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“There were a couple of fans on the plane who were really supportive of us and said they hope we have a chance to be together once the tour is over. Aside from them, I haven’t seen too many others yet. But nobody has thrown anything at me, so maybe Derek’s statement helped.”
“I hope so.”
There was no way I could convey how much I meant that and how much I wished Jason was coming home sooner. I knew the time apart was needed for the rest of the world to calm down about us, but I missed him. I missed having him close to joke around with. He was the only person who completely indulged my need to see and experience as much as possible, and knowing what we’d miss out on made me ache.
Missing out on New York was especially hard, and I’d looked forward to Los Angeles too. Regardless of where we were, I just wanted to be beside Jason again.
“I saw your dad today,” I said to distract myself from everything I wouldn’t get to do.
“You did? What did he say?”
“Lots of things, but the main point is that he thinks we should do whatever makes us happy.” I smiled as I recalled our conversation.
“And your parents?” he asked, and I sighed.
“Not so much. Dad grilled me about whether or not I’m quitting college and—”
“Wait. What made him think that?”
“I don’t know. I guess he thinks I plan to turn into a groupie and follow you around on tour.” I paused, wondering if I sounded harsh. “Not that that would be a terrible thing,” I added quickly. “Seeing the world with you would be incredible but… I want to finish college.”
“You should finish, Luce. It’s what you’ve been working toward, and I would never expect you to give that up for me.”
“I know that, but my parents don’t. I hate that they’re being like everyone else and making assumptions. I feel like I have to stay in my room because I don’t want to be around them. And it kind of seems like they want to be around me even less. All of a sudden, I’m just a massive disappointment.”
“I’m sorry. I feel like I’m ruining your life, and we’re not even properly together yet.”
“Please don’t say that. I don’t want you to talk yourself out of this. Out of us.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. I’m just… I’m trying not to be the selfish asshole I usually am. I wouldn’t ask you to give up everything for me,” Jason said, and it warmed me to know he was still in this.
“I know that. And I wouldn’t. Not because you’re not worth it because you are, but because I trust that things will work out the way they’re supposed to. And if we can’t survive me being at college and you being on the road, it would never have worked out anyway.”
There was a long silence that made me nervous, and just as I was worried he’d hung up or something, Jason said, “You are fucking amazing. This age thing people keep talking about… it’s bullshit. You’re probably more of an adult than I am.”
I laughed. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
“You’re smart, Luce. You know what you want and how to get it. And you don’t let anything get in the way.”
“Hmm. I’m pretty sure I would describe you the same way. That’s probably why we get along so well.”
“People usually describe me as single-minded and selfish,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Maybe those two descriptions are different ways of saying the same thing, depending on how you view it. Perhaps me doing what I want in spite of what it might do to us could be considered selfish.”
Again, Jason laughed. “This conversation is getting way too deep for the limited amount of sleep I’ve had in the last twenty-four hours. You’re not selfish, though. That’s the last thing you are. And I’m sorry your parents are giving you a hard time. You don’t deserve it.”
I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh. “I want to come back, Jase. I don’t want to be here.”
“I know,” he said softly. “If I thought it would make anything any better, I’d book you on the next flight over here. But we’re gonna have to hang in there and wait these two weeks out. We have a lot of people to prove wrong, and we’re going to do that by showing them we meant what we said.”
Chapter12
I’ll Always Catch You
Jason’s words carried me through the next few days. The truth in them kept me strong as my parents continued to treat me with mild hostility. Nobody could accuse me of not making an effort with them. I tried spending less time in my room and more with them, only to be met with tight smiles and awkward conversations.
I hadn’t seen or heard from Ellie since we got home, and I wasn’t quite ready to deal with her yet. More than anything, I wanted to bridge the gap between us, but it still hurt that she hadn’t backed me up, and if she’d changed her opinion, she would have called. I toyed with the idea of visiting one of my college friends, but since I’d been screwed over by a few of them too, I wasn’t sure who to trust.
