Page 101 of Holding On

But fans of Roman Cash may not be so quick to cry out for justice for the late singer as more information regarding the reality of his personal life comes to light. It may not have only been his driving that was reckless that night—it may have been the late singer’s entire life.

We hear that preliminary toxicology reports from Roman Cash’s autopsy revealed that the singer had not only cocaine, but also fentanyl and alcohol in his system at the time of his death. Cash had claimed to have been living a sober life for almost two years prior to his untimely death, but sources close to the singer say that was all an act and a sham.

“You know what Cash loved? He loved the lifestyle and the attention. He loved drugs, sex, and money. He didn’t even really care about the music. Honestly, the guy was an asshole. He was a shitty friend and wouldn’t hesitate to use people if it made him a buck. He’d regularly talk about how stupid his fans were and how they bought whatever PR stunt his team pushed out in the media.”

The source close to Cash’s inner circle said other than the thirty-day rehab stint, the singer was never actually committed to a sober life, despite what was preached across his social media and on stage at his concerts. Roman allegedly had a sober coach with him at all times, but sources say the sober coach would witness Roman’s partying ways without intervening. The Spill can confirm we have verified these claims and are currently investigating the rumored video footage of Cash discussing the topic, and if we get our hands on the tea, you know we will spill.

But for now, you’ll have to take our word for it because our lips are sealed … allegedly.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

“I’d love a ham and cheddar quiche too, if there’s any left from your morning rush.” I’m debating what flavor I’ll order if they are out, when Betty saves the day.

“You’re in luck, sweetheart, I have a few left in that flavor. Can I get you anything to drink or are you set?” She nods to my iced coffee in my hand that I raise in acknowledgment with a smile. I wasn’t sure it was okay to bring drinks in from another place, but I guess it helps when I’m sitting at the table with the bakery’s owner, who is also drinking an iced coffee from Java Jive.

“No, the quiche will be great. Although, can I put an order in now for a mixed three dozen box of whatever cookie flavors y’all have today? I want to drop them off at Jack’s offices when I leave, but no rush. I think we’ll be here for a while.” Understatement of the year—between Vivian, Savannah, Cara, Cami, and myself, I’d be amazed if we’re out of here in two hours, and that’s a conservative estimate.

And I love it so much.

Vivian’s three-month-old twin boys are getting plenty of love between all of us, and are still young enough that they will nap through most of it, while I can sneak some baby snuggles in. Davis and Henry are dream babies, and while they are itty bitty yet, I swear I might already be Henry’s favorite … just not something I would admit to his aunt Savannah.

I know Jack’s sisters kind of had to take me in due to me being with their brother, but it doesn’t feel like that. It feels like these women have become my people, in a way that feels almost miraculous—almost as though Fiona sent them directly to me.

Of course, I’ve had Allie in my life for years, but with taking a break from touring, she’s been staying with Dahlia, helping her with all things babies at my request. When I suggested it, she was happy to help. I’m still paying her, so it’s technically her job, but Allie was friends with Fiona too, so it’s personal, and I know that Dahlia loves that she hasn’t had to worry about lifting a finger outside of her work and growing those babies. She’s doing most of her work out of Nashville now, which is where the babies will be delivered within the next two months or so—which is just wild.

After we all get our food and are settled in the corner table to give us a small amount of privacy, Savannah tilts her head to give me a look.

“So, Tinsley…” Savannah tilts her head the other way and glances at Vivian, who nods in some silent conversation the two have—the two sisters do that quite a bit, I’ve noticed, but I find it charming. “I know you said not to believe the gossip sites, and to just ignore them, but⁠—”

Rolling my eyes, I raise my hand up to stop her. “Just spit it out. What did I allegedly do now? Did I cure cancer? Did I set off a nuclear bomb? Did I wear something from last season?”

Cara snickers next to me. “Maybe you’re in another love triangle, that was a fun one, until the photos they used proved to be one of you on vacation on a yacht with your own brother.”

I make a gagging noise. “I wish I could say that was the first time, but sadly, it was not. What is it, Sav?”

“The Spill posted something this morning about you going back on tour, and I was just wondering if it was true … and if it was, why you didn’t feel like you could tell us?” Savannah looks down at Davis asleep in her arms, but I don’t miss the brief flash of hurt in her eyes.

Those assholes.

The media is part of this business but sometimes I really hate the press.

I shake my head, frustrated that I can’t pull off any surprises in my life. “Yeah, I’m sorry you heard about it that way, but I’ m going to be a part of a concert that is a fundraiser for a new women’s shelter network that’s opening in Nashville, with plans to expand throughout the region. I … uh, I gave a substantial gift so it could be named in Fiona’s honor. She wasn’t a victim of domestic violence, but if domestic violence hadn’t been in my life, she never would have been in that car.”

Cami wraps her arm around my back and pulls me into a side hug. “What are they going to name it and what is the date of the concert so we can all be there?”

I fight tears at the thought that these women will just all show up for me—and the fact that I knew they would. “It’s going to be a bigger deal than I originally planned. Originally, it was supposed to be this fundraiser thing, but it kept growing, and I had some other friends in the industry offer to come perform, so Max thought it would be a good idea to use it to launch my next tour. I’m going to make up the concerts that were messed up with the catastrophic events of last year, and even if I can’t do all the dances like I once could, I’m going to keep trying to train, and I suspect I’ll be pretty damn close to what I consider normal by then.” My ribs healed, but my body just feels different with so much physical and emotional trauma on top of each other. I’m working on it, but I’m also working on accepting that my body may just be different—and I have to find a way to be okay with that too.

“But the shelter is going to be called The Skye Network, and my tour is going to be called The Freedom Tour. Some of the proceeds of my entire tour are going to go back to fund the center too.”

“Okay, how do I get in on this? Can I make like … a freedom cookie or something then donate the proceeds to The Skye Center?” Cara immediately jumps in. She owns Sprinkles, the best—and only—bakery in town, and I love how that’s her first question. Not about attending concerts, getting free swag, or ways that would benefit her, but how she can give back.

“I love that! Let me talk to the owners at Java Jive. Maybe we could come up with a custom roast or something,” Cami chimes in.

“That’s amazing, Tinsley. I’m so proud of you.” Savannah reaches over and squeezes my hand from across the table while her other one holds her snoozing nephew.

“I agree. I also want to see if we can maybe get a suite and have all our family at the concert. I bet Walker’s family from Texas would want to come too—they basically want to come for anything and everything if it means seeing the babies.” Vivian grins while balancing Henry on her shoulder and patting his back to help him burp. “And to be clear, we aren’t asking for those suites to be donated; we will be purchasing them, so don’t even think that for a second. We just need to get them reserved before they get snatched up!”

“I might know a guy … but also … I can’t believe he didn’t tell me!” Cara is dating Max, the head of the music division at Lux.