All Stars Fall (Seaside Pictures #3.5)(41)

Chapter Twenty



Trevor




“Sorry I’m late.” I breezed into the room and put my phone on silent, grabbed a pair of headphones and sat down. “Penny wasn’t back yet, and then my worst nightmare showed up out of the blue on my doorstep…” I groaned into my hands. “She’s like the devil but worse.”

Drew shrugged and strummed his guitar. “You’re the douche that didn’t listen to us when we said she tried to get Ty to sleep with her at least a dozen times before you put a ring on it.”

“Don’t remind me.” I tossed a drumstick in the air.

“So did she stay?”

I let out a rough exhale. “Unfortunately. I’m hoping if I play nice, she’ll give me full custody. The divorce just went through last month, man, but she’s missed every court date and the law says she has to be present. She has one more chance, then the kids are mine. I’m hoping they scare her away.”

Drew stared me down like I’d grown three heads. “I’m sorry. Am I to assume that she’s at the house right now?”

“What the hell was I supposed to do? Kick her out? Bella burst into tears and ran into her arms. She brought pizza, see? The devil incarnate! Malcom looked ready to worship her, and Eric smiled for the first time all day!”

Ty walked into the room. “Sorry, I was eavesdropping—know what? Actually I’m not sorry. Are you insane?”

“What?” Heat crept up the back of my neck, that and a shit ton of anxiety. “Could you guys just explain?”

Will came over the studio com. “Guilty of eavesdropping too. Dude, you need to go back to the house now.”

“Guys, she’s their mom. They’re not going to set her on fire even if she deserves it.”

“Right…” Will said through the mic and then shook his head and walked into the main part of the studio and pulled out a chair. “Look, Drew and I have experience with this sort of manipulation.” Drew just snorted and gave a nod. Good to know they were at least speaking without cussing each other out or pulling out dicks and measuring. “Hollywood bitches be bitches.”

“You sound so white,” Ty muttered.

“Accurate, however,” Drew pointed out. “And as much as it pains me to give Will any credit where he looks better in public—he’s a hundred percent right. Okay, so even if you aren’t concerned that your ex might take off with the kids, what do you think’s gonna happen the minute Penelope shows up to do her job?”

“She’ll do her job.” I said dumbly. “I mean I don’t exactly trust Jo to stay put, she’s the type of parent that would take off, remember? Bored with this life? She was a good mom until she just quit being a mom, it didn’t help that she started using drugs with whatever that dick’s name is.”

“My point exactly.” Will sighed like he was stressed out when I was sweating bullets. “Penelope isn’t used to that sort of thing. To guys like us, we just laugh it off and go ‘wow, glad I’m not married to that.’ She won’t know what’s real and what’s not real.” He shot me a pointed stare. “Then again, if you haven’t slept with her, I guess that’s not a problem—”

I shot to my feet and reached for the front of his T-shirt.

Will’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you were the least violent of the bunch.”

“Holy shit.” Drew sounded like he was seconds from shitting his pants. “You slept with her, you dirty dog, up top!”

I ignored his hand.

Shoved Will away.

And reached for my phone.

I had two missed calls from Penelope.

And five from my own kids.

I quickly dialed the emergency phone I’d given Eric and waited.

When he answered, I heard crying in the background and then screaming. “Wake up, wake up!”

“Eric, buddy, what’s going on?” I felt myself pale as all of the guys stood, like they were ready to go to war for me.

“Mom, she’s sick, I don’t know. She told us to eat our pizza and made Penny sad, and I knew it was a trick because then she went into the bathroom and didn’t come out for a really long time.”

“Is she still there?” I was already headed out of the studio, with all of my bandmates on my heels.

“Yeah, but she’s super sleepy and her eyes look funny, and she yelled at Bella for ruining her buzz. Is that bad?”

Son of a bitch!

I jumped in my SUV and noticed that all the guys got in their cars too.

“Stay on the phone with me, buddy, I’m headed there now.”

“Wait, someone’s at the door….”

“DON’T ANSWER THE DOOR!” I roared.

But it was too late.

I saw my life flash before my eyes in those few seconds.

I felt my heart shatter into a billion pieces.

Amazing how the one person you imagined you’ll build your life with—is the very one who brings it crashing down around you.

I gripped the steering wheel and hit the accelerator, breaking every law in downtown Seaside, and prayed he didn’t answer the damn door.





Chapter Twenty-One