Page 74 of A Tragic Melody

“Haven’t decided yet. A few bands need a new guitarist. I might use him there. Why do you ask?”

“Curious. I kind of like having him around.”

“You say shit like that and expect me to believe you aren’t fucking him?” The shift in his tone makes me want to melt into the floor. “Leave it to you to get a fucking crush on the man whose career you almost destroyed. Stay away from him, okay? There are already rumors you two are a thing, and I have enough on my fucking plate right now, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“By the way, I paid off your mother, for you. You haven’t seemed the slightest bit concerned about it, but rest assured, that bitch will keep her mouth shut for now.”

“Thank you.”

“You owe me. And you’ll pay up in New York.”

“I look forward to it.”

“I have to go. Stay out of trouble.”

“Will do. Bye.”

He hangs up, and I slip off the vanity. I’m in a haze. Up from the coke, but feeling dreamy from the oxy. My body tingles. I want to melt into the bliss and forget everything else, but I have a show to play soon.

Wyatt walks in, looking down to see me sitting on the floor.

“Are you good?” he asks, pulling off his T-shirt. He still wears his long-sleeve shirts underneath.

“Why do you cover your arms?”

“It’s cold?” He shrugs.

“Do you have any scars?”

“Yeah. One.”

“Self-inflicted?” I question.

“Yes, but not like that.”

“Then from what?”

“Passed out with a needle in my arm, it got ripped out or something. I almost bled to death.” He shrugs. “Details are fuzzy. I was too fucked up to remember any of it, and no one gave me much information. I don’t think many people know exactly what happened.”

“Is that how you ended up in rehab?”

“Part of it. From my understanding, there was also a gun involved.”

“A gun?”

“Yeah. When I got back to my apartment, there was no gun there, but a giant blood stain.”

“And you have no memory of it?”

“I remember shooting up. I remember the warmth that came over me and hating it, then feeling really fucking over it all. Then waking up in a hospital.”

“So, you decided to go to rehab?”

“Veritas decided I would go to rehab.”

“But you stayed sober.”