We made it to the lake by three o’clock, which turned out to be a swimming hole with a small sandy beach, heavily forested with mangroves. It was a secluded spot where Phil and Jason used to hang out with the guys back when they were teens. There were many such places all along Lake Pontchartrain, beyond the eyes of the public and lifeguards. What bugged me was that there very well could be alligators lurking around here. The guys didn’t seem too bothered by that.
“It’s clear and sandy. You can see all the way to the bottom. If a gator comes up, you could see that, too. We don’t go beyond the sandy bit. That’s just askin’ for it.”
I’m still not going in the damn water.
Sheri and I spread out a huge blanket over the small stretch of sand, and Phil dropped a stack of enormous towels and blankets. Then, he headed back to X’s Jeep for the cooler we had packed with water and beer and some watermelon.
“I’m going to grab your pills, okay, Jace?” Sheri said. “I put them in the glove box.” She followed Phil.
“Yeah. It’s startin’ to hurt again,” he called to her retreating figure.
That left me all alone with Jason Jones, the golden god guitarist.
“How are you holding up?” I copped a squat next to him.
“It’s getting there.” He flashed his mostly white even teeth. The two that had been knocked out had taken on a bluish tint, which actually didn’t look too bad.
“I, uh…I’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about how I acted last Sunday. I know I apologized. Don’t remember too much of it, if I’m honest. But while I’m not drugged up, I wanted to let you know that I really am sorry.”
“It’s all right,” I told him.
“It really wasn’t you I was tryin’ to hurt. It was him,” he stated quietly.
“I figured as much.”
“I was just so pissed at him, at the whole situation. I thought you were comin’ in, and…I was afraid for the band. I was furious to think that he’d put you first. So, I went after what would hurt him the most.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“Really? ’Cause I sure as hell don’t. I love him like a brother. That was a pretty shitty thing to do to a brother,” he said.
“You had your reasons, and I get them. I really do,” I said. “I promise you, he’ll never have to choose between me and NOLA’s Junk. I’d be as devastated as you if the band broke up.”
“I know. I realize that now.”
We sat in silence for a moment.
“And thank you for Sheri,” he said softly. “I don’t know how you did it, but she…she’s now the girl I always knew was in there, you know? And what she went through—” His throat worked hard as he tried to collect himself. “She needs friends like you and Alys and Lili. I don’t think she’s really ever had that. I’m just so grateful to you for helpin’ her open up. It fuckin’ pisses me off that she never told me herself, but I guess I can see why she wouldn’t have.”
“She loves you, Jason. Absolutely adores you. I think she just didn’t want to believe she could have anything real with you because she was waiting for something better to come and steal your heart.”
“She already did that.”
I reached out and squeezed his hand. “Just keep letting her know that.”
Looking at me, he smiled. “I will. Now, take your hand back before Phil sees and breaks my face again.”
“Yeah,” I said, laughing.
A few minutes later, Phil dumped the cooler on the ground behind me and pulled out a couple of bottles of water. He tossed one in Jason’s lap—I thought he was aiming for the man’s nuts—before parking his perfect ass on top of the closed lid.
Sheri rattled a prescription bottle at Jason. Then, she twisted open the cap and jiggled out a Vicodin. “Just one, okay? I don’t want you to be too fucked up and go in the water. You can have another one on the ride home or something.”
“Okay, baby.” He popped it into his mouth and chugged some water with it.
“And no beer,” she sternly told him.
“Damn it,” he grumped.
Phil and I cracked up.
“What?” demanded Sheri. “Once the Vicodin hits him, he’ll be gator bait. No need to make it easier for them.”
“I would think you guys’ drug tolerance would by sky-high by now,” I said.