All Stars Fall (Seaside Pictures #3.5)(32)

“You think I work in a shit hole?” She stood and crossed her arms.

No, I needed her to sit back down.

To touch me with her fingertips.

To talk to me and make me feel better.

“I’m sick, I’m not thinking clearly.” I knew I was already screwed by the hurt expression on her face. “Penny, please.”

“No,” she whispered, tears in her eyes. “You’re right, it’s better this way, better to know how you really feel. I’m the hired help, and I work in a shit hole.” Her smile was sad. “Kids, you ready?”

“Penny, just wait—” I tried to sit up but my skull felt like it was on fire, and I winced and fell back.

“I’m going to text your egotistical friend and let him know you can’t make it to the studio this afternoon, then I’m going to let your bandmates know that they need to pay their final respects.”

“I’m sick, not dying.”

She glared. “We’ll. See.”

“You plan on killing me for insulting you?”

“If the fever doesn’t get you then yes, it’s a huge possibility. You don’t have to be an asshole just because you’re sick, and just because you’re loaded doesn’t mean you get to make fun of where I work, got it?”

“I think the neighbors even got it, could you please keep your voice down?” I saw three of her. Still beautiful, even as triplets. “Penny? Would you look at me?”

“No. I’m pissed at you!”

“Dad, what’s pissed mean?” Malcom bounded down the stairs followed by Bella and Eric, each of them looking at me expectantly. I groaned and pulled a throw-pillow over my head.

“Who wants McDonald’s?” She clapped her hands. Loudly. The next thing I knew all of the kids were running out the door and she was sending me one last sad look over her shoulder.

Sleep overtook me again.

I dreamed of her smile.

And then we were kissing, my tongue was in her mouth, and it was perfect. I pressed her against the fridge, things tumbled inside, I picked her up by the hips and mauled her, not realizing how soft her hair was or her skin. It was everything I wanted and knew I couldn’t have.

“Is that for me?” Drew’s voice jolted me out of my slumber. I blinked up to see him hovering over me with a giant grin on his face and his phone pointed down south. “Because I feel like that breaks at least ten rules of friendship.”

“Huh?”

He pointed.

I covered myself with the throw pillow. My head was still pounding, and the sound of tiny feet running around the house was nowhere to be found.

I hated it.

Just like I hated the fact that Penny had left pissed off.

And now I was having arousing dreams about the off-limits nanny.

Perfect.

“I’m sick. Go away.” I waved him off.

Instead, just like the plague, he stayed and plopped himself down on the couch across from me. “So your girl sounded upset when she called.”

“She was supposed to text,” I grumbled, rubbing my temples with my fingertips. “Could we not do this right now?”

“How’s she taste?”

“The hell?” I looked up. “One more word and I’m going to impale you with my drumsticks.”

“Ouch.” He grinned and spread his arms wide. “Where would our band be without me?”

“At this point, I don’t really care.” I lay back down and kicked him with both feet.

“Someone’s upset.” He sighed. “Look, the guys went to the studio, laid down some really good tracks, and worked on the two we were messing with yesterday. Career-wise we’re on top of things, you’re on top of things, but personally…”

I groaned. “Personally, what?”

“You’re a mess.”

“Why are you here again?”

“Pretty Penelope said if she came back and saw you sleeping she might suffocate you and she didn’t want to go to prison for murder. I’m here to save your life. You’re welcome.”

A few beats of silence went by before I admitted, “I accidentally called the coffee shop she works at a shit hole.”

Drew burst out laughing. “You’re an idiot.”

“I’m delirious and exhausted, I have a fever, big difference,” I pointed out as I blindly reached for the glass of water that had been left on the coffee table, probably by Penny. Even in her anger, she was taking care of me.

Damn it!

“You gotta make it up to her.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Hell if I know. I’ve never been in a committed relationship. The only girl I ever got close to is currently marrying one of our lead singers, so….”

“Right.” We never talked about his past.

The animosity between Drew and Will still existed like this disease that refused to fully leave the body, so we left it alone. At least they got along and could be friends again, as long as they didn’t talk about it.

The drugs, the partying, the cheating.

We kept it all under the rug where it belonged.

Where, frankly, Drew protected it like a baby.

He said if he let it out, it made it real.

And he wasn’t sure he could handle his own truth.