I Can Hear Your Voice of Treason From a Mile Away.

When I stepped in through the patio door, all eyes were on me. All the adults, including Suzy and Papa Gates, were in the dining room, sitting at the dark wood table with the same expression—“We need to talk,” was easy to uncover in many of their faces.

Sliding the door shut behind me, I turned to them curiously, holding on desperately to the designer heels in my hand. “What’s going on?”

“Starr, I think you ought to sit down.” Suzy’s tone was soft with an underlying message hidden deep inside.

“I don’t feel much like sitting at the moment, Suzy.” I wasn’t about to be cornered into anything I wasn’t ready for and didn’t want to do.

“Now, Starr,” My glare turned to Papa Gates, who had sympathy deep in his chocolate orbs. He was trying to be stern—I could see it in his expression—but he was oblivious to my underlying emotions.

Papa Gates was cut off before he could finish his sentence. “Will you stop being difficult for just five minutes, maybe, so we can sit and talk this out?!”

Enraged, my green eyes moved to see Matthew Sanders out of his chair, hazel eyes ablaze with aggravation. I could feel my eyes turning to slits and before I knew it, I was taking a step closer so that I was across the table from him. “Oh, so now you want to talk things out. Now, you wanna be involved.” I leaned on the table, challenging him with a glare to rival even the angriest of people. “Well, excuse me, Sanders, if I don’t want to have anything to do with people who didn’t give two shits about me five years ago. I wouldn’t want to seem ungrateful.” Batting my made-up lashes at him sarcastically only seemed to egg him on, so to really top the sundae, I added, “Piss off.”

“Starr,” Brian was pleading with me, while his brother Brent looked uncomfortable with the situation.

“Look,” I sighed. “None of you know what I’ve been through. I’d appreciate it if you all would just leave it at that.”

“Starr, honey,” Suzy sighed. “What’s going on?”

“What are you talking about?” Brian followed behind his stepmom in asking questions.

“I don’t think she’s ready to talk about it,” Brent stood out of his chair and came to my side, defensively. “Maybe this isn’t such a good time to have this talk.”

Bless Brent Haner’s soul. Even when Brian was out of the picture, and Dryden and I were long gone, Brent was there; calling me, sending gifts for Dryden, and, later on, visiting us. Brent was always there for us, and I appreciated him so much for that.

“Starr, honey, we’re just worried about you. Things can’t be easy for you, being a single parent with two kids.” Mr. Haner meant well, I’m sure, but his words still stung. Just because I’m twenty-seven years old and not married, doesn’t mean I’m incapable of being a good mom. I’m a great mom!

“No, it’s not easy, Papa Haner, but I don’t need a man in my life to be a good mom. I’m very capable of taking care of my sons on my own.” I stated, calmly.

“That’s not what he was insinuating, my dear. Just that maybe you should let Brian help some.” Suzy suggested.

“Brian is a grown man.” I stated, matter-of-factly. “Therefore, he can do what he wants. If he wants to do something for his son, he can. He doesn’t need my permission or my supervision, just as long as he doesn’t hurt Dryden.” I turned to face Brian, looking him dead in the eyes. “Hurt my son, and I promise you, it’ll be the last thing you do.”

Brian stood up, anger in his chocolate eyes. “He’s my son too, Starr! Why would I hurt him?”

“I don’t think you want me to answer that.” I stated, firmly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go get my sons washed up for dinner.”



Dinner was a much different atmosphere. Valary, Matt’s wife, showed up with three other women I never met before just in time to eat with us.

I came down the stairs just in time to see them arrive. I had taken the time to change while I was upstairs into a pair of jeans and a tank top. My hair was loose and laying across my back and shoulders, softly. A pair of McKenna’s flip-flops was in place of my heels under my small feet. Colton was on my hip while Dryden was holding onto my free hand.

“Starr!” Val exclaimed, running to give me a hug. “And look, Cole and Dry. What’s up buds?”

I smiled as Colton repeated, “What up,” and Dryden gave Val a hug.

“Oh, Starr, I want you to meet the girls! This is Leana, Jimmy’s wife.” Leana was the shorter, big-chested girl with brown, curly hair and tan skin. She was really pretty, and, as much as I wasn’t that fond of Jimmy, I could tell they were a great match.

She smiled at me, showing a row of perfect, pearly white teeth. “Hi, you must be Brian’s ex-wife. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” Those last words scared me. What exactly had she heard? And from whom did she hear it from?

“I’m sure it wasn’t good, whatever you heard about me.” I chuckled.

“Oh, no, it wasn’t all that bad, I assure you.”

Next, Valary introduced me to Gena, Zacky’s girlfriend. Gena was a tall, tan woman with short, bleach blonde hair cut in a stylish bob. She had a lip ring on the side of her bottom lip, but it actually looked good on her. She was super skinny, but also very nice. From the look of her, I’m sure she was able to keep Zachary in his place.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Starr. No one told me how pretty you were, though. You could be a model.”

I blushed at her saying I could be a model. I got that from different people from time to time, but I’d never gotten it from a girl that was involved with one of Brian’s friends, unless you count Val.

“No, I’m not model material.” I laughed, waving her comment off. “Plus, I’ve had two kids.”

“Are you blind? Your eyes, your hair, your skin, and not to mention your killer legs; Girl, you could definitely be a model.” Leana objected.

I realized there was no arguing with Gena or Leana, so I just gave up and silently agreed. I still wouldn’t dare try to become a model, but they didn’t have to know that.

“And this is Lacey Franklin, Johnny’s girlfriend.” Lacey had black, short hair cut in a bob to frame her face and bring out her brown eyes. Much like Johnny, she too was short. She wasn’t pretty in the same sense as Leana or Gena, but she had her own standard of pretty that was all her own.

