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Aunt Scarlett lifts her coffee cup in a toast. “Jett, this is… wonderful. Thank you. I don't know what to say. Thank you.”
"It's a pleasure, Scarlett. No need to say anything, but I suggest you all get packed quickly."
His eyes settle on me. like I’m the only one in the room.
Like I’m the only one who matters.
"Jett," I murmur in a low voice. I'm overcome with emotion, and I would seal this moment with a kiss were it not for Brooke sitting on his lap. I tap her on the nose gently. "We get to go on the plane again, Brooke. We get to spend a weekend together!"
"Yay!" She hops over to me and sits on me, her arms encircled around my neck.
"Thank you," I mouth to Jett.
***
The low hum of the jet is almost hypnotic as it cuts through the sky.
I still can’t believe this is happening.
I don’t know what’s more surreal—finally seeing the band I missed, or the fact that my entire world is here with me. My friends, my aunt, Brooke… and Jett.
Bianca and Eliana sit across from me, wide-eyed, their gazes bouncing around the cabin like they’ve stepped into a dream.
“This is insane,” Bianca murmurs, running her fingers over the butter-soft leather armrest.
Eliana nods, voice hushed. “Is this real life?”
“You’ll get used to it,” I tease.
Jett leans in, his hand brushing mine. “See? You belong here.” Then softer, just for me. “With me.”
My heart swells.
Getting used to this world of his will take time. But being with him?
That feels like home.
The concert is everything. We have the best seats. The perfect backstage passes. Meeting the band that Eliana and I have worshipped since forever feels surreal. But the after-party? That’s something else entirely.
Only the three of us—Eliana, Bianca, and me—go. Jett stays behind at the hotel with Brooke, who falls asleep in the car before we even pull up to the lobby.
Aunt Scarlett opts to stay back too, claiming she wants to take full advantage of the luxurious hotel amenities—though, between us, I think she’s just enamored by the massive suite she has all to herself.
By the time we return in the early hours of the morning, I’m exhausted. Happy. I step into the suite quietly, tiptoeing past Brooke’s adjoining room, the door slightly ajar. Jett stirs as I slip into bed beside him.
“Shortcake,” he murmurs sleepily, pressing a lazy kiss to the top of my head. “You’re back.”
I snuggle closer, inhaling the clean, familiar scent of him.
“I am.”
He sighs, his fingers skimming down my back, his voice a gravelly whisper. “If Brooke weren’t in the next room I’d …”
A slow, knowing smile tugs at my lips. “But she is.”
“Damn shame.”
I laugh softly, curling against his warmth.
We may not have tonight.
But we have forever.