The Mighty Storm (The Storm 1)

“I haven’t eaten.”

“Cool. So what do you fancy – in or out?”

His eyes linger on mine again. A shiver erupts deep inside me.

“In,” he finally says. His voice sounds a little gruff, I notice. “We can order up room service and watch TV.”

“Sounds perfect,” I smile, as Jake reaches for the TV remote handing it to me, he picks up the room service menu and I climb onto the sofa beside him.

It’s 7am and I’m in the car with Jake going to the airport to collect my folks. I’m practically bouncing around in my seat with excitement. It’s been nearly two months since I last saw them.

“You look like you’ve got ants in your pants,” Jake chuckles.

“Sorry! I’m just really looking forward to seeing them,” I beam. “And my dad is gonna be so stoked to see that you’ve come to pick them up with me.”

“He won’t be,” he slides me an amused glance.

“Yes he will. He always thought of you as the son he never had and I know he’s looking forward to seeing you again.”

Stopping at the lights, Jake looks across at me. This look intense, meaningful. “Billy didn’t need a son, Tru. He got everything in you.”

I gulp down.

“But he was the closest thing I ever had to a dad,” he adds.

Without thinking, I reach over and caress his cheek lovingly.

Jake looks at me surprised, instantly tensing under my touch.

Coming to, I take my hand back, my cheeks heating. I sit face forward. My heart is pumping hard in my chest.

I can’t believe I just did that.

We’re silent for a moment. And I’m sitting here squirming in my seat at the act of intimacy I just showed to Jake.

“Tru…,” he begins, voice soft.

A horn beeps behind us making me jump, and I look up to see the light is on green. Jake shifts the car into drive, never finishing his sentence.

Jake pulls the car up into a waiting bay outside the airport, and I climb out to go and meet my folks.

Walking into the airport, I check the board for arrivals. Seeing their flight has already landed, I head straight over to the arrivals gate.

I’m only waiting five minutes when I see the familiar faces of my mum and dad.

“Daddy!” I cry out, jogging over to him, I launch myself into his arms.

“Hey, baby girl.” He squeezes me tightly.

I feel a sudden lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes.

“Mama,” I smile hugging her.

“My beautiful girl,” she says taking my face into her hands, she kisses my cheek. “You look well … happy.”

“I am happy, because you both are here.” I put my arm through hers; resting my head against her shoulder we start to walk, following my dad pulling their case along.

“The car is just over there, dad.” I point to the left at Jake’s rented Mercedes.

My dad turns back, eyebrow raised. “You’re driving a Merc?”

“Not me silly,” I giggle. “I got a ride here.”

I was going to tell them Jake was in the car, but I think it will be a nice surprise for my dad when he sees him.

We approach the car and I pop the boot. My dad lifts the suitcase into it.

My dad goes for the backseat door, but I say, “Sit up front. I’ll sit in the back with mama.”

Giving me a funny look, he opens the door and climbs in, and I get in the backseat with my mum.

“Hey, Billy,” Jake says to him.

“Jake, my boy!” my dad exclaims and pulls Jake in a manly hug.

Jake looks a little taken aback, but really he shouldn’t be surprised, my dad has always been a huggy kind of guy.

Jake looks back at us. “Hi, Eva,” he says to my mum. He sounds nervous.

“Hi, Jake,” she nods, smiling lightly.

I can tell he’s wary with my mum.

She’s a no nonsense kind of person, says it how she sees it, and I know he’s worried what she will think of his antics over the years.

Funny, he’s this rich, famous man, but my mum can make him feel like a misbehaving teenager again.

As we travel back, my dad talks away in the front with Jake, of course about the show tonight, and I talk with my mum about what I’ve been doing since I came on the tour.

When we get back to the hotel, Jake has to go, as he needs to head over to the stadium to prepare for tonight’s show. So I get my mum and dad settled in their suite.

They’re staying in Stuart’s suite, and he’s moved into Jake’s for the two days that they are here.

The hotel didn’t have any other available suites, and Jake wouldn’t have my mum and dad staying in just any old room, which was sweet. I offered to give mine up for them, but he wouldn’t have that either, then Stuart said he would crash in Jake’s suite, as it’s got two bedrooms anyway, and he’d let my parents stay in his suite, which Jake agreed to.

Once they’re all settled, we head down to have breakfast together in the hotel. While we’re eating Jake calls me on my phone and asks if my dad would like to go down to the stadium to watch rehearsals.

My dad’s face nearly splits in two when I relay it to him.

One glance at my mum and she nods her ascent, so my dad heartily agrees. He will be in his absolute element there with the guys.

Jake tells me he’s going to send Dave to come and pick dad up in thirty minutes, so we finish up our breakfast, and Dave turns up as expected for my dad.

Kissing both me and mum, dad heads off to the stadium.

“So what do you want to do today, mama?” I ask. “Go to the beach or shopping?”

