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“Did Matt's perverted words freak you out more than me being married to two people?” Grayson asked, wiping the tears away from his eyes, still laughing hard at my expense.
“No Grayson. You still win the award for the most shocking news ever, but you know I love you with Ethan and Ivy. In fact, I love that you’re all finding your people, whoever they might be. There’s never any judgment here, is there, Phil?”
I watched as Phil wrapped his hand in Lori’s. “Never sweetie. I mean, if they knew the mischief we got up to in our time, I bet we could give them a wrinkle or three.”
“Gross,” Mav spat out, shuddering dramatically. “I don’t want to be the only single person in the room.”
“Erm, Mav, you’re never single. You’ve probably got a girl in your room right now waiting for you,” Addi fired back, and I couldn’t help but notice the look of anger on her face.
Mav flicked her the middle finger before he turned his back on her. “Anyone else looking forward to working with our new manager? The old one was getting stale.”
“Maverick,” Frankie cried. “Why are you being an ass to Addi?”
“Isn’t that what people expect of me, little sis? I guess I’m just living up to the Cosmic God legend,” Mav sneered sarcastically.
“You’re being a dick. Stop it.”
Ignoring Mav, Addi spoke. “So, getting back to why we’re all here, other than to welcome Frankie and Matt back and say congratulations on your engagement.” Frankie held up her hand and wiggled her fingers, her new engagement ring twinkling in the light.
She’d tried to talk me into letting her pay, but I was having none of it. Set on a titanium band of diamonds, the rectangular center stone was a watermelon tourmaline and was as unique as her. She’d fallen in love with it the second she slipped it on her finger and the fact it fit her perfectly was all the sign she needed that this beautiful pink and green stone was meant for her. The manager of the ring shop asked if we wanted it boxing up, but she clasped her hand to her chest and shook her head.
I remembered our conversation in the ring shop.
“Don’t you want me to do it properly, Rogue? Get down on one knee and all that?”
“You don’t think topless and recovering from being shot was a proper proposal, Bear? I don’t think you’ll ever top that, so no, I want to keep my ring on and tell the world you’re mine.”
“Do we need to do a press conference and all that nonsense?”
“Not if you don’t want to. I told you. You need to have a say in how we do this. It’s not just me anymore, it’s us. I thought we could do an interview with Kain. I think I owe him for saving you.”
“I think that sounds perfect.”
Addi’s voice pulled me back to the here and now, but I couldn’t concentrate, because Frankie was now on the other side of the room, and I was desperate to touch her. I moved quietly until my body was pressed against her side, my hand sliding under her shirt and finding the arch of her lower back, my thumb circling over her tattoo.
“Feels nice,” she whispered, leaning her head against my chest.
“I know,” I murmured into her ear.
“Could the love birds focus for a minute?” Addi chastised. “There are some other things we need to chat about. For starters, where you’re all going to be over the next twelve months. Emmy and Tanner are already in their house, Gray is in the rental while their house is being rebuilt, so it’s just you, Frankie. Mav, I’m guessing you’ll be going back to your mum and dad’s because you’re a big child.”
Mav glared at her, and I swore I felt the air around them crackle. I raised my eyebrow at Tanner in a silent question about what was up with them both, but he just shrugged.
“I know you’re all having the year off touring, but I think it’s important that you schedule time together to write and record, as well as coming into the office to learn how the label works. You can be as involved as you want to be, but don’t agree to do something and then let me down. Otherwise, I will kick your ass. Things are going to be different when I’m gone and it will take some time to get used to, for all of us.”
“Stop, Addi, you’re not going. You’re moving jobs. You’re not fucking leaving us. None of us can do this without you,” Tanner snapped back at her.
“Fine, I’m not going anywhere, but I will be a lot less hands on with you guys, as will Matt. I mean, I’m even going to miss Mav.”
His eyes flicked up, and his face softened. “Really, Adds?”
“Really, you annoying fucker. But I’m sure you will all keep showing up, offering me a million different ways to mess with my life, even when I’m managing a whole record label and not just your sorry asses.”
“I don’t want to get soppy, but if this is when we’re doing this, I want to say it. You Addison Stone have made this band. We wouldn’t be here without you or survived as long as have if you weren’t here. I personally would have drowned in my addictions and never met Emmy. We love you like a sister and there is no place in the cosmos where you’re not part of us and our success.”
“I hate you all,” she cried, obviously trying to push down her emotions in true Ice Queen fashion.
“They’re right, Addi. You looked after my kids in a world that could have eaten them alive. You gave them back their music and helped them set up their own label. I hope you know that you’re one of the family. Forever.”
