Reminder- This is the 2nd book of The Winner series. You will want to read The Winner to get a better understanding of what's going on before starting Around the world
*****

*Nate*

"The flight from Los Angeles to London is approximately ten and a half hours nonstop." Trisha, my personal assistant, reminds me. Like I don't already fucking know this by now?

"She'll be fine." I know where Trisha is going with this conversation. I always know where Trisha is going with these conversations.

"And if she's not? Nate..."

"Jesus Christ, Trish. That's why I am paying for two nurses to travel with us! Do you think Jonah and Casey are tagging along for no reason?" I place both of my hands on Trisha's shoulders and kiss her forehead.

"Stop thinking the worst. This is my world tour. You know.... what we've been planning for well over two years?! Can you just shut your brain off and help me pack already?"

Listen, I know taking Julia on tour with me is risky, but it's no riskier than taking James. He's had three seizures since he came out of his coma. Three.

Julia? Julia's a whole different ballgame. Being diagnosed with bipolar among other things, has been an adventure on its own. But I know how to deal with her. I've lived it before with my sister Cara. Granted, Cara's residence is now the well-known mental institution and detox center The Avalon, but that's besides the point.

And I love Julia. I can't go one day without her. To the point I'm letting her best friend and my competition, James, join us.

If it were up to James, Julia would be wearing his engagement ring. But she's not. She's wearing mine. And the whole world knows it. Julia finally forgave me for my inability to keep my dick in my pants, and we've moved on. I rarely even think of Mila Giovanni.... for the most part.

"Jonah has all your heart meds, right?" Trisha asks, reminding me of my own medical issues.

"Yes, and my heart will be just fine. I'm not gonna have another heart attack. I've been sober for two months." Apparently, two months means nothing to Trisha with the eye roll she just threw my way.

"Nate. Sweetie. You can't blame me for being worried about all this. We are bringing a lot of people along. Nevermind the entire road crew, but now extra bodyguards, nurses, best friends and a fucking dog."

"Keep Maggie outta this. I actually like having that furr-ball around, ok? And you even said yourself, she makes a great therapy dog." James's two year old Golden Retriever is not an issue. Plenty of artist bring their pets on tour with them. Hell, look at Taylor Swift. She brings her damn cats.

"Seriously. Everything is gonna be just fine. Be excited. We're going to London in less than a week! I'm going to be up on stage at my sold-out concert. Wembley Arena!" I nudge her, and my blonde bombshell of best friend finally cracks a smile.

This is what we've been waiting for. My tour is final here. I'm healthy... sorta, sober, and bringing the love of my life with me.

As well as the rest of the fucking circus freak show under this roof.

*****
Jonah slides his laptop over for me to see the article that has everyone's attention in the house. My bodyguard, Paul, huffs and walks away, grumbling that it's no big deal. But, my two nurses seem to think differently as the couple reads the article together.

Apparently, Julia has already seen it and is now out on the balcony with James being the one to comfort her.

I look over at Jonah, who shakes his head. He's been on Team Nate right from the start but knows Jules will always love James, too. We all know he is the better man for her. But he can't take care of her. Not like I can. The man is just now finally trying to tie his fucking shoes after his brain injury.

As much as I hate the idea of him, I don't hate him. I consider James a friend. It's hard not to. He's one of the good guys. Fuck, the only bad guy in my book is that prick Jeremy Donovan, Julia's therapist/ rapist. Douchebag Donovan can rot in hell for all I care.

I glance at the article Jonah and Casey are reading online and don't even need to read it through to the end to see Hardy needs a life. She has nothing better to do than write shit about me.

"Yeah, Susan Hardy can suck my dick." I furrow my brows. "She's just running dry and needs a better hobby."

"You may want to go tell that to your Fiancé. Julia's pretty upset over it." Casey, our 26 year old "mini-Julia" says.

I let out a sigh and drop my shoulders before heading out to the balcony.

"There she is. Why are you crying, doll?" I pay no attention to James sitting next to Julia and pull her up into my arms for a hug. She buries her face in my chest and I rest my chin on top of her head.

"Didn't you read the shit Susan Hardy wrote about me? How I'm mentally unstable and will be too much for you to handle while on tour? She said she gives it two months before the engagement is called off. And did you see some of the comments under her article?" Julia cries.

"That's just Susan being Susan. You know that, love. Don't let her get to you. And don't even read the comments from haters. Hardy probably paid her minions to write that trash."

