Page 87 of No One But Us

I can tell she desperately disagrees. “At least talk to your father’s attorney first,” she says.

“Why? So he can tell me what’s in Dad’s best interest?”

“He and your father are looking after all of our interests.”

“Right. That’s why he said he won’t pay my tuition if I respond and would buy me a car if I kept quiet. My best interest.”

I watch her harden a little, grow slightly sober, a tiny glint of hatred for my father puncturing her champagne-induced bubble.

“Who are you talking to?” she sighs.

“I don’t know yet. I’ve got a friend setting it up.”

“Things go wrong on live TV,” she says. “You know that. You’re just providing more ways for the press to twist your words.”

“I’m releasing the voicemails he left for me too,” I tell her.

“Voicemails?” she asks.

“I told you about them,” I say between my teeth. She finds out her teenage daughter is getting harassing voicemails from her boss and she forgets? “They’re bad, but no one is going to believe my word against his without them.”

She bites her lip, clearly uncertain about the course I’ve chosen, and turns to Tommy. Because who better to advise than a high school dropout with one song anyone remembers?

“You deserve to have your side of the story out there,” he says.

Hearing Tommy’s expert opinion seems to sway my mother, and her face grows relaxed and optimistic. They begin talking to each other, and I stop listening.

Ryan glances quickly from my mother to me. “I had no idea it was like this with you guys,” he says quietly. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? I always thought you had super-involved sitcom parents.”

I smile a little. “I don’t know. You and I never talked about that kind of thing.”

“We should have,” he says. “I would have wanted to know.”

My mother reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “Do you want me and Tommy to come to your interviews?”

I control any eye-rolling urges admirably. Having my tipsy mother and her leather-clad boyfriend along for the ride would certainly make them interesting, but I’m not sure interesting is what I’m after.

“I think I’ll be okay.”

Tommy’s eyes light up. “If it’s a canned piece, they’ll need some music for the lead-in and parts of the segment. Why don’t you see if they’d like to play something off our new album?”

Oh my God.

Must. Roll. Eyes.

Summoning reserves of inner fortitude I didn’t know I possessed, I manage to smile. “What an interesting idea.”

Ryan’s leg is shaking with the effort not to laugh.

“What a douche,” he says under his breath as Tommy and my mother begin another private conversation.

I giggle. I love Ryan. Not in a romantic way, but as a friend, I really love him. And one day he’ll make someone—not me—an awesome boyfriend, if he can just get his dick out of the driver’s seat.

“So what happens with you and your bodyguard once school starts?” he asks.

“His name is James.”

“Fine, James. Your bodyguard. The guy who starts growling the minute anyone gets within 10 feet of you.”