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I blinked a few tily face was peering down at ht hurt my head

I was going to vomit

I quickly sat up, pushed him out of the way, and keeled over the opposite side of the bed, puking onto the floor Mainly liquid I couldn’t remember the last time I really ate

“Oh, now you’re just being a twat,” Jacob said, his voice pinched Jacob hated voer, he had to be used to it by now

When I was done,machine, I wiped my lips on the back ofto pull over because I felt worse than a dirty dishcloth Cocaine had a funny way of leaving the body, doing a number on your psyche better than any childhood trauma ever could

Jacob was shaking his head, his big arainst his chest and plaid suit that clashed with his red hair, his fat knuckles cracking and uncracking He meant business

“The hell did you do here last night?” He looked around the roo as they focused

I shrugged,“I had fun; it’s what you do after a show”

“No,” Jacob said “It’s what other e I know your arse well enough”

I snorted, gently enough so it didn’t further das Sounds like fun to anyone”

“This isn’t you” His voice lowered, beco almost wistful I opened my eyes and looked at him curiously His face was riddled with pockly, concern “This isn’t Sage Knightly”

We stared at each other for a few iving hiers went Hell, he was Jacob “The Cobb” Edwards, and his knuckles and rings were responsible for scarring many a promoter’s face He was even immortal at some point, as far-out as that seems But noas huone through h He knew exactly rong with me, that black blanket over my head, because he had lost as much as I had

But just because he knew didn’t mean I needed to address it

“I’m fine, Jacob”

He laughed, a big, belly-shaking one, like a ginger Santa Claus I thought for a second he actually was amused, but the smile cleared off his face as fast as it came on

“Sage,” he said sternly, co at the foot of the bed He led, stained sheets “Cover your bits up and then listen to me”

I sighed and pulled the sheets over my dick Somehow my nudity didn’t even surprise me anymore

He stroked his chin, the sound of his calloused fingers against his stubble terrifyingly loud to my ears “I’m not your father Your father is back in California But e’re on the road, I feel like your father So help ht I’d have a full-grown, half-Mexican kid, but there you go Never thought I’d still beyou well after I didn’t have to anymore But I like the job I like you And I don’t want to see you get hurt any e of the bed, the ht “You survived your curse, Sage You survived the deal And you still came out on top Don’t do this to yourself Not now You have everything you need to be great You’re just about to go to Europe on tour, where I can proet you and your voice and your sound Don’t bugger it all up because you’re feeling sorry for yourself”

I sed hard but ht add, “I’et with the times”

He smiled quickly “You’re a rock star But this is not you Now call the girl”

I raised irl?”

“You know the girl, you trollop” He rolled his eyes “Dawn Call her You know her nu to need her, and she’s going to need you”

At thefaster Dawn Rusty Myto think with great effort “She needs ”

He eyed me matter-of-factly “You didn’t”

Didn’t I? She was a ston State, thrust into the spotlight after covering the de days because that was part of the bargain I o down in history But ever since we parted ways, even though she was constantly on h I’d jerked off plenty of ti her on the faded tour bus, I hadn’t seen her We hadn’t really talked She was a part of me and a shadow of my past at the same time

“Oh, she’s doing well,” Jacob went on “But she still needs you, even though she may not know it yet”

I frowned “Are you being purposely vague or do you know so?”

He shrugged, suddenly blasé “I don’t knohat I know Call it a residual hunch Even if I knew souide I just know she ht need help Somewhere deep in this dead old chest ofstarted”

I could tell there was so else he wanted to say

“And?” I pressed I wanted hi out the rest of the coke and get a littleon, but Daas front and center

He straightened up “Call her When you’ve got your brains together Invite her on the tour If you want, I canher along for kicks Tell Rusty I’m the one who misses her if you have to But just call her Talk to her And if you save her, maybe she can save you And this time, maybe you’ll let it stick”

With that, Jacob left the rooht on by black-out drapes and a raging hole in my heart

I waited a few ot too scared, I picked up the hotel rooh I rarely used it, I knew it by heart

“Hello?”

Her voice ca toout the cobwebs better than a line