considering she didn’t really talk to them, I couldn’t see that meet and greet happening anytime soon.
Maddy tucked my hair behind my ear and swiped her fingers over my stubble. “Is your mom still pissed we got married without the whole family?”
“Yep.” I shuffled on the sofa, rolling a fraction more toward her to ease the ache in my hip. “But that’s exactly why I wanted to marry you in Vegas. I’m all for big parties, but my parents would’ve wanted an extravagant event held in some enormous church, followed by a reception with hundreds of family and friends. Mom would’ve complained about every little detail from the meals on offer to a flower being out of place. There’d have been so much food and wine, and long speeches and stories. The celebrations would’ve run from the rehearsal dinner through to the wedding, to the following evening. It’d never have fucking ended. It’d have been their day, not ours.”
“I didn’t want a wedding like that.” Maddy’s tone dived as she fidgeted with my hand resting on her leg, swiveling my wedding band back and forth round my finger. “The paparazzi would’ve followed our every move. It was bad enough being swamped outside the chapel in Vegas.”
“True, but Vegas was perfect.” I rested my head against the sofa. “Sometimes my family is too OTT even for me.”
“They sound full on.” She put on a brave smile. “But I look forward to meeting them if I can get time off.”
“I’m sure work won’t miss you for a few days.”
“They might.” A sparkle shimmered through her eyes as she jabbed her finger into my bicep. “I’m kind of a big deal on my show.”
“You’re a big deal to me too.”
“You must mean something to me,” she teased, sliding her hand down my chest, then poked me in the ribs. “I said yes to getting married.”
I caught her hand and entwined our fingers. “You said yes because you love me.”
“True.” She quirked an eyebrow. “Although, I do vaguely remember giving you a list of reasons why we shouldn’t tie the knot.”
“You did.” Grinning, I drew her hand around my waist. “But my list of why we should be together outweighed yours.”
“Hmmm.” A playful glint sparked in her eyes. “Maybe you should remind me why I did marry you.”
“Was it for my dick?”
“I didn’t marry you for your cooking skills.”
“We’d both starve.” I threaded my hand around her neck and drew her mouth to mine. With my lips locked with hers in a bone-melting kiss, we stretched out on the sofa. Hovering over Maddy, I settled between her legs, aligned my body with hers. Hips to hips. Heart to heart. My injury never ached when we were like this. As I roamed my hand over her hair, her arm, side and thigh, I treasured and memorized every inch I could touch into my mind. Anything to make it through the next run of weeks until I saw her again.
But just as I slid my hand underneath her T-shirt and cupped her boob, keys jangled at the front door. The lock clicked open and in stumbled Valerie.
Fuck. So much for making out with my wife!
Valerie staggered down the hallway, singing a soft tune I couldn’t make out. But something was off. Too happy? Too light? Too mobile? She dumped her purse onto the kitchen counter, caught sight of us on the sofa, and jumped.
“Oh my goodness!” She slapped her hand against her chest. “You scared the bejesus out of me.”
“Mom? What took you so long? Was the doctor running late?” Maddy pushed me to sit upright. I’d preferred where I was.
“Oh, Maddy. Angel. Thank God, you’re home.” Valerie touched one hand to her brow, slumped against the counter, and flapped her other hand in our direction. “Come. Help me over to my chair. I need a rest before dinner.”
Maddy leaped to her feet and rushed to Valerie’s side. I missed touching her already.
But Valerie, not acknowledging my existence, was new. “Hi, Valerie.”
“Oh. Hello, Sebastian.” She still didn’t bother to look at me.
As Maddy caught her mom’s arm, Valerie stumbled forward.
“Geezers, Mom.” The devastation in Maddy’s voice shot through the air like a dart. “You’re drunk.”
“Pfft.” Valerie straightened and swayed. “No, I’m not. I had one glass.”
“One glass of how many wines, Mom?”
Maddy’s anguish crushed my soul. I rushed over to help her walk Valerie to her recliner.
“I’m fine.” Valerie winced and groaned as she settled into the chair. Maddy grabbed the throw off the sofa and placed it over Valerie’s legs. “Thank you for helping your sick mama. It’s been a long afternoon.”
I shot a puff of air through my nose. Valerie didn’t understand long afternoons. She’d been to an appointment and had gotten drunk. She should try working eighteen-hour days, recording an album, jetting across the countrysidefor promo, and touring the world...then we’d compare notes.
“Perfect timing, Valerie.” I gave her a kiss hello on the cheek. Was her skin redder than normal? It could be just flushed from drinking. “A few more minutes and you might’ve been blinded by my naked ass.”
