As soon as I was alone, I sat down on the bed and called my sponsor. It was early, but Rudy was already up, having his morning coffee with hiswife.
I told himeverything.
I told him about the bottle of Jack. I told him about the wedding and everything I’d fucked up with Maggie. And he listened, because that was what Rudy didbest.
At the end of the call, I told him I’d check in again later. And he actually said to me, “Proud of you,son.”
Rudy never told me he loved me, but truth was, over the years he’d become much more than my sponsor. I looked to him like something of a father figure and we’d crossed a line there that probably wasn’t ideal, but I didn’tcare.
Fuck it. I loved theguy.
“Give Laney my love.” Laney was Rudy’s wife, and while I never told him I loved him, either, I’d tell his wife, which was pretty much the samething.
When we got off the phone, I texted Shady to let him know I was back. I was planning to call Brody to ask him if we could talk—but according to the texts he’d sent me, he wasup.
And he was here inVegas.
I scrolled through the many, many text messages on my phone. Apparently, right after the giant scene I’d caused in the diner—on the heels of that other scene I’d caused with the TV crew the day before—Jude had been on the phone to Brody in Vancouver, and Brody had flown straightout.
Which meant they were worried aboutme.
Fuckme.
As it turned out, they’d been up all night. Brody, Jude and Maggie, who were all in Brody’s hotelroom.
I had missed calls and voicemails from all ofthem.
Jude:Hey, brother. Shady says you just took off with Seth in my rental car. No idea where you’re going, but check in,alright?
Brody:Hey, Zane. I wanted to talk to you and Maggie, but no one can seem to find you, so… Call me or send me a text, yeah? Let me know where youare.
Maggie:Hey. Where are you? Everyone’s flipping out. It’s almost dawn and they all think you’ve gone off on some bender and maybe Seth has, too. Elle’s being the voice of reason here. She’s trying to convince Brody that there’s no way Seth would do that, and they’re, uh, calming down. But… can you please call someone and just let us know you’reokay?
Maggie:Zane. Everyone’s worried about you, okay? Pleasecall.
Her voice sounded so small and faraway. She was fucking worried about me, and who knew what the guys had put in her head if they were flipping out about me going off the deep end inVegas.
I would’ve liked to believe that she’d know I wouldn’t, butshit. Wasn’t even gonna kid myself that I’d ever given her that kind of faith inme.
There were more messages, but I stopped listening and got my ass over to Brody’s hotelroom.
Brody opened the door, but I barely sawhim.
Maggie was slumped in a chair clutching a takeout coffee cup, and she didn’t even look at me. But I saw her give a kind of sobbing sigh as Jude pulled me into his arms. Her eyes were pink, but not like she’d been crying. She lookedmiserable.
I’d never seen her look likethat.
“We were worried about you, brother.” Jude slapped me on the back and I hugged himback.
“Yeah. Sorry. Didn’t even think about that. Just had some shit to dealwith.”
When he released me, Brody’s hands were at his hips. He shook his head. He was pissed, obviously, probably because of that look I’d put on Maggie’sface.
“Fuck, you’re an asshole.” He sighed and swept me up in a hug, then released me. “Sit your ass down.Please.”
I sat in a chair across the coffee table from Maggie. Brody sat down on the couch and Judestood.
“You gonna tell us why you took off?” Brody nodded at Maggie. “You had Maggieworried.”
