Chapter 203

"Dylan." Pearl said, hugging him.

"Hey Pearl. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Erik said you didn't leave, not once. Thank you. I'm sorry I didn't remember you." She said.

"I knew you wouldn't be gone long." He said. He shook Erik's hand and thanked him for letting them stay at his house.

"Michigan is a shitshow right now. They are all over our houses, at the brewery. Janie is looking for a house out this way. It's been insane." Dylan said.

"I'm so sorry." Pearl said.

"Don't be. Jason says all of this is going to make the single and possibly the album platinum by mid summer or sooner. There is always beauty in chaos." He said.

Pearl nodded. Blake and Iris hugged her and told her they were glad she was better.

John greeted them and told them he had lunch made.

"Things are insane right now for all of us." John said. "The amount of security we will need for this tour is going to cost us more than anything else. I'm debating holding off until this calms down." John said.

Erik nodded. "Safety is the most important thing. It all happened very quickly and I believe waiting for things to calm down is an intelligent move, especially since to haven't sold tickets yet." He said.

"Yea. And being able to stay here with the gate and guard has helped a lot. We appreciate the staff here and you for letting us crash, man." John said. His phone rang. "It's Jason, just a sec."'he said and excused himself.

"Have I ever told you how ridiculously beautiful you are when you mr hair is up and your face is natural? My god, you are a vision." Erik whispered to Pearl.

"Stop or we are going to have to be rude and excuse ourselves up stairs." Pearl said.

"Don't tempt me. I will throw you over my shoulder right now." Erik said.

John returned and his face looked pale.

"What's up, man?" Dylan asked. "Everything ok?" John nodded.

"What dude?" Blake said.

"Our song, our first single, just hit 2.4 billion streams." Everyone kind of looked at each other.

"Cool, right?" Blake said.

"Yea. Cool." John said. "We just made sixteen million dollars."

They all looked completely dumbfounded.

"That was Jason. He said he subtracted the percentage the record company agreed to. We should all be receiving a royalty check in the amount of two million dollars each by the end of next week. And that doesn't include anything we will be making in the future." John said.

"Wow! That is awesome! We are celebrating!" Blake said.

"Congratulations, my love." Erik whispered in Pearl's ear.

Maggie and Auggie arrived and they all caught up for a bit before dinner. It was a wonderful night of laughs and celebrating. They made it and Pearl knew that even if she did decided to quit the band after this album, the guys would be ok and set for life.

"Erik?" Pearl asked on their flight back to England.

"Yes, my love?"

"Is this how you imagined it would be? Falling in love?" She asked.

"I didn't imagine I ever would fall in love. Not like this, anyway. Why do you ask?"

"Because I can't imagine falling in love should feel any less extraordinarily or any more intensely than this does, for me anyway. I just wonder why we were brought together. Two completely different lives, you know?" Pearl asked.

"...because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same... " Erik quoted.

"Emily Brontë for the win." Pearl said. "I love you, Erik."

"I love you, nightingale." Erik said with an adoring smile.

*********************

"All packed?" Erik asked.

"Yes. But I don't know if I packed appropriately or not? Where are we going?" Pearl asked.

"It's not considered a surprise if I tell you now, is it?" Erik asked sarcastically.

"Ugh. Ok. Well, I have what I need then, I guess." Pearl said. It had been over two months since the accident. Pearl's bruises were gone and the fractures were much better. She felt like herself again.

The jet took off and Pearl looked at Erik with puppy eyes, pleading for him to tell her where they were going.

"Not a chance." He said. She pouted and told him he was cruel. He laughed and shook his head.

"We are clear to land, weather in Tuscany is sixty eight degrees and sunny." The pilot said over the intercom.

Pearl's eyes widened. "Tuscany! We are going to Italy?! Yay!!!" She clapped her hands and smiled at Erik.

He loved seeing her like this.

"Yes, darling. I have some business in Rome. I figured you would enjoy it." He said.

"I am so happy I can barely stand myself."

Pearl said.

Erik looked at her and smiled. I am, too. He thought.