Valerie shuddered. “I don’t ever want to see that.”
Grinning, I shook my head. “No. I don’t want you to either.” I returned to my seat on the sofa.
Valerie clutched and squeezed Maddy’s hand as a sly, sorry-not-sorry smile curled across her mouth. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything too serious.”
“No.” Maddy sank onto the end of the coffee table, sitting between me and her mom. She threw me a sexy wink. “We were just talking about Slip’s next break. It’s his mom’s sixtieth in Italy. I’m gonna see if I can take off a week or so and go with him.”
“What?” Valerie grimaced. “No. No. No. You have work commitments. You can’t go gallivanting around Italy. You’ll come back ten pounds heavier.” She pinched Maddy’s arm as if testing for flab. “You certainly don’t need that. And...and...you can’t go. Who’s going to take me to my appointments if you’re away?”
With each rant from her mom, Maddy’s shoulders slumped an inch. “Mom, you’ll be fine. We’ll talk to Bridget, or I’ll hire someone else. I haven’t missed a day of work in four years. I’ve never asked for time off or delayed filming. I’m entitled to a few days of personal leave. This party is important to Slip, so I should be there with him.”
“Don’t be silly.” Valerie straightened the throw over her legs. “It’s just a birthday.”
Doubt washed through Maddy’s eyes.
A shudder jolted through my chest. I didn’t want Maddy to upset her producer or be stressed about her mom. But with my workload, I needed time out with my wife during my breaks. To chill. Relax. Reset. My family would survive without me. “Mads, it’s okay.” Leaning forward, I rubbed her back. “I’ll just come back to LA.”
“No.” She closed her eyes as if reassuring herself everything would be alright. “I want to come to your mom’s party. Work can’t deny me personal leave. It’s only for a few days of promo, not filming.” Maddy clasped Valerie’s hand and gave it a little shake. “And Mom...you’ll be okay.”
“But—” Valerie frowned. “ But—”
“No buts, Mom.” Maddy rubbed the grooves etched into her brow. “I’ll sort everything out if I get the time off. Until then, let’s not worry.”
“Okay. Fine.” Valerie glared at me. Oh yeah . . . she wasn’t happy.
I just grinned. I loved that Maddy hadn’t swayed to meet her mom’s wishes. That was a first.
I slapped my hands against my thighs. “How about I order dinner? Everyone okay with Greek? I’ll get some salads, souvlaki, seafood, and keftedes.” Anything that involved salad shouldn’t raise an objection from Valerie, and it should stop her from hounding Maddy about her weight. Maddy had enough going on without that bullshit too.
“Thanks, babe.” Maddy patted my knee. “I’d love that.”
I swiped my cell phone off the coffee table and stood, kissed the top of Maddy’s head, then ambled over to the kitchen. My hip was grateful for the movement. Leaning against the counter, I ordered dinner online.
Maddy rose to her feet and veered around the sofa. “I’ll be back in a sec. I just need the restroom.”
I glanced up from my phone, unable to drag my eyes off Maddy’s ass as she crossed the floor in her tiny shorts. My dick liked the view too. Damn . My wife was hot. I hoped she could come to Italy. My family...most of them...would love her. Just like I did.
As she reached the hallway, her cell phone rang on the coffee table.
“Slip, can you get that please?” she hollered over her shoulder. “It might be Jodie about tomorrow.”
“Sure.” I loved going to events with Maddy. Tomorrow’s Women in Entertainment dinner would be no exception. While Maddy always looked sexy as fuck and gorgeous dressed in any old, worn-out clothes, she was pure glamor and sophistication when she was draped in couture. Some days, I still struggled to believe she loved me. That she was my wife. That I was worthy of someone so special and kindhearted.
If I could erase our trial marriage deadline and we could be together forever, everything would be fine.
I strode over to the coffee table. But as I bent to pick up Maddy’s cell phone, pain speared my hip. Fuck! Why didn’t I bring my pain-killers?...Because of time...it wasn’t time to take them. Shit.
Fighting down the agony, I focused on the caller ID. The screen lit with Dr. Avani Raithna’s name—Valerie’s doctor. Why wasn’t she calling Valerie? Was her phone battery dead? Was it on silent? Didn’t matter. I could let the call go to voicemail, but if it were something urgent following Valerie’s appointment today, they needed to know.
I tapped the screen to answer the call and held the phone to my ear. “Hey, this is Maddy’s phone. I’m Slip, her husband. Can I help?”
