Andy was with them by the end, and some of the fan attention lasted throughout their meal of ribs and coleslaw and other fixings. Trey ate his fill, a little disappointed he didn’t seeDominic or the other guys from XYZ around. And no texts from Dominic, either.
Maybe they weren’t feeling barbecue tonight.
The R&B category was in full swing onstage, and Trey really dug whoever was currently up, playing the six o’clock spot. Lauren and Rose were set to compete tomorrow morning at eleven, and Trey had promised to be there to support them in exchange for their tent the night before. He hoped to sweet-talk them into another rental so he could spend time with Dominic before the end of the festival.
They left the picnic tables for the general throng, chatting with the crowd and listening to other bands. Trey sent a three-question-mark text to Dominic around seven, disappointed that his friends hadn’t made it to dinner. Probably Lincoln. He was a prickly bastard.
Trey was on his second Unbound Bomb when his phone buzzed.
Seven seventeen.
Dominic:Sorry, had a family emergency. Had to leave festival. Might be back for last day. I’ll call you tomorrow.
Trey stared at the phone in his hand, his heart twisting unhappily—not only because Dominic had to leave, but because he was leaving over something urgent with his family. An emergency could be anything from a minor car accident to a heart attack. He wanted to be there for Dominic, and he fucking couldn’t be.
He typed back:Take care of yourself. Tell me if I can do anything to help.
Danielle grabbed his elbow and tugged him away, toward the periphery of the mob. “What’s wrong?”
He showed her the texts. “I have no idea what’s up.”
“So call him and find out.”
“He said he’d call me tomorrow. He needs to be with his family right now.”
“What if what he really needs is to hear a friendly voice, only he doesn’t know it yet?” Danielle plucked the phone from his fingers, punched some buttons, and then handed it back.
The screen said “Dialing Dominic B.”
“Shit, Dani.” Trey pressed the phone to his ear on the off chance that Dominic actually picked up.
And he did, after only two rings. “Hey, you.”
“Hey.” Trey had no idea what to say. In only two words Dominic sounded both angry and hopeful. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Linc drove me to the train station. I’m on my way back to Philly.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Lord, he sounded like a chick. Except he didn’t want to pry into Dominic’s personal life by asking too many direct questions.
“Not much to talk about yet.” Dominic let out a low, deep sigh. “Dad called a while ago, not long after I left your camper. Said my little sister Roxy was in the hospital.”
“Shit, is she okay?” Trey headed back toward the talent gate, needing to be away from the throng and the loud music. Roxy was the one heading off to college, and Dominic’s adoration of his sister had been clear the first time he talked about her.
“Physically, she’ll be fine. I just . . . I need to see her for myself, you know?”
He honestly didn’t know. “Okay. I mean, was she in a car accident?”
Dominic was silent for so long Trey checked to make sure he hadn’t lost the connection. Then he grunted—a dark, angry sound. “She was at a friend’s house with some people. She went into a room with a guy, and they started making out. He got aggressive, she tried to leave, and he—fuck. He attacked her butshe fought like a fucking alley cat until a girlfriend came in and drove him off. Roxy isn’t hurt bad, mostly scared, but my parents took her to the hospital to get examined. She’s pressing charges against the little prick.”
“Good.” Pride swelled in Trey’s chest for how brave Roxy had been, even while he ached for Dominic’s obvious pain and anger. Someone had hurt his baby sister, and Dominic didn’t seem the type to let that kind of thing go unpunished. “I’m so sorry, Dom. I’m sorry that happened to her.”
“Me too. I hate leaving the festival, but I have to see her.”
“I understand.” Trey couldn’t imagine riding to the rescue of any of his sisters, but Dominic and his family were tight. It wasn’t in Dominic not to go where he was needed most. “I guess it’s good luck you already performed.”
“Guess so. Thanks for calling, Trey, I mean it. I was kind of sitting here going nuts imagining what-ifs and shit.”
“Don’t play the what-if game. Take it from me, it doesn’t make anything better. It’ll only make you feel worse.” Trey had reached the camper and he burst inside, grateful for the cooler air. He checked the bathroom to be sure, but he was totally alone. “Need me to distract you for a while?”
