Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
My body tenses up at hearing Marley’s name. “Marley and I are fine. You don’t need to worry about us.”
“You see, I have to worry about you and Marley, because the band is my family and I give a fuck about you. Just because I fuck Cain, it doesn’t mean you and Mar don’t mean a lot to me. My love for the two of you and Kaye is as strong as my love for Cain and Billie. It’s just different. Listen, man, I’ve already lost more than most people in my life, and I don’t plan on losing any more. I want you to know I’m here. I’ll always be fuckin’ here for you.”
I nod my head. A lump lodges in my throat, making it hard to swallow, hindering me from formulating a coherent sentence. Why the fuck did Lars have to go and tug at my heartstrings? I want to say something nice, tell Lars he means a lot to me too, because he does. “Things with Marley and I will calm down.”
Lars narrows his eyes and leans forward. “How long have you been in love with him?”
“What?” I shout before lowering my voice. “Whoa, love? With whom?”
“You very well know who I’m talking about, Iggy,” Lars says. “How long have you been in love with Marley?”
I am glad Lars isn’t sleeping at my mom’s house. I’m not sure I could handle his raised eyebrows and knowing stares. When we were getting started and barely had fifty dollars between the four of us, we’d crash at my childhood home every chance we got. We also slept at my aunt’s, cousins’, and anyone else my mother could call and guilt-trip into giving us floor space for the night.
“Love ya, bro, but my mom will get worried if we don’t get inside.” I open the limousine door and walk away from Lars. I sit on the porch and light a smoke, thinking I’ve probably loved Marley Banks longer than I realized.
CHAPTER 11
Marley
Connie Donnavan is the mother I always wanted but never had. The woman has this ability to place a sense of calm in any space she walks into. I never miss an opportunity to visit her when we’re in Portland. My only issue is since Iggy has been in this loop of confusion, I might be overstepping by visiting his mom. I suppose that kind of would hurt too. Losing Iggy means I’d lose the only maternal figure who’s ever shown me kindness.
“You should talk to him,” Connie says, softly.
I don’t pretend to feign ignorance. There’d be no point. Connie is a perceptive woman. She’s able to discern between the lies and cut through to the truth. It doesn’t hurt when she is the least judgmental person on the planet. When you’re around Connie, you believe goodness prevails in the world.
“He doesn’t want to talk to me. I tried.” I had sent him a multitude of texts saying I think we should cool it. He’d left me on read. I am also confident he turned on his read receipts so I would know he saw the messages.
“Have you told him the truth, Marley? I think you’re deciding for the two of you and not including him in the conversation. My boy has been with a lot of people. I know he’s a little slut.”
Connie’s blunt opinion of her son’s sexual activities has me choking on my water. “I don’t know what to say.”
She holds her finger up, silencing me. “You aren’t some virginal Madonna yourself, Marley, but what I wanted to say is, Iggy has been with many people, but the only one I have ever seen him look at with unconditional love is you.”
“What?”
“A mother knows these things. My baby has been smitten with you from the moment he saw you in the dive bar in New York City. Trust him, I think both of you will be substantially happier.”
I rub the stubble on my jaw. “I’m not sure how Iggy will understand something my own parents didn’t. Those are people who provided me with my DNA. When they saw what was going on, they shrugged it off like it was nothing. It was more important for me not to ruin their reputation than to get me the help I needed. Had it not been for my little sister, I probably would have never met Iggy or the rest of the guys. I’d have already been dead and buried.”
Connie pats my hand. “Sweetie, not everyone should be a parent, but my boy loves you and I know he will go to hell and back for the people he loves. I promise, Marley, you’ll be safe with him.” She smiles at me as she lifts the slipper off her right foot, waving it in the air, “And if by some slight chance I’m wrong, I’ll whoop his ass.”