Chapter One
Katie
“You’re serious? Like serious, serious? You’re going to let me come on tour with you guys?” I refused to get my hopes up until I knew my dad wasn’t playing a cruel joke on me. Not that he was a cruel man by nature, but he was overprotective. And a sold-out rock tour? Not the place he’d normally let me hang out. My usual haunts were our house, my über-small private school…and that was about it.
“Your mom and I have been talking, and I know how badly you’ve been wanting to travel, spread your wings a bit…we thought this was the perfect compromise. We have a few dates here in the states, but then we’re headed to Europe.”
I put my hands on my hips, looking between my parents. “What about Kasen? Who is going to watch him?” My younger brother was fourteen and I doubted they’d think he was old enough to tour with our dad.
Mom answered, “I’m not joining the tour until Europe. Kasen has that baseball camp in Colorado starting next week. But when I leave, Uncle Pax will watch your brother.” My mom reached out and tugged on the ends of my hair. “You graduated at the top of your class and—”
“I go to a private school the size of my closet. The two other people in my graduating class don’t really count.”
“Nonetheless.” My mom rolled her eyes. “We know that we’re protective of you guys, and that things at the ranch can be stifling at times. We want to give you a chance to get out, see some of the world before you start college.”
College. I needed to have a long talk with my parents about college, and my plans for the future. But now certainly wasn’t the time. No need to cause an argument when they agreed to let me spend the summer off the ranch not sixty seconds ago. “Okay, wow, thank you.” I hugged them each. “Where is our first stop?”
“Austin.” My dad shrugged apologetically. “I know you’ve been a few times, but after Austin we’re headed to New York. And you haven’t seen New York since you were in junior high.”
And when they’d taken me to the Big Apple I’d been allowed to see the Statue of Liberty, Times Square (during the middle of the day), and the inside of our fancy hotel room.
My mom put her hands on my shoulder, turning me toward the hallway. “Go pack, Bug. You leave tomorrow.”
I skipped all the way to my room. Freedom was so close, relatively speaking of course. My dad would be too busy on tour to keep a constant eye on me. Right? And maybe he’d finally see that I was old enough to be on my own. To make my own decisions and take care of myself. Visions of walks on busy downtown streets and afternoons spent at random coffee shops filled my head.
I had friends, but not many. I didn’t date; it was slim pickins at my school. Plus, my life wasn’t exactly ordinary. My dad was really my brother, not in a backwoods kind of way though. My bio parents died the day I was born, and my brother swooped in to raise me. He and my mom, Payton. My dad (my brother) was a famous rock star; my bio dad was a famous actor. Mix all that with the tragedy surrounding my birth? My life was a made-for-TV movie. And the paparazzi had been brutal, for a long time. I knew my parents had striven to give Kasen and me a normal life, but in trying to shelter us from the scrutiny, they isolated us from the world.
I collapsed on my bed, staring at my ceiling. I understood my parents’ protectiveness, I did. And for the most part, I was fine with it. I didn’t complain; I went with the flow. But I was an adult now, and I didn’t only want to spread my wings, I wanted to fly. I wanted to soar all the way to UCLA. I’d applied and gotten accepted, two things that my parents weren’t aware of yet. I couldn’t really say why I picked Los Angeles for college. Maybe it was because my bio dad spent so much time in L.A.? Maybe it was because I figured I’d blend in more. In a town full of famous people? I doubted they’d care that Katie Cadence was an undergrad.
“Hey, loser. Heard you get to go on tour with the ‘rents.” My baby brother launched himself onto my bed, making us both bounce around. “You should pack your bags, and when you hit those Cali dates, casually mention you’re gonna stay.”
I sighed, turning to look at him. “You’re funny.”
“You’re going to have to tell them sometime, Katie.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, thumbs moving fast as he divided his attention between me and whichever kid he was texting with. He had more friends than I did. He’d started public school two years ago, which was something I’d never been given the option to do.
“I’m waiting for the right time.” I used my hand to push his phone down. “They worry so much, and I’ve never really been away from them before.”
“You don’t need their permission, you know that right? You’re eighteen, and your massive trust fund from Grandpa already kicked in.” He sat up, shaking his head. “You need to learn to stand up for what you want in life, Katie.”
“Who’s the older sibling here? Huh?” I ruffled his shaggy hair.
“You.” He got to his feet. “But I’m smarter.” He winked and then left my room, his face trained on his phone.
Kasen was my complete opposite in almost every way. He was loud, and funny, and uninhibited. He made life so much harder on our parents than I ever had, and he was only fourteen. He refused to be locked away and kept safe. He refused everything I quietly put up with. I knew he’d spend the next four years bucking the Cadence system, and then he’d be gone. Amsterdam or Fiji. Somewhere wild, and free, and fun.
I got up and pulled my rarely used suitcase out from under my bed. My dad was bringing me on tour, letting me see part of the world. That was a step in the right direction, and I’d take it.
***
“Knock, knock.”
I zipped my last bag and turned with my hands on my hips. My Uncle Paxton was leaning against my doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. “I thought you had a date tonight?”
“I do.” He looked down at his watch. “It doesn’t start for another hour or so.”
I snorted. “You know what Mom says about dates that start after nine o’clock.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He waved away her figurative concern. “But your mom is an old boring married lady, and I am a young vibrant bachelor.” My Uncle Pax had never been married, although he’d come close a time or two. My parents said they felt sad for him because he didn’t have anyone beside us. Kasen looked up to him, said he wanted to be a bachelor forever too. Me? I was somewhere in the middle. I wished Paxton would find love, find someone to grow the rest of the way to old with. But at the same time, I envied his freedom. “I came to tell you bye.” Freedom was in short supply around here.
I stepped into his embrace. “I think I’ll miss you the most, Scarecrow.” I felt his laughter and smiled when he moved me back to arm’s length.
“Smart ass.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m going on a glorified vacation with my parents for like four weeks, not to war.”
“Have fun, Bug.” He bent down to my level. “Run away from your dad, get a tattoo, get drunk. Live. Even if it’s for a few weeks, okay?”
“You’re the only person in my life that begs me to rebel, you know that?”
“You, my darling niece, were born with a wild heart and an old soul. But your parents didn’t let you use either.” He sent me a sad smile. “Your father has been terrified of losing you from the second you were born. You’re eighteen now, and it’s time to start living, kiddo.”
I nodded.
“Promise me, Katie.”
“I promise.”
He pulled me into another hug, squeezing me tightly.