It wasn’t much, but it was better than the alternative. Of this being over. I couldn’t go there. So I was grasping at straws. I’d promised I’d be back for Maura and Crew’s wedding, but that was several months away.
My goal was to meet with the label and make some major changes moving forward. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but if I could work it where we cut back the tour schedule, that would allow for long breaks in between.
Would that be enough? I doubted it. But it wouldn’t stop me from trying.
“Okay.” She turned around so she was facing me and each of my hands went to the counter beside her, caging her in. “Just remember that you call the shots, Ty. I know Zane is working on the schedule and you’ve asked him to cut things back, but you can demand it. You’re the guy who draws the crowd.”
“You always were smarter than me.” I chuckled. “I told him that I want to sit down with him when he meets with the label to discuss all things moving forward. Things are changing, Ive.”
I wanted to tell her right then and there that I could give her everything she wanted, but it wasn’t even possible at this point. We had a show tomorrow. The rat race was just getting started. We’d be burning the candle at both ends as soon as we left Willow Springs.
The doorbell rang and she tensed in my arms. I tipped her head back and kissed her hard.
Tears streamed down her pretty face. “Take care, Ty.”
“Don’t do that, Ive. Don’t make this final. Come to a show next month. I’ll fly you out on the plane, you’ll barely miss work.” I couldn’t get over how desperate I sounded. I didn’t recognize my own voice.
She shook her head frantically. “Let’s see how things go. No promises.”
I nodded and looked over my shoulder as someone pounded on the door.
“Poison Ivy, open that door so I can give you a big ol’ hug,” Jo shouted through the door. “Zane’s having a conniption that we need to get to the hangar.”
Ivy moved out of my arms as if she couldn’t handle being there for one more second. I wondered how long I could hold on to her. Would she go back to hating me again? She’d told me many times that hating me was a lot easier than loving me. I guess we were about to find out if that were true.
She swiped at her cheeks, took a deep breath and then pulled the door open.
“Hey, Jo.” She wrapped her arms around my bandmate just as Zack and Smith came jogging up her steps. Zane was staring at us through the window from the back of the car.
Ivy hugged each of them and they all glanced at me before waving and jogging back to the car.
Jo turned around before she got in. “I’m going to be texting you all the time, and I expect to see you at a show.”
Ivy smiled and waved. The tears were streaming down her face once again.
“I’ll call you later, okay?” I said, using my thumbs to clear the liquid beneath her eyes. This wasn’t supposed to hurt this much. We were going to take things one day at a time, but she was acting like this was goodbye and that didn’t sit well with me.
“Don’t make promises that you can’t keep, Ty.”
“I’ll call you. You can count on it.” I leaned down and kissed her once more as Zane rolled down the window and shouted at me.
“Dude. Time is money. The pilot is waiting.”
Ivy rolled her eyes as she pulled back. “God, I hate that guy,” she whispered.
I chuckled. “Love you, Ive. Always have. Always will.”
She cocked her head to the side and her bottom lip quivered. “Love you, Ty.”
I kissed her cheek one last time before jogging down the steps. A car pulled up to the curb and Coco, Addy, Gigi, and Maura piled out of the car. I’d already said my goodbye to Jett yesterday as he and Talia had hung out with me at the studio most of the day.
I knew they were here for my girl. They always were.
“I hope to see you soon,” Addy said as she threw her arms around my neck and squeezed me tight.
“Me too.” I smiled at her as she ran toward Ivy on the front porch.
“I expect to see you at that wedding, country star.” Maura kissed my cheek and I chuckled.
“I’m going to try real hard to be there.”
“Don’t let another five years go by, Ty. It’s been so good to see you.” And now it was Gigi’s eyes watering. We’d all been so close for so long and being back home had shown me that time and distance didn’t mean a damn thing. I still loved them all like they were family.
Because they were.
I nodded and she swiped at her tears before walking toward her friends on the porch.
“Ty Greene,” Coco said, as she reached for my hands. “You’re a fool, you know that, right?”
I chuckled. “I’m more than aware.”
“Hey, as much as we all love this sweet goodbye, there are people waiting for us to fly the fuck out of here,” Zane hissed.
“You really are a turd-licker, aren’t you?” Coco shouted at my manager before flipping him the bird and I barked out a laugh.
“Take care of her,” I said.
“Always. Take care of you.” She let go of my hands and kissed my cheek before stepping away.
When I slipped in the car, I looked back to see them all walking inside the house, and Ivy’s shoulders were quaking. But I knew she’d be okay. Her girls would make sure of it.
“How’s that nonexistent heart of yours doing?” Jo whispered, so only I could hear as Zane called out orders to Gerard about getting to the hangar quickly. Zack and Smith had their heads buried in their phones.
“It’ll be fine. We’re just going to take it one day at a time and see how it works with me on the road.”
“Spoken like a true turd-licker,” Jo said with a brow raised.
I slipped on my headphones and closed my eyes.
Saying goodbye to Ivy, even for a short time, was harder than I’d expected.
Forty-eight hours.
Forty-eight fucking hours of absolute hell. I hadn’t slept. I’d barely eaten. I had no desire to drink. I was a fucking miserable, sad sack, according to Jo, and it was all my fault.
I’d called Ivy several times, but it wasn’t enough. Not even fucking close. We’d talked several times, squeezing in moments between shows.
I missed her laugh. I missed her smile. I missed those green eyes.
I missed everything about her.