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I missed them. I missed who we were together.
At the same time…
“Graduation is in a few months,” Aubrey said like a record scratch, bringing us back to earth. “Let’s revisit this then…see if we want to work on a new album.”
If we wanted to…
“We should probably talk about it before then,” Yvette pointed out. “Especially if this experiment takes you guys to college.”
“Maybe.” I didn’t want to commit to anything. A lot could happen in the next few months. I flipped to the photos on my phone. Jackie had been sending me snaps of Pen with little anecdotes.
There were big tests coming up soon. We’d finally see if the chemo was working.
Fuck, I hoped so. Everyone kept saying the survival rates were good and that the treatment course was ideal. We had good doctors and a supportive staff.
But Pen was a baby and I just wanted her to do happy baby things. My phone rang while I was holding it, and RJ’s name popped up on the screen. Yeah, not this weekend. I needed a break from Blue Ivy drama. I still had no idea why he’d sent me that riddle to meet him.
Didn’t get any answers while Lachlan was trying to drown him. Lachlan’s hot pursuit had been interrupted by Jonas. I should probably have thanked him for that, but the idea that the brothers were fighting was kind of terrible for them.
I loved all my siblings. It didn’t matter that we barely saw each other or got time together. Or maybe it was because of that fact, but I made the most of it when we were there. Maybe it would be different if we were together all the time.
Arguably, I talked to Bronson constantly. What had begun as a weekly to bi-weekly chat had become daily texting to calls three or four times a week. We talked even when we had nothing to say.
Speaking of which, I sent him a poop emoji and he responded with rolled eyes and a middle finger. I grinned. Good to remind him that I was around to give him shit.
When we finally pulled into the station, we found almostallof Frankie’s guys waiting for us, along with Rachel. Oh, I hadn’t expected to see her.
Archie Standish, wealthy smart ass with the heart of gold that worshiped the ground she walked on. Jake Benton, the guy was just about as all-American as you could get, from the football player, to the big muscles, to the hot temper. According to Frankie, he led with his fists sometimes. Then there was the birthday boy, Coop Brennen. He’d been Frankie’s best friend since the age of five. He was so easy going and had this golden retriever energy—not that I planned to share that but still…
How fucking adorable was it that all these guys were crazy about her and she was crazy about them? Ian wasn’t here, but he would be later when they were on stage. Frankie and Ian were Bound Hearts, and they were the reason we were all here. I couldn’t wait to see them perform.
“I got it,” Jake said, taking my bag as Archie grabbed Yvette’s and Coop grabbed Aubrey’s. “You ladies have your hotel plans all set, right?”
“Yes,” Coop said. “I told you that. We’re all staying at the same place, but they have a different set of suites.”
They had a car and a driver waiting. A pair of cars actually; Rachel elected to ride with us while the guys rode together.
“Too much testosterone?” Yvette teased and Rachel snorted. Rachel Manning was a fun, ballsy kind of girl.
“Not as bad as all that, really,” she admitted. “But they are losing their minds missing Frankie and it’s kind of gotten a little—claustrophobic.”
“Awww,” Aubrey said and she leaned her head against my shoulder. “Can you imagine being missed like that?”
No, not really. “Did Forrest miss you that much?”
She pinched me and Yvette clapped her hands. “Oh, I want to know this too.”
“Don’t you start,” Aubrey told her with a mock serious frown. “We could start asking about a certain…”
“Pfft,” Yvette said. “You can try. But my life is nowhere near as interesting as yours.”
“We all pale in comparison to Rachel though.” I grinned at her droll look. “Teach us your ways, college girl.”
Her sputter of laughter was worth it. At the hotel, we got checked in, had something to eat, then got changed. Yvette had gotten all of us Bound Hearts shirts, and hell yes we were wearing them to the show. It wouldn’t be long before we had to be at the club. I swore, I was justsoready to see them.
It was hard to express to anyone who had never been in this position, just how gratifying it was, to see someone achieve their dreams. It wasn’t about competition. It was about supporting someone to meet the challenges, sharing what I learned to help them accomplish their goals, aware that someday, they would be doing it for someone else.
Based on what I’d learned about Frankie over the past year and a half or so… she was going to be a fantastic inspiration to those that followed her. She’d also truly celebrate their successes.
