The Rules of Dating My Best Friend's Sister(78)

Dylan nodded. “It’s definitely gonorrhea.”

After we finished loading the van, the guys went back into the bar for drinks, but I decided to call it a night. I was all too familiar with the attention we got when we stuck around after playing, and I didn’t want to put myself in that situation. Not that there would be any temptation on my part—I was a blissfully satisfied man these days—but even hanging out with women I knew would be into fooling around seemed wrong. The guys could joke all they wanted, but I was living my best life getting to play on stage and then going back to my room to tell my girl all about the day. Which was exactly what I did.

“Oh my gosh. You need to put a shirt on.” Lala’s face came on the screen, and she smiled. “It’s unfair that I should have to look at that and then go to bed alone.”

I was sitting with my back against the headboard, wearing only boxer briefs. Locking my hands together behind my head, I made sure to flex my biceps. “Are you saying you like what you see, sweetheart?”

Lala sighed. “I wish I could lick what I see right now.”

I smiled. “How was your day?”

“Good. Busy. I went to one of the assisted-care centers I’m working with to check in on how everyone is doing.”

“Is it going well?”

She nodded. “I really love working with older people. They have so many stories to share. Mr. Wentz, one of the gentlemen in my study, has been married for fifty-seven years. He met his wife at three years old, when her family moved in next door to his in Chicago. They grew up as best friends, but by the time they were teenagers, they were madly in love. When his wife was sixteen, her father got transferred to Switzerland for work. They wanted to get married and stay together, but their parents wouldn’t allow it, and eventually they lost touch since she lived so far away. Eight years later, they were both engaged to be married to other people when they wound up on the same subway car in Manhattan. Mr. Wentz was there on a business trip for only that day, and Mrs. Wentz was there to visit her sick grandfather. According to Mr. Wentz, his heart started beating again on that train. That very night, he broke off his engagement and quit his job, since they wouldn’t let him extend his trip in New York. He said he wasn’t letting her out of his sight a second time.”

“Wow. Sounds like it was fate. It’s not as impressive as winning the girl from her fiancé by acting like a complete douchebag in a bar, but it’s a decent story.”

Lala laughed. “How was your show tonight? I didn’t expect to hear from you this early. What time did it end?”

I shrugged. “About a half hour ago, maybe. I took a shower before calling you.”

“I thought you guys usually had drinks after your shows?”

“We do. The guys stuck around, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. I wanted to come back and call you.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you did. I thought about you a lot today.”

“Yeah?”

“I was thinking maybe we could take a weekend trip after you’re home?”

“I’m game. Where to?”

“Up to the Hudson Valley. When we were kids, we went to a wedding at this place called Mohonk Mountain House. I think staying there is really expensive, so we can stay somewhere else nearby, but they have all these beautiful hiking trails and the most amazing views of the mountains. I thought it would be nice to go while the weather is still warm.”

“So you’ve been thinking about getting away just the two of us, huh?”

“Yeah, is that weird?”

The fact that she was thinking about doing things with me—going hiking and taking a road trip together—gave me hope. As much as I loved fucking her, I wanted more with Lala. And this was the first real sign that maybe she did, too. “No, it’s not weird at all. I’d love to go. I love the outdoors, and it gives me something to look forward to. I’ve only been gone four days, and I miss you already.”

Her face went soft. “I miss—”

Her cell phone started ringing. It must’ve been nearby, because for a second I thought it was mine. “Ummm… Hang on a minute. Okay, Holden? It’s my parents calling, and it’s pretty late here. I want to make sure nothing is wrong.”

“Yeah, of course. Go ahead.”

I watched as she swiped to answer. “Hello?”

I could only hear one side of the conversation, but I didn’t need to hear the other person. From the look on Lala’s face, I could tell the call was not good news.

“When? Is she okay? Where is she?”

Fuck. It’s her mother.

Lala put her hand over her mouth as she listened. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Will you be at the hospital?”

Quiet.

“No, I want to come, Dad. It should be a pretty quick drive at this time. I’ll call you when I’m close.”

More quiet.

“Okay, bye.”

She swiped to hang up, and my heart was already racing.

“What happened?”

“My mom…” Her eyes filled with tears. “She had a heart attack, Holden.”

“Fuck. Is she okay?”

Lala got up and started walking with the iPad. She went into her bedroom and began to toss clothes into a bag. “My dad said she’s stable now, but they found a blockage. She was taken by ambulance, and they’re probably going to do surgery tomorrow.” She rubbed her forehead. “Thank God I didn’t have that wine I thought about earlier, or I might not be able to drive. I never gave any thought to what I would do in an emergency.”