"What if she's right? What if I have a manic episode while we're away? What if-"

"Jules." I interrupt her and tilt her chin up so she's looking at me. I kiss her perfect lips and gaze at those big sad brown eyes.

"If you have an episode, you have an episode. That's why we have Jonah and Casey. And Paul, if need be." I tease, but I am also serious. We've all seen what a tornado Julia can be, but she can't help it. It's a chemical imbalance and why she's on meds and closely monitored.

"And you have all of us as your support system. Right?" I look to James to help me out a little.

"Right. Try not to even think about it, Julia. Let's just go and have fun... on Nate's dime." James laughs, knowing I'm paying for everybody's everything.

"One hundred and twelve million dollars, my friend. I think it'll be ok." I raise a brow at James, reminding him of my net worth. Money will never be an issue. Not for me, not for Julia, nor for James. I'll always make sure he's OK. He's Julia's best friend and I'll do anything for her. Anything at all.

"C'mon, darlin. It's getting late." I practically drag Julia back inside and down the hall to our bedroom. Technically, it's only nine at night, but it's time for me to get Jules all to myself.

I close the bedroom door and then lock it.

"You're up to no good when you lock that door, Mr. Hollan." Julia eyes me, making me smirk while leaning against the door with my arms folded over my chest.

"I am definitely up to no good Miss Moretti, future Mrs. Hollan." I pull her against me and kiss her passionately until we need to come up for air.

"Are we gonna have enough privacy for this on tour?" Julia presses her body against mine, making my breath hitch.

"For sure. Don't you worry about that, princess. Tour will be so much fun. You just wait and see." I say as I make love to my fiancé.

Tour will be fun.

I keep telling myself that over and over again, trying to block out any negative thoughts or worries.

Because Lord knows, I'm fucking worried.

*****

*Julia*

I walk into the Avalon with Jonah by my side. He holds the folder with all the papers. The papers that need to be signed for my temporary discharge so I can go on tour with Nate... but still hold my spot here for when we return.

I don't have a choice on who signs off in a place like this. It's whoever is working at that time, on that day. Everyone is your doctor.

Even if they are also your rapist.

Just my luck, it's Jeremy working today. He doesn't agree with this move. He's made it known right from the start. He is also weirdly obsessed with having me as his patient, hence the two rapes.

I begin to fidget with my hands while sitting out in the hall waiting for Jeremy.

"Let me do all the talking. I'll fight for you, ok? I'm the one who will be administering all your medications. Aaand logging in your daily food intake as well as moods throughout the day to be submitted to The Avalon." Jonah reminds me.

I let out a little sigh of relief. Just being in the same room as Jeremy is nerve wracking, never mind having to talk to him and persuade him to sign my medical forms for me.

"Julia... Jonah.. come on in. I was just finishing up a virtual session with a patient. What can I do for you?" Die in hell, bastard, that's what.

I can feel my nerves kick in. I hate being in the same room with this man. To think I once trusted him. Not only as my doctor but also let him in my life. Emotionally, physically. Everything. He really had me fooled, didn't he?

I reluctantly hand the young doctor my forms and sit on the dreaded couch. Jonah right next to me, making Jeremy pull up a chair in front of us. We watch Jeremy look over the forms, back up at me, and back down again.

"Jule.."

"Please. I've been trying so hard." I plead. He's going to give me a hard to me with this, isn't he? He wants me secured at The Avalon, probably forever. He wants to make sure he's at arm's reach at all times, doesn't he. He has this sick obsession.

"I know you have, sweetie."

I cringe hearing the pet name come out of his mouth.

"It's just... you're a liability. If I sign off on this, I'm saying I think you are well enough for this. I don't think you are."

"Jeremy, please!" I start to feel emotional, and that's when Jonah takes the stand for me so I don't spiral out of control.

"Dr. Donovan, Jeremy, Julia will be traveling with not one but two private nurses." Jonah tells Jeremy how he will be the one to monitor EVERYTHING, document EVERYTHING, and submit all forms to The Avalon every single night for Jeremy and anyone else involved in Julia's care to see.

"You know the minute I feel something is wrong, she gets sent home. Even the smallest setback... Julia..." Jonah warns me, and I nod. He would do it, too. No doubt.

There's a long pause, a staring contest between Jeremy and the document. He looks up at my pleading eyes and back down at the paper before picking up his pen.

