Wild

Chapter 24

Erin hates early-morning meetings, especially after a concert night. Jude called her in for ten o'clock, and considering it was nearly two in the morning when she came down from the terrace, she knows Mia went to bed even later than that and hasn't gotten the rest she should have.

She walks into the singer's suite and greets the people there: Noah, Nell, Jude, and Violette, who's still in the city.

"Where's Mia?" she asks when she doesn't see her anywhere.

"In her room—she was finishing up in the shower, she'll be out in a second," Noah answers, nodding toward the door.

The doctor nods and walks over, knocking on the wood with her knuckles.

"It's Erin. Can I come in?"

"Yeah," Mia answers from inside.

The doctor opens the door and closes it behind her. Mia is standing by the wardrobe, searching for a hoodie to finish getting dressed.

"Good morning," the singer says.

Erin doesn't say anything. She just steps closer and takes Mia's chin in her hand, checking for dark circles under her eyes, drawing a sharp little gasp from Mia's lips.

"Did you get any rest?" the doctor whispers.

"Enough. Don't worry about it."

Erin's eyebrow goes up, because that answer isn't good enough, but her hand stays there, under Mia's chin, and Mia feels like her skin is burning in that spot.

"I didn't come down much later than you. I probably got around five hours."

"That's not enough, Mia." Erin lets go of her chin and wraps her fingers around her wrist to take her pulse.

"I'm getting used to you touching me, and I don't know what I'll do when you stop."

The words are out before she thinks them through, and Erin lifts her eyes from Mia's hand and meets her gaze, then drops her attention to Mia's parted lips.

What she does next feels almost automatic—the logical next step, given the burst of butterflies in her chest and the need to feel something more than just the warmth of Mia's skin.

She raises her free hand, slides it along Mia's neck, and cups the back of her head before leaning in.

The first thing Mia feels is Erin's tongue brushing her lower lip before slipping into her mouth.

The kiss is so hot and urgent that a moan escapes Mia as she grabs Erin's waist and deepens it.

This time Erin doesn't back her up against something and pin her there, doesn't press her whole body against Mia's—she can't let her want climb any higher than this.

She pulls back with a soft, wet sound from the last kiss she presses to Mia's mouth and steps a couple of feet away from temptation.

Mia blinks. For a moment she's not sure what just happened, and she has to get used to the hollowness she feels on her lips.

"You always kiss me at the worst possible moment," she murmurs, dazed, glancing toward the door—but then her crooked smile appears, and Erin's lips curve too.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

The doctor clears her throat and tugs at her collar to fan herself, then steps close to Mia again and takes her wrist.

"I lost count of where I was," she whispers, eyes on her watch as she starts over.

Mia takes Erin's hand and moves it, placing it flat against her chest.

"Racing, Dooley. I don't think you're getting a real reading right now."

Erin presses her lips together and a laugh comes out through her nose.

"Fair point. We'll do it later. Come on, let's get out there before they think you passed out."

Mia pulls the hoodie on, and Erin—in another move that doesn't seem to take any conscious instruction from her brain—smooths the hood down over Mia's shoulders.

"I made plans with Noah," Mia says before Erin reaches for the door.

"I'm sorry?"

"I want to spend the morning with you. We don't have to do anything, or pick up where we left off in there—" she gestures toward the wardrobe, talking too fast, nervous like she's standing in front of her first date, "—but I already made plans with Noah."

"It's fine, really—"

"I don't want to overwhelm you, Erin," she interrupts, "but I can't take much more of this. I need you and me to—"

"Hey." Erin turns all the way toward her and this time drags a strand of hair slowly off Mia's forehead and back, holding her gaze. "Go with Noah. We'll have time, just the two of us, another time."

Mia exhales, frustrated.

"I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm really turned on." The singer stamps her foot against the floor and Erin bursts out laughing. "I know you asked me for time—time for yourself, to figure out what you want—but if you're still not sure, don't kiss me again. Because every time you do—"

Erin cuts off the stream of words with another kiss, slower and softer than the last one, that leaves Mia's head spinning.

"I want to keep doing it," Erin whispers against her ear, leaning close.

"And I can't wait to go to bed with you.

