They both chuckled and nodded before walking away. We were in some sort of warehouse looking place, and Ty led me to a room. When he opened the door, Zane was there.
“Where the fuck have you been? You have some fucking nerve leaving the night before a sold-out show.” Zane was on his feet and moving toward Ty. I was tucked behind him, my hand still clasped in his.
“I texted you that I’d be here, and I’m here. So kindly get the fuck out so I can get ready. And don’t forget to say hello to my fucking girlfriend. She’s not going anywhere, so get that out of your head,” Ty hissed. I’d never seen him so angry, and I was happy to see him standing up to Zane. I was fairly convinced that his manager was a complete bully. “Treat her right or you’ll be done, hear me?”
Zane glared at me. “It’ll never work. She won’t survive on the road.”
I huffed. Who the hell was this guy? Before Ty said more, I piped up.
“Um, excuse me. But she can hear you and my name is Ivy. And you don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he said.
“You are so fucking far out of line I can’t see straight. Get the fuck out of here and we’ll talk about this after the show,” Ty shouted, startling me.
Zane was completely unfazed. He studied Ty for a long moment before yanking the door open and slamming it behind him.
“Why is he so mad?” I asked.
“Because he’s losing control. I didn’t realize how much he had until I took a step back. Things are changing. He can either get on board or he can leave.”
I bit my bottom lip and let go of his hand as I looked around the room. “Wow. You’ve got a couch area with drinks and a fruit basket.”
He chuckled as someone burst through the door. Jo walked in with Rayne right behind her and she beelined toward me and hugged me tight.
“Thank God this dufus woke up and chased you down.”
I laughed. “There was no chasing. He just knocked on the door.”
Rayne and Jo both burst out in hysterics. “See, baby. I told you. Ivy’s a hoot. She’s the real deal,” Jo said to her girlfriend.
“I’m happy to finally meet you in person. We just saw the tyrant storm out of here. It’s good to know I’m not the only one he hates,” Rayne said, and I smiled at her. She had a blonde pixie cut and was absolutely adorable. They looked like fire and sunshine together. Jo had black hair and her eyes were lined in charcoal.
“He’s definitely not happy I’m here.” I shrugged.
“He’ll get over it. It’s time we just start living our lives,” Ty said.
“Says the guy whose name is the name of our band. I don’t hold the same clout as you, and Zane has made that clear. I’m replaceable, Ty. I need to play it smart.” Jo grabbed an apple out of the basket and took a bite. I realized in that moment that Ty had the weight of the world on his shoulders. The band was his name. He wrote the music, he was the lead singer, and he drew the crowd. And a lot of people depended on that.
“Fuck that. He can’t fire you without me agreeing to it and that will never happen.” Ty wrapped his arms around my waist, his chest to my back, and he rested his chin on my shoulder.
“Let’s just try to keep the peace until we get the tour schedule inked out, okay?” Jo said, and Rayne rubbed her arm and winked at me.
“Will we get to sit together during the show?” I asked.
“Yeah. I sit off to the side so no one sees me.” Rayne shrugged and I didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. Ty had filled me in on their history. Jo did not think her parents would be supportive of her dating Rayne, and it had become a bone of contention for them which broke my heart. Zane’s desire to keep their relationship under wraps didn’t help the situation. But Ty, Zack, and Smith were very supportive and encouraged them to stop hiding.
“Sorry, baby,” Jo said as she kissed her forehead. “I’m going to tell them soon and then we’ll tell Zane to fuck off, okay?”
Rayne smiled, but she didn’t look convinced.
“Man, oh man. Zane is a pissed-off motherfucker right now,” Smith said over his laughter, before beelining to me and picking me up off the ground and spinning me around. “I’m happy you’re here, girl.”
He set me back down and Zack wrapped his arms around me. “Finally going to see a show, huh?”
“I’m excited,” I said, as a man I’d never seen before opened the door and peeked his head in.
“Five minutes, guys. It’s showtime. And we’ve got a rowdy crowd out there tonight,” he said.
“Let’s do this,” Zack yelled before moving to the door.
“If you get overwhelmed, you can always come in here and take a break. Otherwise, stay with Rayne, okay?”
“I’ll take good care of her. Break a leg,” she said as she followed Jo out the door.
Ty took my hand in his as we followed the group down a long hallway. Zane was standing there, and he pointed to the two barstools off to the side. I guess that was his peace offering for being such a jerk to me a few minutes earlier.
Ty walked me over to the barstool and kissed me hard before jogging out onstage with the band in tow.
The deafening sound of the crowd startled me.
“You’ll get used to it,” Rayne said, hopping up on the stool beside me.
She filled me in on all that would happen over the next three hours. We’d see them a few times when they took breaks. We’d listen to music and watch the show. When they finished, she warned me that she and I would be taken out separately to a different car from the band. She said the crowd was always more aggressive after the shows.
When Ty spoke into the microphone, my stomach dipped. “How’s everyone doing tonight?”
I fought back the tears as I moved to my feet and stepped a little closer. The stadium was packed. I knew it was a sold-out show, but seeing this—seeing him standing up there in front of all these people—I’d never been so proud.
He owned the stage.
I already knew he owned my heart, but seeing him shine like this was a lot to take in.
But I was here for it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ty
“Tune out all the noise and follow your heart.” Addy, 12th grade
The crowd was singing along to every song we played tonight. They cheered and they screamed, and they reminded me why I loved making music. All the other stuff, the pressure from the label, the resistance with Zane, none of that mattered to me. I just wanted to make good music.