“Oh...hi. This is Dr. Raithna, from Studio City Medical. Sorry for calling so late. Usually my receptionist follows up on patients, but I was worried about Valerie. We haven’t been able to get in touch with her. She didn’t come to her appointment today.”
“Oh. Didn’t she?” Curiosity and concern held me intrigued as I eyed Valerie. She lay in her recliner, wiggling her toes. Her eyes were shut but a small smile curled the corner of her lips. She’d had a few drinks, but there was no sign of the usual fatigue embedded into every groove on her face. In the soft downlights, the pigmentation on her cheeks seemed darker. Had she been out in the sun? She should’ve known better than that. “Maybe she got the dates mixed up.”
“I understand.” Avani said. “We can all get our wires crossed sometimes. But she confirmed the appointment yesterday afternoon. I wanted to make sure she’s okay and not having a flare-up.”
“Oh. She’s here . . . and seems perfectly fine.” Too fine .
Valerie’s eyes shot open. She swung her head toward me. A nervous flicker shot across her gaze. I threw her an I’m-onto-you smirk. “Does she need to reschedule?”
“Yes.” Genuine concern filtered through Avani’s voice. “It’s urgent I check her bloods, and we run more tests to make sure her new meds are controlling her pneumonitis. With the buildup of fluid in her lungs worsening, she seriously needs to consider surgery. Can she come in on Monday at two?”
“Hold on a sec.” I jerked my chin toward Valerie. It wasn’t good news that Valerie’s lungs were getting worse. “Can you make the doctor’s on Monday at two?”
Before she even answered, I scanned Maddy’s calendar that synced with her mom’s appointment schedule. My God , Maddy had a lot of items marked across the month. Her calendar was as bad as mine. I homed in on next week. The date was free.
I met Valerie’s gaze. The color had drained from her face, but she nodded.
I put the phone back to my ear. “Yep. That’s good. If there are any issues, we’ll call.”
“Excellent,” Avani said. “I’ll see her then. Have a good weekend. ’Night.”
“Thanks for calling. Ciao .”
As I ended the call, the screen returned to Maddy’s calendar. Today’s date caught my eye. Dr. Raithna was the only appointment listed for Valerie. So why did she miss it? Where had she gone? Other than out drinking somewhere.
Maddy came out of the bathroom, wiping her hands on the back of her shorts. “Who was on the phone? What’s up? ”
I walked over to Valerie’s recliner and stood in front of her. I folded my arms and hit Valerie with a hard glare. “I think we’d both like to know. That was Dr. Raithna. Why didn’t you go to your appointment this afternoon?”
Valerie shrugged one shoulder and smoothed her hands over the throw resting across her lap. “I didn’t feel like going. She just wants me to have surgery.”
“Well, you should have the procedure. It’d make you better.” Frustration cut into Maddy’s calm, controlled tone. “Mom, you can’t miss your appointments. If you didn’t go to the doctor, where have you been this afternoon?” Maddy sank onto the edge of the coffee table again.
Valerie lifted her chin. No hint of sorrow or regret touched her face. “I went to Santa Monica for a couple hours.”
“So that’s why your rash is bad?” I circled my finger toward Valerie’s face. “You’ve been out in the sun?” One downside of lupus was dark pigmentations that flared with too much exposure.
She dabbed her fingertips across her cheeks, underneath her eyes. “Is it? Damn. I wasn’t outside for long.”
Maddy sucked in a sharp breath. Her jaw tensed and ticked. It was as if she was holding onto to her usual serenity by a thin thread. “You know you’re not supposed to be out in the sun. God, Mom.” Anguish shot through her voice. “When are you going to listen to the doctors? Help yourself? Do the right thing for once?”
Valerie sank deeper into her recliner and drew the throw up to her chest. “Maddy, I’m tired. Tired of being sick. Of going to work, then to the doctor’s, then physical therapy. It never ends. I just wanted a day out. A day off from worrying about everything.”
“We’d all like that.” Maddy’s eyes glassed over as she shook her head. “So you went out drinking?”
“Lunch.” Valerie stretched and massaged her knuckles like she often did to ease her joint pain.
“Where was Bridget?” Maddy asked.
“With me.” Valerie swayed and smiled. “I took her to The Penthouse for lunch. We had wine. I had a few cocktails. We walked along the beach for half an hour, then came home.”
“What?” Maddy’s brows pinched together. “You took Bridget to one of the most expensive restaurants in Santa Monica?”
“Yes.” Valerie nodded. “As a thank you for all she does for me.”
“Shit,” Maddy mumbled and sank two inches. “That’snice of you, but she should know better than to take you out in the sun. To let you drink. I should fire her for not being a responsible caretaker.”
