Page 40 of Addicted to You
Rina leaned forward and rested her elbows on her desk. “I am. The last time we talked, you were on board with performingthe two Boston shows and the New York one. I want to make sure you’re still okay with that and don’t feel we’re pushing you to come back too soon.”
“Not at all. Playing music is the thing I’ve missed the most. I won’t let you down.”
She shook her head. “I know you won’t, but your health is our priority. I’ve got dates reset for the other venues; however, we’re going to use these next three shows to make sure moving forward is a good idea. As long as we all agree we’re ready to move forward, we’ll announce the new dates immediately following the New York show, and we’ll be back on the road mid-July.”
That meant we had a little over three weeks before the tour started again, and while I would have gone along with anything, the extra time to adjust to my newnormalmight be a good thing. Maybe I could even stay in Boston for a few extra days to visit with my parents, but I would have to talk to Cash about that first. “Got it.”
“I can’t wait to see you back on stage,” she added. “But more importantly, I’m just glad I still get to see you.”
Her words made me a little emotional. Things could have ended differently in LA, and I wanted to make sure I took full advantage of the second chance I’d been given. “Thanks, Rina. See you in a couple of days.”
“See you then. Bye,” she replied and ended the call.
I made my way to the kitchen, where Cash sat on a stool at the island. He looked up when I entered. “Did you get an update on the tour?”
I nodded. “Looks like we’ll have about three weeks between New York and getting back on the road for a month.”
“That means we’ll be parting ways while you’re on the road.”
I hadn’t thought about that. “Can we possibly extend your contract?”
He frowned. “Unfortunately, I’ve already been matched with a client who will be finishing up a sixty-day rehab stint a few days after our time together.”
“That’s a bummer, but the goal is to not need your services longer than six weeks anyway, right?”
“Yep.” He got up, grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, and handed me one. “So how are you feeling about performing again?”
“Traveling is hard, but I love the rush I get from being on stage.” I twisted open the bottle and took a sip. “But since we’re talking about my upcoming travel schedule, do you think Britt would be okay with me staying here a little longer after the New York show? Figured it might be nice to get a few extra days of peace and quiet before returning to LA.”
“I can’t imagine it’ll be a big deal. She’s not home much anyway, but I’ll talk to her when she gets home later.”
“How do you guys make it work with your schedules being so different?” I asked.
“We just do, I guess.” He shrugged. “It’s not like we really have a choice. We both have careers that mean a lot to us, so we do what we can to make time for each other.”
Something passed over his features as he said those words, and I couldn’t help but wonder if things were reallyworkinglike he wanted me to believe. I only hoped there wouldn’t be tension between me and Britt since I was basically taking her boyfriend away.
“It’sa shame Britt couldn’t come with us.” Mom turned toward me and Cash from the front seat of the SUV as Dad drove us to the Bennetts’ house.
It was the day before our concert, and the band members and their families were getting together for a barbecue. We hadn’t all been together since the dinner after we wonThe Band Showdownalmost four years ago, and I was excited to see everyone again.
“Guess that’s what happens when you’re an ER doctor,” I replied. “She’s been working nonstop.”
Since I’d arrived back in Boston three days earlier, I’d barely seen my sister. When she wasn’t at work, she was trying to catch up on some sleep, except for the one night she had gone outwith her friends. From what I’d noticed, she and Cash rarely saw each other for more than an hour at a time.
I glanced at Cash sitting next to me. He and I had spent the last seventy-two hours together; the only time we weren’t in the same room was when we were sleeping or in the bathroom. He’d helped me get set up with my therapist in LA, who was willing to conduct our session through video calls until I returned home. We’d also started developing a new daily routine that included working out, creating new habits, like meditation and journaling, that would help me when I was struggling, and working on the things I’d learned in behavior therapy. He even had me doing yoga. What we didn’t do was talk about his relationship with Britt, so I had no clue how he felt not having her around.
We arrived at the house where Surrender had spent countless hours practicing in the garage. I was about to knock when the door swung open, and Jesse pulled me in for a hug. “Glad you could make it.”
“Me too.” I gave him a friendly back smack and then hugged Olivia, who stood beside him.
“You look good, Si.” She gave me a tight squeeze in return.
My parents greeted them before hurrying off to talk to Jesse’s parents, and I took the opportunity to introduce Jesse and Olivia to Cash.
Jesse shook his hand and said, “Everyone’s outside if you guys want to join them. Burgers are ready, but Jasper’s still grilling the brats.”
As we started making our way through the house, Malachi opened the sliding glass door and stepped inside. A smile spread across his face when he spotted me.
