Collaboration (Backlash) by Lynn Michelle & Lee Nevaeh

Author:Lynn, Michelle & Lee, Nevaeh [Lynn, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-01-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Trace

“Really, Trace? You’re gonna give me the biggest line of them all?” she teases.

Shit, she’s right. It doesn’t get any more cliché than that. “I’m sorry, Peaches,” I say, reaching over and patting above her knee with my free hand. She doesn’t take a hold of my hand so I return it to the wheel.

“Mine, I guess,” she replies, sounding unsure. I don’t know if that hesitation is because she’s not certain about going with me or about me having me at her house. Either way, I’m not going to give her a chance to change her mind.

“Alright, Studio Hills it is,” I say, pausing at the garage exit. I glance over in time to see her cross her arms, cocking her head to the side.

“What, you’ve never taken the celebrity homes tour?” I ask.

She laughs and then gives me the address so I can input it into the car’s GPS. While I’m doing it, she groans, “God, I hate those tours. Even though my house is set back from the road and there’s a gate in between us, it’s still creepy to see busloads of people pull up out front, waiting around for a picture. I never go out when they’re around—obviously—but sometimes I feel like I’m disappointing them by not going out,” she explains.

“That does suck,” I say, peeling out of the garage. “Makes me glad I don’t have a house they can include on their tour schedule.”

“What do you mean? Where do you live?” she asks curiously.

“I’m at the Chateau Marmont.”

“The Chateau?” she asks incredulously. “You live there?”

“Yup,” I respond, hoping she’ll drop it.

“Trace, you gotta give me more than that. You’ve been in LA for years and you haven’t bought a place to live yet? Are you not planning on sticking around?” she asks. Yeah, didn’t think my one-word answer was going to fly.

“Dre and I used to rent a place together and hell, he practically lives with me now, but I needed some space from him, the guys…all of that.”

“Okay, I understand that. I felt the same way about living with my mom, but—“ she pauses, obviously waiting for me to continue.

“But when it came time to buy, I just couldn’t do it. LA isn’t home to me—it never will be. So I don’t really have any desire to buy a place because that would make it seem like it is my home…which it’s not,” I add and then sigh deeply. “Look, I know that’s a convoluted answer to your question so I guess the short answer to both of your questions would be ‘no.’”

I glance over and see the thoughtful expression on her face. “Last question, I promise,” she says. “Where would you live if you weren’t here then? Chicago?”

“Fuck no,” I respond, then quickly say, “Sorry. But no, I wouldn’t be in Chicago. To be completely honest, I have no idea where I’d be.”

I don’t even realize I’m white-knuckling the steering wheel until Taryn’s soft hands begin to peel the fingers of my right hand from their tight grip.

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