CHAPTER SIX
Margo curled arms around her middle and rocked back on her heels.
He’d chosen the apartment for her? Not for himself, but for her? To be reminded of her again and again—to see their spot. The pier and the boardwalk. All the silence and joy that grew out of that single day. Pieces that had become her whole world and only strengthened once they got back from St. John.
He’d bought the apartment because of that one day?
And he’d done that without a promise from her. Just because he’d wanted to make her happy.
She brought her hand up to her mouth and held back the sob that threatened. She choked it down when Jazz peeked out, her huge blue eyes swimming with tears. The lump climbed higher.
“He didn’t leave, did he?” Jazz jammed her fingers into the front pockets of her overalls. “He wouldn’t.”
Margo nodded. “He was so mad at himself. So hard on himself.”
“But he’s still not ready. He’s still got a little over a month to go.” She frowned. “Why is he being so hard on himself?”
“He wanted to show you guys how far he’s come.”
“And he did.” Jazz twisted her fingers together inside the pockets. “We were trying to play to his strengths. He hasn’t sung much more than a few verses since we started practicing again.”
Margo swiped her hand down her face. “You don’t see how he is with Jerry. He doesn’t like when I’m there, but sometimes I can’t help myself.” She knuckled away a tear. “When I come home at night sometimes I hear him in the shower—I get chills.” He didn’t want to let anyone down, least of all these people who were his family.
“Oh, Margo.” Jazz pulled her hands out and didn’t seem to know what to do with them.
Margo understood that Jazz was a touchy feely sort. Margo never had been, nor did she know how to ask for the hug that Jazz was obviously trying to offer. Before Margo could walk into that awkward piece of awful, the door jangled again.
“Everything okay?” Gray asked and came up behind Jazz. He curled his fingers over her shoulder and drew her back against his chest.
Jazz peered up at him. “Simon’s gone. He’s really upset.”
Gray slid his arm around her shoulders and buried his face between her neck and shoulder. “It’s okay, babe. He just needs to calm down.”
Margo wasn’t sure about that. She wasn’t sure about any-damn-thing. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she took it out. Disappointment ratcheted up the knot in her throat until she could barely talk around it. It wasn’t Simon.
But it was the next best thing.
What’s going on over there?
Lila. Margo pressed the phone to her chest.
“Simon?” Jazz asked.
“No, it’s Lila.”
“Crap.” Gray sighed. “Is something up?”
“No, I think she’s texting about Simon.”
He frowned. “How does she know?”
“Because she’s a ninja,” Jazz said.
Gray gave a humorless laugh. “True enough.”
“Do I tell her?” Margo was torn. Lila had become one of her closest friends, but she was also a direct line to Donovan. He was being exceedingly generous with giving the band time to heal, but he was still the one holding all the contractual cards.
At least for the band.
She was still the outsider. Her only connection in all of this was Simon and he’d just shut her out.
She sniffled back the waterworks that threatened. She didn’t have time to cry. It wasn’t going to help anything. And hiding had done nothing but hurt everyone. She had to tell her.
MR: Simon’s gone AWOL. Practice didn’t go great.
LS: That explains the tweets about him tearing down Sunset.
MR: I don’t like the sound of that. And we had a big fight.
LS: What kind of fight?
MR: Don’t bother coming home kind of fight.
LS: I’m sending a car. You’re at the Fluff?
How the hell did she know these things?
MR: Yes. Do I want to know how you know this?
LS: I don’t divulge my secrets. Stay put.
MR: Do I salute?
LS: Yes.
Margo couldn’t stop the laugh. When she did, a few tears leaked to the surface and down her cheeks. She wiped them away, but they overflowed again when Jazz rubbed her arm.
“Come on. It’s okay.” Jazz gathered her in.
It was like hugging a child. Jazz barely came to her shoulder, especially with the heels Margo had on. When Gray’s arms came up and around Jazz to grip Margo’s shoulders, she lost count of the tears that tumbled down her cheeks.
Too many.