But I don't want it to feel forced. I want it to happen naturally, when the moment's right.

Right now we have to go out there for the meeting, and after that you're going with your friend and you're going to have a good time. "

"What are you going to do?"

Someone knocks at the door and they both jump and step apart.

"Everything okay in there?" Jude asks. "I have to leave in twenty minutes. I need you to—"

"We're coming out now," Mia cuts him off sharply.

Erin reaches for the door handle, but Mia stops her, hand on her arm.

"You didn't answer me. What are you going to do?"

Erin's expression shifts all at once.

"I want to call my sister and tell her I'm not going to pull any strings for her to meet you. After that I'll head down to the gym for a while. I need to burn off some energy and move my—"

"Erin."

"What?"

"Are you going to be okay? I can tell Noah we're canceling and stay with you. That call's going to be rough and you shouldn't have to—"

This time the doctor is the one who cuts her off.

"I'll be fine," she says. "And this is something I need to do on my own."

"Okay."

When they walk out, Erin feels every set of eyes in the room land on them. Jude's, with a look of irritation. Violette's, with curiosity. Nell's and Noah's, with barely contained amusement.

"All right, now that we're all here, let's finish locking in the next few days," the agent begins as Mia sits down next to Noah and Erin stays standing beside Nell.

"Today, free day until six—everyone needs to be on the bus by then.

We'll arrive in Washington, D.C. tonight, and tomorrow—" he pauses and points to Noah, "—I've booked an interview for a music podcast with a lifestyle influencer.

Mia doesn't have to travel anywhere; the influencer will set up whatever she needs in a room at the hotel.

I'll send the contact to your email and you can work out the details with her directly. "

"Got it," Noah says.

"In the afternoon, rehearsal—" he points to Mia now. "We'll do it early and it'll only be an hour, so you're rested for the gala."

Mia crosses her arms and Erin shifts her gaze to the agent.

"What gala?"

"An awards ceremony. Mia's nominated in two categories. It's not a huge event and I hadn't planned for us to attend, but Abigail Stone confirmed a couple of days ago that two of her clients would be there, and after her, others started signing on, so we can't exactly sit this one out."

Erin and Violette exchange a glance at the mention of the manager's name.

"Is there anyone in particular you'd like to have with you?" Jude asks, looking at Mia.

Mia has only one name in her head, but she knows she can't say it out loud—she can't ask Erin something like that.

"No, Noah can sit with me," Mia smiles, nudging her friend, who still looks half asleep.

"Great—if you don't have anyone, Dr. Dooley will be the one sitting next to you."

"Me?" Erin asks, caught off guard, as Mia's heart does a flip.

"Yes, of course. You're her doctor, and awards shows always stir up a lot of anxiety. Better to have you close by, don't you think?" he asks, glancing between Nell and Violette as if looking for confirmation that they at least agree with him on this one.

"It's the right call," Nell confirms.

"Does that work for you, Dooley? You won't have to walk in with her in front of all the cameras—you'll come in with the rest of us through the back. That part's taken care of."

Erin looks toward the couch before she answers. The singer's eyes are wide, watching her, waiting.

"Fine."

Mia bites her lip and drops her gaze to her hands so she doesn't show the smile trying to break across her face.

"Perfect," Jude continues. "The day after that, Mia gets the morning off after the gala—not the rest of us. In the afternoon: wardrobe fitting at four, sound check at six-thirty, and the show at eight. Everyone good with that?"

"That's too much for Mia—too many events back to back," Erin cuts in. "She won't be able to rest the way she needs to."

"I'm sorry, Dooley, but nothing on that schedule can be canceled." Jude tries to keep his voice even, because he's exhausted from arguing with this woman.

"Tomorrow's rehearsal could be dropped, and the fitting could be pushed later—right before the sound check, so there's no dead time in between that serves no purpose."

Jude blinks, visibly on edge.

"The Washington show is one of the most important ones on the tour, and after her appearance at the awards ceremony, the remaining tickets will probably sell out. The rehearsal has to happen, because everything needs to be perfect."

"Your idea of perfect can—"

"Hold on, Dooley." Mia stands and walks over to her, drawing her slightly to the side. "I can handle it. And Jude's right about this one—that show matters. But I promise I won't push myself in rehearsal more than I have to. Some choreography with the guys to get a feel for the space and that's it."