“You’re Starr—as in Starr Perez? You’re Brian’s baby mama?” I nodded at Lacey, not sure what she was getting at. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I can’t believe Brian treated you the way he did. You’re so pretty!”

“These two are Dryden and Colton, Starr’s adorable boys.” Val introduced.

“Are they both Brian’s?” Gena asked.

I scoffed. “Oh no, only Dryden is.”

“He looks a lot like Brian.” Leana commented.

“Who is Colton’s father, if you don’t mind me asking?” Lacey asked.

“Um, David Desrosiers,” The three of them looked at me with open mouths and wide eyes. “What?”

“David Desrosiers,” Gena mumbled. “You mean the bassist of Simple Plan?”

“Girl, get cha some!” Leana exclaimed.

I laughed as the five of us walked into the living room, Dryden and Colton tagging along. Only Matthew Sanders, Jonathon Seward, and Zachary Baker were in the living room, and with the way they stopped talking when they saw me, I knew they were talking about me. That wasn’t anything new—them talking about me—but it still kind of hurt. I quickly pushed that hurt aside, though, and made my way into the kitchen, where I found my ex-husband and James Sullivan in one corner and Suzy Haner talking to Brian Senior in the opposite corner.

“Dad,” Dryden let go of my hand to go sit next to his dad. I smiled as Brian ruffled Dryden’s hair in a fatherly gesture.

Brian turned to me as I began to walk away. “Hey Starr,” He called, standing up from his chair. He closed the distance between us until we were merely a foot apart. “I was thinking. . . Uh, maybe Dryden can spend more time down here, like when we’re not on tour. . . And maybe when we are on tour, you and the boys could go on tour with us, you know, when Dryden is out of school and all.”

“Uh, Brian,” I bit the inside of my lip, nervously. “How about we start out slow?” He looked hurt—I could see it in his eyes. “Just for a bit, okay?”

I could see the hurt slowly fade away until there was but little left. “Alright, you’re right Starr. Thanks.”

Well, that was weird.

At dinner, everyone crowded around the dining room table to eat. We had just discussed what the girls did for a living and how the guys’ most recent tour went when Gena decided to ask what I did for a living. “I’m the assistant to a major designer.” I stated. “I help choose outfits for James A. Johnston Fashions in Los Angeles.”

“So, you basically make coffee runs and do everything he tells you to?” Matt stated making Val hit him in the chest.

“Actually, no, Mr. Johnston has the interns do that. My job is to learn names of designers, choose themes for advertising, and to critique any outfit, design, or art form we come across.”

“Sounds like a nice job to have, Starr.” Lacey commented, smiling at me. “I bet the pay is pretty nice, too.”

“It’s not too bad,” I shrugged. “It’s always more than enough.”

“You’d have even more if you became a model!” Leana exclaimed.

“You do actually have potential to become a model, Starr.” I looked at Jimmy, shocked that he just said something nice to me.

“Um, thanks,” I smiled, blushing almost bashfully.

“You always have,” Brian confirmed.

Val, being the great friend that she is, interrupted whatever I could have replied with by saying, “We should have a girl’s day soon!”

That night, McKenna got stuck with me, Colton, Dryden, and just my luck, Brian. Due to the number of rooms and people here, it meant weird accommodations. Poor Brent got stuck on the couch while Jimmy, Leana, Johnny, and Lacey took over his room. Matthew, Val, Gena, and Zacky took the “guest room” which used to be Brian’s room.

“Here you are, my dear,” Suzy smiled, handing me a folded up night gown.

“Are you sure about this, Suzy? I mean, I can go stay somewhere else. I don’t want to intrude on anyone, especially Mickey.”

“Oh, nonsense! McKenna loves you! You’re like the big sister she’s always wanted. Let us spoil you and your boys for once.”

“Alright, Suze,”

“Starr, honestly, you’re so nice sometimes.” I looked up to see Val coming down the stairs. She was in a pair of what looked like her husband’s basketball shorts and a tank top.

“What do you mean?” I asked as Suzy walked off.

“You just are.” She shrugged. “Now, come on. Let’s go see how the girls are doing giving Colton a bath.” She grabbed onto my wrist and practically dragged me up the stairs.

When we got to the bathroom, Leana and Lacey were sitting next to the tub, playing with Colton’s bath toys to entertain him. Gena ran in a few minutes later with Johnson & Johnson tearless shampoo.

“Found it!” She exclaimed, running over to the tub. She then proceeded to wash his hair while he played with Leana and Lacey.

“He looks so much like you, Starr.” Leana observed.

“Well, at least one of my kids look like me,” I muttered. “Dryden looks like Brian.”

“He has your personality, though.” Val told me.

Poor kid, I thought. I doubt that’s a good thing.

“I’m gonna go check on Dryden. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t have to,” Lacey told me. “He’s with the guys.”

“Oh,” In that case, I didn’t know what to do. I was so used to having to do everything myself without any help from other people.

“How about you go get ready for bed, girl?” Gena smiled at me. “You look exhausted.”

So, that’s what I did. I went to the downstairs bathroom and did my usual before bed routine. The gown Suzy gave me, which still had the tags and everything, hugged my upper body before flowing loose at my hips. It was gorgeous, and definitely not something I wanted Suzy spending money on for me. She was too much at times, I swear.

Brent wolf whistled when I came out of the bathroom, and I squirmed self-consciously fussing with the fabric. “Shut up, Haner! This isn’t funny.”

“I didn’t say it was, babe.” He shrugged. “Good luck with the room arrangements and all. Mom did them, so blame her for having to room with my brother and all.”

“I figured she did.” Well, shit!