“Of course. Have I ever lied to you?” I asked the question jokingly, but she quickly clammed up as we exited the bedroom.
“Addison,” I cajoled, reaching out to gently grab her arm and turn her toward me. “You can’t clam up every time I say something that upsets you. Talk to me.”
Her eyes darted back and forth across my face. I believed she was weighing her words or my sincerity. But I meant what I said. I’d been lied to enough as a kid that I really strived to tell the truth as best as I could. That was the problem with not telling the band about my diagnosis yet. It felt like lying to them and it was slowly eating away at me.
“Do you remember my fourteenth birthday?” I’d been invited with family to every birthday party of hers and her brother Ryan since they came into my life. At this point, all of their birthdays sort of morphed into one.
Doing the math, I would have been twenty-seven at the time. Not the best years for me. That was when I learned that my dad had passed away. Neither he nor my step-mom wanted me at his bedside as he succumbed to Alzheimer’s or at his funeral. They wanted me forgotten.
“I can’t say that I do. I’m sorry.”
“Well, I do. You came to my birthday party and when Mom and Dad gifted me tickets to your concert the next week, you promised that we’d hang out behind stage with my friends. Your band was our favorite and it was the first time Mom and Dad were letting me go to the concert without them, just my friend’s dad Cliff came along.
“We were all so excited to see the show and hang out backstage. I’d talked about you all the time. How I knew you and your bandmates. How you were friends with my dad. All those things teenagers gush about. Except no one ever believed me. Other than my cousins knowing the truth, you were never in Carson long enough to be spotted.
“So, we get backstage after your encore and do you know what happened? You told some security guy that you were too busy to entertain a bunch of little girls. You couldn’t even bother to take a picture with us.”
I cringed as I tried to remember that night, but after most of the concerts on that tour I was stoned or drunk. I couldn’t remember anything.
“I was ridiculed for years because of that. It’s why I never go home unless it’s to see my cousins.”
“I’m sorry. If I had known what happened, I could have fixed it. Shown up at your school or something.”
Shrugging her shoulders, the fire and steam dissipated; Addison sighed. “It was too late. My dad was livid with you. Mom too. But you really upset my dad.”
“So, that’s why he had a talk with me and the band,” I mumbled. It wasn’t long after our tour ended that Harlan and Ryker showed up and gave us a talking to – with their fists.
“What?”
“Nothing. You know, I could fix it. Make it right. I could post a picture of us on my media page or something.”
“No! That’s not the point. It’s over and done with. Plus, I hate social media. It’s a black hole of drama and despair. I’m just saying you’ve lied to me before.”
“I didn’t know that promising you could use my fancy tub would turn so serious. What can I do to make it right?”
Addison thought for a moment, sarcastically tapping her index finger on her chin. I’d never noticed that she kept her nails short and natural. Most women I knew painted them and had talons at the end. Honestly, it was a bit scary at times.
“I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll think of something. In the meantime, let’s finish seeing your house. I have a tub calling my name.”
We took the stairs in silence, exiting through the foyer back toward the kitchen and living area. It was awkward now and I didn’t know how to fix it, but I was damned near going to try.
“I am sorry, Addison. After that tour, the guys and I stopped the drugs and heavy drinking. My dad died that year too. It’s no excuse, but you shouldn’t have had to go through that at my doing.”
“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have unleashed it all on you like that. And I shouldn’t have cared what the kids in school thought. I knew the truth.”
Reaching out, I grabbed her hand and twisted her fingers with mine before yanking her toward me. Addison’s hand rested on my chest as I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers. It was quick but no less powerful.
The rest of the main floor was open concept except for the guest bedroom and bathroom. They were the same layout as her parent’s cabin.
Together we descended the flight of stairs that led down to the basement level. Besides my bedroom space, the lower level was my favorite setup.
I took her first to the large movie room with custom leather reclining seats and a projection screen. Not that the room would ever be used. Most people were surprised that I loved the outdoors and didn’t care to spend much time inside unless I was reading.
The main room had a pool table, air hockey table, and a few pinball machines for entertainment, but we bypassed it and headed down the hall. Two of my favorite rooms were down this way.
“Door one or door two. Your choice.”
Addison released my hand and then glanced back and forth between the doors.