More of Us ( A Love You More Rock Star Romance #3) - Laura Pavlov Page 0,15

a lot from Dr. Roberts, and we still Skyped three days a week. Leaving rehab to go on tour was not the path most doctors would recommend, but she was working with me to make this work. The truth was, Lennon didn’t drink, and Adam rarely drank. But it hadn’t bothered me to be around booze, which surprised everyone. I don’t believe I was physically dependent on alcohol, but I believe I used alcohol to cope with the areas in my life that I didn’t want to deal with. And though I didn’t crave alcohol, it was something that I’d always have to watch when faced with things that made me uncomfortable.

I pulled up in front of the coffee shop and jogged inside.

Jack Moore pushed to his feet and gave me that manly half-dude-hug. He patted me on the back before we both slipped into the booth across from one another. The man supported me far more than my own father ever had.

“You’re looking good, Cruz,” he said.

We’d formed a friendship when Jade and I were dating, and it hadn’t stopped after she and I broke up. After I’d left his daughter on the floor unconscious, he hadn’t turned his back on me. He’d forgiven me, but as he reminded me many times—he’d never forget. Neither would I. And I’d forever be indebted to him. Not only for being the father of the only girl I’d ever loved, but for stepping up and taking on a fatherly role when I needed it most.

I’d asked to meet with him right before Jade left for Honduras. I wanted to apologize to him for the role I’d played in her accident and tell him that I was going to rehab. At first, he’d been cold and distant. Hell, I’d expected nothing less. Disappointing Jack was almost as bad as disappointing Jade. They were just—good people. I hated letting them down. But he’d appreciated me owning what had happened and seeking help for my addiction. Hell, by the end of our meeting, he’d been the one to give me her flight info so that I could see her before she left for three months.

“Thanks, I feel good.”

The waitress approached our table and we both placed our orders.

“You look like you’re all muscle. You still doing that MMA training?”

“Yep, working with a trainer five days a week. It’s nice having an outlet that demands me to be coherent.” I winked before pouring three packets of sugar in my black coffee.

“Jesus. Do you have enough sugar in there?” He shook his head with disbelief.

“Hot and sweet, just like I like my women,” I said with a smirk.

“I don’t need to know how hot you think my daughter is. But I agree, she’s pretty damn sweet,” he said with a laugh.

“Yep. She’s the best.”

“So, what’s happening there? She told me you text her every week.”

“She only lets me text her once a week,” I said.

“Ah, Jade does like her rules. Just stay the course. Time has a way of healing.”

“I hope you’re right. I think there’s some dude there that’s into her. I fucking hate him,” I said, taking a bite of my blueberry muffin.

Jack’s laugh turned into a cough and he paused to drink his water. “I don’t think it’s anything serious.”

She told her father about this guy? Maybe it was more serious than I thought. I didn’t want to put Jack in an uncomfortable situation, as he was Jade’s father, so I wouldn’t grill him. Though it took everything in me not to pelt him with a multitude of questions.

“Not much I can do about it. I’m the reason we’re in this position.”

“This is good for you, Cruz. You’re learning new ways to deal with jealousy and challenging situations. Look at you. You’re sitting here eating a muffin and talking it through. That’s progress, son.”

When Jack Moore calls me son—it means something to me. When my father says it, it’s never had any substance behind it. But with Jack, it’s different.

“I hate it. And I hate him. But I won’t make you tell me everything you