I arrived in Toronto two days ago to assist Nicky with the stage setup and spend some time with him before everything got crazy. The Remnants and their staff are due to join us tomorrow, and I'm anxious for their arrival. I miss all my new friends, and I only made it harder on myself when I left for the break without saying goodbye. It wasn't until I had a clear head in Italy that I realized these people I'm with on the road are becoming like a second family to me.

Annoying as it is to share a room with Nicky, I'm glad that for this city we're together. We return from the stadium, order room service, and argue about what movie to watch on pay-per-view. Some things in life will never change. Nicky and I can still drive one another nuts with little effort, but the underlying fact remains—we love each other and always have the other's back.

We lie on our stomachs on my bed with plates of food in front of us, and the credits for the last movie roll.

"So, you went back to Italy, huh?" Nicky says, taking a large bite of his hamburger.

"Yeah, I just needed to clear my head and work through some stuff." I watch him from the corner of my eye, trying to gauge his reaction. We haven't broached the subject of Asher since I returned, and this moment is inevitable.

"Dad said that Nonna said you found out some stuff about Asher."

This is the usual train of communication in our family—everyone has a big mouth. There's no choice but to adapt to a secret-less bunch of overprotective relatives. Thankfully, I love them to the moon and back.

"Yeah, I'm a little pissed at you for not saying anything to me, but I also understand why you didn't."

Nicky looks down at his plate and says, "You know you would've gone on the defensive, A.J. I tried to show you some stuff, but you just refused to see it."

"I know." I take a bite of my chicken fingers, putting a halt to my frustration. "Did you know about Kade's sister?"

Nicky nods. "I heard about what happened to her, but I didn't know who Kade was exactly. I just knew it was some other musician's sister. Have you talked to Asher?"

I humorlessly chuckle. "I don't know what to say to him. For the past week, I've been so drained. I haven't had it in me to fight with him. Besides, it won't change anything. I'm done. There's no point in us being together if I can't trust him."

Nicky's face reddens, and he takes a deep breath. "Do you think he'll pull the contract from Dad for the next tour?"

"No, S.P.I. is too big of a name. It's only the best for Asher, and Dad is it. The company is safe."

"What did Kade say when you called him?" Nicky sets his plate to the side and faces me.

"He just answered my questions. He wanted to come and get me, but what the hell was he going to do with me once he got there? I was a complete mess, and honestly, it was good for me to stay in Italy and work through it by myself. I feel horrible for his sister. Asher is charming and relentless in getting what he wants. She didn't have a chance resisting him."

After a week of reflecting on everything, I was sure only one person was innocent in all of this—Georgia. Asher never told her that he had a girlfriend, and she was just as oblivious to the truth as I was. I honestly felt terrible for what she had gone through.

"You think it's going to be weird between you two now?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "Who?"

"Between you and Kade?"

I put down my fork and sigh. "We have been weird since the day we met. It won't be anything new."

"Well, you are kind of weird looking. I mean, with your super pale skin, short legs, and big head with a ton of hair," Nicky says with a smirk.

"Well, you have big teeth and a crooked nose, and you're a complete tool." I tilt my head to the side and flash a cheesy smile.

He takes a French fry and dips it in ketchup and throws it smack dab in the middle of my face. I pick it up off the bed and slather it in Ranch dressing and toss it back at him saying, "I hate you."

"Love you too, sis."

*****

Nicky, Pete, and I stand in the middle of the field watching the band's soundcheck. So far, everything has gone smoothly. We set up the stage ahead of schedule, and everything is in working order. The first concert of the North American leg of the tour will go down without a hitch.

When the soundcheck is over, we turn to go our separate ways until showtime. I'm halfway across the field heading into the stands when running footsteps come up behind me. Before I can turn, a hand reaches out for my upper arm. There's something about the way Kade touches me that is gentle, yet it has a strong electric force behind it. With the guilt of Asher out of the way, I can admit to myself that I like the way it feels.

"Can we talk for a bit?" he asks.

I nod, and we walk up the steps to the first tier of stadium seats. I keep my eyes on the road crew, putting the final touches on the stage.

Kade clears his throat and says, "Where were you last week when you called me?"

"I went back to the vineyard."

He nods and fidgets in his seat, rubbing the light stubble on his jaw.

I pick at my nails saying, "I couldn't get over what you said to me before I left. So, when they called the final boarding for my flight back to the U.S., I couldn't do it. I knew you were right, and I just needed to find the courage to want to know the truth."

"Were you all right when we hung up the phone?"

My drunken night in Italy isn't one of my most shining moments, but the sweetness of his tone persuades me to tell him everything. "I was a mess. I drank a whole bottle of liquor and spent several hours having quality time with the toilet. Nonna called me the next morning at the buttcrack of dawn and ordered me to cook breakfast for the vineyard guests."

"You should've let me come and get you. I would've been on the first flight out."

I believe him. And although it was good for me to spend time on my own, there's a part of me that wonders what would have happened if he was there with me. "I appreciate that, but Nonna made sure I didn't fall into some kind of pity party, and I got back to being me."

As hard as that first day was, Nonna was right. I had helped Camila and didn't have time to wallow in my sadness. The time I spent reflecting on what happened was minimal, so I had to use it wisely to regain my sanity and resolve my feelings. I didn't waste any of it.

"I told Georgia what you said."

My head whips in his direction and my heart beats fast. I don't want his sister to hate me, but if she does, I can understand. It's obvious he cares for her very much, and I fear if she has ill feelings toward me Kade will too. "And?" I urge him on.

"She said thank you."

I bury my face in my hands, holding back my tears. If my apology helps her heal in even the tiniest of ways, it will make everything I've gone through worth it. It will be the one good thing that comes out of the deceit and hurt between Asher and me.

"Hey, look at me," Kade says.

I lift my head a little and watch him from the corner of my eye. He hooks his finger under my chin, guiding me to face him. When he has me where he wants me, he doesn't move his hand but holds me in place. "I'm really sorry. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, and I'm sorry for not being upfront with you about what happened between Asher and me. Mostly, I'm sorry that someone you love hurt you so badly."

His words send me over the edge, and the tears break free. Times like this have become too much for me to handle—Kade's kind words, the knowledge of what Asher did, and me being blind to it for so long.

Kade pulls me in his arms and rubs my back in soothing circles. "Don't cry, Ari. I'm sorry I brought it up."

I swallow a few big breaths, pulling myself together, and move away.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

I look around the vast stadium. "This place is so big, and you don't know who's watching us."

He laughs and runs his hand through his hair. "He really messed you up. I don't care who sees us or even if they take a picture. We have millions of fans, and I can't live my life trying to make all of them happy. It's impossible. It would stop me from living my life the way I want and isolate the ones I love. I'll give Asher this: people are going to misinterpret things we do, but I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Unlike him, I'm not doing anything wrong."

Kade is right; the evidence against Asher is so substantial. No one could look at those pictures and deny what was happening between him and his female conquests. He thought I would never find out, or maybe he didn't care if I did. Either way, that he perceives me as being gullible infuriates me.

Kade places his arm around the back of my chair and pulls me to him until my head rests on his shoulder. We watch people scurrying around the stage, and for the first time since I was privy to Asher's lies, I have a sense of peace.