"Ok. But you check in virtually with me, at least twice a week, and when you are in the area, you come in person for sessions. Once you are back for good, we resume the regular routine. Don't make me regret this, Julia." Jeremy signs and hands over the papers.

If the guy didn't rape me, I'd hug him right now. Instead, he gets a huge ecstatic smile from me. Jeremy smiles back with a sigh.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaim. I can almost feel myself coming back to life now. Something to look forward to.

Jonah escorts me out, and I take a long inhale the minute we step outside.

"This is really happening. Are you ready?" The nurse smiles over at me. Jonah is just as excited as I am. He's got his work cut out for him, but we all do.

"I'm SO ready!"

*****

*Nate*

Everyone has to have a complete physical along with up to date vaccines before the tour.

Fortunately for Julia, who doesn't have a primary care physician in L.A., the local pharmacy conducts general physicals for athletes and/or artists traveling.

Physically, she has a clean bill of health and just needed a few vaccines before traveling overseas. Mentally, we will need to monitor her daily. Make sure she's taking her medications. Make sure her moods are stable. Make sure she's eating. The usual stuff. Earlier this morning Julia got Jeremy to sign the papers for a temporary discharge. I really thought Dickhead Donovan would give her a hard time but he is obsessed with Julia. So he wants to see her happy.

James also received a clean bill of health even with having seizures. So long as he has a traveling medical team, which he does - Jonah and Casey - has all his medications and is monitored. James's sisters weren't keen on the idea, but James doesn't want to be left behind. Julia takes such good care of him. She always has, better than anyone else can, including his sisters. Plus, he knows this is a huge once in a lifetime opportunity.

I was the questionable one. The doctor heard an irregular heartbeat. He called it an arrhythmia. A malfunction of the heart's electrical system.

Apparently, it's possible the arrhythmia developed after my heart attack. It can be caused by damage to the heart muscles from a heart attack, which disrupts the electrical signals that control the heart. Symptoms of arrhythmia include heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness or fatigue, and breathlessness. All the things I assumed were from panic attacks.

An arrhythmia can lead to further heart damage or even sudden cardiac arrest. Ventricular tachyarrhythmia is a common type of arrhythmia that can cause sudden death after a heart attack. Right now, I'm to be closely monitored as well as adding more prescriptions to my rainbow of pills. One being a beta blocker.

Eventually, I may need a pacemaker to be surgically implanted.

I am not telling Julia OR Trisha any of this information. There's no reason to. I'm 31 years old. I'll be fine.

That's what I keep telling myself.

"You sure you're ok?" Jonah looks over at me while driving me home from my cardiologist appointment, thanks to my suspended license from the DUI.

Jonah would have come to this appointment with me regardless. Technically, he IS my private nurse. Has been since day one. Casey is more to help out with James and little stuff, and now being Jonah's girlfriend, of course, she would be the one to join us.

But Jonah... Jonah's the one I really trust. He's smart. Real smart. I'm not saying Casey isn't, but Jonah is smart like he should have been a brain surgeon or something. He's always doing medical research on me and Jules. Always. So I purposely made this appointment right after my physical so he'd be done with Julia at the Avalon and available.

"I'm fine." I lie. "The timing of this new diagnosis isn't great. Why? Are you nervous now?"

"Me? Not in the least. But then again, it's not my heart. But you know you're in good hands with me, right brother? And you know if I felt like I couldn't handle things, I'd tell you right away. If I think you need to be seen at any time, that's my first priority, even if you have to cancel a show and refund money because of it."

"Yeah, I know I'm in good hands. Can we not tell Trisha or Julia this information? It's just gonna freak them out." I look out the passenger window while my brain goes into overdrive thinking about the appointment.

"You're worried, huh?" Jonah looks over and sees my frown.

"I've waited over two years for this tour. I need my heart to keep working for me. My dad died at 42 from a heart attack. I'll always have that in the back of my head. At this rate, I'm not guaranteed to make it to 35."

My eyes begin to sting and tear up. I quickly look away from Jonah and back out my window.

"I'm gonna make sure you stay healthy, ok? You can count on me, Nate." Jonah pats my shoulder as I nod, sniff, and wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt.

I don't want to die young. Nobody in their right mind does. I want to live and grow old with Julia and take care of her and be there for my sister for as long as I can.

But the reality is, tomorrow's not guaranteed.

Not for any of us.

Certainly not for me.