His mouth quirked. “What if I just touched down at LAX?”
“For real?” I asked, unable to believe my own ears.
“As of two minutes ago.” He changed his camera view, and suddenly I realized exactly where Xander was. Not a lounge like I’d first thought but on a private jet. Alec, who was sprawled across a sofa opposite him, waved at me, and farther down the cabin, I spotted Oliver and JJ relaxing in leather recliners.
An uncharacteristically obnoxious squeal escaped me. “Oh my God! Xander, that’s—wait a minute.” I frowned, confusion tainting my sudden burst of joy. “Don’t you guys have a show tonight?” The second leg of the Heartbreakers’ tour didn’t wrap until December 20.
“We were supposed to,” he said, flipping the camera back around so I could see him, “but we had to postpone some of our dates.”
Well, shit. That didn’t sound good. “How come?”
Xander released such an exaggerated, long-suffering sigh that his bangs fluttered off his forehead. He flicked them out of the way and said, “Just a classic case of JJ being an utter moron.”
“Hey!” came a faint shout from the background. “I heard that!”
My grin was instant. “Nowthissounds like a good story.”
He shrugged. “There isn’t much of one to tell. The hotel we were staying at has this huge, three-story staircase in the lobby. JJ thought it would be a good idea to slide down the railing, and his wrist paid the price.”
“Why am I not surprised,” I said, trying to contain a snort. I could picture the scene in my head as if I’d been there to witness it:Oliver egging JJ on as he mounted the banister; Xander muttering under his breath about being surrounded by idiots; JJ’s lively cheers as he picked up speed; curious hotels guests watching as he flew out of control; a spectacular wipeout; and finally, Alec standing in the corner, earbuds in, pretending to have nothing to do with his bandmates. “Is he all right?”
“He’ll be fine,” Xander told me, his gaze flicking up in annoyance. “A doctor confirmed it’s only a sprain, not a broken bone, but he can’t play for at least a month. I figured I’d take advantage of my time off and come see you.”
His answer made my heart swell. What had I done to deserve a guy as sweet and caring as him? “Then I suppose I should be thanking JJ for his stupidity?”
“I know you’re a big proponent of thank-you cards, but knowing JJ, he’d prefer an Edible Arrangement. Or a stripper. Your choice.”
“Definitely a stripper!” I heard JJ call.
I wrinkled my nose at the suggestion. “That’s a bit tacky for my taste. What about a singing telegram?”
“As long as I get to see you tomorrow,” Xander said, the corners of his mouth jerking into my favorite crooked grin, the one that had stolen my heart, “I don’t care what you do. I’ll even spring for a sky banner.”
“Then I’ll be there,” I told him, because nothing would stop me from seeing him tomorrow. Not even an alien invasion.
Epilogue
“I feel like an idiot,” I complained, taking another small step in trepidation.
Violet, who had both hands firmly planted on my shoulders, guided me forward with care. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you trip.”
“That’s not the point.” The blindfold she’d given me was itchy, and I hated not being able to see anything. “You know I don’t like surprises.”
When school let out an hour ago, I’d found Violet leaning against my car, her lips curved into a wicked smile. Dad or Lydia must have dropped her off, because I didn’t see her sleek Mercedes parked anywhere. Without bothering to say hello, she demanded my keys, and then we were on the highway, speeding off to God knew where. I tried asking her questions but only got one response: if I wanted to know what we were doing, I’d just have to wait and see.
Things got even weirder when, thirty minutes into our drive, she tossed a scarf in my direction and told me to tie it over my eyes. I’d already surrendered to the situation at that point, so I figured what the hell?
Which was how I ended up here, wherever that was.
“Believe me,” Violet said in an almost giddy tone, “you’re going to love this one.” Her grip on my shoulders tightened, jerking me to a halt.
“Can I take this thing off now?” I grumbled as my patience wore thin.
“No!” she exclaimed. Two seconds later, a door opened in front of us, its hinges squeaking in protest. “Okay, now I need you to take a big step up.”
Oh hell no. “I’m not climbing stairs completely blind, Vi.”
“You’re not completely blind,” she answered, giving my shoulder a light squeeze. “You have me.”
