“He never lost his shit when you got together with Rep. What the hell is his problem?”
“You’re his golden boy. Where you go, we go, and he knows it.”
Grey shook his head. “You’re keeping him around, right?”
Lola met his gaze. “If he can’t stand by you or a relationship that makes you happy, then no. I’m through with him too.”
Grey blinked, stunned at her statement and loyalty. “You don’t need to go that far.”
“I do. If he’s capable of acting that way with you, who’s to say he won’t turn on me next? I always told you, even if we’re not together professionally, we make a good team. I trust your judgment, Grey. In all things.”
His throat grew tight. He was fully aware that this was her way of apologizing for how she’d treated Avery. “She’s important to me,” he said.
Lola nodded. “I know. And I want you to tell me why. Over dumplings and Chinese food,” she said, turning to the bags she’d brought.
Grey grinned as she began to place the containers on his kitchen table, making herself at home. She bounced around his kitchen in her tight leather pants and cropped top, chatting away about Rep’s recent hamstring injury. After dealing with pain-in-the-ass Simon, she was a breath of fresh air, and he was glad she’d showed up when she had.
A little while later, his mouth burning from the spicy food, his stomach full, Lola met his gaze across the table.
“I have a question.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Shoot.” They’d always been honest with each other, and he wasn’t about to stop the flow now.
Lola leaned forward, elbows on the table, empty Chinese food boxes surrounding them. “Why Avery? I mean, let’s face it. You had more than your share of women over the years, right? What is it about her that makes you want to give up everything and settle down?”
Grey eyed her, wondering who she was really talking about here. “Is this more about you and Rep than me and Avery?”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “I could ask you the same thing.”
She ducked her head, then said, “Okay, fine. I know how I feel about him, but when I think about forever, I wonder how you know. I mean, I do, but I kinda want to hear what you think too.”
He nodded. “First, I have to say she’s not making me want to give up everything. Or anything. The need to come home, to settle down, quit traveling … that’s all me. Without Avery, I’d be here. Although I admit, probably not as happily.”
Lola laughed. “Okay, that helps to know. I mean, I wouldn’t want you to give up a life you loved because the woman in your life couldn’t handle it.”
Grey rubbed his chest at her mention of Avery not being able to deal. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m not worried about that end of it. I’ll always be Grey Kingston from Tangled Royal. If things don’t settle around me, I have to hope she can get past her issues.”
“One thing at a time. Answer the why her, and we’ll talk about making it work.” Lola began stacking the food boxes, one inside the other.
Grey breathed out hard. “That’s the easy thing to answer. From the day we met, she saw me. My father saw a disappointment, my mother … she had to love me,” he said wryly. “It was always tough to make friends because I’d rather be playing my guitar than be with people.”
Lola laughed. “I feel that.”
“Eventually I met some guys, and we formed a band, but we were a bunch of loners drawn together. We weren’t friends. Then I met Avery. I was sitting under a tree with my ever-present notebook. I was struggling with some lyrics I couldn’t get right, and she plopped down next to me and offered me one of her cookies.”
“The key to a man’s heart and all that?” Lola grinned.
Grey groaned at her bad pun. “Hardly. Turns out she was a loner in her own way too. Ever since her father was outed as … I don’t even know the word for a guy who has two families, but ever since then, she felt alone and ostracized. She got me immediately.”
He shrugged. He didn’t know how to explain their bond. “I never told her I had these huge dreams. Not in so many words. I think she knew I’d go after fame one day. I mean, she did know how much I loved music. She understood it took me out of myself and had always kept me away from the pain at home. But we graduated, and I read an article about an up-and-coming rock star who’d hitchhiked cross-country and made it big. I wanted that.”
Lola watched him, understanding clear in her eyes.
Grey grabbed another gulp of water, suddenly parched. “I knew Avery was so bonded to her family she’d never leave, and frankly, selfishly, it never dawned on me to ask her.” He ducked his head at the admission. “Once the dream took hold, it wouldn’t leave. So one day I said good-bye and was gone the next. I blindsided her.”
He’d told Lola a lot over the years, about his family, his life, even about how Avery was his first love. But he’d never told her this. He’d always kept his betrayal deep inside.