Chapter Thirty-Six #3
The hospital is happy with my recovery, which makes Indi relax slightly every time we leave a follow-up appointment.
She’s started picking up shifts at work again, but only part-time for now, so she can still cart me around everywhere.
I keep telling her Chad can drive me if needed, but if I am being honest with myself, I’d much rather spend every second with Indi than anyone else.
I hate it when she’s gone.
The apartment feels too quiet without her there, and I’ve gotten way too used to living inside our little Caleb-and-Indi bubble these last few weeks.
Eventually, she’ll go back to work, and reality will creep back in, but right now I’m pretending that day isn’t coming anytime soon.
Today, Indi went out shopping with Kenzi, which sounds about as entertaining as having my toenails ripped out, so she dropped me at Chad’s place earlier, and now we’re heading down to Oxfordshire to meet with Rob and the others to see if there’s any news about the album.
The charts have been climbing steadily since release, and I may or may not have been obsessively checking them every hour.
Yesterday and today, though, I’ve been distracted by Rob talking about possible shows already being lined up.
Which means I seriously need to start getting my stamina back because touring after nearly dying probably isn’t going to be easy.
Chad pulls through the manor gates and parks in his usual spot.
“Thanks for driving me, mate,” I say while climbing out carefully.
“Well, I figured it was a bit far for you to walk,” he replies dryly. “And I didn’t wanna wait for your slow arse to get here.”
I roll my eyes and smack the back of his head lightly.
He laughs while we walk toward the manor, but I notice him fussing with his hair more than usual.
“You okay?” I ask suspiciously.
“Yeah, Ella’s gonna be here,” he blurts out.
I grin instantly. “Yeah… she lives here, dickhead.”
He pauses and winces. “Right. Shit. That came out wrong.”
I laugh while he drags a hand through his hair again. “I just mean… the band’s here, and I wanna make a good impression. Make everyone realize I’m serious about this.”
“Do you even know how to take anything seriously?” I ask.
Chad gasps dramatically. “Excuse you. Staked’s success is critical to my future, Caleb. I might look like an idiot most of the time, but deep down I’m actually very thoughtful.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah.” He nods wisely. “Sometimes I like to sit quietly and observe life around me. You can learn a lot about yourself through observing others.”
I stare at him blankly. “Wow. That was almost profound.”
“Thanks. Read it in a fortune cookie last night.”
I snort loudly while Chad rings the doorbell, and a second later, Dee opens the door, smiling warmly.
“Afternoon, boys. How was the drive?”
“Smelly,” I answer immediately.
Chad bursts out laughing. “Chinese food farts are elite.”
I shake my head while silently mouthing no at Dee, making her laugh harder.
“Well, come in. Everyone’s already here,” she says while stepping aside.
We head down toward the music room, and the second we walk in, Rob practically lights up.
“Oh, good, you’re finally here,” he says excitedly. “Sit down. I’ve got some news.”
Something in his voice instantly tightens my stomach.
Chad and I sit while everyone watches Rob expectantly.
“Right,” Rob says while rubbing his hands together. “I got a call literally minutes before you two arrived.”
The room goes dead silent.
And then he grins.
“I officially have confirmation that The New Era has hit platinum sales in Great Britain, the United States, Italy, Denmark, Germany, and Australia.”
What?
For a second, nobody moves. Nobody breathes. It’s like the words don’t fully register.
Rob laughs in disbelief. “Did you hear me? You all just went platinum!”
The room absolutely explodes.
Annie shoots to her feet, screaming, while I stand at the same time, my hands flying into my hair as adrenaline crashes through me so hard I nearly feel dizzy.
Holy fuck.
Holy. Actual. Fuck.
Aston grabs Annie, spinning her around while she practically bounces on the spot, screaming at the top of her lungs.
Ella still looks completely frozen in shock until Chad crosses the room, sits beside her, and wraps an arm around her shoulders.
She slowly looks up at him with huge watery eyes before bursting into tears.
Chad pulls her against him while she cries happily into his shoulder, and I swear I’ve never seen him look more serious or protective in my life.
Meanwhile, I’m pacing around the room with my hands on top of my head, trying to process what the fuck is happening.
We sold over a million albums in multiple countries…
In three days.
Three fucking days.
My heart is pounding so hard I swear it’s trying to break through my ribs.
The door opens, and Colt walks in, looking confused at the chaos unfolding in front of him. “What’s going on?” he asks cautiously.
I look at Annie.
Annie looks at me.
And together we both scream at the top of our lungs…
“PLATINUM, BABY!”