“Let’s go get lunch and weigh this up” Jess said to them
“Lisa will freak we’ve got a wedding to plan” Jace said opening his car for everyone to get in.
“Lisa will be fine, it’s Carmen that will freak, were just getting good again and everything we do I leave on tour and we go bad”
“Not this time, things are so much more different” Mark stated “I mean come on look what you guys have went through these past few months?”
“That still won’t ease her mind” Jess stated
“Ask her to come with us?” Lee suggested
“She can’t just up and leave her job don’t be silly” Jace laughed “She’s a cop”
“The fact Mrs Braidey will be the tour manager is a good reason to do this, we know her, we trust her and she cares about us” Mark stated “And your Mama is obviously going to support us because this was her condition”
“My Mama knows how much music means to me and how much you guys mean to me” Jess said
“Ok so what’s the positives?” Jace asked
“We all get on well with the summer set, we’ve worked with them loads of times and always have a blast” Mark stated
“We love being on tour, the whole experience” Lee added
“I hated it last time” Jess stated “It was my worst fucking nightmare”
“I’m not going to lie, I hated last time too it was horrible, the atmosphere sucked” Jace admitted
“That was that bitches fault though, we’ve always had a great time on tour things only changed last time…we can’t let one bad tour ruin this” Lee admitted
“Yeah that’s a fair point” Jess agreed
“Negatives?” Jace asked
“Carmen I don’t want to leave her feeling like she has before” Jess said
“I’m worried about leaving Lisa with all the wedding plans, it’s not fair” Jace said pulling into the drive
“Oh shut up the wedding is practically organised” Jess laughed getting out the car
“I’m worried you’re not stable enough” Jace said looking at Jess “I don’t want you to fall apart like you did”
“Jess don’t take this the wrong way but I need to agree with Jace here” Mark admitted “You were as stable as 3 legged chair last tour”
“And we know that wasn’t your fault, but we don’t want to make you run before your walking” Jace stated “We love you”
“I appreciate that guys I really do and to be honest I agree with you, that’s why I want to speak to my parents and Carmen” Jess said opening the door
They all followed Jess into the house. Tina looked up from the chair and smiled “Hey guys, everything okay?”
“Not really” Jess admitted
“Kelly asked you didn’t she?” Tina smiled
“Did everyone know except from us?” Jace asked
“Only myself and Bette, Kelly was worried and wanted out opinions” Tina told them
Jess sat next to Tina and rested her head on her shoulder.
“What do I do Mum?”
“What do you want to do?” Tina asked
“Honestly? I have no idea” Jess admitted “I’ve stayed out the spotlight since all the crap with Kirsty happened…I’ve just managed to get my priority’s right with Carmen and I really don’t want to hurt her again”
Jace and the boys went into Jess’s home studio leaving Jess and Tina to talk.
“Well sweetheart you need to decide if you want to be in the spotlight again, we know how much performing means to you and we also know how much you love being on tour” Tina smiled “Carmen loves you and I have a funny feeling she will support you, she might be pissed at first but she’ll come around”
“I don’t know” Jess admitted “everytime I go on tour I mess up with her”
“Jess you and Carmen have grew up a lot and you have went through so much together, this is a tiny tiny obstacle” Tina explained “It’s 3 weeks”
“I need to speak to her before I make my decision” Jess sighed getting up and phoning Carmen.
“Hey baby…are you busy right now? I need to talk to you…no I’ll come to you, okay see you soon” Jess hung up the phone putting it back in her pocket.
“Jess?” Tina said
“Uh huh?”
“Do not walk away, don’t snap at her, just explain to her calmly and hear her out” Tina stated
“Yep” Jess left the house and walked the 15 minute walk to Carmen’s house.
She knocked on Carmen’s door, Andrew answered.
“Hey why you knocking, Carmen’s told you that you don’t need to do that” Andrew smiled
“It’s just manners I suppose”
“Stop being silly you’re her girlfriend, this is her house… Anyway speak to you soon I’m off to the gym” Andrew smiled leaving the house
Carmen came running down the stairs, she kissed Jess softly. “You okay?”
“Not really” Jess admitted “I have something need to tell you and I don’t know how you’re going to take it”
Carmen took Jess’s hand and led her over to the sofa.
“Jess why you nervous? It’s only me, if you’re nervous I get nervous” Carmen explained “Should I be nervous?”
“I don’t know how to tell you” Jess stated
“Are you breaking up with me?” Carmen asked
“No, don’t be ridiculous” Jess said taking Carmen’s hand “Ok you need to know I love you so much and I really don’t want to jeopardise us again”
“Jess just tell me please, I now feel sick” Carmen stated
“We’ve been asked to go on tour with the summer set again next week”
Carmen closed her eyes and bit her lip.
“Ok” Carmen stated “How long?”
“3 weeks” Jess sighed
“Are you going?”
“I haven’t decided I wanted to speak to you first” Jess explained
“Why?”
“Because you’re my girlfriend and I love you and I feel you should get an opinion” Jess said
“What do you want to do?” Carmen asked
“I don’t know, the boys are worried I’m not stable enough”
Carmen laughed “Yeah okay you’re not a complete lunatic”
“Last tour wasn’t good at all for us” Jess explained
“That wasn’t your fault babe” Carmen stated
“How do you feel about it?”
“Well I know how much you love performing and I know how much you use to love going on tour, so I’m leaving it up to you baby, I’ll support whatever you decide”
“Wait hold on a minute here…any other time I’ve went on tour you’ve completely flipped?” Jess asked confused
“yeah but this time you actually took me into consideration and asked me what I thought before your made the decision, any other time it was I’m going on tour goodbye” Carmen explained
“I wasn’t that harsh” Jess smirked
“I think you’ll find you were babe” Carmen smiled
“The tour manager is Mrs Braidey that was my mama’s condition” Jess said
“That makes me less worried, because I know you will be fine and looked after” Carmen explained “But you need to do what’s right for you”
“If I do it why don’t you come with us?” Jess asked
“I would love to baby but I can’t. I don’t have holidays available until summer time” Carmen smiled “But the fact you asked me to come means the world to me”
“I’m scared things all go to shit again”
“Babe they won’t, I won’t let them” Carmen cupped Jess’s face in her hands “do you honestly think now I have you back I’m going to let you go?”
“What if I don’t cope well with all the spotlight?” Jess asked “I’ve pretty much avoided it since Kirsty” Jess let herself rest in Carmen’s arms
“Then you get on the first plane back home” Carmen stated
“You promise you won’t be pissed if I go, because if this is going to upset you I won’t do it”
“Baby I think you need to do this, you need to get your confidence back”
“Okay” Jess agreed
“Besides it’s with the summer set so it’s not all bad, they will help you as much as they can” Carmen explained
“I genuinely thought you were going to flip”
“Alot has changed since last time” Carmen smiled kissing Jess on the head “I love you”
Jess looked at Carmen “You’re saying that like you totally didn’t the last time”
“I have always loved you, the last time you broke up with me remember”
“Nope sorry, I can’t, it’s erased from my memory” Jess smirked
“We’re going to be absolutely fine, I won’t let anything destroy us again and I won’t let anyone hurt you again I promise”
“I love you too”
“Good because I’m not going anywhere you’re stuck with me” Carmen said kissing Jess softly
“I’m okay with that” Jess smiled