the day,” Libby said.
“What a drag. How about Cruela Devile? Has she been hassling you?”
“Nah, she’s been out in the barn al weekend. I don’t know what she’s doing out there.”
“Good. Anything that keeps her away from you makes me happy.” Thoughts of Libby living with the horrible woman gnawed at him.
“What are you doing today, besides hanging out at the beach in the warm sun and making me jealous?”
Peter dodged a group of little kids running for the water.
“Garrett’s got phone interviews set for most of the day. With Dad on the mend, Garrett’s decided he needs to be king of the mountain and run my life. I’m just about ready to take him out. He’s been riding me every minute. Suddenly he thinks that if we miss even one opportunity for an interview or appearance, our careers wil end up in the toilet.”
“Sounds like he’s just looking out for the band,” Libby said.
“No, Garrett only looks out for himself. I think it’s al about having control. He’s power hungry and loves to try to run my life.”
“He can’t be that bad.”
“You have no idea. He can be a real bastard when he wants.” Peter talked to Libby until time ran out and he needed to rush back and shower. A day of marathon phone interviews lay ahead. The only good part was that he and his brothers didn’t have to go anywhere. The interviews would be done from the beach house.
Garrett waited for him on the deck when he returned.
“You’re late,” Garrett growled. “You can’t tel me you were out running al that time. You sitting in a coffee shop talking to Libby again?”
“I don’t have to tel you anything. Ya know, Garrett, you need to relax. You should go work out and try to get that stick out of your ass. It might help improve your glowing personality.”
“And you need to dump your dead weight in Wisconsin,” Garrett said as Peter pushed past and ignored him.
# # #
The next morning Libby was surprised when her phone rang while she was waiting for the bus. She flipped it open.
“Hey you!” She didn’t expect to hear from Peter until tonight.
She walked around the side of the house so Aunt Marge wouldn’t see her with the phone as she waited for the bus. Peter’s cal was a welcome surprise.
“This isn’t Peter,” responded a flat voice.
“Who is this?” Caler ID indicated it was Peter’s phone.
“It’s Garrett.”
“Who?”
“Peter’s brother.”
“Oh. What’s up? Where’s Peter?” She didn’t like the tone in Garrett’s voice. Something was wrong.
“Wel that’s just it. He asked me to cal you.” Libby’s heart dropped. Something terrible happened to Peter. Oh God, she couldn’t lose him; he must be al right. “Is he okay? What’s wrong?”
“He’s fine. I’m mean, nothing happened to him or anything.” She didn’t understand. Garrett was using Peter’s phone, why would he do that? Where was Peter? She walked behind the farmhouse where she could talk louder. “So, what’s going on?”
“Listen, I’m gonna say this straight out.” He cleared his throat. “Peter didn’t know how to tel you this, and he didn’t want you to go al psycho or anything, so he asked me to do it.” Her stomach hurt. Peter could tel her anything. They were so close and talked about everything. Libby’s mind flashed from one tragic thought to the next.
“The tour is realy crazy and it’s too hard to keep things going with you when he needs to be working. So, anyway, he won’t be caling anymore and it would be best if you don’t cal him either.” Everything moved in slow motion. This could not be happening. “What are you saying? Is Peter breaking up with me?” Libby’s chest tightened. This made no sense. Garrett was wrong.
Peter loved her. In a few more days he was coming to get her. They had a plan. He was eighteen now and she would travel with him.
Garrett cleared his throat again, “Yeah. That’s pretty much it.”
Libby couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t imagine Peter asking Garrett to be the one to break her heart. She needed to hear it from Peter. “Let me talk to him. Give Peter the phone.”
“He’s not here. He left already. Look, Peter and I don’t always get along, but we’re devoted to the band. This is business; it’s not personal.”
She found it difficult to breathe.
“Peter would never do this. He’s coming to get me in three days. We have a plan. You’re lying!”
“Whatever plans you think he made with you