UNBROKEN (Friends, Lovers, or Nothing Book 5)

by Jackie Chanel

  They’ve sat in on every rehearsal and had the greatest critiques for every performer. And I’m not talking run-of-the-mill artists. Cash’s team put together a stellar line up of artists, comedians, and tons of other celebrities that people would pay big bucks to see all in one building. Michaela and Summer had no qualms about telling them what they were doing wrong. With so many of my peers in attendance and so much riding on this for Cash, Team Aiden had to be on point from start to finish.

  For an hour, Spence and I went over the short set list to make sure we had a list of everything needed for each song. I only keep a small amount of equipment actually inside my house or on my property because the last thing I need is equipment trucks backing into my driveway every time I have a show. Spence keeps all of my equipment in a storage facility and oversees its security and upkeep. Spence is more than just my guitar tech; he’s a Godsend. He left to go the venue and get set up for soundcheck, taking two of the three guitars I planned to use with him.

  Dee-Dee stayed with me. That guitar doesn’t travel with anyone except me. Even when I’m on tour, she’s on the bus with me. I lost her once when my dad took her. I’ll never take my eyes off her again. Dee-Dee made me famous. Everyone, from family to fans, respects her and treats her like a sacred artifact...or princess.

  After making sure Mona had hair, makeup, and wardrobe in order for my mom and sisters, I left without saying goodbye and drove to Sunny’s. Our houses are only ten miles apart but sometimes it feels like we live in two different worlds. How can two people who love each other so much be so far apart on every level? It’s baffling.

  Sunny wasn’t in her usual space on the sunroom couch when I entered, but I found Peaches in the kitchen, her usual spot.

  “Hey, Peaches,” I greeted her with a hug and a kiss.

  “Hey to you too. What are you doing here? I thought you had soundcheck.”

  “I do. I’m on my way. I just wanted to drop off your tickets. Who’s staying here with Sunny?”

  Peaches shook her head. “Sunny’s coming.”

  “No. No, she’s not.”

  “Yes she is, Aiden. She’s been cooped up in this house for a week. She needs to get out. She wants to see you play.”

  “The show is live on VH-1. She can watch from home.”

  “No, she can’t,” Peaches frowned. “We’re all coming to the show tonight. Your fiancée is going to walk the red carpet with you at Microsoft Theater, and the two of you are not going to fight about it. This is not up for discussion.”

  “Where is Sunny?”

  “Upstairs resting before her hair and makeup people get here.”

  I rolled my eyes and walked out of the kitchen. I have this thing about not letting anything bother me anymore before a show. My band notices when I do. My fans also notice, and they don’t deserve that. Common sense was sitting on my shoulder screaming at me to go out to my car and head to soundcheck. But my heart was telling me to go upstairs and see my girl. Of course, I listened to the wrong one like I usually do.

  Thick white cotton sheets–the only kind of sheets Sunny owns–moved with each breath Sunny took. I stood in the doorway watching the sheets move over her growing belly. The urge to feel my daughter moving around inside of her mother compelled me to move to the bed and sit down. I placed my hand on her belly and waited until Winter started moving. She always moves when someone touches Sunny’s stomach. She’s already an attention seeker. Sunny moved first though. Her eyes fluttered open as she rolled from her side to over onto her back.

  “Hey, baby.” She cleared her throat and repeated her greeting.

  “Hey,” was my dry response.

  Sunny chuckled under her breath and pulled the sheet further up her chest. “You’re still mad, I assume.”

  “You know what they say about assuming things.”

  “So you’re not mad?”

  “I’m pissed but whatever. So, you’re coming to the benefit tonight?”

  “Yes. How would it look if I’m not in the audience with you at an event so close to Christmas? I can only imagine what the media would say.”

  “You worry too much about what other people think.”

  “What are you wearing on stage and on the red carpet?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Mona hired Shane to figure that out. I’m sure he has my clothes under control.”

