is on the line, and he’s trying to figure out what’s happening next, but I don’t.
“He’s on the phone with Rick,” I say instead.
“Ah. Evergreen Rick.”
I nod. Don’t really say anything else because what else is there to say?
My man ended up taking a record deal with them. He skipped the spring semester on campus, opting to take four classes online, so he could be at the studio down in Hollywood, working on tracks, creating an album long into the night, while catching up with his classes during the day. It’s been intense, his schedule has been heavy with obligations, but he’s fulfilled every one of them.
I’m so proud of him. All of his hard work is paying off.
Originally, he didn’t even want to meet with them yet again. But when Rick called around a month after Jackson ran out of their meeting, confessing that he couldn’t stop thinking about him and his music, Jackson went back to Evergreen Records.
And they came to an agreement.
He wanted me to go with him down to Los Angeles, but I couldn’t. I have a lease at my apartment I can’t break, and a job and school. My friends, and my family. We’ve changed some safety procedures at work so an incident like what happened to me won’t ever occur again. Donna felt so guilty over leaving me behind that night, but I told her it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know.
That guy was going to do something, it didn’t matter to who. I was just the unlucky one.
I healed nicely. Both inside and out. The bruises are gone, and my nose is a little crooked, but nothing major. I’m okay. Mentally, I feel even stronger. Like I struggled and fought, and came out the other side a better person. Pain is a true learning experience. You can grow from it, and I feel like I’ve grown a lot this year.
I’ve also been considering some things. About my life, and what I want from it. I’m going to make some changes. Do something different this summer, and next year too.
So is Jackson. I can feel it. The best part?
We’re going to do everything together.
I can tell the conversation is coming to an end. I see the smile on his face. The way he’s nodding again and again, his dark blond hair bobbing across his forehead. A giant smile stretches across his face and I hear him laugh, the sound causing joy to bubble inside of me.
It was good, their conversation. He’s going to give me good news.
He ends the call, reaching for the handle on the sliding glass door and pulling it open so he can enter the apartment.
“Well?” I ask after he closes the door but still hasn’t said anything. “What did Rick say?”
He grins and scoops me up right from the couch, swinging me around and around, making me laugh. “It’s official. Pack your bags. We’re going on tour, baby.”
“Yes!” I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze him tight, bringing his mouth to mine for a too-quick kiss. “I can’t wait,” I say, pressing my forehead to his.
“Wait a minute,” Eli says from behind us.
We both stop twirling, turning to look at Eli, who’s watching us with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face.
Oops. I sort of forgot he was there. I bet Jackson didn’t even see him.
“What?” Jackson asks him.
“You’re going on tour again this summer?” Eli asks.
Jackson nods, smiling down at me. “Yeah. For longer though. And I’m bringing Ellie with me.”
“What about the groupies?”
I roll my eyes. “Eli.”
The guys love to give Jackson crap about the groupies.
“Fuck the groupies. I’ve got everything I want right here.” Jackson kisses me again, his mouth lingering on mine.
“Ha, I was giving you shit.” Eli shakes his head, his hands still on his hips. “You’re not coming back to school, are you?”
“I don’t know, man. I get the feeling my entire life is about to change, so maybe not,” Jackson says, that grin still stretching his mouth wide. Like he can’t stop smiling. I can’t stop smiling either. “They’re bumping up the schedule, too. We’re dropping the first single in two weeks.”
“Pink?” I ask excitedly.
“Yeah. They wanted me to debut with a banger. The ballad will come next.”
“I See You.” The ballad he wrote for me after what happened in the parking lot that night. It’s such a beautiful song, filled with so much emotion. It makes me want to tear up every time I hear it.
Jackson’s