Page 98 of False Promises

Not ready to admit aloud I got myself into another dead end, I stared out the window. Stud and I had always been honest with each other. We often proclaimed ourselves brothers from different mothers back in the Carter Hills Band days. Yeah, he and I had that chemistry thing going on strong. We were contrasting but so much alike at the same time.

“Carter Hills. Talk. Now.”

Geez, he was Carter Hillsing me.

“Technically, I’m still living down there. In the last couple of months, I’ve been suspecting Savannah Prince is batshit crazy. Taylor confirmed my suspicions a few days ago. She’s…I can’t find the words to describe her. All I know is that I’m the guy who fell for her charades.”

He cocked his head and studied me. “How bad?”

I shrugged. “On a scale from one to ten…I would say hundred.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep. Now I gotta spend some time in the middle of nowhere, preferably at that fishing cabin you own and stay away from LA until Taylor has gathered enough ammunition to expose her and make sure the threat is contained.”

“Wow.” He shook his head. “I’m speechless.”

I breathed in, focusing on the scenery passing through the window, not registering anything.

Stud said nothing, waiting for me to continue. Yes, he was that kind of friend. A listener.

“Savannah Prince isn’t her name. Or even a stage name. She changed it to escape her past. She’s gone from sweet and fun to a freak show. Since I took a step back, I have gained some perspective. It’s a mess. One moment she’s cute and harmless, and the next, she tugs at my balls and thinks it’s funny that I’m hurting. Only to strip naked and beg me to fuck her afterward. She doesn’t even hide her dark side anymore. Her laughter…it’s creepy.”

Stud clapped my shoulder the same way my brother used to do. “What’s next?”

“Been busy with That Talent. It was actually a fun experience. And a much-needed change of scenery. Now I gotta keep away from my own home and the people I care about. How did it get this far? All I was looking for was a steady, long-term relationship. Now I’m the lead in a psycho movie.” At that instant, blood dripped from an old scar on my heart.

“I know you can’t see it now. You’re too emotional, man. But it’s gonna work out. In the end, it will all be worth it. The pain, the struggles, the tears. It’ll make you stronger. Everything happens for a reason. It’s part of a bigger plan. When I was sixteen and left everything and everyone behind, I never could have dreamed of this life. If they had told me I would be free one day…nah, I would’ve called them a liar. And now? I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

“Dahlia’s words echoed yours.”

“What you have right here,” he pivoted and poked a finger into my chest, “nobody can steal it from you. Hold on to it. It’s a great asset. Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t lose faith.” He paused, his wisdom marinating between us. “Carter, you’re not alone. You know Belle and I, we’re here if you need our help and support. Or a shoulder to cry on. My family is yours too. My wife is worried about you.”

I bowed my head. “I’m fine. Or I’ll be. Don’t worry.”

Stud studied me but chose not to call my bluff.

“Promise me you’ll visit every time you need to blow some steam, okay? While you’re in town, we could play lumberjacks for a day. Chop wood and get all that angst out of you. A wooden bookshelf would be perfect in the kids’ room. Just sayin’.”

Stud and Belinda owned a huge piece of land over an hour outside Portland city limits.

“Thanks, man. Murdering logs would do me good.”

We said nothing else for the rest of the drive.

Once Stud pulled into his driveway, it was well over midnight. Every time I traveled to Oregon, I slept at my friends’ house. Because it felt like home. And I missed them.

A lot.

And I wished for more time to spend with them in my everyday life. Like it used to be in the Carter Hills Band days.

“Carter.” Belinda, or Belle as we all called her, greeted me once we made our way inside. She framed my face with her tiny hands and studied me. Like a mother checking if her kid looked fine. “How are you? Gosh, I’m worried about you. I was about to fly to LA to check up on you if you hadn’t come here first.”

Stud shrugged as if to say Told ya.

And I couldn’t contain my smile.

“I love you too, Belle,” I said. “Did we wake you up?” I asked, pushing the conversation away from my life and my dodgy choices.