Page 39 of Rush

Jack. On a plane. I never thought I’d see the day. The man was born in Jervis Bay and the furthest he ever traveled was to Sydney—for Mom’s specialist appointments and to drop me off at the airport. Seeing him at the wedding will be nice. I miss him so much, a small reminder of my life back home.

Though now that I’d been away from Jervis Bay, it didn’t feel like home as much.

I scroll down to another one.

I roll my eyes, Sharon is a known gossip, I quickly type out a reply. Hoping to nip this in the bud.

Fuck. My stomach sinks. Looks like news about Alex and I made it all the way down under.

Jack’s always been more like a cool uncle than a father figure—never strict, never one for lectures. He left the disciplining to Mom, but he taught me how to drive, how to fish. He never married until Mom, never had kids of his own. But when he stepped into my life, he stepped all the way up. In every way that counted, he was there.

When Mortimer wasn’t.

Sure Mortimer had tried calling me. I’d been avoiding his calls like the plague. His opinion was a post album release review I wasn’t ready to hear.

Daily rehearsals haveme absolutely wrecked. Every muscle aches—even muscles I didn’t know I had. I’m not much of a dancer—I mean, I love dancing—but performing choreographed numbers while trying to stay on pitch is a whole other beast. Apparently, I’m not as fit as I thought.

“We’re going to need to get you in with a personal trainer,” Mark says, handing me a water bottle while my chest heaves and sweat clings to every surface of my body.

I nod, unable to form words.

“Hey pretty lady.” A melodic voice comes from behind me—soft and playful.

I turn and freeze.

Fuck.

I probably look like a hot, sweaty mess right now. While Ava Edwards stands there effortlessly cool, her signature platinum-blonde hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, dressed like she owns the world—which, to be fair, she kind of does.

Her eyes sweep over me, a cheeky smirk curving her lips.

“You’re Elena, right?” she asks, though she clearly already knows.

I nod, fighting back a wave ofholy shit, she’s even more beautiful in real life.

“Yeah. Hi.”

“It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She grins, pulling me into a hug as if we’re already old friends. And I cringe, I’m sweating all over her. But she doesn’t seem fazed.

“Welcome to the madness,” she says, stepping back. “You ready?”

I laugh nervously. “I think so?”

She arches a brow. “Wrong answer. Youareready. Rehearsals look and sound great!”

“Thanks,” I breathe out, warmth spreading through my chest. “That actually means a lot.”

“I lost my nonna to cancer last year. We were super close, so when I heard your story onRise and Shine,I felt this instant connection with you.”

Her words melt into me, stirring something vulnerable and soft. “Thank you, Ava. Really, that means so much and I’m sorry about your nonna.”

“And I’m sorry about your mom,” she says softly, shaking her head. “Fuck cancer, right?”

“Yeah.”

She smiles brightly, shifting gears. “So how’s it all going? Riding that post-album high—it’s the best feeling, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, definitely,” I admit. “I…didn’t expect everything to move this fast.”