He laughed mirthlessly. “I know. I figured just as much. I askedMarieto send them since she’s in charge of the comps.”
Close to tears, I admitted, “I thought you moved on.”
I saw my pain echoing in his own eyes. “I thought you forgot about me.”
We grew quiet again, sitting there with the truth.
“After all these years, even when you thoughtIghostedyou, you still reached out to me when you needed help,” Jake said softly, his eyes searching mine. He took a breath, before pausing, as if timing out a measure of music, then asked, “Why?”
“Because it’syou,” I admitted.
Deep down, despite my doubts, turning to Jake had still been instinctive. Thinking of him always was.
“I wrote you, and you came—even when you thought I ghosted you,” I said. “Why?”
“Because,” he whispered, “it’syou.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
What’s POPpin’ asks: What’s your pre-show ritual?
Phillip: Drinking tea.
Aspen: Scrolling through social media to see how excited the fans are.
Leon: Practicing mindfulness.
Jake: No comment.
What’s POPpin’: Why?
Jake: It’s personal.
—Phillip Maan, Aspen Ray, Leon Ward, and the ever-mysterious Jake Moody forWhat’s POPpin
The performance area was staged. Four chairs sat in front of the jungle backdrop, with the lights shining on them like a sunspot, ready for the boys.
I set up my laptop on a table, where Mom, Amber, and I would watch the performance from the sidelines while we manned the website and donation channels. Then I took a deep breath.
Thishadto work.
Turning, I spotted Phillip kneeling on the floor. He held a cup of tea aloft in one hand and gently held his other hand out toward Mittens for inspection.
“They’reTouche Midas,” he informed Mittens as she sniffed his rings. “I’m their brand ambassador. The ladies love it.”
Mittens and I gave him twin skeptical looks.
Still, his movements were slow and patient. “You’re used to interacting with cats, aren’t you?”
Phillip nodded. “Mum had two Persians when I was in primary school—Alfie and Hugo. They were like the brothers I never had.”
“Don’t you actually have brothers?”
“Yes. What’s your point?”
“Nothing,” I said, hiding an amused smile. “Do you know where Jake is? I haven’t seen him.”
“He’s in Rumple’s room,” Phillip answered, slowly rising so as not to scare Mittens. “Jake usually goes off alone for a little bit before a performance. We all have that habit so we can do our pre-show rituals.”
