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I realize Jax is making very good points. I am doing my job well. And I have to keep it up. “I need to be honest with Marisol. She won’t want her company’s character to be soured if it comes out that you’re with me. It’ll be worse if she doesn’t know in advance.”
“Then I support you in telling Marisol. But after talking to Harry, I think maybe we should also admit the truth to everyone.”
“What?” Can Jax be serious right now? But also, he must be serious if he wants to go public with me. So soon? Is he confident in us? A million questions are going through my mind.
“Let me explain. Harry thinks it’s good for my image to go public and admit I’m back and thriving. This new album is essentially a stripped-down version of me, and I can show I’m moving on from the breakup with someone who isn’t a celebrity. No one needs to pity me anymore. They can cheer me on. Cheer us on.”
“And what about my credibility? I’ll get labeled as the publicist who dates her clients. And I really love where things are headed with us. But I am not even used to having a conversation about whether there is an ‘us’ the first time I make out with someone. This is all so sudden. What if you end up not even being able to stand me? Then we’re stuck in a fake relationship?”
“I highly doubt I’ll end up not being able to stand you. I agree this is all moving fast. But at the same time, I don’t want to slow down. All I know is that I want you in my life right now and I want to see where this goes. And I don’t mind taking you off the market so all these other guys on tour can stop ogling you. If you’ll have me, that is.”
“Jax, are you asking me to go public and be your girlfriend? We haven’t even had a proper date.”
“I’m asking you to take a leap of faith. To—I don’t know—live in one of those rom-coms you watch all the time. Let yourself get swept away. Forget about the other things that are holding you back, like your job. We can figure that out. Just focus on how you feel.”
I’m well aware of my feelings because they’re making a mess of me. I’m nervous about falling so hard and fast. I’m also excited that this is actually a problem in my life right now. There’s a part of me that’s lonely, too, because I’m missing Jax.
Jax continues, “It’s not optimal that we’re riding down a highway in separate buses right now. But I promise you I’m going to ask you on a proper date tomorrow as soon as we stop in the next city. I’ll even deal with going out in public for you.”
“Jax Slater, you are one big surprise after another. I’m going to call Marisol first thing in the morning and pray she doesn’t fire me.”
“Call me after you talk to her. I’m totally beat, but I’m going to think about you as I fall asleep.”
“Good night, Jax.”
“Sweet dreams, Cailin.”
I hang up the phone in a daze. It’s late and I’m exhausted. I can’t help but wonder if I’m dreaming. Or am I about to go public and be in a relationship with Jax Slater?
I toss and turn for what seems like forever and I can’t fall asleep. It’s raining hard outside, but not even the pounding rain can silence my brain. The wind captures my full attention. Just as I wonder if I should give Ken a call to make sure he’s okay driving up there, our bus comes to a screeching halt. I grip the side of my bunk, fearful of falling off, just as I feel a crash. The sound of glass shattering confirms my fears. There’s been an accident.
Trash the Dress Online Chat
Georgia Rose:Just got back from my solo adventure abroad! Ladies, I kissed strangers in Italy, jumped off cliffs into the Ligurian Sea, went to an opera. It was amazing.
Cora:Ok, if you can do that, I can drive across America!
Alexandra:Speaking of…I wonder how Cailin is doing on tour. Anyone hear from her?
25
CAILIN MCCALL’S DREAM NIGHT COMES TO A SCREECHING HALT
CAILIN
I jumpout from my bunk in a state of shock. Shards of glass are everywhere. Heavy rain is pouring into the bus, carried by harsh wind. My first thought is to go to check on Ken and then call 911, but first I need to put on my shoes. I use my cell phone to light my way to my sneakers and then carefully slip them on to navigate around the glass.
I don’t know if it’s safe to run out onto the highway, but I need to make sure Ken isn’t injured. I pull a hoodie over my head and my body begins to shake in fear as I dodge raindrops and wind. Finally, I make it around to the front of the bus. A truck is pulled over on the side of the road ahead of us. It must have side-swiped us.
I see Ken holding his head, but as soon as he sees me, he signals a thumbs up. “Ken!” I yell over the roar of the storm. “Are you okay? I’m calling 911!”
“Already called,” Ken reports calmly, as he leans out of the window. “Go back inside where you’re safe.”
“Just sit there and don’t move. You might need medical attention.”
This is not what I signed up for when I agreed to go on tour. I didn’t even think about storms or accidents on the road. But even if I had thought about them, I know I wouldn’t have let fear of a potential situation stop me from pursuing the opportunity of a lifetime. Which brings me back to standing on the highway in the middle of a torrential downpour.
The truck driver remains in his vehicle so I assume he’s okay. Authorities have been notified and I can’t risk walking over there and getting hit. Ken assures me he’s okay, so I agree to go back onto the bus. I wonder if the rest of our buses are ahead of us or behind us.
