Free Rock Me (New Adult Romance) by Olivia Marks

know, Shay.
The security guards got him out and I’m pretty sure an ambulance is on its
way.”
    “Is he hurt? Can I see him?”
    Callum must have heard me, because he
stepped in. “’Licia, can you get these girls out of here? The last thing we
need right now is some hysterical chicks.”
    To her credit, Felicia threw him a
disgusted look. But she gathered us up anyway and put us into a taxi.
    “I need to see him!” I protested.
    “Listen Shay,” she said from outside the
window, her pretty face creased with concern. “Liam is going to get excellent
medical care. I’m sure he’s OK. You girls go home and sit tight while I figure
things out. I promise I’ll call as soon as I hear anything.”
    Aimee and I found ourselves imprisoned in
the house that night, glued to the phone. I sat by the window where Liam had
appeared not long before, singing and playing just for me. I even trolled the
Internet looking for updates but reports were vague. There were cell phone
photos of the incident plus truly hysterical accounts of Liam’s condition from
fans.
    I snapped closed my laptop in disgust.
The last thing I needed was to worry more. I waited for Felicia to call or even
better, a text from Liam, but nothing came. Aimee hovered around me nervously,
making me tea and trying to get me to watch old episodes of Toddlers &
Tiaras, with no success. I eventually fell asleep in the chair by the window,
my cell phone clutched in my hand, Liam’s words in my ear buds chasing me into
an uneasy sleep.
     
    * * *
     
    I was on the phone with Felicia,
impatiently pacing by the window in her apartment.
    “What do you mean he doesn’t want to see
anyone!” I protested. It had been a week since his accident and every attempt
I’d made to see him had been stonewalled. I was totally and completely fed up.
    There was an awkward pause at the end of
the line. “That’s the gist of it,” she stammered. “He’s asked that no one be
let into his hotel room except his band mates and Dan. He won’t even see me.”
    “But, but…” I tried to wrap my head
around the situation. “You told me he’s fine physically, right?”
    “Just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing
broken, thank God.”
    “OK, so he’s not sick. But, he’s been
cooped up in there for a week. He won’t respond to my calls or texts, he
doesn’t want to see me, I just don’t get it!” I froze suddenly. “Wait, when you
say he doesn’t want to see anyone, does he just not want to see me?”
    “No, no,” Felicia said
quickly. “I really mean
nobody. Listen Shay, you and Liam had a good thing going but I need to level
with you, you might not know him as well as you think you do. From what I’ve
heard, the man has demons and right now I think he’s busy dealing with them.
That’s all I’ll say—I’ve already said too much.”
    My mind whirled with possibilities. What
would cause Liam to act this way? Was it really not because of me? I didn’t
deal well with uncertainty and in that moment I decided I’d have to take
action. Liam meant too much to me to just stand on the sidelines and pray
things would get better.
    “Alright, just keep me posted, OK?” I
said casually before hanging up.
    I headed straight for the shower. Aimee
watched me with eyebrow lifted. “What’s up?”
    “I think I’m gonna take a little walk to
clear my head.”
    Aimee looked skeptical. “You want me to
come with?”
    I shook my head. “Thanks, but this is
something I have to do by myself.”
    Twenty minutes later I was showered and
dressed in jeans, T-shirt, and shorts, my hair thrown up in a quick ponytail. I
grabbed my bag and jetted out to the subway before Aimee could think twice
about my sudden enthusiasm for walking.
    The subway was confusing, dark, and
crowded, as usual. I pushed my way into the train, only to be confronted by a
crazy guy in boxers, a full mariachi band, and a couple of punks with spiked
hair. I took a deep breath and turned up the volume on my iPod.
    It