Chapter 29
Connor
Conversation between Tai and me ebbs and flows, occasionally stilted and awkward with everyone discreetly paying attention to us.
But as the hours pass, we slip back into the comfortable rhythm we had at the resort.
A few hours into the flight, Tai’s eyelids begin to droop, and he sags against my chest. I pull him closer, wrapping my arm around him until his breathing slows and he dozes off.
For the first time in months, everything in the world feels perfectly aligned.
Dante comes over and sits across from me. “This is a lot to wrap my head around,” he says softly.
We both glance down to where Tai is asleep with his lips slightly parted. My grin is goofy and love-struck at how adorable he is snoozing, but when I glance up, I see the way Dante’s smirking at me. I wipe my expression to neutral and clear my throat, heat rising in my neck.
“He’s a heavy sleeper. You won’t wake him.”
Dante shakes his head with a huff. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. It’s weird that you know that. How the hell did this even happen?”
I give him a rundown of the story—how we met at the wedding but were oblivious to each other’s identity. How we grew closer over the week, until everything blew up on the night I left. Finally, I tell him what happened the night Eric blocked my number on his phone.
“Fuck, Eric strikes again,” Dante groans. “His heart’s in the right place, but he’s impulsive as hell. He’s kind of like a lovable wrecking ball. Crashes through your walls and knocks a giant hole in your life, then just fucking smiles at you over the destruction.”
“I heard that,” Eric calls from behind Dante.
“I said you were loveable,” Dante grumbles.
Eric glares at me when I meet them over Dante’s shoulder, but I don’t look away. He holds the gaze for a long few seconds before he scoffs and glances away.
My attention returns to Dante. “What are the chances, man?” he asks. “Now that I know, so many things make sense. The past couple of months have been tough for both of you, but I never would’ve guessed it was connected.”
“Yeah,” I agree with a soft smile as Tai nuzzles against me in his sleep. “What are the chances that I’d find the… my…” I huff a flustered laugh and shake my head. “That I’d meet him at that wedding and end up almost being neighbors?”
Theo flutters over and drops into Dante’s lap. He wraps his arms around Dante’s neck and rubs their noses together. It’s odd seeing Dante so cuddly.
“Is this your first time crushing on a man?” Theo asks, making himself comfortable.
“Jesus, way to beat around the fucking bush,” I mutter, my face flushing.
“What? I’m just asking!” He bats his lashes innocently. “I mean, you went from zero to Tai in sixty seconds. That’s some impressive acceleration, Jugs.”
I groan, my face burning hotter than the jet engines. “Can we not do this right now?”
Theo’s grin only widens, pure chaos sparkling in his eyes. “Oh, we’re absolutely doing this, because I need details. How long have you been secretly pining for our resident keyboard angel? Did you know you were into guys the second you saw him?”
Dante sighs, but amusement tugs at his mouth as he wraps an arm around Theo’s waist to keep him from vibrating right off his lap. “Theo, maybe give the man a minute to breathe.”
I rub a hand over my face, equal parts embarrassed and helplessly fond. “I knew I was into him the second I saw him, then we got to know each other. It was… gradual. Then not gradual at all.”
“Oh, my stars,” Theo says, clutching his heart and falling back against Dante. “Please tell me there was a kiss in the rain.”
I huff a laugh as the memory plays in my head. “There was.”
“And, last question, was there ever a janitor’s closet—”
“Oh my god,” Tai interrupts with a raspy voice, opening one eye to glare. “Do not finish that question.”
My fingers trace his jaw, and he shifts his gaze to me.
“Sorry for waking you,” I whisper. I lick my lips, inching forward before I catch myself and pull back.
He asked to take things slow, which means no kisses, especially with an audience.
His gaze drops to my mouth and back up before he cuddles into my chest. I wrap an arm around his shoulders and hug him instead.
He sits up and rubs his eyes with a yawn. “Was I snoring?”
“No, my little piglet didn’t come out to play,” I tease.
“Piglet,” Eric wheezes, whipping around with his particular brand of malicious glee on his face.
“He called you a little piglet when you sound like a fucking rocket being launched. We needed industrial earplugs just to sleep on the last tour, but you’re his little piglet. Fuck me, that’s hilarious.”
My cheeks burn as I give an embarrassed cough, but Tai only sighs like he’s used to Eric’s commentary.
The pilot’s voice crackles through the intercom, announcing the start of our descent.
Everyone returns to their seats to buckle in, although Eric’s shoulders still bounce with the occasional chuckle.
“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” I ask.
Tai’s amusement is obvious. “Not likely, chippoke.”
The sound of my old nickname hits hard, and I grin out the window as the flight descends into Warsaw.
The night’s darkness is deepened by the steady plunk of raindrops against the windows, bringing an unexpected chill for the middle of summer.
Nerves are frayed after the long flight, and with sunrise approaching, everyone is exhausted.
Tempers run high as we file off the jet, gather our luggage, and load into the waiting shuttle vans.
