CHAPTER 73 (1)

Three days until the wedding

"You have to sign all this?" Jacob asks, surveying the stacks of VIP fan gear already loaded onto the charter plane when we get to the top of the steps.

"Yeah." I glance at Emily, who's taken a seat with Rica and Andie up front.

Haley sits with Sophia while Eddie works on getting Mason to sleep.

"I'll do it for you." Jacob walks with his dog, who looks longingly at my jeans through the bars of his carrier as though he'd like to defile them, toward two seats facing one another near the back.

"Doesn't work that way, man." I follow, dropping into one leather seat.

"How long is this flight?" he asks, claiming the other seat.

"Long." I peer out the window at the sunny day. With luck, our destination will be as beautiful.

"Roger that." Jacob reaches into the pocket of his designer denim and produces a black eye mask.

"Getting your beauty sleep?"

"

In case I need it. We're partying once we get there, I assume."

"Emily has the details planned. She's actually been amazing," I admit, casting a look over my shoulder at the front of the plane as I think of all the details she's taken care of.

I'll make it up to her.

But for now, I rise to grab a stack of tour shirts and one of the four dozen Sharpie markers included with the gear.

The plane takes off, and I spread the shirts-laid flat to make it faster for me to sign them-on the table between us.

"Album's done. You need to take it easy."

"As if you do." I laugh between signatures. "You're filming sixteen-hour days. Plus, I'm not forgetting I wouldn't have my career if you hadn't filmed me playing after Annie went to LA with Finn back in school."

"Make sure you don't." Jacob folds his arms over his chest. "What's eating you, T? It's more than this tour."

I hesitate only a second because Jacob's the closest thing I have to a best friend besides Emily, and I want to get this off my chest.

"I told you Eddie was working on a deal to buy Wicked. Well, he asked me to be on it too," I say under my breath.

Jacob flicks a glance past me-a cursory look toward the front of the plane and its occupants-before coming back. "No shit. Why? Besides the cool factor of owning the most badass label of all time."

"It's a good investment for a couple of guys who know the industry. Plus, it means something to me. I want to make a difference in the lives of the young artists there. Emily has her show, and I have my albums, but this is bigger. We're just artists, but a label like Wicked?" I shake my head. "Wicked is music, Jacob. I grew up at that label. Fuck, Emily and I met there. It's different for Eddie-more like a point of pride to turn it around, to fix what's broken because he can. But I want our kids to see it. To have it be part of their lives. Hell, maybe they won't even be into music. Maybe they'll just need college paid for. But sometimes an opportunity comes up when you least expect it, and I never want to be too busy signing T-shirts of my face to notice."

Once we reach altitude, an attendant comes around to give us drinks, and Jacob opens the door of the carrier to reassure Ernie everyone's cool. Needing a break for my cramped hand, I shift back in my seat.

"Never saw this happening," Jacob muses, staring out the window.

"Us all having careers? You said the opposite the other night."

"That's not what I mean. Figured we'd all be one big happy family. Now you two are branching off..." He rubs a hand over his jaw. "We need to stick together, man."

I frown. "We will." When he doesn't respond, I kick his shin with the toe of my sneaker. "Jacob. Come on."

"Teamwork makes the dream work. I know Manatee's my girl too, but it feels as if people are gonna start settling down."

I take back the stack of shirts and grab another. "This look like settling down?" I hold up a shirt with my album cover on it, the tour dates listed on the back.

He chuckles. "Not yet."

What I don't say is that I'm longing to. Part of me never wanted fame. I love my music and everything it's brought me, but I'm looking forward to a manageable pace.

Emily makes her way from the front of the plane, bending over next to my chair. "Hey. Either of you seen Sophia's board book? I figured it might've slid back here."

I take her hand and press my lips to her palm. "Jacob's using it to practice his reading. He'll be at a first-grade level soon."

"You seen T's balls, Manatee? Figured they might be in your pocket."

She grins, and I rub a hand over my face.

"You can stay in the man cave if you want," Jacob offers charitably, gesturing to back of the plane. "But you're gonna need to drink hard liquor."

"That's why Ernie's down for the count?" She shoots an emphatic look toward the carrier, and I swallow a laugh. "I'll leave you both with your testosterone," she quips.

We both watch her return to the front.

"I bet you're glad to lock that down." Jacob grabs another Sharpie from a cup holder on the table, uncapping it.

"Yeah, I want her to be my wife. More than anything. But she's always been mine, Jacob."

"Cocky prick."

"I don't mean it like that. Since I gave her that ring, since the first time I kissed her, since the first time she looked at my blue hair and decided I was worth her time..." I try to put words to the emotions I used to shove down before Emily taught me to open up. "She's part of me. Nothing can ever change that."

Jacob draws on a napkin, lines and letters I can't read upside down. "I started pitching this reality series six months ago. No networks were buying because I wasn't a big enough star yet. Fast forward to now, they're returning my calls."

"Your point?"

He pulls back to inspect his work, then holds up the napkin. Being Jacob is in carefully printed letters with a smiley face.

"Point is, never say never."

When we finally arrive, I'm the first one at the door of the plane.

I signed as many shirts, badges, and posters as I could manage. Now, I stretch out my stiff arms and legs, flexing my hand-even a private plane can't make that long a trip entirely comfortable.

Outside, I'm greeted by sunshine and fresh air. This will be good.

I already feel more relaxed. The ride to our resort takes less than ten minutes, all of us piled into cars. Andie, Emily, Jacob, Rica, and I share one.

Andie buzzes the window down, taking it all in. "Wow, I can't believe you guys are getting married in-"

Emily covers her friend's mouth with a hand. "Don't jinx it."

Andie rolls her eyes. "We're already here. What could go wrong?"