I walked into the café all awkward and unsure, not a clue where my life was going, and now just a short while later I’m leaving full of determination. My job might still be up in the air, my life around me a mess, but I know that I want Jace, there’s no denying the wonderful bond that we have always shared. It just feels like everything is so much better with him. Together, we are the keys to one another’s happiness, we make one another better people, we are each other’s fate. Destiny has intervened after all.
And yes, now that it suits, I do believe in it. I think I always did; I was just afraid. But I’m not scared anymore.
30
JACE
I didn’t think that I would ever want to see any airport again, after the life of traveling that I’ve had. I have been sick of the familiar smells, the standard shops you get, the overpriced food and drink… but here, for one last time I like it. Mostly because it’s bringing me home. Back to where I need to be.
God it feels good to be back here; I breathe in deep. I’m so damn glad that I decided to leave it all behind.
Again, I haven’t told my mom that I’m coming home but she might know this time. I’m sure she, or someone she knows, has seen the press conference so she knows to expect me. I won’t stay forever, just until I work out where I’m going to go next. I need to at least see Addie too, to give us one final chance.
Getting through baggage claim and security is a breeze, much easier than usual, which I decide to take as a good omen. All I need to do now is get a cab and I will be back where I need to be shortly. With an endless future stretched out in front of me, with no idea what on earth I’m going to do with any of it.
That’s good. I mean, it’s scary of course, but it’s better than knowing and not liking any of it.
“Jace!” someone calls out. “Oh my god, Jace. Can I take a picture with you?”
I grit my teeth and let the fan snap an image. Of course I will be hot property for a little while, there will be no avoiding it. But soon, this will fade away and I can return to being anonymous. I’m sure once the band finds a new singer that will help speed things along because I will become old news.
I can’t believe I’m excited to become old news. Who would have thought it? When I first started out as a singer, I thought I wanted to be famous forever. How little I knew back then.
“Can you wait a while before posting that online?” I pointlessly ask the overeager fan. I know that my words won’t be listened to. “Only, I’m trying to keep out of the eyes of the press for a while. You saw my press conference, right?” She nods. “Right, well they are desperate to find me and I just want to hide.”
“Oh yeah, of course. I will even wait a couple of days, I’m just so excited to meet you.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that. Would you like me to sign anything for you?”
“Yes please, that would be amazing. Oh my goodness, I would love that…”
Eventually I pull away and I make my way towards the exit, already planning what I’m going to eat when I get back to Mom’s place. If she’s really prepared, she’ll have something for me to eat, which is fab because I’m starving. Giving up life in The Puppeteers has made me ravishing.
“No, I need a ticket to LA, right now,” a woman shrieks. “You don’t understand. This is important. I can’t wait. This is something that I have to do right now. If I don’t go right now there’s no telling what will happen.”
I can’t help being attracted to the voice. My eyes scan that way automatically and there I see a sight which makes everything inside of me freeze. Or heat up, I’m not quite sure.
“Addie?” I ask, bemused. “Addie, what are you doing?”
“I’m trying to get to LA, but apparently there aren’t any… oh!” Finally, she clocks and she turns around to see me. “I suppose it doesn’t matter now that there aren’t any seats on the plane, because you are here.”
She was coming to see me. I absolutely have to take that as a good sign, don’t I? If she wants to speak to me then it means she doesn’t hate me anymore. That’s a good place for us both to begin.
“I’m here,” I reply with a smile. “So, you don’t need to go anywhere.”
She moves away from the desk, filling the woman who’s working behind the counter with relief, and she comes with me to the side of the room so we can have a chat in private. I’m painfully aware of her eyes all over me, she’s looking at me like she can’t quite believe that I’m back, and to be honest, I can’t either.
“So… I saw the press conference. That was interesting.”
“It’s a bit of a blur to be honest, I don’t think I was fully prepared for it.” Her face falls and I instantly realize my mistake. “Oh, not that I didn’t mean what I said, it was just a wild time.”
“And Callie wasn’t ever with you?”
I shake my head and laugh. “Never. I don’t even know her, she just wanted some fame.”
“I thought…” She chews on her bottom lip thoughtfully. “I thought you’d moved on quick.”
“Never. Not from you. And especially not after everything we went through together.”