After a few moments, he covered her hands with his. “Should we…I don’t know, go find out? Make sure.”
“What do you mean we?” Indignance filled her tone. “You don’t have to pee on a stick.”
“Have you ever done that before?”
“Take a pregnancy test? No. But I heard all about Harper’s. And sat there and tried not to cry out of sheer envy.”
He laced his fingers with hers. “It’s not the right time for us to have a baby.”
“I’d say not, since you just dumped me.”
He laughed again, which earned him a narrow-eyed glance that only made her look more adorable. “I didn’t dump you. I would never. Are you fucking kidding me? But they recommend limiting relationships as a condition of rehab.”
“Rehab?”
“Where did you think I was going?” He withdrew the card Lila had given him from the front pocket of his suitcase and handed it to her. “It’s an eight-week program.”
“Eight weeks,” she said, staring down at the cream-colored card. “But we’re going into the studio soon.”
“Lila said the band could work around me. I’ll just have to make up the time extra fast when I get back.”
She lifted her head. “You’re coming back.”
“Of course.”
Shaking her head, she laughed softly. “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”
“I was getting around to it. Speaking of getting around to things, why did you go see Cricket?” He gripped her arm, suddenly seized by panic. “You didn’t actually buy anything from her, did you? It’s bad enough you smoked because of me. If you’re pregnant—”
“I smoked a small amount very early on. Not that it matters because I’m not pregnant. I’m also not enough of an idiot to covet a cocaine addiction.” She winced. “Sorry. Can I blame pregnancy hormones without actually being pregnant?”
He let go of her arm. “Why do I love you again?”
“Because of my winsome personality? And because I give one hell of a blowjob, with and without happy ending?”
“The second one, definitely. The first…eh, I’m not terribly impressed.”
“Funny. As for why I went to see Cricket, I paid off the rest of your debt. You no longer owe her a damn nickel.” She looked around the floor. “If I can find where I dropped my purse, I’ll show you the proof.”
“Wait a second. You paid my debt? How? With what money?”
“Mine.” She flushed. “With a little backing assistance from your parents. Yes, I called them and told them you were hurt. They came to the hospital, and we talked. They know about your…issue now.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“I asked them for a loan and explained why I needed it. I’ll fully be repaying them once I get more money from the tour. And the album and the next tour. Then there’s our merchandising.” She smiled bravely. “See? We’re going to be fine.”
“You won’t be repaying them. I’ll be repaying them and you. You aren’t responsible for my cash flow problems.”
“That’s a quaint way to put it, but hell yes, I am. I’d expect the same from you if I needed your support.” She pulled the ponytail holder off her wrist and did her messy hair up in a quick bun that somehow looked sexier than the most artfully arranged style.
“You have officially exploded my brain.” Then there was the fact that she was nauseous. Dear God. “I can’t discuss any of this right now.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.” She tugged on her skirt, fluffing the little kick pleats as if they were having an ordinary conversation. “I was overdue on doing my share of bailing out in this relationship.”
“So you just called her up and met with her?” He shook his head, awe overtaking his initial irritation that she’d used her money to play savior. That wasn’t even mentioning the potential danger she’d put herself in. “And I thought I had a pair.”
She patted her chest. “I just store mine up top.”
“That you fucking do.” He expelled a short breath. “We’re going to talk more about this later. In the meantime, do you think Harper will let us borrow her truck once more?”
“I think so, yeah. She’ll also probably demand to come along and make me take the test in the convenience store bathroom.”
“Why? Does she have a preggo fetish or something?”
“No. She knows I do, and she’s my best friend. Other than you, of course.”
“Oh.” It took him a few more deep breaths to find the strength to put aside his own needs in favor of hers. “Would you rather she go with you than me?”