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ROMEO
Sixteen Months Later
Who would have thought a bus would feel like home? Not me. But it did. I’d done what I’d wanted and had a custom bus made for the three of us. It wasn’t cheap. The price of comfort was worth it, especially after I wrote a couple songs with Dash for the new album.
Hearing the words I’d penned about the struggles I went through turned into music was wild. We’d changed it so it wasn’t so somber and added more lyrics. They were fully fleshed out songs. The base of it was still my writing. There was plenty of love mixed into it now though.
The bus rolled to a stop beside the others on our tour. We were spending the night in a hotel instead of sleeping while the bus drove to the next destination. Another city, another concert.
Some nights while the band played, Tristan and I stayed on the bus. The number of people still got to me at times. With how many were in the crew for this tour, there were a bunch of buses. More than the band had for the last one. Ruined & Relinquished was already huge. They’d grown even more so.
We stood from where we sat on the couch, the afternoon sun only partially coming in through the tinted windows. Caius wasour driver. I had no idea he had his license to drive something this big. Jordan readily told him to go on tour with us and join the security detail, but Caius’s job was to protect the three of us and that was what he did.
Too many times fans had gotten close to Tristan and me. Dash was used to it and smiled and signed things any time a fan asked. Tristan and I weren’t part of that life. We were happy to see the band succeed but content to stay on the sidelines. The fans knew who we were. They knew who all the guys in the band were with. There was plenty of hatred out there. On the other side, there was a lot of love. It far outweighed the negativity thrown our way.
I walked down the steps and into the day. My sunglasses blocked out the harshest of the sun’s rays. Where we were, I wasn’t even sure. Days started to blur after a while, along with the cities. We just kept moving, kept traveling from one destination to another.
It was fine with us as long as we got to be with Dash. Tristan was lighter with Oscar’s trial over. Tristan testified along with Elic and two others who wanted to see Oscar put away for a long time. No more letters, no more anything from Oscar. Tristan was finally free of him.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. Withdrawing it, I saw Jordan’s name on the screen. A smile lifted the corner of my lips.
Jordan: Why must everything go into her mouth?
Me: She’s still a puppy. She likes to chew.
Jordan: She can chew on her toys, not the corner of my cabinet.
Me: You love her. Admit it.
I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t respond.
Five months ago, I was gifted with a very fluffy Samoyed puppy from Jordan, who I told I was ready for one. White as snow and a ball of energy, she was the sweetest girl ever. Her protective instincts weren’t that of a German shepherd, but she was good about sounding the alarm if she heard a noise.
Another text came through, this time of a photo. I named her Latte because if it wasn’t for me going to the coffee shop that day to get a latte, I wouldn’t have met Tristan. I wouldn’t have them both in my life. Latte sat on her dog bed in Jordan’s living room, looking like she was smiling. No matter what Jordan said or what that dog destroyed, Jordan loved her. He readily took her while we were on tour. We could have brought her with us, but she was full of energy and a bus didn’t provide the kind of exercise she needed. I missed her. She was in good hands at home.
“What are you smiling about?” Tristan asked and bumped my shoulder.
I showed him the phone.
“Oh my god,” he laughed. “She has three new toys.”
Looking at the picture again, I noticed he was right. I didn’t even spot those at first. “Jordan is spoiling the hell out of her.”
Reed came up alongside me. “I still think he should take her for a playdate on the farm while we’re gone. Starry is having a great time with the pack.” Reed’s family had their dog at the main house while they were gone and were regularly sent updates. Starry roamed all over the farm with the other dogs.
“One, I don’t think Jordan will ever set foot on a farm. Could you see him in his polished leather loafers and suit walking around there? Two, socializing with your family? While we love them, Jordan isn’t a hugger. Your mom wouldn’t know what todo with him. Three, you know, the whole mafia boss thing.” I shrugged. There was no getting around what Jordan did for a living. Yes, he had legitimate businesses, but the other side was nowhere close to legal.
Dash clapped his hands together. “It’s a beautiful day to play. Everyone ready for a great show?” No matter how long we were on the road or how tired he was, Dash tried to be happy for everyone. He smiled; he cheered them on. He’d pitch in wherever he was needed.
“You need an off switch,” Casper muttered as he yawned and joined us.
“Nah, you just need some one-on-one time with Uncle Dashie.” Dash put his arm around Casper’s shoulders. “Tell me what has you so grumpy on this fine Sunday.”
Casper groaned. “I thought you let that name drop. I hadn’t heard it in a while.”
“That’s because Romeo and Tris like to say it to me in bed sometimes, and now I have a hair trigger when I hear it. My cock goes from nothing to fuck yeah.”
Reed dropped his head back and laughed. “That’s fantastic.”
