Rekindled- Jake Kiszka

Chapter 44

After the gallery closed for the day and we grabbed a bite to eat, the guys informed me that I'd be traveling back with them rather than flying out alone. I, of course, preferred it that way, getting to spend more time with them before things got crazy again. 

So we set off, traveling state to state, venue to venue, continuing our adventures around the country as a big family. With no surprise, things got hard, one day specifically comes to mind when it felt like no one could stand another minute together.

"MJ, no more," Jake said, holding his hand out to block the lens of the camera in my hands. 

"Don't talk to me like a child, I'm doing my job," I snapped back, rolling my eyes and turning my focus to Sam, who was smoking with his back to the brick wall behind him. The bus broke down, so we all stood around outside, waiting for it to be repaired. As their photographer, I was told to take pictures of everything during this tour, so I did. The good, the bad, and the ugly. 

"Can you two stop with the bickering? One day without it, please,"  Sam chimed in, looking over at Jake who was sitting on the curb with a cigarette between his fingers too. He didn't smoke often, rarely ever, but that day he did. "Keep your fucking nose out of it and it won't be a problem."

Those two had been at each other's throats the entire day, Danny and Josh trying to keep what little peace we had remaining. "Oh my god," I muttered, shutting my camera off and taking it over to my bag next to Josh, who gave my shoulder a quick squeeze in an attempt of comforting me. I looked up and flashed him a tight smile, closing my bag up and sitting beside him while we listened to Sam and Jake go back and forth for a while longer.

"Enough, shut the hell up, both of you. Just stop talking, go find something else to do."

Hearing Danny so fed up was shocking, but no one questioned his reasoning, listening to them was irking. 

That night that I remember with such great disdain wasn't the first, and was far from the last. Being cramped in a tour bus took a toll on everyone, even though we took every opportunity we could to spend time in nature apart from each other. 

By the time tour was over, we were all worn down. No one was mad at one another, as everyone made up no longer than a day after arguing, but we were all tired. Prep, long shows, interviews, travel, trying to sightsee, it was so constant that we never found enough time to properly slow down and be thankful for the experience of it all. Everyone decided that next tour they would get a bigger bus and fly to the further cities, staying in hotels rather than bunks to preserve the amazing thing they had going. 

More importantly than any kind of arguing, the band had blown up. Every show was packed, more sold-out than not, and the crowds were amazing. Once the guys went on stage and the crowd was singing along to the music they had created, any stress, any anger or annoyance washed away in the blink of an eye. It wasn't important, not one argument took over their happiness on that stage, of the adrenaline rush from the second Jake strummed his first notes to the very last hit of Danny's drums. They were made for this, this is what gave them their light. 

I admired their talents, cherishing every single night of watching them on stage and getting to spend time with them after. The photos were brilliant and abundant, and the good times, in the end, far outweighed the bad. We got to experience the country together, and celebrate the talent of the band. It was an unforgettable time in all of our lives, and I couldn't forget it if I tried.

A/N: crazy short chapter, I'm sorry!! but this is the final chapter of Rekindled. thank you to every single one of you who supported this book, it's been a blast to write. that being said, 

the sequel to this book is out NOW!!

I'm not ready for Jake and MJ's story to be over, so I've decided to start a sequel, Twin Flames! chapter one is already up! be kind to yourself and others, always

M<3