Free Rockstar by Lexi Adair Page A

road crew said she expressly heard Phoenix tell Staite that he would not give her the interview she was after."
    Summer let out an irritated huff. She could damn well take a guess at who that source was. There had only been one person there when Anthony had pinned her against the wall and refused to offer her the story. Jenny had to have been the source that fueled their stories.
    "The lawsuit filed by Phoenix has been dropped. Sources state that the brooding rocker wasn't interested in pursuing the scandal, much to his manager's dismay."
    Lawsuit. Fucking media, she thought then laughed at herself over the irony of it all.
    She needed a new line of work. And a change of scenery certainly couldn't hurt.
    She heard the key slip into the door and it jarred her from the heartbreaking news splattered across the television. She punched at the remote, turning the damn thing off.
    Summer turned as her door creaked open. Her breath drew inward and held as she watched the dark figure step over the threshold.
    Delight bubbled inside her and had her drawing up from the sofa and crossing the distance to her brother. She threw her arms around him and rested her head against his shoulder. “Timmy."
    He pulled back and dropped the flight bag at his feet. He held her out at arm's length and searched her upturned face. Tears trickled down her cheek as she met her brother's gaze.
    Timothy touched a hand to her face and wiped the tears away with the loving trace of his thumb. “I'm sorry I'm late. I should have been here days ago."
    "You're here now.” She took him by the hand and led him to the sofa. She sat next to him, keeping her hands clasped over his, needing the comfort of his touch more than she cared to admit.
    "You look tired,” he noted, cocking a concerned brotherly brow. “Not sleeping?"
    "Not really."
    He'd cut his hair since she'd last seen him. It was shorter now, expertly manicured. He was dressed in a dark flight suit, tailored and pressed. He'd certainly pulled himself together after the messy divorce that had caused him to spend nearly four months moping on her couch.
    She'd been there for him, helped him lick his wounds and get on with his life. Now she was counting on him to do the same for her. She needed someone to lean on. Someone with strength and courage because she had nothing left.
    "How're Mom and Dad?” he asked, finally breaking the silence between them.
    "Good.” A wave of guilt washed over her. Another damn regret. She'd been so wrapped up in work that she hadn't seen them in nearly three months. It wasn't that she was avoiding them, she'd just been so extremely busy. She simply hadn't had time to make the seven-hour trip to Red Bluff. She supposed she'd have plenty of time for visiting now, what with being jobless and all.
    "So you want to tell me what's going on?"
    "No.” She didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want to relive it anymore. She just wanted him to be there for her. To tell her everything was going to be okay. To lie to her.
    "You want to grab some pizza?"
    "No.” Summer reached for a tissue from the box resting on the side table. She blotted her eyes then blew her nose. Damn, she hated crying. Hated the weakness.
    "Come on,” he urged as he drew her up to her feet. “Get out of those sweats and get dressed."
    How could she resist those big doe eyes of his? If there was one thing Tim knew, it was how to bat his eyes at a woman and get exactly what he wanted. As a child she had hated him for it but as an adult she had grown to adore it. “All right,” she said softly. “But just a pizza."
    "And a beer,” he chimed in, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
    "And a beer,” she repeated. “Give me a minute.” She headed to grab a quick shower.
    Alone in the bathroom, Summer studied herself in the mirror and nearly groaned aloud. Her blonde locks, usually so carefully arranged, were tangled and sticking out from her loose ponytail. There were dark circles under her eyes.