Cover Me: A Rock Star Romance by Carrie Elliott Read Free Book Online

killed me that she couldn’t even trust herself to be around me. Couldn’t trust herself to feel something for me, because she couldn’t trust me. It made me sick to my stomach to think about it.
    I drew my curtains open and looked across the narrow side yard to her window—what used to be her window. It could be anything now. Office, sewing room, den. Part of the reason we knew each other so well was because nothing was ever secret. With the windows open at night, I could hear her roll over in her sleep. I never even imagined her as a person I’d want to be more than friends with when we lived so close together. I was such a dumbass back then. She was right. I took her for granted.
    Mom made me chocolate milk of all things. “You love chocolate milk,” she said. “Don’t tell me that just because you’re all grown up and have millions of adoring fans, you don’t like what you like anymore.”
    I took a sip. It was heavenly. “Thanks, Mom.” I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “How’d you know?”
    “I know what my boy needs. Always have.” She eyed me over the breakfast bar. “That reminds me. Do you have someone special in your life?”
    “Come on, Mom.” This was the last thing I needed.
    “Don’t come on Mom, me. You’re almost twenty-eight years old, and don’t take this the wrong way—like I said, we love having you here for as long as you want to stay—but I can’t help but wish you had a wife and home of your own when you need to regroup.”
    “I’ve been a little busy, Mom. Did you want me to pick a groupie at random and make her your daughter-in-law out on the road?”
    “Don’t give me attitude, mister. I can still send you to your room.” She swatted me with a dish towel. “I can’t pretend to know what it’s like living on the road year after year, but I know it’s your dream. If you don’t want a wife and kids, that’s your business. Maybe there isn’t room for both in your life. Tell me to butt out if you want, but I’ll always want whatever it is that makes you happy.”
    I took a sip of my milk, but didn’t think I could swallow it. “I don’t know what I want, Mom. I don’t know what the future holds for me at all anymore.”
    She came around the end of the counter and hugged me, resting her head on top of mine. “Have faith. You’ll end up where you’re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there.”
    “I know.” I squeezed her forearm, resting across my chest.
    “Right now you’re supposed to be right here figuring out whatever’s troubling you.”
    The phone rang. My parents still had a land line for whatever reason. I guessed they liked telemarketers. “It’s your dad,” Mom said. Then she listened and nodded along with whatever he was saying. “Okay. Hold on. I’ll tell him.” She put her hand over the receiver. “Dad wants you to put your car in the Halprin’s garage. Their car’s at the airport, so there’s room for yours, and we won’t have the press knocking down our door to find you.”
    “Good idea.” I was usually stealthy when it came to avoiding being noticed, but the past twenty-four hours put me off my game.
    “Their house key’s hanging by the door,” she said, then went back to talking to Dad.
    Mom always picked up their mail when they went on vacation. Well, I used to when I lived here. Bess’s mom would bring me something back from wherever they went. Usually a box of saltwater taffy. I didn’t even like the stuff and Mom would eat it all.
    I rinsed my chocolate milk glass in the sink and found the Halprin’s key on the decorative key rack beside the back door, hanging among all my parent’s keys. It still had the chipped red nail polish on it that Mrs. Halprin painted it with so I could distinguish it from the others. It made me think of purple toenail polish and sexy feet in fishnets.
    Fuck.
    I pocketed the key and went out the back door to move my car into Bess’s family’s garage. The universe worked in