Jaded (Rock Star Trilogy) - By Mercy Amare Page 0,43

to do that in the morning. I open the email.

Scarlett,

I think I found Stacy. I can't give you any details yet, but I will be contacting you soon.

Andrew Davis

My heart speeds up as I read his words... He found Stacy. Earlier that day, I had promised myself I wouldn't look for her. Now that he knows, I am not so sure I can just ignore the news. I have to know. I've spent nine years blaming myself for her running away. I need to know the real reason.

“You look like you've just seen a ghost,” Alec says to me, breaking the silence in the room.

“I think I have,” I whisper, so quiet I am not sure if anybody heard me.

I don't even have time to process the information before Stephan walks into the room, without a pizza. He's covered in oil, and he looks pissed.

“What's wrong?” I ask.

“I don't know yet. I started my car, and it sounded terrible. So I opened the hood, and my car threw up oil on me.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “I don't have the tools to fix it. We're going to have to wait on a shop.”

I don't think I've ever seen him this pissed, and it's honestly scaring me.

“So, we will wait.” I keep my voice at a calm level, trying to get him to calm down. “It's not a big deal.”

“I never let anybody else work on my car. It was me and my dad's thing.” He looks so vulnerable as he tells me.

“So, we could have it towed home...” I suggest.

“Have my car towed four hours? Seriously? Do you have any idea how much that would cost?” He looks at me like I've grown a second head.

“Well, no...”

At this point, Bridgett and Alec are both standing around us. Alec puts his hand on Stephan's shoulder. “Dude, chill. We will figure this out.”

“I know...” he breathes. “This just really sucks.”

“You stay here,” Alec tells Stephan, “and I will go pick up the pizza.”

By the time Alec gets back with the pizza, Stephan has taken a shower, and has seemed to calm down a bit. They eat pizza and then go back to their room. Stephan tries to get me to stay with him, but I refuse.

I know! Trust me, I know! Why turn Stephan down? He's beautiful, amazing, and everything I have ever wanted. But, I want to wait... Though, I'm not sure what I'm waiting for.

Or maybe I do know.

Maybe I'm waiting for love.

Saturday, September 19

9:03 am

Breakfast

The next morning, Stephan was able to drive his car (very slowly) to a nearby mechanic shop. I could tell he was sad to leave his love in the hands of somebody else, but he knew that he didn't have much other choice in the matter. They told us to give them until around 3pm, they were going to try to “work him in”, which in mechanic world meant, “hope you don't have plans for a while”.

We all decide to go grab some breakfast. I just order some fruit, and everybody looks at me funny.

“What? I don't want to get fat...” I say it like I'm joking, but I'm completely serious. I used to have a nutritionist planning all of my meals, and a personal trainer. Since moving to Hope, I've let a lot of things slide. I haven't gained weight, YET, but if I keep up like I have, I will.

“Scarlett Ryan and fat don't even belong in the same sentence,” Alec says.

Stephan is shaking his head at me. “Seriously, you're such a girl... You're beautiful, and truthfully, you could stand to gain some weight.”

Alec nudges him. “Dude, no. Never tell a girl she's too fat, or too skinny.”

“I'm comfortable with my body,” I counter. “I just don't have Bridgett's metabolism. I have to work to look this good.”

Bridgett looks uncomfortable at the mention of her. I can tell she's not used to being the center of attention.

We all eat, and thirty minutes later, Bridgett excuses herself to go to the bathroom.

“So, what are the plans for today?” Alec asks me.

“Shopping, duh...” I've been stuck in a small town, and haven't been to the mall in way too long.

Alec and Stephan both groan, but neither of them say anything.

“I think I'm going to go to the bathroom, too.” I get up from the table and walk to the bathroom. I'm laughing to myself. When I step inside the bathroom, I hear somebody throwing up. “Bridgett?” I ask.

I hear a toilet flush,