“No. No. No.” Valerie shot forward and held up one palm. “Don’t do that. She’s a great nurse.”
“A good nurse wouldn’t let you do that shit, Mom. I pay her to look after you. Take you to appointments. Check in on you. Not encourage your drinking. Your health comes first.” Maddy held out her upturned palm toward me. “Can I have my phone, please? I’ll talk to Bridget. This can’t happen again.”
As I passed Maddy her cell phone, Valerie caught Maddy’s hand, covering it with her palm. “Please don’t,” she pleaded. “Bridget did nothing wrong. She only had one drink. This won’t happen again. I promise.”
I didn’t believe a word that came out of Valerie’s mouth. But Maddy’s frustrations hadn’t eased. I stepped over to her and rubbed her shoulders and the back of her neck. The knots were tight and twisted. I worked my thumbs into the pressure points in slow, steady circles, digging and massaging the tension away. “That better?”
“Yeah.” She leaned into my touch and stretched her neck from side to side. But then she let out an overwhelmed sigh. “Fine, Mom. I’ll let this pass because I’m tired too. I’m tired of worrying about you. Tired of rushing home from Vancouver. Tired of you ignoring the doctor’s advice...and me. I can’t do this anymore. What’s it going to take for you to change?”
“Change? I don’t need to change. You never had any issues with me going out before you met Slip.” As she glared at me, fire flared in Valerie’s eyes “Did you put her up to this?”
“Nope.” I shook my head.
Maddy clutched my hand against her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Slip has nothing to do with this. I’ve asked you for years to ease up, Mom. But you never do. We’ve been waiting here for hours to spend time with you, but you went out drinking instead of to your appointment and coming home to see us. So be it. I have a huge day tomorrow starting at five a.m., and I need an early night. So go grab another drink, Mom. Enjoy the evening. But Slip and I are going home to his place.”
Maddy went to stand, but Valerie grabbed her wrist. “No. Don’t go.” Panic shot through Valerie’s voice. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time. It won’t happen again.”
“Good. I hope you honestly mean that.” Maddy’s voice cut through the air. Her muscles tensed beneath my touch. “But tonight, my time is Slip’s. So, if you have a flare-up or need a doctor or have any other issue whatsoever, call the ambulance, or Bridget, or the home doctor. But not me. I love you, but I’m done for the day.”
My heart sank. I’d never seen Maddy draw a line with her mom. She never faltered in taking care of her. I understood exhaustion. I guessed Maddy was there.
“Oh no.” Valerie reached for Maddy’s hands again, but Maddy drew them away. Tears loomed in Valerie’s eyes. “Angel, please don’t go. What about dinner?”
Maddy rose and snaked her hand around my waist. “I lost my appetite.”
I hadn’t. I was starving...but yeah, I could order something at home .
“Oh. Oh... oh dear.” Valerie coughed and wheezed. She swayed as she gripped onto the armrests of the recliner. “Madison, I’m not feeling well. Quick. Get me my pills. I’m dizzy. Hot.” Her head lolled back against the chair. She touched her palms against her cheeks, then her forehead.
“Valerie?” I rushed to her side, lowered her hand, and felt her forehead. Wait? There was no fever. “You’re not hot.”
Fresh concern flooded Maddy’s eyes as she shot forward and clutched Valerie’s hand. “Mom? What’s wrong?”
“Oh.” She wheezed and patted her chest. “It must be a flare-up. My lungs hurt. I hate this.”
“It’s okay, Mom.” Maddy closed her eyes, pressed her lips together, and her unrelenting compassion took hold. “I’ll get your meds. Do you need your oxygen?”
Fuck. I don’t know how Maddy did it. Wait! Yes, I did. I was the same. No matter how fucked up you were, how tired, exhausted...or in pain...you were always there for loved ones when needed. I was always there for my band. Maddy, for her mom.
Valerie shook her head. “No. Just a Xanax and my prednisone.”
Maddy ran into the kitchen to fetch Valerie some water and her medication.
But as I sat on the armrest beside Valerie, the hairs on my arms stood on end. A flash of twisted victory flicked through the depth of Valerie’s eyes, but it disappeared as she brushed her hand across her forehead. “Oh, Maddy. I don’t want to ruin your night, but could you stay?”
Something wasn’t right.
Valerie had waltzed into the house before, happy and carefree.
Her whole manner had changed when she’d seen us.
My breath snagged in my chest .
Fuck . . . was Valerie faking it? Putting on a show?
Holy shit!
Surely I was imagining things. But what if I wasn’t?