Page 38 of Lovers Like Us

Jane ties her hair into a messy pony. “My little brothers keep calling this theDamage Control Tour, but to me, it’s something entirely different. It’s the Preserve Jane and Moffy’s Friendship Tour, and I miss you…terribly.”

I pull Jane into a hug, and she immediately wraps her arms around my waist. This is home. This is safety andlove.

She is mybestgoddamn friend, and I don’t want anything to ever come between us again. I kiss her cheek and whisper, “I missed you too, Janie, and we’re going to get throughthis.”

“Ensemble,” she whispers a Cobalt declaration in French. That meanstogether.

Together.

We part, and she props her chin on her knuckles. “What’d Imiss?”

A lot, but I start with the first thing that crashes against me.“I told Farrow I lovehim.”

Her hands touch her mouth, and her bright blue eyes only grow brighter. “You did? And what’d hereply?”

My smile overwhelms me for a second—just feeling her happiness for me. “He said that he loves metoo.”

Janie shakes my arms, elated, and then we catch each other up. Apparently the younger girls—Audrey Cobalt, Winona Meadows, and my sister Kinney—protested about not being able to join the tour. They made a PowerPoint presentation, and when our parents saidno, they locked themselves in a lake housebedroom.

“It was dramatic and passionate,” Jane finishes, “but theylost.”

“Good. We don’t need the youngest kids on the tour withus.”

“Je suis d'accord.”I agree.“The meet-and-greets are already very spontaneous,” she says, “and Beckett and Sulli aren’t as used to the spotlight as us. Having the teenagers here would be twice aschaotic.”

My assistant just emailed me the schedule for the first leg of the tour, and I organized a crew to follow our bus. They’ll set up the meet-and-greets at each convention center. Taking care of the techaspects.

The H.M.C. charity team and I decided on anunstructuredtour. We’ll announce each FanCon city only the day before the meet-and-greet. It’ll create more buzz and social media interaction. Fans will try to guess which city we’ll be in next, and they’ll keep checking to see if we’ll be nearthem.

It also helps keep our location more anonymous on the road. And hopefully, more paparazzi will lose track ofus.

I already know what else I need to tell Jane. “My sister thought she was pregnant,” I let that bombdrop.

Janie’s eyes widen. “Merde.”

“Shit is right.” I brush snow out of my hair. “She’s not. Thank God.” The test came back negative, and Luna just broke down sobbing in relief. “I thought about what you would’ve done if you werethere.”

“You did?” Jane clutches her elbows,cold.

I unzip my outer jacket. “I put onThe FifthElement—”

“One of Luna’s favorite movies,” Jane says, alreadyknowing.

I nod. “And I made her a Pop-Tart.”

Jane smiles. “She’s lucky to have you as abrother.”

“No, she’s lucky I tapped into Jane Eleanor Cobalt’sBest Sibling Guide.” I shrug off my Patagonia jacket and hand it toher.

She sticks her arms in the holes and zips it up. “Merci.”

I glance at the twelve-bunk sleeper bus. More of Omega lingers outside on purpose. Maybe they’re taking bets on the status of our friendship. Weirdly, I’m kind of glad theycare.

I ask Jane, “How are you and yourparents?”

“We’re not speaking really. I need time,” she says. “You?”

I think back to the talk with my dad and mom. “Honestly, I don’t know. They’re not ready to forgive themselves, and there’s not much I cando.”