Page 5 of Worlds Collide

Once fucking moreI’m drinking a sparkling water. Lots of ice this time though because we’re in the middle of the fucking desert in the fucking summer under the scorching fucking sun.

I’m pretty sure Harrison Crawford is a smart man, but the fact that he planned a surprise wedding for Tristanhere, atthistime of year, andmidday, has me questioning the man just a little bit.

I mean, come the fuck on.

If you have billions just lying around you could get married in way more comfortable settings, but he chose this?

“I told you to get a linen suit,” I mutter at a sweating Derek, and drink about half the contents of my glass in one gulp.I’mwearing a linen suit and still suffering, so I can’t even imagine what he must be going through in his cotton shirt and normal suit pants.

“Shut up.” The growl is like a familiar hug to me, and I take a moment to appreciate it.

So much in my life is unfamiliar nowadays.

No going out, no late-night sessions at a studio with some drinks, no touring, no recording or writing new music... I haven’t really stopped writing even if I’m not setting out time in the day to do it. It still comes to me from time to time.

Hawk and I should be working on our next album—we decided we’re finishing and recording our favorite unreleased songs that we wrote with Mom, but neither one of us has really pushed it. We’re in a sort of break, and it seems to be working out a lot better for him than for me.

“I’m getting another drink,” Deedee tells us and leaves Hawk and I to our awkward existence. We never used to be like this.

Talking to my brother used to be the easiest thing in the world, but everything’s changed since I went to rehab.

I don’t know how I’m supposed to talk to him anymore. I don’t know what we’re even supposed to talk about. It’s all jumbled inside me, and I can’t seem to snap out of this weird state I’m in.

Because it is amething—I’m sure about this.

Birdie is fine, more than fine, he’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and it sucks big time that I can’t share any of his happiness.

Speaking of... I see Tristan on the other side of the covered garden and he looks fucking radiant. It might be because of the heat, but his smile doesn’t lie. He looks over to us and his smile gets even bigger and brighter.

Holding Harrison’s hand, he walks over to us, and I feel... lighter for a fraction of a second. I let myself be relieved that everything’s the same with him. Nothing about the way we interact is different. Until his eyes shift to me and down to my hand holding the condensation-covered glass.

He gets a worried look in his eyes that he can’t possibly disguise fast enough for me to doubt it was there. Tristan has one of the best poker faces in the world, but he’s clearly off his game today.

“Don’t even start,” I tell him gruffly, when he opens his mouth as soon as he stops in front of me. “I’m fine.”

Tristan moves in to hug Birdie wordlessly but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. It’s like he’s trying to look deep inside me.

“Thank you for coming, guys,” he says and finally looks away. He’s genuinely grateful, I can tell, and that mollifies me just a little.

“We wouldn’t miss your wedding to your sugar Daddy,” Birdie says teasingly.

“You’re such a little shit,” Harrison tells my brother, but he does it with a fond smile so I grit my teeth and let it go.

Today is his wedding day and I know for a fact he likes Birdie,I remind myself. No need to deck the billionaire for talking shit to my little brother.

Deedee comes back and steals Tristan’s attention again, which is more than fine by me, since I really don’t feel like talking anymore, and when they leave to go greet other guests, I’m still mildly annoyed.

It fades quickly, though, when I catch a glimpse of Ed Trent walking over with his wife, Samantha Sawyer, on his arm. They’re both clients of Tristan too, her a country singer and him an old school rockstar. They look amazing considering they’re in their fifties, and both have been great friends to Hawk and I forever.

They knew Dad well, and Mom of course, so they feel like family friends of sorts to me. Just saying hi to them and catching up does wonders for my mood. So much so that I don’t even get a twinge in my chest when Deedee and Birdie walk away to greet the few of Derek’s friends who got an invite to the most secretive event of the decade.

I take a quick look at who’s here a few minutes later, and my breath stalls in my chest when I see CJ.

What the hell is he doing here? How did he get invited?

He isn’t close to Theo—Harrison’s son—and also isn’t one of Tristan’s clients like we are, so what gives?

Just then I see him walk away from the group and go over to Harrison.

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