  “You haven’t seen your outfits? You haven’t had a fitting?” Sunny pulled herself into a sitting position. She was furious. Of all the things to be mad about, she chooses clothes this time.

  “I can’t believe Mona hired him! I may not be working but Delilah, Kirk, and Candace are. You should have just called your sister!”

  “Sunny, please calm down. I don’t care about what I end up wearing tonight.” I grinned and kissed Sunny’s cheek. “You know me. I’m gonna look good in anything.”

  “You’re so cocky.” But she was smiling.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  “I’m okay. You ain’t slick, Aiden. Mama told me you be callin’ to check on me. I know you’re mad but you still care.”

  “I’m never going to stop caring about you.”

  “Are we ever going to talk about what happened?” Sunny asked. I just shook my head.

  “There’s nothing to talk about. It’s almost Christmas. And you only have four weeks of this.” I swept my hand over the bed. “We just gotta move on and get ready for the baby. Winter is coming.”

  I couldn’t resist and Sunny couldn’t control her laughter. She held her stomach and squeezed her legs shut. It was the first time I heard her laugh in weeks. Her laugh was a beautiful sound, something that I never want to stop hearing again.

  “How...how long have you been waiting to say that?” she stammered through her laughter.

  “For a few days. It’s the baby shower theme.”

  “No, it’s not!”

  “For real. Dee-Lee, Sara, and I already decided.”

  Despite the weariness in her eyes, Sunny’s genuine smile still set my heart on fire. She carefully moved to the middle of the bed and patted the space next to her. I scooted up on the bed so that I was sitting right next to her. Sunny leaned her head on my shoulder and put her hands over mine. Winter was moving, letting us know that she wanted to be a part of our conversation too.

  “I’ve missed you, Aiden,” Sunny murmured so quietly that I barely heard her. “Can you stay and get dressed here?”

  “I was on my way to soundcheck.”

  Sunny was quiet then I heard her sniffle. I turned my head and her eyes were swimming with tears. Pregnancy emotions are a thousand times worse than dealing with any other emotion.

  “Why the tears?”

  “Because I need to hear you say that you forgive me. I need you to be here with me and not be mad.”

  That wasn’t going to happen. But that meant she’d just put me in an awkward situation. I’m tired of pretending that everything is okay with this woman, but I can’t fight it out with her right now. Holding that grudge for another month and a half would be counterproductive because our child would be here. The reason for my anger would no longer be valid once I was holding my newborn daughter in my arms. But I can’t take Sunny’s tears, pregnancy tears or not.

  “I missed you too, babe. Don’t cry; we’re fine. Look, come with me to soundcheck then we’ll grab something to eat before we come back here to get ready.”

  That cheered her up right away. Sunny wiped her eyes and slid out of bed. She refused to buy casual maternity shirts so her dresser drawers were full of my t-shirts and hoodies. Even at six and a half months pregnant, she was swimming in them. She was already dressed in an old Chicago Bulls hoodie and black leggings so she slid a pair of UGG boots on over her leggings and was ready to go. It was the first time in all the years that I’ve known her that she was ready to leave the house in less than an hour.

  “Peaches!” I called as we walked towards the front door. “Sunny’s coming with me!”<
br />
  “Okay. Be careful with my baby! No paparazzi!”

  “Yeah right. Like I got any control over that!”

  Hand in hand, Sunny and I got into my Range Rover. She had stars in her eyes like she was going on a field trip.

  ***

  The rest of the day was smooth sailing without any more emotional breakdowns from Sunny. Soundcheck was perfect and Mona managed to change the dressing location from my house to Sunny’s without too many issues, a move that included wardrobe, hair, and makeup for Mom, Sara, and Delilah.

  This is a big event and I wanted to share the spotlight with my mom, especially. She’s never walked a red carpet with me. Neither has Sara. In order to get a real understanding of my life in Hollywood, they needed to see me as the rest of the world sees me.

