Fear wrapped around my soul and squeezed. I was going to take Al’s name to stop this. The other choice was not an option at this point.

“Look,” she said around a sniffle, pulling the album to her and opening it up. “Remember this vacation? You got so sunburned you couldn’t go on any of the rides. Robbie really didn’t mean to hurt your feelings by calling you a crab person.”

I tried to close the album, but she wouldn’t let me. “Mom, stop looking at these. It just hurts you,” I said, then stiffened at the sound of the front door opening.

“Alice?” came a strong, masculine voice, gravelly and resonant, and my heart jumped when I recognized it. “It wasn’t me,” he pleaded, coming closer. “God, Alice, I didn’t tell her. You’ve got to believe me. It was Trent. And he needs to get his ass out of your house so I can pound him into little pieces of green—”

I stared, my pulse hammering when Takata strode into the room, stiff and angry, his long hands made into fists, his face red, and his dreadlocks swinging. He was in jeans and a black T-shirt that made him look skinny and normal. His words cut off and he jerked to a halt when he saw me holding my mom. His haggard face went ashen, and he said flatly, “That’s not your car out there. It’s Trent’s.”

My mother quietly cried, and I took a deep breath. “I couldn’t find my car, so I took his.” I didn’t feel so hot, and swallowing, I remembered his roadies listening to me argue with Trent. And with that, it all fell together.

“You?” I said, my voice a high squeak. There was only one reason he’d have come over here and walk in as if he had a right to. My face flushed, and I would have stood if my mother hadn’t clenched her grip on me, keeping me seated. “You!”

Takata’s eyes were wide, and he rocked back a step, his long hands up as if in surrender. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t tell you. I promised your mother and dad. You don’t know how hard it’s been.”

Hard for you? I stared, horrified and angry. Crap on toast. “Red Ribbons” was about me. My gaze shot to him, reading his guilt. Damn it all to hell, his entire career had been made by putting his fucking feelings of guilt for having abandoned me and my mom out there for everyone to see. “No,” I said, moving as my mom rocked back and forth, lost in her personal hell. “You and my mom…no!”

My mom started crying in deep racking sobs, and I held her closer, torn between comforting her and shouting at Takata.