Tai leans against me during the drive, while everyone else remains uncharacteristically quiet.
The low hum of the road beneath the tires is hypnotic, and I fight to keep from nodding off until we pull up to the hotel.
It’s nearing five a.m., so the lobby is empty even as the first hints of sunrise dust the sky.
Monica gets the group checked in and hands out keycards, ordering everyone to get some sleep.
We have two full days with no obligations before the concert. With the time difference and jet lag, Monica built in time to adjust. The band shuffles like zombies toward the elevators, and I’m inclined to agree with her decision.
Our cluster of rooms is on the third floor, and everyone grumbles their goodnights as we reach them.
Eric and Dmitri disappear behind their door, while Theo and Dante stumble through another.
Bruce ushers Aaron into the room the three of us will share as Monica, who is somehow still perky, says goodnight and shuts herself away.
Tai and I stand somewhat awkwardly in the hallway as Bruce lingers near the door waiting for me. “Hey, Bruce?” I say, nodding toward the door. “Go ahead. I’ll catch up in a few.”
He’s too tired to make a sarcastic comment and reaches for the handle. “Want me to sleep on the pullout sofa?” he asks, voice gruff.
I shake my head. “It’s fine. You take the other bed.”
“You sure, boss?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
He tosses me a lazy salute and walks inside, leaving only Tai and me in the hallway. “Let me help you get settled,” I say at the exact same time he asks, “Do you want to come in for a minute?” We both stop, then awkwardly chuckle.
“Come on,” he says as he swipes his keycard. We step into the dark room. It’s clean and comfortable, serving its purpose for the few nights we’ll be staying here. Tai clicks a lamp on and drops his bag on the king-sized bed, then sighs as he walks over to where I stand at the doorway.
“I don’t like how weird things are,” he admits. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to act right now.”
I hold my arms out and pull him into a hug. “You don’t have to act. Just be yourself. That’s all I want.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It doesn’t have to be complicated. Everything was so naturally easy between us at the resort. It didn’t get messy until we made it that way.”
“We fucked up,” he whispers.
“Nah, I’m the one that fucked up. You were reacting to the information you had at that moment. I don’t blame you for that.”
He shakes his head. “If I hadn’t put those stupid rules in place to begin with, we would have avoided a few months’ worth of hurt. Communication has always been important to me, and I basically asked for your permission to deceive you.”
I drop a kiss on his hair. “Neither of us could’ve predicted this.”
“No, but I should’ve been honest from the beginning. I was so desperate to just be someone else for a little while, you know? Escape from my life for a few days.”
“Why would you want to escape this?” I ask.
“This lifestyle isn’t all concerts, private jets, and fancy restaurants.
It’s fighting to stay relevant, and not sleeping at night because you’re so worried about what happens if your next single is a flop.
It’s a high-stress existence with no guarantees.
” He lifts his face to mine. “Do you have any idea how weird it is to be labeled a rock star? And I get it—I sound like an asshole just saying that, but it’s true.
It brings a whole new level of anxiety I never thought of before.
We have to consider how we act in the public eye, and the ripple effect of everything we do.
Hell, every new person I meet, I have to figure out whether they’re interested in the real me, or if they’re just chasing fame. ”
I rest my hands on the sides of his neck. “I want the real you.”
His smile is soft. “Yeah, I know that now, but then? I was running away from reality. Hiding from my loneliness.”
“You were lonely?” I ask.
He grimaces with a shrug. “You try spending five days a week with the most sickeningly happy couples in the world. They’ve gotten used to me being the level-headed and easygoing one of the group, and it felt like that was becoming my entire identity.
When I wanted to scream, I didn’t, because they expected me to be cool. ”
“You are so much more than that.”
“Think so?” he whispers as his chin tilts up.
My thumb swipes over his bottom lip. “You’re everything, sweetheart. But if you need to scream, we’ll scream together.”
His breath hitches as I lean closer, but I only press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
He twists to face me as I pull away, and our breath mingles in the small space between us as I fight the urge to go back for more.
My hand lands on his jaw, tracing the shape of his face as I soak in his sweet smell and the softness of his skin.
“You need to rest,” I say, dragging my thumb across his lip once more. “A lot has happened in the past twenty-four hours.”
“I’m not going to wake up and find out this was a dream, am I?”
“No, sweetheart, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me this time. Come and get me after you’ve gotten some sleep, okay?”
“You’ll wait for me?” he asks, in a question we both know has a double meaning.
“I will always wait for you,” I answer.
There’s a hint of sadness to his smile as he follows me to the door. I force myself to part from him, knowing if I don’t leave now, I’ll end up staying. We say goodnight with another tight hug, and I walk across the hall to my room.
Bruce and Aaron are already tucked into their beds, sound asleep.
I step into the bathroom to brush my teeth and change into a pair of shorts, and I freeze as I find my eyes in the mirror.
The happiness in them is something I haven’t seen in months, and with that thought on my mind, I tuck into bed and fall asleep smiling.