  We rolled up the Microsoft Theater over twenty deep in three Sprinters. Sunny looked amazing...so beautiful. She hasn’t attended many events lately so seeing her 100% glammed up blew me away. Whatever makeup she was wearing had her face glowing and her eyes sparkling. She looked in her element, like walking the red carpet with me by her side was right where she was supposed to be. This was also the first time that Sunny, Summer, and I walked a red carpet together since we announced our engagement and pregnancy. The media ate it up, especially since I pretty much turned Cash’s red carpet into a family affair. Everyone with me was wearing a shirt that said “Kick Cancer’s Ass” except the kids. Roxy vetoed that idea so Cash and I had ass replaced with butt.

  “Aiden!” Michaela ran up to me wearing a bright pink tutu, her black Cancer shirt, and a flower headband on her head. Michaela’s hair was just starting to grow back from the chemo but she looked so pretty. “I just saw Rihanna!”

  “Did you?” I laughed. “Are you sure it was her?”

  “Yes! She’s so pretty. I want Summer to meet her.”

  “Daddy!” Summer pleaded. “Can I go? Pleeeaaassseeeeeee!”

  I looked down the carpet where Rihanna and her small group of friends were taking pictures. They were about ten feet away so I allowed Summer to go running off with her friend. Security was everywhere anyway, plus we had our own security with us who started walking slowly behind the girls without me even having to say anything.

  Cash, Savannah, Sunny, and I took some pictures together then our groups had to separate. Artists went backstage while our families found their seats in the theater. It was showtime.

  ***

  “Sunny!” I yelled into the sunroom. “Pastor Hodges is here! Come in here!”

  After the holidays, life was finally starting to settle down again. Even Christmas and New Years weren’t as crazy as they’ve been known to be in the past. Peaches and the rest of Sunny’s bodyguards went back to Atlanta, leaving me to make sure she followed every single one of Dr. Margolis’ orders. I’d like to think that they left because they knew I was more than capable of taking care of my fiancée but I know it had more to do with Sunny’s not so sunny disposition.

  Six straight weeks of bed rest was doing wonders for her health and the health of our child but it also made Sunny the worst person to be around. She had cabin fever and wanted nothing more than to go out instead of having people stop by her house every day. Clients, wedding vendors, friends, and personal shoppers from all over the country were making daily visits. With Sunny not being able to travel to Atlanta to work out the remaining wedding details, everyone thought it was a good idea to come to her and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  We have a little less than three months until our wedding day. When she wasn’t shopping for the baby online, registering for gifts online, or complaining, Sunny was working on her wedding gown. It seemed like she had brought her entire sewing studio from downtown and had it set up in her sunroom. I couldn’t wait until Winter was born and we could move back into my house. Sunny’s little house wasn’t big enough for me, her, two kids, and a hundred yards of wedding white fabric.

  While waiting for Sunny to finish whatever she was doing, I offered the pastor a drink. He declined but I poured myself a Grey Goose and cranberry anyway, still seething from the shit Sunny pulled this morning.

  Sunny and I still hadn’t officially decided on where to live after we’re married. I know how she feels about moving back into the mansion. Believe me, I know how she feels about everything. She hasn’t had anything else to do besides talk for the last few weeks…so she says. The argument this morning stemmed from a conversation I had with Cash about moving back to Atlanta. I don’t know how she heard about that but obviously when I said that I had an idea, Sunny heard “we are definitely moving back to Atlanta” and had a fit.

  “So, how’s it going? Ready to walk down that aisle yet?” Pastor Hodges asked.

  “Not at all.” It was meant to come out in a joking tone but it didn’t. I wasn’t trying hard enough.

  “Really?”

  “We gotta have the baby first. Then we’ll focus on the wedding. If we can just make it through this, I’m sure things will work themselves out.”

  “You’re still upset about the Philly thing?”

  “No.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “Aiden wants to uproot my businesse and my life here and move back to Atlanta,” Sunny replied abruptly as she entered the living room. “He wants me to give up my career so he doesn’t have to deal with LA paparazzi anymore.”

