The Road To Heaven (Allendale Four 3)

“Money?”

“Yep.”

“Chargers?”

“Yes, Ollie,” I said, trying not to be annoyed. We’d gone over this already. A dozen times. “I’ve got everything.”

“Me too,” shouted Jackson, pulling his suitcase behind him. Oliver looked up when he saw his outfit and I covered my mouth to hide my laughter.

“You’re not wearing that.”

“Of course I am,” he said, spinning so we could see his shirt. On the front was a photo of Anderson, standing beneath the A5 Gym logo. On the back was Hayden—same pose, same logo. “We have two clients representing us in Tokyo. It’s a marketing dream.”

“I can’t believe we’re going to Tokyo,” I said for the millionth time. “I mean, it’s one thing to have one boyfriend in the Olympics, but two?”

“I still have no idea how you’re going to justify this to the press,” Oliver said.

“I’ve managed okay so far.” The Olympic promotional team was all over Hayden and Anderson being from the same small town and now representing the United States in the Olympics. We’d all be interviewed, saying nothing more than the fact we’re a tight group of friends. We figured the world didn’t need to know everything about our lives. Not yet, at least.

“Shit,” Oliver cursed. “I think I forgot the tickets.”

“Nope,” I said, holding up the papers. “I’ve got them.”

He gave me a smile. “You really do have everything under control.”

“You say that like you’re surprised.”

“I’m not surprised,” Jackson said, easing past me, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “I mean, you know that’s why they want you there, right?”

“Who wants me where?”

“Anderson and Hayden…and well us, every day. Without you we have no map, no focus, no destination.” He slid his arm around my waist. “With you? We’re steady, and they need that steadiness in the stands during every match and event.

”

I fingered the ring on my left hand. They’d given it to me the night we found out they’d both made the Games. Not an engagement, not exactly, just a gift celebrating our dedication to one another. They gave me a ring and in return I’d given them a gift in return. I walked up to both of them and first pushed up Oliver’s sleeve, kissing the tattoos on his bicep. Then did the same to Jackson, who had an identical constellation inked on his arm. Hayden’s and Anderson’s would be proudly displayed during the Games as well.

The boys grabbed the suitcases so we could get on the plane to meet up with our champions and I watched them go, thinking about those tattoos, the stars afnd what they meant.

There was one for each of the four; one for the boy that made me feel safe; that picked me up when I fell, when I cried, when I soared. One for the boy that made me laugh; with dimples and a lopsided grin. One was for the boy that made me feel sexy and adventurous, special and unique. And then one for the boy that had always owned my heart, keeper of my soul and my personal savior.

Together they connected, like markers along the way to the one star that linked them together.

It wasn’t really a constellation, but a map, a map of our road to happiness.