It has been over a week since my run-in with Asher, and Nicky and Kade have gone above and beyond to make sure I'm always busy—work, sightseeing, and stolen moments on tour buses. Their plan to distract me has paid off, I'm so exhausted by the end of the day, I hit the pillow, think about Kade, and I'm out.

We arrive in Nashville, Tennessee in the early morning hours, and I'm back in a room with Nicky. He arrived at the hotel the day before and is still asleep as I sneak into our room. I place my bags on the floor, climb into my bed, and sleep until Nicky dropping something on the floor wakes me.

This is the first time we've said more than just hi and bye since the incident with Asher.

"I'm awake, Nicky. You can turn on the light."

"Sorry," he says, flipping on the bedside lamp. He sits down on the edge of my mattress and examines my face. The bruise on my cheek has faded to a yellowish splotch easily concealed by makeup. "How are you doing?" he asks, running his thumb over the sore.

"I'm fine. So, you told Dad, huh?" I've been dying to ask him about the conversation with our father.

He rubs the scruff on his face. "I kind of had to. Don't worry, he was pissed at me for letting you stay in a room by yourself."

"Sorry I have to cockblock you, big brother." I don't mean it; I get a strange joy knowing my brother can't mess around when we're sharing a room. It's the kind of happiness a sister gets knowing she is harmlessly contributing to her sibling's misery.

Ruffling the top of my head, he stands. "I don't need a hotel room to get some, but it's sweet that you worry about my sex life."

"Sick, Nicky." I crinkle my nose and he smirks. It's sibling rivalry at its best.

"If you go anywhere today, shoot me a text, so I know where you are."

"Yes, Dad," I say as he walks out the door and gives me our standard salute goodbye—a middle finger.

I spend the early morning hours hanging out in my room. Room service delivers my breakfast to me, and I veg out in front of the television watching morning talk shows. Just before noon, my cell phone beeps with a text message.

Kade: Put on your swimsuit and meet me in the lobby in 20. We're leaving the hotel.

Me: K

Twenty-five minutes later, I meander into the lobby in a bikini hidden under a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a tank top. Kade, Eagin, and Ridley greet me before we exit the back door of the hotel with a member of security and file into a waiting SUV.

The band carries on a conversation while I sit back and take it all in. It's interesting to watch them interact. They talk about family, work and just plain stupid stuff with the occasional jab at one another. They've become the next best thing to spending time with my family.

Kade sits beside me, his hand over mine in the middle of the seat. His thumb draws lazy circles against my knuckles, releasing butterflies in my stomach.

The SUV pulls off the highway and drives down a tree-lined dirt road. The further back we go, the thicker and greener the foliage gets. We stop at a dead-end, everyone gets out, and we hike along a small trail. The sun beams down on us from the clear blue sky; its hot rays make my skin bead with sweat, and my stride slows. As I question what we are doing, the sound of running water fills the quiet forest. I peek around the bodies in front of me and spot a pool of the clearest water—the perfect picture of a swimming hole along the back roads of Tennessee.

"Are you ready to swim?" Kade asks.

I walk forward, pull off my shoes, and hang my shorts and shirt on a nearby bush. Carefully, I wade out into the water. It's freezing at first, but feels nice against my hot skin. When I'm in the center of the river, I turn around to look back at my friends. Ridley and Eagin are undressing, and Kade is walking toward me.

I dive under the water and swim to meet him. When I break the surface just short of reaching him, I spring my hands out of the water, sending a splash his way.

"I bet you think you're pretty funny." He rubs the water from his face.

"I have my moments," I say, backing up as he jumps forward to close the distance between us. He grabs me by my waist and flings me into the air, sending me splashing back into the river. Laughter permeates the quiet wooded area as our water war ensues.

Kade dives under, and I ready myself for his next move, locating an area where I can have the advantage over him. I glance down the river, and a tall oak tree catches my eye. Its sturdy branches hang over the pool and a rope swings back and forth from a limb. I abandon our water war and swim to take a closer look. I've always wanted to swing off a rope into the water.

"Kade," I call, but there is no response. I look behind me, finding only Ridley and Eagin.

"Kade?" Still, there's no sign of him.

My heart rate picks up; I don't see him anywhere. The water flows at a slow pace and is not strong enough to pull him down, but he could've gotten tangled in something.

I swim back to where I last saw him and yell his name again. In a pure panic, I dive under the surface—pictures of his limp body with blue lips fill my mind. What if I'm not strong enough and can't get him up for air in time? I should have said something to the others before I swam down.

Vigorously kicking and stroking my arms, I search the area for him. I fight against resurfacing until my lungs are on fire, begging for air. I come back up and inhale as much fresh air as I can, and tears fill my eyes.