you love someone doesn’t mean they’re a good person.”
I push Corey away. “We’re not soul mates. We never were. You proved that the day you screwed another woman. Goodbye, Corey.”
“Ella!” he calls after me. But I don’t stop running. I move fast and go far, until my head pounds. I run until I find the bench where Liam played the song.
I sit and get out my phone, trying to slow my rapid breathing.
He answers on the first ring. “Tell me you changed your mind.”
My eyes close. “Email me the plane ticket.”
Chapter Nine
Liam
I strain my head around the seat in front of me to see Ronni coming down the aisle. It’s the first time I’ve laid eyes on her since the day after Mom’s funeral. She stops in business class. Not only did they have to hold the plane for her, she’s not even sitting with us. The flight attendant helps her with her carry-on and then Ronni catches me watching. In usual Ronni fashion, she ignores me.
“Why is she even going with us?” Bria asks.
Jeremy leans over the seats in front of us, where he’s sitting with Garrett and Brad. “She’s only coming to make sure you get settled. She’ll stay for the first few shows and then fly back.”
I raise a brow. “She doesn’t think our manager can handle it?”
“You know how she likes to micromanage,” he says with a snarl.
“Thank God she’ll only be there a short time,” Bria says. “I do not need her breathing down my neck.” She does her best impression of Ronni. “‘Cut your hair. Highlight your hair. Change your eye color. Can you grow taller?’”
Everyone laughs.
Bria and Ronni do not get along. They haven’t since day one, when Ronni was introduced as our IRL rep last summer. At first we all thought it was because Ronni was after Crew. Now we know better. Ronni is a self-centered bitch on wheels.
Crew takes Bria’s hand. “What’s the first thing you want to do when we get there?”
“The beach. No—Disney World. Do you think we’ll have time to go to every theme park?”
Crew laughs. “Probably not.”
We take off. It’s exciting, but a little terrifying. I’ve never been on a plane before. Neither has Crew.
“Better get used to this, boys,” Bria says, taking our hands. “We’ll be flying all over the country soon. Maybe even the world.”
“A world tour?” I muse aloud. And then, before any other thought enters my head, I wonder what I’d have to do to convince Ella to go with us.
I’m still not positive she’ll come this time. I forwarded her ticket to Jacksonville, but that doesn’t mean she’ll use it.
When the flight attendant comes by with the drink cart, I order a half-dozen tiny bottles of whiskey and one Coke. “Anyone else want something?”
The seatbelt sign is turned off. Jeremy stands and turns to address us. “Check your email. I sent you the finalized schedule Ronni gave me yesterday. We’re starting in Fernandina Beach tomorrow night, where Bruce will meet us with the van. We’ll work our way down the east coast of Florida, then up the west coast through Ft. Myers. We’ll spend a lot of time in the Tampa area before cutting over to Orlando and then up to Gainesville, where you’ll play on the massive campus at the University of Florida. We made sure to schedule you after their spring break, so hopefully those who vacationed at the east coast beaches will have seen you and told all their friends. We’ll finish the tour by going to Tallahassee and Panama City, then over to the naval air station in Pensacola, where your last concert will be for the armed services.
Crew puts an arm around Bria, who looks kind of green. “What is it?”
“That’s a lot of performances with few days off.”
Garrett laughs. “You of all people, Bria, should be prepared for this. You toured with White Poison.”
“That was different,” she says. “All I had to do was show up and sing twenty feet behind them. Nobody would have noticed if I wasn’t there. I didn’t have to worry about screwing everything up. What if I trip over something onstage?”
Crew kisses her temple. “I’ll catch you.”
They share a moment. I can’t turn away. Crew and Bria have lived their romance in front of us, most of it onstage. In some strange way, I envy them. I toss back a shot of whiskey.
Jeremy leaves to use the bathroom. Shortly after, Ronni takes his place. “I trust Jeremy has given you the