“It’s the second time you’ve mentioned his mother. It seems she has a lot to do with your grief.”
“Mothers and I never see eye to eye. Maybe it comes from my relationship with mine, but mothers don’t like me.”
“Why do you think that is?”
I roll my eyes, “because I tell it like it is. Because I fiercely defend the ones I love against the manipulation of their mother. Because I studied my mother for years and saw how she could have my sister eat out of the palm of her hand, I even used to see how she was manipulating me to do things I didn’t want but was unable to stop myself doing so. At least King’s death gave me a backbone. I stood up against his mother and also against mine. King dying set me free from the constraints of being a dutiful daughter and daughter-in-law.” I cross and uncross my legs, needing to move and be anywhere else but here. If speaking about King is hard, talking about my relationship with my mother, Andre, or coming close to the death of my father is unbearable.
“So, King’s passing away made you stronger.”
There comes the fucking Kelly Clarkson song again. But I can’t refute her argument. King’s dying did help me stand on my own two feet against my mother.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…” I mumble.
“Stand a little taller,” she gives an amused smile.
“I’m not going to sing…”
“But that would be a great exercise. I think you should repeat this to yourself every day in the mirror. It works for conflicts with friends and parents, accidents, grief, and of course, heartbreak.”
“Of course…”
“And whatever is happening with that man, talk to a friend. You’ll realize that by talking to people more than bottling things up, you can solve any problem.”
I start to see a pattern with Dr. Saman. She’s annoying as fuck but often right.
“I haven’t told my friends. It’s fairly new and might be already over.”
She gives me a tight smile. “It’s already a big step in the right direction. Some people win you over in spite of you and your grief and everything you’re going through. And you can never regret giving your heart away. It will teach you something or force you to move on.”
“Sometimes, you speak like you also lost the love of your life.”
She looks at me with a sadness she can’t hide. “More the product of it.” She looks toward the picture of the woman on the shelf and smiles. “And I survive. That’s why I know you will, too.”
Once I turn my phone back on, I have several missed calls from Mark and Quinn, but none of them left a message or texted me what it is about. Fearing them wanting to check on me after having heard Oliver skipped out on me again, I ignore their calls and take an Uber home. Today is another day of nothing to do. Dereck canceled our meeting. I could try to track Oliver again, talk to him, and ask for an explanation, but I refuse to become the pathetic girl trying to get the attention of the man who doesn’t want her. Been there, done that, and it’s not a good look on me. Not at all.
So I do what every girl with a little heartbreak and a lot of issues does… I watch TV, eat junk food, and stalk the guy I’m overthinking of when I shouldn’t. Now that I know his full name and link to the Darling Devils, I’ve found tons of articles about him. There is a big one about his bar, Absinthe, being the bar where celebrities hang out.
My eyes focus on a picture of the Darling Devils and him posing with another guy. The three bandmates seem happy, Oliver’s smile seems fake, but the guy next to Dan Darling is pissed. Trying to hide his face, he fails because of Dan’s hand around his chin, forcing him to look at the camera. I read the quote below and choke when I see the name of Dex Crawford. When Oliver said he knew him, I didn’t think he knew him so well that they partied together at his bar. Well, party… As much as a guy in a three-piece suit and a scowl on his face can party.
Getting into action, I jump on my feet and text Mark, asking him for Oliver’s sister’s number so I can get in contact with this guy and ask him the questions burning my mind I couldn’t ask Oliver yesterday.
Maybe Spencer doesn’t want to talk to me anymore and left me to search for the truth, but I’ll find it. I owe it to my father to understand all of this story, and starting with Dex Crawford is a good starting point.
Mark answers by showing up at my door—not alone. In shock, I let one of the sexiest rock stars in my apartment in and try not to be the giddy fangirl I’m sure everyone is when meeting him.
“Lars Trouble, this is Tessa VanHorn. The blue-haired girl.”
Mark doesn’t even send me a glance and starts looking around.
“What are you doing, Twilight?” I ask him, ignoring my superstar guest.
“Looking for Oliver. Those guys showed up this morning, and he’s not answering his phone—and as neither were you—I assumed you were both bumping uglies… Where is he?”
I shrug.“He disappeared last night after… Whatever. He’s certainly trying to get his shit together over the loss of his fiancée and allowing me to suck his dick.”
Lars Trouble’s laugh resonates in my living-room, and Mark’s head swings toward him.
“She’s funny.” Trouble shrugs.
“We still don’t know where he is. Did anything happen except…” Mark avoids repeating my words, which is hilarious, knowing how he usually speaks with other people. Again it’s something about me being the broken Tessa.
“He went to see Elaine’s parents yesterday and rushed here when I didn’t answer my phone because he was worried something had happened.”
“Okay,” Lars answers thoughtfully, “so he was a little on
