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“I’m not throwing anything away!” He stood up so fast he almost toppled over but managed to right himself. “I’m here. I’m ready to play. Why are you fuckers up my ass all the time? You’re driving me nuts. What do you care if I’m an addict? Why do you care if I enjoy getting high? It’s none of your business as long as I do my shit, and I. Am. Here. What more do you want?” He stalked down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom.
“That was fun.” Kellan sank into a chair, shaking his head.
“We could hire one of those sobriety coaches or whatever they’re called,” Kingston said, “but we’d have to handle the cost because he won’t pay for it.”
“I don’t know, man.” Tommy sat on the arm of the couch, a look of frustration on his face. “He’s been miserable since he got sober. Maybe it’s not our place to tell him how to live his life.”
“And when he can’t record or misses performances on tour? Then what?” I asked.
“Then he gets fined. We make him sign something to that effect.” Kingston shrugged. “We tell him either he signs it or he goes back to rehab. Every time he misses something, it’s twenty-five grand.”
Kellan whistled. “That’s steep.”
“It’s fair,” I said. “Maybe it’ll make him think twice.”
“I’ll talk to Aurora about it,” Kingston said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll be back in a few.” He went toward the exit just as Carter came out of the bathroom. It looked like he’d washed his face and freshened up a little, so he didn’t seem as hungover anymore.
“Let’s do this,” he said, walking toward the studio.
“Kingston’s making a call,” I said, following him. Since he got defensive about his sobriety, or lack thereof, I changed the subject. “Hey. Presley is here, and I promised her that interview. You up for it?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I told you I would. Just tell me when.
“I was thinking she could come up to the studio and when we’re done for the day, I’d order food and you two could talk.”
“You want to do it here?” he asked.
“Now that we have a full house, including the baby, it’s quieter here,” I said. “We could go to your place, but why go somewhere else when we could just hang here? It’s quiet, private, and convenient.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, okay. Anytime you want.”
“I’ll find out what she’s got planned. She’s trying to get settled at the house and make sure her aunt is doing good at the rehab center.”
“They call it rehab for drug addicts and for heart attack survivors?” He made a face.
“Apparently.” I hadn’t thought about that until he’d said it, and it was kind of weird. “I guess it’s all about the fact that you’re rehabilitating something that’s broken?”
“That seems wrong somehow.” He scratched his head. “But maybe I’ll go visit auntie and get a different kind of rehab. Think it’ll help?”
I grinned. “It can’t hurt to try, buddy.”
We looked at each other until he finally glanced away, picking up his bass. “I’m sorry about last night. It was a moment of weakness. But I swear it was just a few shots. I hadn’t eaten anything all day so it hit me harder than it should have. I’m not using any drugs, though, and I’ll keep the alcohol to a minimum. Is that fair?”
“You’re a grown man, Carter. I just don’t want to see you throw away everything we’ve worked for.”
“I’m good.” He hit a few notes on his bass. “You know Imma make that visit to Auntie Meg happen, right?”
All I could do was laugh because I had a feeling he and Aunt Meg would get along great.
“Do what you gotta do, man. Do what you gotta do.”
28
Presley
We’d been in California a week before I felt ready to meet Zeke’s bandmates. For the most part, I’d spent my days getting Jeremy settled into a new routine, making myself at home in Zeke’s room, and getting to know his parents. His mother came across as a little overbearing, but she was incredible with Jeremy, and it had only taken him a day or so to warm up to her. Armand was a bit more standoffish; friendly when we saw each other but not overly chatty. He was good with Jeremy, though, and they had coffee together in the morning.
As soon as I got downstairs with him, Armand would take him and read him the sports pages as he drank coffee and Jeremy had a bottle. It was cute to watch, and it gave me time to enjoy my own breakfast before getting into the day. I went to see Aunt Meg almost every day, and she was doing great. The doctors said she would be ready to come home in another ten days, which was good news. Zeke planned to set her up in what he called a casita, which was one of the little guest houses on the property. Apparently, there were two, along with a shed and a pool house.