When she opened her eyes, Nick was standing in the doorway of the Fluff. His eyebrows snapped down before he backed inside once more.
Margo blew out a slow breath and slowly stepped back. “I’m okay.”
Jazz stepped back into the circle of Gray’s arms. “I know how shitty it feels to fight with your guy. I get knots in my belly when this one and I fight. I hate it.”
Gray pressed a kiss to her temple. “Never lasts. I can’t stay mad at you.”
Margo ached for that easy familiarity. She and Simon had moments of it, when she wasn’t looking for excuses to ignore it. Every single time Simon touched her, she had the urge to melt into him. And not just when they were naked.
Each morning she woke up attached to him in one way or another. At least the nights he was home—when he wasn’t flying across the world. And even then, he always made sure to FaceTime with her or leave her ridiculous verbal texts over iMessage at odd hours of the day.
She still had all of them. A folder full of ridiculous things that she listened to late at night when he wasn’t home. Because she couldn’t stand to be without him no matter how hard she fought it.
God, she was so doomed. How would she ever survive without him?
When the black Mercedes rolled up, she gave a shaky sigh. “I’ve got to go figure out what to do.”
“You don’t have to do it alone.”
Margo caught Jazz’s hand and squeezed. “No, I’m not alone.”
Jazz’s face smoothed. “Lila?”
“Yes.”
“She’s good people.” Jazz let her go and linked fingers with Gray again. “More importantly, she’s your person. We all need a person, Margo. Don’t forget that. And I don’t mean our guy. A person to talk things out with. Sometimes our guy is good for that—and sometimes we want a safe zone for discussing all the other crap.”
“Why do you need a safe zone?” Gray sounded mildly affronted.
“Do you really want to know what’s going on when my emotions are strung out enough to commit murder? Usually when it comes to your mother?”
Gray shook his head. “Harper can be your accessory on that one.”
“Exactly.” Jazz gave a watery laugh. “Now, go. Lila was always the best at master plans. And hiding bodies,” she said with a wink.
Margo laughed and opened the car door. Lila was her person, there was no doubt about that. But she’d been holding Lila at arm’s length these days. Oh, they were both busy, but she could have made more of an effort. She was so focused on the what ifs she’d been ignoring the now. No matter how many times she’d told Simon she wanted them to focus on the now. In reality, she was pushing everyone away just in case they tried to do it first.
The driver went past Sunset and around into the heart of Los Angeles. They were heading further in than she thought and finally the winding streets ended in a modern, high-end apartment building. She thanked the driver and got out, texting Lila that she was there. She simply replied with L3 and a code.
What the heck kind of place did she live in? It was gorgeous and wow, money. Donovan must be paying her a mint. Or was this because of her husband? The husband they never saw, nor Lila ever spoke of. When she got through the lobby, she found the elevator and a panel. Okay, that was what the code was for.
She pushed in the six digits and found then pressed L3 when she got inside.
The glass elevator gave her a bird’s eye view of the impressive windowed lobby and sleek blue couches that surrounded a wide reflection pool and fountain. There were tables and chairs everywhere and a small cafe tucked along the side. Man, she could get used to that. Making her own coffee every morning was getting old. What was it about having some barista make the perfect foam?
Her belly growled. She’d rushed from the studio to practice and then right to the Fluff to be there for Simon. A Hostess chocolate cupcake was not dinner.
When the ornate brass and glass elevator opened, she followed the dark wood hallway. It was set up much like Simon’s apartment with one door on either side of the hallway. She knew Lila was well-off, but she hadn’t realized Oblivion’s pseudo-manager was quite at this level. Before she could raise her fist to knock, the door swung open.
Lila stood there with a high ponytail, lipstick pink yoga pants and bare feet. Huh. This was only the second time she’d ever seen Lila dressed down. Each time was more surprising than the last. She wore a white, off the shoulder workout top a la Flashdance and a matching pink sports bra peeked from the opening. Not to mention she was makeup free. “What the hell is going on?”
She didn’t know how to handle a stripped down Lila with everything else. “Hi.” And Margo busted into tears.