Page 125 of Sky Full of Stars

“She didn’t fully put him down and he came at them again.”

The colour drains from my face, my fists clench tight. Rationally, I know she is okay because she called, she’s spoken to Nick but my heart is currently sat deep in my throat.

“Her friend got a gun from somewhere and shot him. He’s dead. Jenna is a witness.”

I dial her cell again without another word after hearing that. Archer decides to start packing up my stuff for me. Nick watches me as I pace. I’m ready to leave her a voicemail when her sweet voice finally answers.

“Hey, you’re finally awake, that must have been a hell of a party.”

I sag against the TV table, it’s a good job it was there because I just moved backwards without thought, the relief I feel at hearing her voice makes me almost laugh at the absolute mundane words after what she has been through.

“I heard you’ve been putting those fists of yours to good use, Slugger.”

She laughs but then a sob breaks through and I squeeze my eyes tight, wishing with everything I had that I could be there with her right now.

“Baby,” I run a hand back and forth through my hair. “I’m getting the next flight to you.”

“You don’t have to. I’m fine, honestly. I’m just gonna go home with my mom and try to get some sleep. I feel like I’ve been awake for days.”

“If you think for one second I’m gonna kick back here and leave you to deal with this, then you don’t know me.”

“I know you,” she sniffles quietly.

“Send me your mom’s address, let her know she’ll be meeting me sooner rather than later and, Jen, please don’t do anything like this again, yeah?”

“Don’t plan on it,” she chuckles.

“Your friend okay?”

“I haven’t seen her. They’ve kept her at the police station questioning her cos she shot him. Brooke is with her. She…I can’t imagine what he put her through, she got away from him earlier this year but he found her again. Adam, she’s so broken. I’m glad I went there, despite what happened. I think she would be dead now if I hadn’t.”

I don’t like what she did, that she put herself in mortal danger, but now is not the best time to bring up my feelings on the situation.

“I don’t know if they’re going to charge her but I’ll back her up all the way. He would have… It could have gone a lot differently if she hadn’t grabbed the gun from his jacket.”

“Don’t talk like that,” I whisper. “I don’t even want to imagine losing you.”

“I’m still here.”

“I fucking love you, Jenna. I promise, as soon as I can, I’m on a flight to you.”

She doesn’t argue again. After making sure she is alright, we say goodbye. The guys have been moving about the room, packing up my stuff but there is no way they didn’t hear my side of that conversation. Archer checks his phone when it beeps.

“Jordan,” he says. “We’re booked on a flight in three hours, we need to get to the airport.”

I hurry to the safe and get my wallet and passport and the spare cash I’d thrown in there and shove my feet into the boots I had on last night. I could care less if I forget anything. Archer heads back to his room to get his shit and Nick hands me a pair of sunglasses as he pushes my suitcase towards me. The rest of our stuff and equipment is all together and Bianca and the road crew will make sure that gets where it needs to be.

“You’re gonna need those. You look like shit. You alright, man?”

I pause and look at Nick, seeing the concern in his eyes, then put the sunglasses on. “That was a hell of a wakeup call.”

“The main thing is she’s okay,” he pats my shoulder.

“But it could have been different. I could have lost her and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. I’m thousands of miles away from her and…”

Nick pretends he doesn’t see the quiver in my chin.

“She’s special,” he tells me, contemplating me in silence for a moment.

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