Always Rayne (The ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER Rock Star Romance Series) (16 page)

“Fine,” I lie. I’m not sure what the status of the article is at the m
oment. Considering I’m now involved with Nic. Not exactly unbiased reporting.

“
Nic Rayne?” Jackson sounds surprised. “Isn’t he that actor? The star of
Fire in the Twilight
?”

I nod. “And he’s in a band.
Almost Rayne.”

“Isn’t he supposed to be a real dick? How’d you get stuck doing an article on that guy?”

I can feel my entire body bristle in response. “He’s not a dick,” is all I can manage to spit out.

Jackson just rolls his eyes at me. “Yeah, I think every girl in the world has a crush on him.”

I really want to punch Jackson’s face right now but I don’t want to upset my dad so I remain as quiet as I can.

Luckily my dad doesn’t bring up what he heard on
The Twitter
and I don’t push the subject. Apparently Jackson doesn’t keep up with social media, which is not surprising. I’m sure he’s too busy with being a first year law student to worry about much of anything else.

“I sure appreciate you flying out to see me, Jackson,” my dad says. “It means a lot.”

Jackson nods. “It’s the least I could do. I just want you to know that I’m here for your daughter.”

When my dad gives Ja
ckson a big smile I feel like the room is closing in on me. I know I should say something—anything—about me being with Nic but the words just won’t come out of my mouth. My dad just looks so happy.

But when Brooke nudges me I know I’m in trouble. “Would you come to the ladies room with me?”

“Sure,” I reply as she grabs my arms and pulls me out of my dad’s room.

“What the fuck is going on, Harper?” In typical Brooke fashion she doesn’t waste any time getting right to the point.

All I can do is shake my head. “My dad looks so bad.”

“I know. And I’m sorry. But you’re not back together with Jackson are you?”

I continue to shake my head.

“You’re with
Nic, right?”

I nod.

“Don’t you think you need to tell him that?”

“I know I do but the words just won’t come out.
Dad looks so happy…”

“But it’s a lie. And Jackson is taking advantage of the situation which makes him more of a dick than
Nic will ever be.”

“Nic’s not a dick. He’s been with a lot of women. But he’s the first to admit it. And he really cares about people. He cares about me. I know that.”

“Then don’t you think you need to tell your dad?”

“I know I do. I just don’t want to upset him.”

“You eventually need to tell him, Harper.”

“I will.”

“Sooner rather than later.”

When we reenter the room my dad and Jackson are laughing about something. It reminds me of old times. My dad and Jackson would always entertain each other when I invited Jackson to dinner.

“Visiting hours are almost over, Dad. I’ll be back in the morning to see you.”

“Me, too,” Jackson pipes in without even asking.

Brooke and I give my dad goodbye kisses on the cheek. Jackson gives him a pat on the shoulder before the three of us leave.

As we walk out of the hospital, I say, “Jackson, I really appreciate you being here for my dad…”

“I’m really here for you, Harp,” he states.

“But I’m not sure about you coming to the hospital tomorrow.”

He looks like I punched him in the gut. “But your dad will be expecting me. What do you think he’ll say if I’m not there?”

I heave a sigh. He has a point. Brooke was right though. The lie is getting bigger than I can handle.

“Another dick move,” Brooke whispers to me so low that only I can hear here.

“We’re not back together, Jackson.” I state as firmly as I can.

When he looks at me his light blue eyes look moist. I’ve never actually seen Jackson cry. He’s much too controlled to show emotions like that.

“We’re not back together yet,” he makes a point of saying.

I don’t feel like arguing with him. I’m much too tired and emotionally drained.

“Will you take us
see my mom?”

“Of course,” he says as we approach his car. “Should I plan to pick you up in the morning?”

I shake my head. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” Jackson assures me. “I’m not sure you should be dri
ving.”

Jackson can be thoughtful when he wants to be. But I know there’s an ulterior motive. He wants me back and he seems willing to do an
ything to get me back. But it’s not that I haven’t been clear with him. I’ve told him repeatedly that we’re not getting back together.

Admittedly, though, I haven’t told him it’s because I’m with someone else. Not that’s it’s any of his business anyway.

I hope that Jackson will just drop us off at my parents’ house and I cringe when he actually turns off the engine.

“You don’t have to stay,” I hint. “My mom’s probably really tired.”

“It’s no problem,” Jackson replies.

Of course it isn’t. My mom always loved Jackson too.

I can’t help but notice the look of surprise on my mom’s face when she sees the three of us at the door.

“Jackson,” she exclaims.
“So great to see you again!”

“Am I invisible?” Brooke whispers to me as my mom lets us in.

“You and me both,” I whisper back.

My parents’ house is an old Craftsman style bungalow built in the 1920s. They’ve had it for as long as I can remember. I was raised in the house and I don’t think my parents will ever move from the place.

“We went to visit Dad,” I tell my mom as she leads us into the kitchen.

My mom heaves a gigantic sigh before she grabs her tea
kettle and begins to fill it with water.

“Jackson, can I make you some tea?” My mom asks even though she already knows what he’ll say. He never refuses a cup of tea from my mom.

“Of course,” Jackson says just as I predicted.

“Brooke?” My mom finally acknowledges her presence. Not that it’s unusual. Brooke and I are almost always together and have been for years. Brooke practically lived at my house when we were teenagers.

“Sure,” Brooke replies. “Why not? Do you have cookies?”

