Dr. Candace nodded. “Rhett is one of the most genuinely kind souls I’ve ever known. I’m grateful that you have each other. And the rest of your band.”
No one was more grateful for that than me.
“Jace’s sister, Tess, has been so much help in Townsend. Her knowledge about trauma survival and recovery was instrumental in saving many of Jeremiah’s victims. And surprisingly enough, now that Mary has had time to rest and recoup, she’s turning into a real powerhouse in dealing with trauma victims. She and Rhett don’t have a super close relationship, but their closure has really helped him move on.”
“Outside of checking in on his mom, does Rhett have anything to do with Townsend these days?” Dr. Candace asked. “The last time we chatted, he was scaling back his duties there.”
I smiled. “Not a lot. That city will always hold trauma and bad memories for him. His focus is mostly on our new label.”
Dr. Candace didn’t appear shocked by this, since she knew Rhett pretty well by now, even if their therapy sessions were also coming to an end, at least for now.
“What about Angelo?” she continued. “Is everything still clear on that front for him?”
It wasn’t like we’d shared the craziest parts of our lives, such as the planned murder of Wilson and such, but I had told her about Giovanni and the accident on the stairs, and she knew that there had been a lot of upheaval in our lives over the last few months. “Angel is perfect,” I said with a smile. “He’s all in with Bellerose, and their new album is the best music I have ever heard from any of them, full stop. I can’t wait for the world to hear these songs.”
“Starting tonight, right?” she said with a smile. “Lots of debut numbers, I’m guessing.”
“Yep,” I confirmed. “The fact that an indie band can sell out Madison Square Garden, and a full world tour, is mind-blowing. The boys are so happy, and fuck, that makes me so happy too. It’s almost too much.”
A broad smile flashed her perfect, white teeth. “You deserve it, Billie. This is the future that should have always been.”
Most of the time in therapy, Dr. Candace was all professional, but occasionally, she made a statement that told me she genuinely cared about me and my future, that she had been rooting for us all along.
She relaxed into her chair. “This is one of the happiest moments I’ve had in my many years doing this job. To know that you have made the choice to live an unconventional life with Jace, Angelo, Grayson, and Rhett and that you’re all thriving and successful… I could ask for no other outcomes from our last session together. And I’ll be buyingBeautiful Thornsthe moment it’s available.”
The next Bellerose album. The accumulation of the last year of work and pain and change and loss but, most of all, the last year of love.
“Thank you, Dr. Candace,” I said, standing because we were done here.
She stood as well, and I was shocked when she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. “I know this is unprofessional,” she whispered as she gave me a squeeze. “But let’s keep it between us.”
I hugged her back so hard, my eyes burning. This woman had been a lifeline many times as I traversed dangerous storms of emotions. She had given me tools to deal with my past and my future. I admired and respected her so much. “Thank you for everything,” I choked out. “I’ll never forget how you saved me.”
“Oh, Billie. You saved yourself,” she said as she pulled away. “And you always will.”
I got out of there before I bawled all over her, and when I saw a familiar car in the parking lot, the swell of joy inside me couldn’t be contained. I sprinted toward it, unsurprised when four gorgeous, talented, perfect—for me—men emerged to greet me.
Grayson reached me first, pressing a long kiss on my lips before he handed me off to Rhett, who cuddled me into his body, his eyes closed as he breathed me in. Jace and Angelo were last, the two of them hugging me together, as was their preferred way.
“We missed you, Bella,” Angelo said pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Are you ready to leave?”
I nodded. “Oh yeah. I can’t wait, actually.”
Our bags were packed and in the car, the plane sitting on the runway just waiting for its band, and we were off to the city. New York City.
Fuck yeah.
* * *
The noise was deafening as the crowds erupted, screaming and stomping their feet. I’d been to a lot of Bellerose concerts by this point, but there had been nothing comparable to this. It wasn’t the largest venue they’d played in, with the sold-out show only holding about twenty thousand, but there were at least a hundred thousand more in the streets around the arena, screaming for Bellerose.
My boys, the four rock-fucking-stars of my dreams, were the most famous band in the world once more, and they were doing it all on their own.
The opening acts had already finished up now, and Bellerose had just taken their spots on stage, hence the crowd losing their mind. Watching from a suite were Jace’s parents and Tess, along with Vee and Giana, who refused to miss the opening leg of the Burning Bridges Tour.
Yeah, they weren’t even remotely subtle about how they felt these days.
I’d decided for this part I wanted to be closer to them, so I was side stage where they could all see me and I could see them. I was part of Bellerose as well, even if I never stepped foot onstage.