  I exhaled loudly and shook my head. “That’s not what I said. That’s not what I said at all.”

  Instead of sitting next to me on the sofa, Sunny plopped down in an armchair and glared at me from across the room. I was tempted to give her the finger but there was a man of God in her house.

  “She’s hearing things,” I explained to her pastor. “Sunny has selective hearing when everything is normal. Pregnancy makes it worse.”

  “Did you not say that you were going to buy a plot of land in Atlanta and turn it into your own private sub-division? Did you not say that?”

  “Wanted. I said I wanted to.”

  “And just forget about what I want to do, right?”

  I looked at Pastor Hodges and practically begged for him to reinforce that rule where we can only talk to him. I’ve been trying to play nice with Sunny for weeks. I’ve tried to avoid any arguments with her and maintain this façade of being okay with her attitude problem. I’m sure she’ll go back to being the woman that I love once she has the baby, but right now, I don’t even like her.

  “Now do you see why I said not at all?” I asked the pastor.

  He frowned. “Did you two even look at the questionnaire I gave you the last time I was here?”

  My answer was no. The ‘Ten Topics You Should Discuss Before Marriage’ paper was sitting right on top of the piano along with Ramey’s book. I’m sure the teacher’s pet had filled out her questionnaire in its entirety. Gold star for Sunny. I don’t need to write down answers. Sunny has painstakingly discussed everything there is to know about marriage these last few weeks whether I was listening or not.

  “The first two things on that list were career and family,” Pastor Hodges said. He looked extremely disappointed in both of us. “Since your careers practically define who you are as people, why wouldn’t you discuss them?”

  “Because he doesn’t want to hear what I have to say about his career,” Sunny pouted. “And he never wants to hear what I have to say about mine.”

  “She’s lying…again. Clothes don’t interest me. Other celebrities don’t interest me. And that’s her career. Why would I care about the difference between charmeuse and jersey? Or if she should go to Milan to get a dress for Madison Charles?”

  “Like I’m supposed to care about amplifiers and guitars? Who gives a shit about the difference between guitar pedals? But that’s all you ever talk about.”

  “You’re not supposed to be talking to me,” I reminded her. “What else am I supposed to talk about? Whether you breastfeed or bottle-feed Winter? And the types of breast pumps on Amazon? I don’t care how y
ou feed her.”

  “Well you should! She’s your child too!”

  “Do I have breasts? However I feed her, it’s coming out of a bottle! And it doesn’t matter which kind. Believe me, she isn’t going to have a fuckin’ preference!”

  “Okay, okay, stop that,” Pastor Hodges said. “This is why you needed to at least look at the questionnaire. Obviously, those things that you are arguing about are important to each of you in some way. You need to figure out how to have these conversations without the presence of a mediator. Let’s go back to careers. Sunny, besides his equipment, do you ever ask Aiden what he wants out of his career in the near future or if he has plans to retire.”

  She shrugged and scowled, of course. “I asked him before. He said he’s never retiring so that conversation is moot at this point. He’s going to continue to tour and do his thing, which he can do from anywhere. He doesn’t have to live in Atlanta to work.”

  I knew he was going to ask me the same question, but truthfully, I’ve never had a discussion with Sunny about her career plans. She’s already doing what she wanted to do. I figured that it’s just more of the same thing that she’s been doing until she gets tired of it. There will always be celebrities who need clothes so she can stop whenever she wants. And, she can do it from anywhere.

  “Therefore,” I told the pastor, “she can move to Atlanta without a problem. It’s not like her clients won’t come to her or she won’t go to them. The only reason why she hasn’t been doing it lately is because she’s stuck in the house.”

  “I moved from Atlanta for a reason—”

  “That reason was to establish yourself as a top stylist and there were more celebrities here than in Atlanta,” I reminded her. “You’ve done that. You’re the one who keeps bragging about how your team is the most requested style team in the industry. If you’re so great then you should be able to open a studio in Atlanta with the same results.”