“Shopping,” she grins.

We get our bags from our suites, then head out into Barcelona for the day.

I love shopping with my mum. She has a really eclectic taste in clothes, that’s where I get my fashion sense from.

We stumble across this little boutique that sells the most amazing clothes and shoes. And I instantly zone on these Black colour block high heeled, strappy sandals, with white and orange bars going across the toe area.

I buy them, and a black and orange two in one waisted prom dress with asymmetric straps to go with my beautiful new shoes.

I decide not to wear them tonight as it’s really hot in Barcelona today, and it will be even hotter at the stadium tonight so I buy a cute little strappy, black and white feather print playsuit. It has this gorgeous pink fabric belt, which will go perfectly with my pink kitten heels I have back at the hotel.

My mum buys quite a few items as well, and insists on paying for my things too. I protest, but not for too long, as I am squeezing on the old Visa a lot nowadays.

We are out most of the day shopping, and arrive back loaded with bags. I leave my mum at her suite and head to mine to call Will, as I haven’t spoke to him all day.

I’m just finishing up on the phone with him, when there’s a knock at my door.

I answer it to a happy looking Jake.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says kissing my cheek, he walks into my room.

“Hey, yourself,” I say closing the door, still coming down from his kiss. “You had a good day?”

He nods, smiling, sitting on the arm of the sofa. “Yep, your dad came up with these ideas for tonight’s show, some riffs … ah they work perfect, Tru. I forgot how fuckin’ awesome that man is with a guitar in his hands.”

“He’s kind of awesome all the time,” I say smiling at his enthusiasm, sitting on the seat opposite him, I tuck my legs under my bum.

“You had a good day?” He indicates to my pile of shopping bags.

“Yep, mama took me shopping,” I grin.

“Any sexy underwear in there?” He lifts his chin in the direction of my bags.

I shake my head, rolling my eyes at him. “Big brother one minute, perv the next,” I chuckle.

He laughs, getting to his feet. “Okay, well I just came to tell you we’re going out for an early dinner tonight with your folks, so you’ve got half an hour to get ready.”

“We are?” I say getting to my feet following him to the door. “And who’s idea was that?”

“Mine of course,” he smiles, then giving me another swift kiss on the cheek, he’s gone.

I get a quick shower, not washing my hair, I decide to tie it up off my neck because of the heat, so I put it up into a loose chignon, leaving some loose strand around my face. I put my new playsuit on with my little heels, a spritz of Chanel and I’m out the door, heading to my mum and dad’s suite.

Jake’s already there when I arrive, so we all head out to dinner, with Dave driving us.

Jake’s reserved a table at a swanky restaurant called Arola, which is situated on the second floor of the equally swanky Hotel Arts.

The waiter shows us to a table out on the terrace. The restaurant is beautiful, very modern and very expensive looking. It has these billowing sail like shades, fitted out above each table, to shade the fading Spanish sun.

Dinner is awesome, my dad is in top form, talking away about the rehearsals today, and how awesome a musician Jake is. Jake is naturally embarrassed and waves his compliments off.

But my dad is having none of it. He is totally in his element talking music. I love seeing my dad like this.

After dinner is done, and Jake and my dad argue about who will pay the bill; Jake wins of course on the press that they are there as his guests, Dave drives us straight to the stadium for the show.

Leaving Jake backstage, we head out to our seats up front.

The show is, as expected, amazing, and I have the best time here with my mum and dad. It’s so great being here with them, watching Jake. It makes me feel a little nostalgic.

After the show is done, we three head backstage to meet back up with Jake. There’s no big after show party tonight, the guys have just hired out of the VIP area in Barcelona’s most exclusive club, Elephant. There is just the band, some of the roadie staff, and me and my mum and dad here. Stuart hasn’t come tonight, he said he had some work to tend to after the show so he headed straight back to the hotel.

Jake’s hardly left my side since we arrived. And I know it’s a weird thing to say, but it almost feels like we’re a couple tonight, the way he’s being so attentive to me, even though we are clearly not and never will be. I know Jake doesn’t see me that way, his reaction to me touching his face, amongst other things proved that to me. And of course I’m with Will.

Jake leaves our table to go to the bathroom, leaving me and mum alone. My dad is over at the bar talking to Smith and Denny.

“That boy has got feelings for you,” my mum says nodding in the direction of Jakes retreating back.

“No, él no tiene. No seas tonto, mama,” I say speaking in Spanish to her.

I said, ‘No, he hasn't. Don't be silly, mama.’

I’m taking in Spanish to her as I don’t want this conversation to be aired in English.

Speaking back in Spanish, she says, “He has. I’ve been watching him, watching you all night. Jake has barely taken his eyes off you. He clearly has feelings for you, but then he did when he was younger.”

“No, he didn’t,” I brush her off. “And he hasn’t now.”