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"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
"I asked if you'd feel better heading to a hotel instead of your house for the rest of the time we're in town. We had a suite reserved but then I called to cancel."
It was tempting. The idea of having to pass through lines of paparazzi to get to her own off-campus house was ludicrous, yet she couldn't very well get her things packed up and moved back to her parents from afar.
"Naw. We have to face it eventually. Might as well be tonight."
They were only a few minutes away from her house as they drove in silence. Emma sat in the middle of the bench seat, wringing her hands in her lap nervously. She reached out to flick on the radio, hoping to fill the quiet with calming music. The sound of a hard rock song banging out a funky rhythm filled the space.
She'd never heard the song and got caught up in the heavy beat, allowing it to wash over her, helping to forget what awaited her at her home.
The song was just wrapping as they turned down her street. The announcer let her know it had been the newest release by the red-hot Crushing Stones band. They would be playing in nearby Milwaukee in two weeks.
"I thought that sounded like Cash and the guys." Chase piped in.
Jaxson grinned. "We should call and give him shit for not getting us his newest material ahead of the public."
Emma just shook her head. "You know the hottest band in the country?"
Chase teased her, "Why, you looking to ditch us for someone new already?"
"Oh yeah, as if Cash Carter would be my type. He changes women more often than he changes his clothes."
Her men just grinned. "That might be true, but we know lots of hot bands... and singers... athletes... actors... politicians. Anyone special you'd like to meet? We can make it happen." Jaxson assured her as if it were the most normal thing in the world to know famous people.
"Oh I don't know. I guess I wouldn't mind meeting the Queen of England." She purposefully suggested the impossible to make her point.
"Sounds good. We'll be in London next week, although I'd suggest you meet the younger generation. They're much less stuffy."
They slowed the truck as they approached the house to avoid running over the pressing media surrounding their truck. Flashes of cameras lit up the darkening sky.
"You ready?" Jaxson had pulled her hand into his, squeezing her gently in contrast to the pounding against the windows as the media grew impatient.
The men grabbed their many bags from shopping and counted down backwards from three – two – one... and they were off, pressing through the crowd, not stopping to answer questions. Not stopping to pose for photos. Just quietly pushing through the throng until they arrived at the front door.
The door flew open from the inside, held open by Ryan who slammed it closed as soon as they were inside.
All her roommates greeted them in the front room. They all stood still, unsure what the right thing to say was in a situation such as this.
Ryan gave it a shot. "So, this is fun. You think we can charge a fee for parking on our front lawn? Maybe we could all pay down our student loans."
Emma opened her mouth to apologize to her roommates, but Jaxson shushed her.
"Chase and I are sorry you are all getting caught up in this, but we really do appreciate the privacy you've given the three of us the last few weeks. I know you could have gone to the press a long time ago and you didn't. We will be helping Emma pack up tonight and tomorrow morning and taking her stuff to her parents. Then we can stay at the hotel next to campus until we leave town so we don't bother you."
Courtney looked shocked. "Wait. Why are you packing up Emma's stuff too?" She pinned Emma with a wide-eyes stare.
She wished Jaxson would do the talking for her again, but he didn't. He did slip his arm around her waist as of to fortify her courage to say the words she was still struggling with.
"Well... see... I'm going to go on the road with Jax and Chase for a while. I'll try to finish my grad school attending remote classes."
"You bitch. I'm so jealous of you!"
"Court, that's enough!" Her boyfriend Ryan popped her bottom a couple of times to make his point.
Richard looked downright green with envy. "You are the luckiest girl in the world, Emma. I hope you know that."
"Oh I do, Richard. Believe me, I know how lucky I am."
