Page 198 of Fame & Chaos

“Fuck.”

“The only good thing, if we can call it that, is your blood alcohol level wasn’t extremely high. I think you’d slept most of it off before you got in the car.”

I stare at the dressing again, trying to absorb everything. “So… scar, huh?”

“Yep.” Her hand comes to my cheek.

“Chicks dig scars, right? Especially nurses.”

She laughs softly. “Oh, yeah. Very sexy.”

Then her smile fades. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls. If I had, maybe you wouldn’t be lying here right now.”

“Hey.” I tighten my hold on her hand. “Stop that. I’m here because I made a stupid decision. We both have communication issues, and we need to work on that. We need to work on trust too. If we’re doing this, you have to trust me. I would never cheat on you, Indi.”

“Okay,” she says quietly. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Sasha is a no-go zone. You don’t talk to her. You don’t see her. If she calls, you don’t answer. If she comes to a concert, she gets kicked out. She has nothing to do with you. I know you wouldn’t sleep with her again, but even being in her company is a hard no for me.”

I look straight into her eyes. “Baby, Sasha is long gone. I basically threatened her into staying away from us, and I don’t think she’ll be a problem again. But if you ever see me with her, you have my permission to walk.”

“Good,” she says firmly. “Because I wouldn’t hesitate. I won’t wait for an excuse next time. I don’t trust her, and after what she did with my story, I have no time or respect for her.”

“I know. I was just as furious when I realized what she’d done.”

“Did you hear about the two fangirls who came to my house and egged me because I broke your heart?”

My eyes fly wide. “What?”

“Two girls claiming to be your biggest fans threw eggs at me and took photos. I don’t know where the pictures ended up, but that’s why I moved in with Kenzi.”

Anger surges through me. “I can’t believe that happened. I’m sorry, baby. I’ll find out who they are and make sure they never get near one of our shows again.”

“No,” she says gently. “You can’t do that. We don’t even know who they are, and your fans are loyal. We can’t punish everyone for what two girls did.”

Maybe not.

But fuck, people can be heartless.

Then a thought hits me.

“Wait. You said I’ll need nursing care when I go home, right?” She nods. “Would it be too soon if I asked you to come home with me when I’m discharged? Can you take time off work? It would give us time to talk and figure out where we go from here.”

Her expression softens. “I was hoping you’d ask. I already filled out my leave forms to stay with you.”

Relief floods me so intensely that exhaustion follows right behind it. My eyes grow heavy, and no matter how hard I fight, I can’t keep them open for long.

Indi caresses my cheek. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. By then, you’ll probably be back on a ward, and everyone else can come in to see you.”

I force my eyes open slightly. “Everyone else?”

“Your parents. Colt, Dee, and the girls. The guys and their families are coming later once you’re settled.”

“How long has everyone been here?”

“A few hours. They want to know you’re okay.” I hold her hand tighter. “Now rest,” she whispers. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep, then I’ll tell everyone you were awake and doing well.” She settles back into the chair, but I can’t stop looking at her.