Page 31 of Split Decision

CHAPTER NINE

ANDI

The past two weeks without Luke have been so hard. Every night, when I finally get home, I climb into a cold, empty bed. After a while of tossing and turning, I pass out from exhaustion. The only positive aspect is that the three-hour time difference between our time zones lets me sleep later and still talk to Luke for a few minutes while he's in his room.

Mack originally planned to rent a house on the outskirts of town, but that meant they'd have to leave even earlier to get to the gym on time. It took some serious strong-arming of my stubborn Pop, but I finally convincedhim to let me cover their hotel bill so they'd be within walking distance instead.

I didn't tell him I also had personal reasons for insisting on that arrangement. I wasn't comfortable with the idea of private calls when Pop or Shane were just down the hall at Joe’s facility. I also knew that once the tour brought us close enough—or gave us more than a day or two of breathing room—I'd go to Luke instead of back to Atlanta. When that happened, I wanted the space to be ours alone.

"Good morning, my love," I coo when I answer his video call.

"Mmm," he replies sleepily. "It's a good morning now. I miss you, baby."

"I miss you, too. What's on your agenda for today?" I ask, trying to stay as involved in his training as much as I can.

"More alcohol, wild parties, and easy women," he deadpans.

"Don't make me have to come out there and kick someone's ass, Luke," I threaten. "You know I'll do it."

"Whatever it takes to get you out here, babe," he teases me with my smile—the one he reserves only for me. He knows it always gets to me. It's the perfect blend of sweet and sexy, combined with mischief and innocence. It turns me into putty in his hands every time.

"You'd better hide her before I get there, or they'll never find the body."

He openly laughs at this. "You know better than that, Andi. You own my heart and my body." He looks down at his lap and moves the phone so that I'm looking at his crotch along with him. "It doesn't even work without you here. You kept the remote control with you."

"I'm not sure how I should reply to that," I laugh. "Should I be grateful it doesn't work or should I be worried it doesn't work?"

"It'd be easier to explain it to you in person. That way I can demonstrate exactly what I mean." He grins mischievously. "How long will it be before I see you?"

Grabbing the tour schedule and the calendar, I look for the first available break. "Umm, we have several days between stops during Valentine's Day week. Would that work with your schedule?"

"I'll talk to Joe and Mack. Shane and I can probably arrange our schedules so we have our two rest days while you're here. I'm sure Shane would love for Katie to come out, too."

"Let me know when you find out for sure, and I'll book the flights for Katie and me. I'll still be on the East Coast leg of the tour at that time."

"Still leaving tomorrow?" he asks.

"Yes. I have a whole day of packing and making sure my house sitters are all set. It's a long time to be away," I say, my voice relaying my uncertainty.

"It'll be fine, babe. My parents and your friends have it covered."

"It's not that. I trust them. It's just," I pause as I mentally reach through the phone to my lifeline. "Am I going to get out there and make a fool out of myself? I just feel like I'm in way over my head."

"Baby, there's no way you'll make a fool of yourself. You'll show them what an amazing singer you are. Before the end of the tour, you'll be the main act and Sound Bar will open for you," Luke reassures me.

"This is the chance of a lifetime, Andi. A minuscule percentage of singers get this opportunity. If you don't give it all you've got, you'll always wonder 'what if,' and you'll always regret it. If you decide you don't want it after your five-month tour, you don't have to do it again. If you decide it is everything you want and more, we'll find a way to make it work."

I can't help but smile at the way he helps me. "You're everything I want and more, Luke."

We blow kisses to each other, declare our love again, and reluctantly hang up so we can both get started. Packing for a five-month tour is a daunting task, and I've been putting it off until the last possible minute.

The center isquiet when I get there.

It should be. It's mid-morning on a Thursday in early January. The program staff are not due until two, and Mrs. Alvarez is out at a supply meeting until noon. I have a key, the alarm code, and a list of things I want to check before five months on the road puts Atlanta three thousand miles behind me.

I park, unlock the side entrance, disarm the alarm, and walk through the building the way I always do when I'm alone in it—starting at the back, working forward, making sure everything is where it belongs.

The supply closet. The program rooms. The activity floor.