“Syd?” I didn’t hear the door open, but Sienna’s voice came through loud and clear to both of us.

At the sound of Sienna’s voice, Justin’s grip loosened, although he didn’t fully release me. I managed to wiggle my arms free but Justin reached to grasp my arm as I took my first step away from him, making my already unsteady balance falter, and I lost my footing mid-step. My head hit the side of the sink on the way down with a loud thump before I crashed into the bathroom floor face first.

I must have lost consciousness for a few minutes, because the next thing I remember was waking up with my head in Sienna’s lap, looking up at her pale, concerned face.

“Are you okay, Syd?”

“Is he gone?” My head pounded as I moved my jaw to speak. I raised my hand to feel my head where it was tingling on the side of my face.

“Yeah, he took off. What the hell happened, Syd?”

“I don’t know. He was drunk and angry and said something rude and I slapped him and he lost it.” I stopped to replay what had just happened in my head. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come in, Sienna.” My last few words trailed off as the realization of what might have been hit me full force. My body began to shake.

“It’s okay, Syd. You’re safe now. Let me get you out of here.” Sienna began to help me up as she spoke. “I saw our security down the hall. A lot of good that did you in here.”

“My head hurts.” I rubbed where the pain hit hardest.

“You’re going to have a nice knot there. You hit the sink pretty hard. Let’s get you checked out to be safe.”

I nodded. The hallway was still empty as the bathroom door opened, except for the security guard waiting at the far end of the hall. The guard turned as we approached, looking startled when he saw us.

“What happened?”

Sienna began to speak, but I cut her off. “I slipped on some water and fell and hit the sink.”

Sienna gave me a look, letting me know she wasn’t happy with the version of the story I was giving. But she didn’t attempt to elaborate on the truth.

***

Ten hours later, Sienna and I were back on the bus. After a series of tests, my head had checked out okay, but I was going to have a nasty bruise on the side of my face where my head had connected with the sink, and I still felt like a drum solo was being played inside my skull.

Everyone seemed to believe my version of the story that I’d told to the emergency room and the tour manager. Considering I had been seen drinking in a bar, it wasn’t out of the realm of ordinary for me to have taken a fall and hit the sink on the way down. I don’t know why I hadn’t told the truth. I hadn’t planned on covering for Justin, I just did.

***

“What are you going to do, Syd?” Sienna came into the private bedroom on the back of the bus, where I had been hiding out for the last few hours.

“I don’t know.”

Sienna sat in front of me and gently took my face in her hands, lifting it to look into her eyes. “You need to do what is best for you, Syd. This isn’t about me and it isn’t about the tour. Whatever happens, happens, and none of it is your fault. Do you understand me?”

I nodded. And I knew she meant it. However I chose to deal with what had happened, Sienna would stand beside me, where she had been my entire life.

Chapter 19

My heart rate sped up as the elevator made its way slowly up each floor. True to her word, Sienna was supportive when I made the decision to take a leave from the tour. I wasn’t going to press charges against Justin, but I also needed some space before I could face the man who had assaulted me. I needed some time to think. I’d spent half the plane ride over from Spain replaying what had happened with Justin in my head, trying to convince myself that what had happened wasn’t really as bad as it was. But the truth was I wasn’t really sure what would have happened if Sienna hadn’t walked in. The look in Justin’s eyes was so angry and distant, I wondered if I really knew the man at all.

In the end, it was not knowing that had helped me make the decision to take a break from the tour. The tour manager was suspicious of my story and the big bruise on my face and wrist, but he didn’t push. In the back of my mind, I wondered if he knew the truth and was relieved I was going to disappear for a while, rather than go public with the truth.

I hadn’t told Jack about what had happened. In fact, I’d only spoken to him for a few minutes since the shit had hit the fan. I was sure he was upset with me about my lack of calls, but I thought it was best to tell him the truth in person.

I jumped as the elevator dinged and opened to the penthouse floor. I’d used my keycard and asked security not to call up to let Jack know I was home, pretending I was home early to surprise him. I stepped off the elevator. The penthouse was quiet and dark and I could have sworn I heard my own heartbeat pounding against the wall of my chest as I set my things down and steadied myself with a deep breath before heading to the bedroom.

Jack stirred as I slipped into bed beside him. His face was so peaceful and I hated to wake him with the ugliness of what I had to share of the last few days, knowing he was still struggling with the death of his father. I should have been home to support him, not to add to the mountain of stress and anxiety that his father’s death had left him to deal with.

“Jack,” I whispered, and gently put my hand on his cheek.

Jack jumped. “Syd?”

“Hi, baby.”

“What are you doing here?”

For hours on the plane I’d thought about how to tell him why I was home. My plan was to share the story in a factual manner, keeping out any emotions so that Jack wouldn’t freak out. But that plan went right out the window, as the tears began to stream down my face from just hearing Jack’s voice.

***

Six hours after I walked through the front door, I finally fell asleep. Jack held me while I told him the story and, as selfish as it was, I was relieved to have had unburdened the truth on him. At first he was quiet while I spoke, but then he turned the light on and saw the dark bruises on the side of my face and he lost it. It took everything I had to calm him down and I was thankful that Justin was a seven hour plane ride away for more reasons than one.

Before I fell asleep, I had been up for almost thirty-six hours straight since the horrible night in the bathroom had taken my life down yet another unexpected turn. So when I finally woke up, I wasn’t surprised to find that I had slept for almost ten hours. I was still groggy as I climbed out of bed, padding through the apartment to look for Jack.

I was a little surprised when I woke and didn’t find Jack home, but on the verge of a nervous breakdown when almost twelve more hours passed and there was still no sign of him. I left him a half dozen messages on his cell and even called Sienna to see if he’d contacted her. I didn’t even know where to begin looking for him.