My mom smiles.
As if there’s ever a time that she doesn’t have cookies. If a comfort food exists my mom is sure to have it somewhere in the house.

People always say my mom and I look alike but she’s much more stylish than I am. She’s like an older and classier version of me.

“How was your father doing when you saw him?”

“He looked okay,” I say because I’m really not sure how to respond.

My mom puts the tea kettle on the stove and readies four tea mugs with tea bags.

“Earl Grey okay?” She directs the question at Jackson.

“Sound great,” he says.

My mom claps her hands together. “I can’t forget the cookies.”

She disappears into the pantry and returns with a box of Lady Fingers. She places a few on a small tray and then puts the tray on the small kitchen table.

I’ve never seen my mom so somber. She’s usually bubbling over with nervous energy and telling me all kinds of stories about her eccentric neighbors, most of whom are artists and free thinkers like my parents.

“Your dad and I haven’t slept apart in twenty-five years,” my mom admits when we all sit down at the table.

“Do you want me to stay here with you?” I ask. I haven’t slept at my parents’ house since I left for college.

When my mom looks up at me I can see her eyes are getting a little moist. “Would you?”

“Sure. No problem.”

“I could stay, too, if you want,” Jackson volunteers.

“That would be great,” my mom says.

Brooke eyes me. I have a feeling I know what she’s thinking. I’ve gotten myself in really deep and it’s my own fault. But how can I tell Jackson no when my mom looks so happy about him staying while Dad’s in the hospital.

Once the tea is ready my mom pours us each a cup and we dive into the cookies. After we’ve each had a few my mom says, “So tell me more about what’s happening on
The Twitter
.”

I knew it was coming. I glance quickly at Jackson and then say, “Not now, Mom.”

Of course Jackson is sharp enough to pick up on the tension that is now filling the small room.

“What about Twitter?” h
e asks.

I narrow my eyes at my mom. “Maybe we can talk about this later.”

“I’m just worried about you, Harper.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Mom.”

“Why are you worried?” Jackson asks.

Brooke gives Jackson an annoyed glare. “Harper said she wanted to talk about it later. Can’t you take a hint?”

“Maybe I’m worried too,” he retorts.

“You weren’t that worried about her a month ago, or two months ago. Why are you suddenly so worried now?”

Unlike my parents, who always adored Jackson, Brooke never thought very much of him.

I think it’s because they’re about as opposite as two people could be
. And Brooke really didn’t like the way he broke up with me. Of course it may be because she had to deal with the aftermath. I wasn’t exactly easy to live with while nursing a broken heart.

“Maybe we should talk about this later,” my mom suggests.

“What do you think?” Brooke glances at me.

“Maybe we should all get some rest. It’s been a long day.
For all of us. And it will probably be a long day tomorrow at the hospital.”

Jackson nods. “I agree.”

“I can make up the couch for whoever wants to take it. You know we’ve only got two guest rooms.”

“I don’t mind taking the couch,” Jackson offers. “The girls can take the beds.”

“Harper and I can share the bed in her old room. It’s not like we didn’t have sleepovers all through junior high and high school. That’ll leave the other guest bedroom for you, Jackson.”

“Thanks.”

“You girls can borrow some pajamas, if you’d like.”

“I’ll grab my suitcase out of the car,” Jackson says as he hops up from his chair.

A few minutes later, Brooke and I are changing into some of my mom’s old flannel pajamas.

“This does kind of feel like old times,” I say.

“Except for these.” Brooke points to the pajamas. When Brooke’s not with someone and actually wears something to bed, it’s usually just an old T-shirt and definitely not flannels.

I flop into the bed and Brooke does the same. My parents haven’t bothered to replace the mattress I used for years. It’s going to be a long night trying to get some sleep on the lumpy old thing. Especially after getting used to the beds in all the fancy hotel suites I stayed in with
Nic and the band.

After being lost in my thoughts for a few moments I realize it’s too quiet. Brooke isn’t talking and that’s not normal. When I look over at her she’s glaring at me.

If she’s mad at me I must be in trouble. She rarely gets mad about anything, but that’s probably because she’s usually the one causing trouble.

“You know I’m not a big fan of Jackson’s,” she says finally. “But you really need to tell him about Nic. If you still want to be with him that is.”

“Of course I want to be with him.”

“Well, you’re not acting like it. You know you’re eventually going to have to tell your parents. What’s going to happen when
Nic gets here and your parents wonder why the hell a movie star is visiting your dad in the hospital?”

“If he gets here,” I correct.

She frowns. “What do you mean if he gets here? If he’s not here to support you when your dad’s in the hospital then he doesn’t deserve to be with you.”

“I know. I guess I’m just confused. I wasn’t expecting Jackson to be here. And I haven’t heard from
Nic at all since I left.”

“Wasn’t it their final concert tonight? I’m sure he was a little busy.”

“You’re right.”

“But?”

“I’m just surprised he didn’t phone or text after the show. I don’t want to be out of sight out of mind.”

“I don’t think
Nic is anything like Jackson. I don’t think he’d do that to you. At least not from the things you’ve told me about him.”

I nod. “Yeah, that’s what
Nic said. He insists he’s nothing like
Harvard
. That’s what he calls Jackson.”

Brooke laughs. “I like that. I might steal it.”

“He gave me Chatter.”

Brooke looks confused.
“Who? What? What are you talking about?”

“I haven’t told anyone yet because I’m still trying to come to terms with it myself.
Nic signed Chatter over to me. I own it.”