at photos of you growing up and realised I’d never once made you a
birthday cake.”
“That’s not a big deal.”
We started to walk downstairs so we weren’t holding a conversation that might wake the twins.
“It is to me.”
“Does that mean I get a cake on my birthday next year?” Jesse asked, nudging me with his shoulder.
“Maybe.” I took a breath. “I wanted to try to make a cake for Colby and Jasper’s adoption party. I can’t promise
it’ll be any good, though.”
“I’d love that, Dad. Although you realise they’re too young to eat cake, don’t you?”
“I have raised a baby before.”
“I know, and you did a pretty good job too.” Jesse grinned at me.
My heart swelled. Somehow, despite everything, Jesse had turned out to be an amazing, thoughtful young man.
I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. “I’m glad you’re happy, Jesse.”
“I couldn’t be happier. Are you?”
“Yes.” I was happy, even if Charlie was almost a thousand miles away.
“Good. I don’t want you to feel guilty anymore, Dad.”
“I’ll try not to.”
“I mean it,” Jesse said firmly. He lifted his head. “I’ve got everything I ever wanted and then some. It was hard for a
while, but everything worked out. I think…I think everything happened the way it did for a reason. We’re closer
than we’ve ever been, I met Isaac, and we have the twins in our lives… It was all meant to be.”
“As if it was written in the stars,” I said in a soft, dreamy tone.
“Is that a song you’re working on?”
I cleared my throat. “No.”
“Maybe it should be.”
“Maybe.”
I stayed into the evening, although my thoughts were often preoccupied with thoughts of Charlie. Once the twins
were in bed for the night, Isaac played one of the songs from Jesse’s album. It was a mellow song, full of hope
and promise for the future.
“Beautiful,” Frank said as it ended. His eyes were welling up with tears. “Did you write it, Austin?”
I shook my head.
“Actually, Jesse did,” Isaac said, beaming with pride.
“I helped write it,” Jesse corrected. “I got to have more input on this album.”
“By which, he means he didn’t get any input when he was with Impulse Records,” Isaac said.
Jesse shook his head as he snuggled up to his mate on the sofa.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Kyle said.
“Is this album going to have a different sound?” Frank asked.
Jesse nodded
“It’s a lot less manufactured,” Isaac said.
“Look at you,” Kyle said affectionately. “Jesse Steele’s biggest fan.”
“You won’t find a bigger fan.” Isaac hugged Jesse to him and kissed the top of his head. “Not now. Not ever.”
Jesse’s cheeks lit up like a beacon. “Stop,” he mumbled.
“Never. I’m going to tell you how amazing you are every single day.”
“Don’t let him go,” I said to Jesse.
He looked at me, his eyes wide.
“Ever.” I wasn’t quite sure if I was talking about Jesse and Isaac or Charlie and me. Both? “I think I’m going to
head off,” I said, standing. “I’ll call a taxi to take me to the train station.” I didn’t have a car. There was very little
point when I lived within walking distance of a tube station.
“I’ll drive you,” Frank said.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. It would be my pleasure.”
I said my goodbyes, hugging Jesse and Isaac and even Kyle. Frank and I exchanged small talk during the short
drive to the train station, mostly pleasantries about how things were going with his business. Overall, it had been
a great day, but Charlie had definitely been missing from it. I needed to be around him. Right now, he was about
an hour away by plane. As soon as he headed to the States, the gulf between us would grow wider. I didn’t care
how risky it was; I had to find a way to be with him, however briefly, before that happened. As soon as I got home,
I fired up my laptop, and before I could think better of it, I bought a last-minute plane ticket to Copenhagen.
6
Charlie
I was beyond exhausted when we got back to the hotel in Copenhagen. I swear, I sleepwalked through signing
autographs at the front door. By the time I got to my suite, I was ready to fall into bed with my clothes on. I’d had
a shower a couple of hours earlier at the concert venue and had changed into clean clothes. It wouldn’t be too
gross to sleep in them.
It was Pete’s turn to sleep in the suite. He was already in the process of taking off his suit