My mind spent most of the day conjuring up reasons that Jack been gone all day. In the early hours I was nervous that he had jumped on a flight and went to hunt down Justin. But the more time passed and Jack didn’t contact me, my thoughts got darker and deeper. I’d just unloaded a mess on him, a few short weeks after his father’s death. Did my neediness push him over the edge? Was he being consoled by Jenna again? Jack had been nothing but supportive and protective when I’d told him what I’d been through, yet my mind still wandered to thoughts that he would turn to someone else.

I wanted to call Jenna and see if she knew where Jack had gone, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wasn’t prepared for an answer that would destroy me, so I took the coward’s way out and sat and waited and wondered.

***

I was on the phone in the kitchen with Sienna when Jack finally walked in. I watched for some sign of what he was thinking as he walked silently to me, but his face wasn’t giving away a thing.

“Where have you been?” I asked quietly. My lip quivered, but I was determined to hold my tears at bay.

“We need to talk.” Jack stood a few feet in front of me, his head looking down as he ran his fingers through his hair, a telltale sign of his stress.

“Okay.” I watched him intently, waiting for him to look up at me.

Jack took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before his beautiful green eyes looked up at me. He walked to me and lifted me up, seating me on the kitchen island so that I was at eye level with him.

“You’re off the tour.”

I don’t know what I expected him to say, but it wasn’t that. “What are you talking about? I only took a week’s leave.”

“I pulled the funding for the tour, made a few calls, and you’re off the tour.”

My mouth dropped open as I stared at him in confusion.

“Hear me out, Syd, before you say anything.”

I forced my gaping mouth closed and shook my head.

“I tried, but I can’t do it. I know you needed to follow your dreams before you could settle down, so I gave you space, Syd. I really tried. But I’m done. If you leave me because of it, I’ll understand, but you are not going back on that tour with him like nothing happened.”

Jack watched my reaction for a moment before continuing.

“They’re going to revamp the tour to smaller venues and Kyle is going to tour with Sienna.”

“Kyle is Justin’s brother. He isn’t going to want to do that to his brother.”

“It was Kyle’s idea.”

My eyes widened at Jack’s statement.

“But….”

“Sienna and I told Kyle everything that happened. He knew the tour was over for Justin and nothing he was going to say or do would change that. I made that perfectly clear from the start. So it didn’t take him long to warm to the idea of finishing up with Sienna. Plus, he’s almost as pissed at his brother as Sienna is. And that woman is on fire.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it, realizing I was speechless for a moment.

“I spoke to Ryan. She has two labels interested in signing you and Sienna. I told her to take the best deal she can with the stipulation that you will record in New York.”

Jack reached out and stroked my cheek as he spoke. “I’m done with you not being in our bed, Syd.”

Jack looked into my eyes, searching for something. Then he nodded as if he had found what he was looking for. “I know it’s not how you planned it, Syd, and I’m asking you to give up a lot. So … I’m giving up something for you.”

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

“I sold Cole Productions to Jenna today.”

“Why?”

Jack’s face untensed slightly, and I saw a hint of a small smile before he spoke. “I’m asking you to give up something I don’t like, so I gave up something that you don’t like.”

“But you didn’t have to do that for me?” My voice came out as barely a whisper and with more of a question than a statement.

“Yes, I did. Jenna has wanted to be a partner for the last few years anyway. I didn’t think you would like that option.” Jack raised an eyebrow and I couldn’t help but smile at his cockiness.

I smirked back at him. “No, that wouldn’t have been a good option.”

“And the hotels need a lot more of my time anyway, with my father gone.” Jack’s confident voice trailed off at the mention of his father.

I reached out and took Jack’s hand in mine. A silent declaration of my support.

Jack stared down at our joined hands for a moment before looking up at me, his eyes locking with mine. “I learned something from my father’s death. No more playing games. I’m done with being patient. You’re mine, Syd. I love you so much that I’d rather you leave me because I cut off the tour than have you stay with me and be out on tour and not be safe. There’s just no other choice for me.”

It was in that moment that I knew he was right, there was no other choice for me either. “I couldn’t love you any more than I do right now.”

I watched as the tension in Jack’s face washed away. The vulnerability I had rarely seen in his beautiful eyes was replaced by something much more familiar. Jack leaned in and gently kissed my lips, a sweet, gentle, soulful kiss that I felt in my heart. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against mine. “One last thing, babe.”

“Mmmm?”

“Justin’s going to pay for what he did to you.” Jack gently stroked the side of my face, where my dark bruise was a reminder of what I had endured. “We’ll talk about whether you press charges or not. But either way I’m still kicking his ass.”

I closed my eyes and thought for moment. “Is it my turn to give you my demands yet?”

Jack pulled his face back slightly. “Whatever you need.” He spoke with sincerity.

I tried to hide my smile, but a small smirk couldn’t help but shine through. “Take me to bed, Mr. Cole.”

I didn’t have to ask twice.

***

I never thought the best day of my life would come the day after the worst day of my life. But I’d go through the worst day a hundred times just to hear Jack tell me that he’d give me up before he would let me be unsafe. I thought I knew what true love was, but I didn’t. Not until the moment that Jack taught me what it was.

Chapter 20

Five months earlier

“Can I get you something to drink?”

I was startled out of my thoughts by the flight attendant. I stared blankly at her, hearing her words, but unable to register their meaning or respond.

“He’ll have a bottle of water. I’ll have a vodka tonic. You’ll have to excuse my friend, hell’s just frozen over and I think he may have gotten scorched before the cold front moved in.” Tyler smiled at the flight attendant, a woman whose ass should probably have given me an erection as I watched her walk away. But my dick didn’t even twitch.