Erin looks at her steadily and runs a hand along the back of her neck, giving in, because she suddenly feels like she can't say no to this woman.

"Fine," she agrees, reluctant.

Jude's sigh of relief is loud enough that Noah and Nell can't hold back their laughter.

"Wonderful. We're done here."

The agent and the lawyer are the first ones out; Erin and Nell follow, and behind them come Mia and Noah, heading toward the elevator with two of the singer's bodyguards who will shadow them wherever they go.

"And where exactly do you think you're going?" Nell asks, catching Erin by the arm before she can open the door to her room.

"I have an important call to make," the doctor answers.

Nell narrows her eyes and lets go of her arm.

"Things are good with Mia, from the looks of it," she says, raising an eyebrow as she steps back.

Erin smiles.

"Yeah, seems like it. See you later?"

"I'll meet you downstairs in an hour. You're coming with me to do some shopping before we leave Philadelphia," the tour's production director announces.

"All right."

Erin goes into her room and stands by the door for a few seconds.

She likes being here, with all these people—and the realization surprises her more than she would have expected, because at first she'd felt out of place, and now she feels more comfortable than she does anywhere else.

Nell is a wonderful woman, and they're starting to build a friendship that Erin genuinely likes.

Then there's Noah, with whom she has a warm, easy rapport that probably won't grow into a real friendship but could come awfully close.

Then there's Violette, who appears and disappears as though she can teleport, and with whom Erin also feels a real connection.

And then there's Mia. Erin just sighs when she thinks about her and ends up smiling like a teenager—but the smile disappears when her phone rings and she sees her sister's name on the screen.

She's surprised it took her this long to reach out. Erin had been expecting it the moment she woke up, because when Brooke wants something she can be relentless. She moves to the window, leans her shoulder against the glass, and answers.

"Hey, Brooke."

"Have you done it yet?" Her sister doesn't even say hello. "I was looking at the tour schedule last night and the next show is in Washington, D.C.," she says, as if Erin didn't know. "I talked to Senna and I figured we could both go—she loves Mia Wilder too. I could rent a car, I just need you to—"

"You're not coming, Brooke," Erin cuts her off, exhausted.

"What?"

"I'm not pulling any strings for this. I'm tired of your whims and of you only reaching out when you want something or need something from me. I'm your sister, not an ATM or some decorative figure in your head that only exists when it's convenient for you."

"What the hell are you talking about, Erin? Have you lost your mind?"

"I wish," the doctor's voice cracks, and Brooke, who had her mouth open to defend herself, snaps it shut when she hears it.

"I've spent my whole life taking care of you, fixing your problems, making sure you never went without—and when Mom got sick you didn't even offer to help with something that was just as much yours to carry. "

"You know how hard it was for me to see her like that, Erin. I couldn't handle it."

"And I could?" the doctor asks, but she decides not to go down that road, because she has no desire to remind her sister that she'd visit their mother once every two weeks, stay for ten minutes, and then fall apart before walking out the door as if she were the only one who was suffering.

"I'm not going to throw your behavior back in your face, because in the end I'm the one who let you get away with everything since you were little.

But it's over, Brooke. From now on I'm going to take care of myself.

So if you want to reach out to ask how I'm doing or to spend time together, I'm here.

But if it's for anything else, don't bother unless there's a real, serious problem. "

"I don't recognize you, Erin." The doctor feels her sister's whisper like the hiss of a snake, and her skin prickles. "You're such a—"

"You don't have to understand me," she cuts in. "You just have to treat me like a person instead of a tool you use to get what you want."

She hangs up before she can hear her sister's response, and when she slips the phone into her pocket she brings her hand to her throat—because she'd expected to feel suffocated after this conversation, expected the tears to flood her eyes and the guilt to eat her alive.

But air reaches her lungs just fine. All she feels is relief: not just because she's dropped a weight she's been carrying, but because she's finally starting to take the reins of her own life.

To say out loud what hurts. To fight for what she needs.

To choose the people she wants beside her.

And right now she has very little room for Brooke, and a great deal of room for Mia.