There are too many questions swirling around my head, and not enough answers. But I have a feeling this is just the beginning.
Back at our New York hotel, the staff are ready for us. Blake must have called ahead, because there is already a barricade set up with extra security. Sure enough, there are a ton of media, news cameras, microphones, bulbs flashing, and voices shouting the moment we step out of the car. Cory lets us out at the front entrance so we can divert attention while he drives Luc around back.
We walk past the crowd while they yell personal questions about our sex lives. We ignore them and smile and wave, putting on a brave face like today is just another day and this is normal. Even when one reporter dares ask if we’re all sleeping together, one yells for a response to the hot take that we are purposefully delivering America’s youth to the devil, and another asks if we’d like to respond to the accusations that we’re groomers.
Yes, I’d really fucking like to respond to all of that, but I won’t. The last thing we need is to stir up any more trouble. That, and Blake gave Luc twenty minutes to pack his things before he’spicked up and taken to the flight he chartered, wanting to make sure Luc is seen in his hometown as soon as humanly possible.
In the penthouse, Jesse makes a beeline for his room to see if Luc has made it up yet. Ari, Naz, and I sit in the living room, trying to stay out of the way and quiet so they can have some privacy. Twenty minutes is barely enough time to pack, and I know they need so much more time than that to process what just happened.
Cory and Luc walk in less than a minute after we do. When he sees us, Luc nods before starting towards Jesse’s room. Almost exactly eighteen minutes later, on the dot, Blake arrives to collect Luc. It’s clear he doesn’t want to be the one to be the bad guy, but he also knows what needs to be done to calm the press around Luc.
Naz, Ari, and I share a look and stand up as one. “Let us,” I tell Blake, and he nods understandingly.
Naz gently knocks on Jesse’s door, and we hear his muffled, cracked voice say, “Just one more minute.”
Shortly after, Luc opens the door and steps out. His eyes are red and despite being such a big guy, he looks shrunken in on himself. I pat the big guy on the shoulder as he passes, and Naz gives him a one-armed hug. Naz steps into the room to check on Jesse, but I stay back, watching Ari talk to Luc.
“Today was scary,” he says, his voice small and sad. “But… Please don’t give up on him. I know it’s a lot to ask. But he’s different with you, and I… I can’t bear to see him lose that light you’ve given him.”
My heart cracks a little, because he’s so right. Jesse would crumble if the very thing that gave him power and strength—music and fame—also took away the thing he cares about most. After all, it was his love for Luc that gave him the music that launched us to this level.
“I’m not giving up on him,” Luc says. “I love him.”
Ari reaches up and gives Luc a hug, and I love that he wants to give him even the smallest bit of comfort. Luc is so much bigger than Ari that he has trouble getting his arms around his shoulders. “Jeeze, you’re massive,” he mutters, and Luc gives a watery laugh.
“Ari—“ A stern voice comes from behind me. I turn to see Jesse, red, wet face and all, with his arms crossed in the doorway.
“Don’t worry, Jess. He’s hunky and all, but I don’t want your man. I’ve got my eye on someone else.”
If Jesse hears him or processes what he says, he doesn’t respond, only steps up to Luc and threads his fingers through his. Meanwhile, I’m having trouble keeping my mouth closed. My heart is beating overtime, and I can’t take my eyes off Ari, who watches the pair walk down the hallway hand in hand.
“Got your eye on someone else, do you?”
Ari’s lips twitch. He shrugs. “Yeah, sort of. Why, you jealous? Should I have flirted with Mr. Colgate more?”
Naz reminds us of his presence by stepping out of Jesse’s room.
“You think he’s going to be okay?” I ask Naz, sobering again.
“I don’t know man. But I’ve got a bad feeling.”
“Me too,” I say. “Me too.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
WILL
It started with mine and Ari’s phones going off at the same time and not stopping. In the room next to us, I could hear Naz’s phone, too. Somewhere deeper in the hotel, I heard Jesse cuss loudly, and what sounded like broken glass. Ari and I looked at each other briefly before jumping out of bed and scrambling to pull some clothes on.
Blake was in our living room before Ari and I got there, but he didn’t spare us more than a glance to suggest any curiosity over why we were in my room at two o’clock in the afternoon, hair disheveled and lips rubbed raw, looking like we’ve been fucking each other’s faces all afternoon. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing all day, but thankfully, Blake doesn’t notice.
No, Blakes eyes were, and still are, trained warily on Jesse.
Jesse, who is on the couch, currently folded over with his head in his knees. Naz has his hand on his back, eyes full of worry as he rubs his best friend’s back. There’s a tinge of vomit in the air that gets stronger as I walk into the sitting area. There’s a decorative crystal bowl that used to hold Jesse’s candies, whichare spilled across the coffee table, likely hastily emptied to catch whatever was in Jesse’s stomach.
Ari sees it too, brows furrowed, and picks up the heavy bowl, carrying it out of the room. I hear water running in the kitchen, and then a few minutes later Ari returns with a bottle of cold water, a cup of ice chips, and a damp hand towel. He sets the bottle and ice on the coffee table and hands Naz the towel, then leaves and comes back with a new bowl just in case. He sets that on the coffee table too, then sits on Jesse’s other side and snakes a hand around his back. I take a seat next to Naz and look up at Blake expectantly.
“Is everyone okay?” I ask tentatively. My first thought is that maybe something happened to his mom.
