The next three days I spent with Greer were exactly what I needed; it was a magical time with my sister, and I couldn’t bear to part with her … not just yet. So, I phoned our father the night before and, reluctantly, he gave his permission for Greer to come with me on the first leg of the tour. But I had to promise him that she would be on a plane headed for home before her senior year of high school began.
The next morning, a limo was sent for us from the studio and Richard Porter, the apartment manager, said that I could keep my VW Bug there. I was hoping that Logan would have come to say goodbye, but it was just as well. I hadn’t seen him since that night. At that point, I didn’t know how I would react if and when I saw him again.
Greer had helped me clean up the apartment over the last few days, and now, I turned to lock it for the last time … at least for a while. The tour was supposed to last for nine months, but I wasn’t sur
“Shush!” I said. “Everyone will hear you.”“So?” she said.I took a deep breath. “Since when did you get so wild?”She smiled. “Since you left and aren’t there to mother me anymore.”I shook my head. “Just watch it with my band members. I have to work with these guys.”She smiled and nodded, and then turned her attention to Wyatt, who was sitting across the aisle. Luckily, I didn’t have anything to worry about with him. He had a girlfriend back home.After a bit, I turned my attention out the window, thinking of Logan; wondering what he was doing, where he was, and when he was going on tour, too. I guessed it was best that I didn’t know. My mind wandered back to the last night we shared together. We’d both hoped I was pregnant then, and everything was right in the world. I wasn’t, but I guessed that it was just as well, given everything that
When the sun began to set, Greer slid into the seat beside me. “Are you okay?” she whispered as she leaned her head against the seat.I nodded. “Yeah. Are you?”“Yeah,” she replied as she looked away for a minute, thinking. Then, she turned back. “That song you wrote is beautiful. How did you come up with it?”I shrugged. “A candlelit night I spent with Logan.”A familiar pain gripped my chest.She nodded thoughtfully. “I thought so.” Then, she looked into my eyes and raised her eyebrows. “Are you okay?”I nodded. “I will be.”Greer forced a smile as she reached over and squeezed my hand. “If you need to talk, I’m here.”I nodded as I looked around, silently indicating everyone around us. “Maybe later.”Soon, everything grew quiet on the bus as night fell. The sound of the tires hitting the surfac
Rays of morning sun shone through the window the next morning, caressing my face, alerting me to the start of a new day as the events of the day before rushed to my head. I looked over at Greer and smiled. She was still asleep in her bed.I grabbed my clothes and tiptoed quietly toward the bathroom. I quickly showered and dressed, and then headed downstairs. The strong scent of coffee rushed toward me as I stepped off the elevator.Following the scent, a man with a warm smile greeted me at the door of a little breakfast room. Tables set sporadically throughout the room. “Good morning! There’s coffee over here and a waffle maker here,” he said, gesturing around the room, a bit too cheerful.I forced a smile. “Thanks. I’ll help myself,” I said as I crossed the room to the coffee maker and poured myself a cup. After I added sweetener, it tasted heavenly, even if it nearly burned my mouth. I looked around. Full plate glass windows
We spent the day shopping, but as the day wore on, I kept falling into silence. We got some lunch in the food court, and Greer sat down at a table across from me. “Okay. What the hell is wrong with you?” she asked. “If you’re nervous about tonight, I get it. But don’t let your nerves …”“It’s not nerves,” I said as I looked down at my soda.She leaned across the table at me, forcing me to look into her eyes. “Then, what the hell is it? You’ve been acting weird all morning.”I snapped my head up. “I’ve not been acting weird.”“Okay. Then … strange.” Greer let out an exasperated breath. “What’s going on? Spill! It’s me! Your sister!”I laughed. “Since when did you get so bossy?”She shrugged as she gave me a mischievous smile. “I’ve always been this way. You just didn’t notice
A moment later, PNC Arena came into view as everyone cheered. Greer looked across the aisle at me from where she was sitting next to Brett and gave me a wink. I smiled and nodded, understanding. We always had a way of communicating without saying a word.Mack pulled the RV behind the stadium and pulled to a stop. Outside, fans were already waving and yelling. Craig wrapped his arm protectively around me as we made our way into the stadium.“Why don’t you go warm up?” Craig said, going into his business mode. “You have a few minutes before the show starts.”I nodded and followed him into the green room, along with Greer and the members of my band. Cheers and incoherent chatter came from the stadium, as butterflies fluttered inside my stomach.“Nervous?” Greer asked, concerned.I shrugged. “A little.”She pulled me in for a hug. “You’ll do great.”I nodded my thanks
“Wow! That was great!” I said, sitting in a chair as adrenaline coursed through my body.Craig laughed as he handed me a cold water bottle. “How do you feel?”“Addicted!” I said as I unscrewed the cap and took a long drink. I hadn’t realized that I was thirsty until I started drinking. “Are we going back to the hotel now? I want to stay and listen to Tasha for a while.”“No. You’ll need to stay here,” Craig replied as a gleam appeared in his eyes. “I have a feeling that she’ll want you to come out for the finale.”My eyes flew open wide. “Really?”He shrugged. “Be ready just in case. You played a half hour longer than was expected.”“No. Really?” I asked in disbelief. “Was Tasha upset?”He laughed. “Did she look upset? She was enjoying your set just as much as the crowd! As I said, I have a fe
We spent the next few months, touring around the country, and fans started recognizing me. My album was quickly climbing the charts. But all too soon, August came. School was going to start the next week, so I had to put Greer on a plane headed for home when we were in New York.“I’m going to miss you!” I said as I squeezed my sister tightly. Then, I pulled back to look into her eyes. “Promise me that you’ll e-mail me.”She laughed. “Skype would be even better.”I nodded as I dabbed at a tear in my eyes. “Yes; it would.”“Now boarding passengers on flight 462, headed for Atlanta, Georgia,” an airline attendant announced. Greer was flying into Atlanta, the hub on the east coast, and then would catch a connecting flight to West Palm Beach.“Well, this is it!” Greer said, pulling me in for another hug. Concern mixed with tears filled her eyes when she pulled back. &ldq
I shook my head as my eyebrows pulled together in concern. “What are you talking about?”Logan bit his lower lip, as if trying to find the right words. “He told me that Craig paid him to kiss you. He also said that Craig knew I was there.”My heart slammed against my ribcage as if it had just hit a concrete wall. “He what?” It was just too much to take. “He’s my manager, for heaven’s sake!”Logan cocked his head. “That’s what he said. Is it true?”I immediately rose to my feet. “How the hell am I supposed to know?!”“Shush!” Logan said, looking around. “Everyone’s looking …”“What cares?” I said, yelling at the top of my lungs. “I haven’t seen you in months, and when I do, you accuse my manager of doing something to … to …”“Get rid of me?” Logan su