He turned and walked off, ignoring the hundreds of shouts and questions that followed him. Security stepped in and stopped anyone from following Jace as he returned to the hospital, and I wondered if shit was about to get better.
All I could hope was that it didn’t get worse.
twenty
BILLIE
Jace’s message did what no other media statement had been able to. It created an army of Bellerose fans hellbent on keeping their precious band safe. The initial response was an outpouring of love and support for Jace and all of Bellerose, and I kept reading the comments with the biggest fucking smile on my face.
How dare they hurt our Jace,one commenter said,I will personally be deleting any media outlet who talks shit and creates drama. They can’t be allowed to take away our music or our boys. #BellerosiesForLife.
#BellerosiesForLifewas trending as a movement to stop the violence against musicians and famous people in general.
I have loved Bellerose since I was twelve years old, and now… now I am an adult who will personally go to fucking jail to protect their precious souls. Look at Jace’s face. LOOK AT IT. How dare they break our man. If I have to commit a crime to protect them, I swear to fuck I will.
The comments went on and on, with only a few random ones sneering at howfamous people hated fame.For the most part, there was so much love I couldn’t even be mad about how many women called my guys their “husbands.”
“How are you feeling about everything?” I asked Jace the day after his statement, when we were leaving the hospital after visiting Tess. I still hadn’t seen her, but Jace had, and she’d even woken briefly to speak with him. His relief was palpable, and his step was more lighthearted as we left. Gray was with us since I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere on my own these days ,not even to wait out in the lobby while Jace visited Tess.
“I feel good,” he said nodding. “This is the right path forward. I can feel it. Tess is going to be fine. We will sever ties with Big Noise, and there is a fucking bright future waiting.”
For once, I felt like that might be true. As soon as we dispersed those last few dark cloud hovering over our lives.
“We have a meeting today with Brenda,” Grayson said when he got behind the wheel of his car. After thoroughly checking it over first, of course, even with the monitors underneath to alert of any tampering. “She wants to figure out our next steps toward dissolving the contract.”
Jace nodded. “Okay, sounds like a plan. Where are we meeting?”
“At my house,” Grayson said shortly, before he reached over and checked my seatbelt and then pulled out of the parking lot.
When we arrived back home, Rhett and Angelo were already in the living room but no Brenda. “She canceled,” Rhett said when we walked in. “Her baby started throwing up, and the husband is useless.”
“She rescheduled for tomorrow or the next day, depending on the kid,” Angelo added.
The four of them looked blankly at each other, clearly unsure of what they should do next. “I could really use a jam session,” Jace said suddenly, rubbing a hand across his face. He hadn’t caught up on sleep yet, still at the hospital more hours than he wasn’t. He and his parents were taking round-the-clock shifts so that Tess was never alone. “I’ve got some fucking angst to pour into song lyrics, if anyone is keen.”
“Fuck yes,” Rhett said, leaping to his feet and rocking his hips like he was about to dance. “My soul bleeds when we’re not making music.” There was my dramatic musician.
“I’m in,” Grayson said, reaching over to grab one of the many pairs of sticks he had stashed around the place.
“Me too,” Angelo nodded. “It’s been a rough fucking week, and I think we could all use the reprieve.”
Four sets of eyes turned my way, and I had to fucking smile. It wasn’t often I had all of them in the same room together, and when their attention as a whole was focused on me, it was hard to keep thoughts straight. “Baby?” Rhett said in a questioning tone. “You want to sit in with us?”
I was about to nod and reply when my phone buzzed in my hand, and I saw Vee’s number. “Hold that thought,” I said, lifting a finger at them. “Hello?”
It was on speaker so the guys could hear too.
“Billie! Girl’s day at the spa. You in?”
My initial reaction was to freeze. We so rarely left the house these days that I felt like I was developing a slight fear of the outside. Especially the outside without my boys.
When my hesitation went on a little too long, Vee continued in her same breezy tone. “We will pick you up and deliver you back, this spa is under my control, and I have a veritable army around me at all times. You don’t need to worry about safety. I promise.”
Lifting my gaze, I met Grayson’s, needing to know his thoughts before I agreed. Probably because, in part, I just wanted to stay with my boys and have a music session. But was it actually healthy to have no other friends or outside hobbies?
“Vee will keep you safe,” Grayson assured me, and the others relaxed then too.
Angelo backed him up. “Yep, this is a safe option for a girl’s day.”
