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“Fuck you, Tanner,” she screamed. “You don’t get to lie to me now. It’s been more than a year. If it was true, why wouldn’t you tell me before now? Why would he do that? He loved me.”
I reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. “He didn’t love you, Frankie. He used you. He filmed you having sex, and he sold the recordings. I beat him up when I found out because you’re my baby sister. Then I spent a small fortune making sure there wasn’t a trace of them anywhere on the internet. When I got arrested, I told Phil and Lori. It’s why I got away without being charged. Honestly, Frankie, do you think I’m that much of a dick that I would beat someone for being with you? It’s your life, little sister, and you can choose whoever you want, as long as they’re good to you. He wasn’t, and he deserved everything he got. He left because I promised him I would tell the police if I ever saw his face again.”
Silence.
Frankie looked horrified as my admission settled. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stared at me, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “I hated you for that for so long.” She gulped. “You’ve had to deal with my anger for such a long time. You could have just told me.”
“And hurt you? Hell no. You deserve all the good things, Frankie, and I wanted to keep the bad ones away. If that meant you hated me, then I would take that to keep you safe and happy.”
She launched herself from her seat, flinging her arms around my neck, and then the twins piled on until I was being crushed under a pile of bodies. Somewhere in the chaos, I heard Addi say, “Witch Emmy strikes again,” as our laughter allowed months, even years, of unspoken words to slip away, leaving us raw and aching to step into a new chapter of the Cosmic Gods. One without anger, hatred, resentment, or fear.
And we all knew it was thanks to Emmy.
Emmy
“Youreallydidthatfor Frankie?” I was sitting in Tanner’s suite, watching him change, still reeling from tonight’s conversation.
“I did. Those videos broke my heart. He filmed her in the shower, in bed, at the most intimate moments of her life and he tried to spread them across the internet. I had to put a stop to it. I regret putting him in a coma, but if it had got out, it would have ruined her.”
“How did you stop the press from finding out?” I asked, sitting back against the headboard.
Tanner pulled off his t-shirt, throwing it onto the floor. “I was a dick. I had sex in an alley. I trashed a restaurant, I turned up at an interview pissed. I did everything I could to keep the attention on me, while Matt made sure the videos were taken down. I protected her by acting out because that’s what people expect of me.”
My nipples pebbled, suddenly aroused, not only by this man’s body but by the way he fiercely defended the people he loved. “Shit, Tanner. You should tell them.”
“Why? It won’t change the outcome. I protected her at all costs, and I don’t regret a second of it.” He shrugged, matter of factly.
“You have such an enormous heart, rock star. Don’t be afraid to let people see that side of you.”
“That’s not what people want from me. They want the car crash. It makes for better headlines.”
“I don’t, Tanner, I want you to be yourself with me.”
Tanner climbed into bed next to me, pulling his t-shirt that I was wearing up over my head, leaving me naked. “Always, angel. Now let’s go to sleep because I’m exhausted, but also I’m desperate to hold you. It’s been too long.”
“Oh my God, this plane is huge.” I gasped as I climbed onto the private jet that was flying us to LA to start the next three months of the tour. I couldn’t believe we were already halfway through my time with the band and I wasn’t sure how I was meant to go back to my ordinary life when this was all over. Shaking off the worries, I stared around the plane, taking in the luxury of it.
Tanner pulled me to the seats at the back with a wink and I couldn’t hide my giggle. We were just getting comfy when Rylee appeared out of nowhere. “Tanner, Addison asked me to remind you that you have an interview in an hour. I have everything set up in the bedroom at the back of the plane so you can have some privacy. Can I get you anything else before we take off?”
“I’m all good, thanks, Rylee. Can you just check on Frankie and the twins and see if they need anything?” She nodded before leaving us alone.
“I don’t know what it is about being on a plane that makes me so horny, angel. I think I like the idea of being caught making out with you.”
I groaned, rubbing my thighs together to try to curb some of the desire flooding there, like a tidal wave.
“Excuse me, Miss Winters, Mr. Hastings,” the stewardess interrupted. “Could I ask you to put your seats upright while we take off? It won’t be long.” I blushed, pushing my seat up, nudging Tanner to do the same.
“See, getting us into trouble, Tan, and we’ve not even taken off.” I giggled.
He wrapped his hand in mine and I rested my head against his shoulder as we took off, watching the European leg of the tour slip away beneath the clouds.
I think I must have dozed off because I felt his lips on mine in a quick kiss before he stood. “I need to go do this interview, angel, but I’ll be back soon.”
“’Kay. Love you, rock star,” I sighed sleepily.
“Love you too, Em. Go back to sleep.”
I didn’t know how long had passed, but I was woken by raised voices.
