Rock Hard

Chapter 31

Lounging on the bed in the back bedroom, Sed trailed his fingertips up and down Jessica’s bare shoulder. After a concert, he usually satisfied his lust and fell directly asleep, but tonight his mind was too full. They’d played ten consecutive shows in a little less than three weeks, each one better than the last. Sed’s throat still bothered him (he sang through the pain), but Trey’s improvement was nothing short of miraculous. Sed was convinced that was the reason the rest of the band refused to see what was going on right under their noses. But Sed saw it and he couldn’t let it go.

“We’ve got to figure out how he’s getting new prescriptions,” Sed said. “He should have run out of slips by now. How many of the damned things did his dad give him, anyway?”

“He keeps them in his wallet,” Jessica said drowsily.

Sed shifted her from his chest and sat up.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I’m going to get to the bottom of this tonight.”

He climbed from the bed and slipped into a pair of shorts. He let himself out of the bedroom and crept to Trey’s bunk. Ordinarily, Trey would be partying with the roadies or fucking some lucky groupie on the other bus, but now he slept too much to participate in his usual fun. Sed slid the curtain back as quietly as possible. As he’d expected, Trey was out cold and still fully dressed. Sed eased Trey onto his side and retrieved the wallet from his back pocket. He opened Trey’s wallet, feeling like a total ass until he saw the sheer number of prescription slips nestled inside. They were blank, except for his father’s signature at the bottom.

Rage boiled through Sed’s veins. How could Dr. Mills just give him a free pass to the world’s prescription medicine cabinet? Trey’s parents had always given him everything his heart desired, but this was going too far.

“That stupid bastard.”

Trey rolled over and opened his eyes. “What are you doing?”

“I found your secret stash of prescription slips.” Sed pulled one offending slip from Trey’s wallet and tossed it at him, then another and another. “I wondered how you kept getting more of that shit. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Trey’s eyes narrowed. “Get the fuck out of my business, Sed.”

“I’m in your business, Trey. I’m so far in your business, your grandchildren will call me partner.”

Trey growled and flung himself from his bunk, tackling Sed to the floor. Sed let Trey punch him several times, hoping that releasing some of his pain and anger would let him admit he needed help.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone? Why?” Trey punched Sed again. And again. “Why? Why?”

Sed wrestled him face down on the floor and leaned his weight into his back until he stopped struggling. “Why? Because you’re the only Trey Mills I have and I’m not going to let you follow the same path Jon took. I’m not going to let drugs destroy you the way they destroyed him.”

“I’m not taking any drugs,” he squeaked, panting heavily.

“You are, Trey. It doesn’t matter that they’re prescription. You’re addicted to them. You have to admit it to yourself before I can help you.”

“I’m not addicted. I need them to play. Without them… I can’t… I just can’t…”

“How do you know if you can play without them? Have you tried?”

Trey’s body began to shake. Even though the bus’s corridor was dimly lit, Sed knew he was crying. Sed moved to sit on the floor beside him, giving Trey a moment to collect himself.

After several long minutes, Trey picked himself off the floor, sat beside Sed, and leaned against the bunk. Sed averted his gaze while Trey wiped his tears on the hem of his shirt.

“I don’t want to need them, Sed, but I can’t think of anything other than the feeling they give me right after I take one. The feeling that everything is all right. Everything is fine.” He shook his head. “I know everything’s not fine, but for a few minutes it feels like it is. It doesn’t last near long enough, and then…” Trey took a deep breath. “I need another one.”

“So you realize the drugs aren’t helping you.”

He nodded slightly.

“And you want to stop taking them.”

He hesitated, and then nodded again.

“There’s a rehab center—”

“No.”

Sed’s eyebrows lifted. “No?”

“I’m not going to rehab. I don’t want the press in my business. I don’t want anyone to know. Okay?”

Sed stared at him for a long moment. He could only imagine how Trey was feeling, but he could understand not wanting the press and the fans to know what was going on. Sometimes being a celebrity sucked.

“Okay. So what are you going to do, then? I don’t think you can just quit these things cold turkey.”

“I feel horrible when I just sleep through the night without taking them.”

“Maybe your dad can tell us what to do.”

Trey grabbed Sed’s forearm with surprising strength. “No, don’t tell my dad.”

“He’s the one who gave you an unlimited prescription. He had to know what could happen. Fuck, Trey, everyone knows you have an addictive personality.”

Trey ducked his head. “My dad didn’t give those to me. I took them from his office. He doesn’t know.”

Sed’s heart sank with disappointment. “Wow, Trey. I don’t even know what to say to that.”

Trey stared at the floor between his feet. “Don’t tell Brian I’ve been lying to him,” he whispered.

“You can’t keep this from the people close to you. You need their support.”

“Let’s just go. Go somewhere away from everyone and get me off the pills. You’re the only one who can help me, anyway.”

“I don’t know what to do, Trey. I’m not a doctor. I don’t think you can quit this shit just like that.” Sed snapped his fingers. “We can check you into rehab under a fake name. They’d know how to help you. It’s not that I don’t want to help you. I don’t know how.” Sed squeezed Trey’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not going to rehab. If you don’t want to help, then fine.” He brushed Sed’s hand aside, climbed to his feet, and headed for the bathroom.

Sed grasped his forehead in one hand. What should he do? Maybe Jessica had an idea. He returned to the bedroom and found her dressed and packing a suitcase.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“We’re going to take Trey and help him before he changes his mind.”

“You heard everything?”

“Yeah, I was listening. Call his father.”

“He doesn’t want his father to know.”

Jessica put her hands on her hips. “Either he calls him, you call him, or I’m calling him. Our only other option is to check him into rehab.”

“I’ll call him,” Trey said behind Sed, “but not here. I need to get away as soon as possible.”

Jessica pushed Sed aside and grabbed Trey in a tight embrace. “I’m proud of you, sweetie. We’re going to get you through this. Okay?”

Trey nodded, clinging to her like a frightened child. “You two make a good team. You’ll have me kicked into shape in no time.”

Team? Sed liked the sound of that.