Page 110 of Next to Everything We Wanted

“Sure . . .” Everett said, like he knew that wasn’t what I’d almost said. “You do still have his number, you know.”

I swallowed. “He doesn’t want to hear from me.”

“Do you know that?”

“He made it very clear he’s done with me.” My voice came out harsher than intended. “Just . . . keep me updated on how he’s doing, okay?”

“Fine. Have a good day.” He hung up before I could respond.

Grunting, I got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make myself breakfast. Dad wasn’t coming home from his business trip until this afternoon, and I had no idea how I’d explain this whole situation to him.

I wasn’t sure if Adam and Emma had told their parents about what happened. We’d barely made it home Tuesday night before Aunt May pulled up in the driveway. She’d seemed too exhausted from her shift to notice our tear-stained faces and took the twins back to her house.

The front door’s chime went off as my bread heated in the toaster. I nearly jumped out of my skin.Shoot. I’d thought Dad’s flight home was in the afternoon.

“Is that toast I smell?” Dad said as he walked in, dressed in his work clothes.

I mustered my best smile. “Welcome back. How was your trip?”

“It was good.” He put his bags on the bar stools. “Did everything go well while I was gone?”

From the way that he phrased his question, I knew that he already knew something. I sighed as my toast popped out, though my appetite was gone. “Just tell me what you know.”

“How did Ivan end up in the hospital during game night? May told me he got hit with a bad migraine and passed out.”

A migraine? Was that what Emma and Adam had told their parents? I fought a smile. They were protecting us.

“That’s what happened,” I said, putting the toast on my plate. “We didn’t see it coming.”

Dad put his hand on my forehead. “Have you been feeling alright? I hope you didn’t catch anything.”

“No, we didn’t. We’re not sure what happened to Ivan, though.”

He nodded. “I’m very proud of you for calling an ambulance and taking care of him.” He crossed his arms. “But youneedto call me the next time something like that happens. I don’t want to find out through other people again.”

“It won’t happen again.” Because no way would I get tangled up with another ex-celebrity.

He gave me a small smile. “How is Ivan doing now?”

“He’s resting.”And probably never wants to talk to me again. Even if he hadn’t remembered everything, no concussion could get rid of what went down. The image of me holding the magazine would forever be etched in his brain. “Go change into something comfy while I make breakfast.”

Around an hour later, my phone pinged with a social media post from Somewhere in the Sky. I tapped on my screen to see a blue and white post withBAD NEWSin the center. Instantly, I knew what it was.

Good morning, Sky Gazers!

We have some bad news to share. Unfortunately, our lead singer, Ivan, hasn’t been doing well. We’ve decided to take a break while he recovers. We’re unsure when our next gig will be, but we’ll keep you updated.

Keep flying high,

Somewhere in the Sky

So, they were playing the sick card again. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Still, disappointment washed over me—not thatI wanted to ever step foot into What Do You Bean again after what’d gone down between us.

I hopped on my laptop to search up Gavin Hanville and Forrest Tansel. A picture of two teenage boys popped up. One was Gavin, with his dyed hair and freckles. The other one looked much different from Everett. His curls were much shorter, bleached blond with dark roots. His eyes were brown, not hazel. His bronze skin was much darker as if he’d been in the sun more.

I went to the results tab to find articles about Forrest. The first result was his Wikipedia page, and I clicked on it and read through it.

Forrest would turn twenty-one on September first. He was born in Las Vegas, and his parents divorced when he was in elementary school. He lived with his mom, stepdad, and sister before working on his career. He was signed to Mercury Heights—the same label Charm Street had been signed to, if I remembered correctly—when he was fourteen and released three albums before getting dropped due to his drinking addiction.