Point Of View 2 [*Do not read until you've read the same chapter of ATW]

Chapters 162 & 163 Return To Me/ The Suffocating Silence

Hearing it out loud, feeling the realness of it, everyone's mood lifts a little more.

"I ordered extra food knowing you." I point to Jonah and tease. '

This is finally happening. We are FINALLY going back on tour!

****

When Ren pulls up we all pile in to the large SUV. Jonah, Casey and Evan take the far back and Nate and I will take the middle row. But to my surprise, When I swing open the door of the SUV, there's one other person already sitting in it.

"Mila!" I exclaim, caught off guard. "I didn't realize you were riding up with us. How are you?" 

I try to be welcoming towards the girl but in the back of my head I'm thinking - Nate is going to have a fit- 

"Si, yes..um... Management changed plans. I picked up first.  Is ok??"

"Of course it is. I get it, believe me. Management is always fucking around with everyone's schedules." I say as we all pile into the car and begin driving off. " Are you excited for tour?"

"Si!" Mila clasps her hands together with excitement. We make small talk for a little while before Ren pulls around the Avalon building to pick up Nate.

"Okay, we'll just be a few minutes...just saying our goodbyes. Stay here."
There is no way I'm making Mila go into Julia's apartment. Jonah and Casey exchange looks before nodding in agreement. Mila understands and pulls out her phone to keep her busy.

A knot in my stomach forms once we are inside and it hits me,  we are going on on tour, without Paul.  Casey and James quickly going into the room to see James. while Paul hides behind his newspaper.

"Hey, sexy." I pull the paper away from the bodyguard and sit down next to him sit the kitchen table. "Guess this is it. You sure we can't change your mind to join us?"

"And leave Julia and James behind? Not happening, Banks." Paul smirks over at me. "Besides, you guys have Evan. He's good, Trish. Real good."

"I know." I sigh. Paul is right. Evan is sharp. Always ahead of the game, just like Paul. The guy practically has a photographic memory, some genius-level recall, like he could recite Webster's Dictionary cover to cover if he felt like it. And, let's be honest, he's easy on the eyes. But so is Paul.

I'm still nursing a bit of bitterness over Paul, though, how he shut me out after confessing his love for Julia... While he was dating me. We never really talked it through.

"Are we good, Trish?" Paul bringing it up first catches me off guard. For a moment, I just stare, thrown by the unexpected shift.

"Yeah, old man. We're good." I smile. Paul stands as I do and pulls me into a hug. I melt into him as always, a twinge of lust tightening in my stomach. We were good together. But if Paul is in love with Moretti, there's no point in trying to rekindle things.

But we'll always be good. I grew up with this man. From the time I was 18 years old, trying to wrangle Nate the way management expected, to now, Paul has been a constant presence for all of us. A bit of drama with Julia isn't enough to shake that. And over the last year, he's taken care of me, protected me, stood by me when I was at my worst. I owe him more than I can ever say. Respect isn't even the right word for it. It's deeper than that.

Because somehow, through it all, he put up with me. Me AND Nate. And that's a lot to put up with.

I feel Paul take in a deep breath and rest his chin on my head. I imagine him closing his eyes and breathing in my scent like I do to him "Make sure Nate behaves."