A few minutes later, I slid the eggs onto plates and brought everything over to the island.Grabbing the chair next to Alice, I dug in.After my first bite, I cleared my throat.“So tonight’s the last show before our break.You got any plans?”
Alice shrugged.“Not really.End of next week we have a show at some place in Henderson.Lark and Bailey wanted some time off to visit their family though.”
“Right.”I cleared my throat unevenly.“I know you don’t want anyone to know about us, but I was kinda hoping to talk you into coming home with me.”
“Seriously, Noah?Meeting the parents?That’s…fast.”
I choked on my bacon and had to cough a few times to finally breathe.“Shit.I didn’t mean it like that.It’s not a ‘meet the parents thing.’”I shook my head and fought to find the words to tell her what was going on inside my head.“I don’t know how much of my history you know, but the thing that pushed me over the edge with alcohol and drugs was my dad being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.The man was my hero, you know?One of those bigger than life personalities that everyone loves.”
“So that’s where you get it from.”She smiled at me even though tears welled in her eyes.
I shrugged.“Not lately.But my dad was like my best friend, you know?”I winced, remembering her upbringing in the foster care system.“Shit.Sorry.”
“It’s okay.Go on.”
“It was little things at first.Forgetting appointments, asking us the same questions repeatedly, forgetting to pay some bills.He’d stop in the middle of a conversation and couldn’t remember what he was talking about.He started to forget what things were called.He called his watch a hand-clock.But when the mood swings started, that really freaked my mom out.My easy-going dad was suddenly depressed and anxious.It wasn’t normal.So we took him in for some testing, and he got diagnosed just before we left on tour in Ireland.”
“Which is why you went off the rails.”Alice gave me an encouraging look.
“Right.It just all went to shit.”I shook my head.“Anyhow, I haven’t really seen much of my family lately.My sister, Faith, won’t even talk to me.Her and her husband are bigwigs in their church, and I guess my overdose embarrassed her.And my parents can’t travel what with my dad…” I sighed.“I’ve gone home a few times, but it’s always so hard.He’s not the same man I knew, and my mom is stubborn—she won’t let me pay for any more fulltime help.She’s been looking into facilities for him, so this might be my last time to see him at home.”
I had to stop talking.The tears burned my eyes and made it too hard.
“Of course I’ll go with you.”She put her arms around me and hugged me tight.“And we can tell your mom any crazy story you want.”
I wiped my eyes then hugged her back.“How about we go with the truth?You’re the amazing, talented woman I’ve tricked into my bed.”
“Sounds like a plan.”She smiled up at me, her eyes sparkling.Then she tipped her head.“What are you going to do with DJ while we’re gone?”
I watched my new dog poke his head through the toy bin we’d bought him last night.He burrowed around until he came up with a squeaky duck that he squeaked, squeaked, squeaked—his whole body wiggling with his tail.“I’ll ask the guys if any of them can watch him, and if not there are some doggie daycares I looked up before I adopted him that I can call.”
“I, uh…” Alice shrugged and played with her cold eggs on her plate.“Is there any reason you’re not asking one of them to go with you?I’m sure Chase would love to see his mom; he’s such a mama’s boy.She practically toured with us last year.”
I fidgeted in my seat.“They’re all busy with their new wives and pregnancies.I don’t know.Didn’t feel right to ask them.”I turned my eyes her way and gave her a half smile.“It felt right to ask you.”
Alice looked down at her plate as her cheeks flushed.
I grinned at her sudden bashfulness.It was so out of character.“So you’ll come?”
“Of course.And you can even tell your mom about us.I don’t mind.”Her eyes were suspiciously wet when she finally met my gaze.
And my heart melted a little more.“It’s a deal.”
Chapter 22
Still Noah
We could’ve flown to LA—the band’s jet was technically available—but spending last night drooling over her every time she bent over or hustled for equipment and having to hide my reaction from everyone, I wanted some time with her all to myself.
Alice was an awesome road trip partner.We laughed over life on the road stories, snarfed down junk food—pretzels for her and jerky for me—and challenged each other with song lyrics.
But the closer we got to LA, the bigger the knot in my stomach got.I hadn’t seen my dad in a few months, and the updates from my mom hadn’t been the best.She either went radio silent or days later told me something that made me so fucking sad and feeling so powerless to help.Last time it’d been when my dad had slipped past his nurse and had been in the backyard—without pants—for almost an hour before anyone noticed.
“You never said,” Alice’s voice broke through my morose thoughts.“Where are we staying?”
“I still have my place in Manhattan Beach,” I answered absently.
“Manhattan Beach?”she repeated.Then she gave a harsh laugh that had me looking away from the road to check to make sure she was okay.
