Bell planned the whole event. I would have thought she’d have been here for hours, but she actually walked in right before we did. Jack and Charlotte dropped her off and she got out of their car with a large bag hanging from her shoulder. We tried to catch up with her, but she was off fluttering around and making sounds that seemed incomprehensible. Xander had just shrugged his shoulders. But his cool facade seems to have evaporated now.

As we make our way farther into the room, his brow creases and I can tell he’s nervous. I bite the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should feel more nervous than I do. I decide to try to calm him instead of joining him in the nerves. “It’s the calm before the chaos,” I tell him, as he stands next to me gripping my hand tightly. Squeezing his fingers, I look around at all the people who are here for me and realize I may have misspoken about the calm. The mood in the room is anything but sedate. It’s full of such real positive energy that no forced smiles are necessary.

My stomach flutters when he kisses my forehead. “You’re going to be great. Don’t let my sorry-ass nerves get to you.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him to me. “Thank you.” Then I seal my mouth to his and kiss him in a way that lets him know that with him by my side I know I’ll be fine. Pulling away, we smile at each other. We have both been lavishing these smiles on each other. Smiles that make the world seem all the more perfect. And it is. His thumb traces my lips.

Over Xander’s shoulder, I catch sight of his brother. A minute later a chin rests on his shoulder and arms wrap around his waist. He too smiles. It’s contagious. I motion toward the door. “There’s River and Dahlia. Let’s go say hi.”

Dahlia looks amazing. She’s wearing a pewter-colored halter dress with a chain neck and a large brooch at the center of the deep V. River looks pretty good himself in a suit much like Xander’s, and he as well has opted for no tie. He and Dahlia are fashionably late as always, but since today is their one-year anniversary I think it’s perfectly acceptable. Their tardiness seems to always drive Xander crazy, and River seems to get a kick out of it every time. Over the past few weeks, Xander has ended up laughing along with us. I actually find his reaction pretty funny myself because for someone so much in control all the time, he seems to be letting some of his barriers down.

Xander and Dahlia have a bond that warms my heart. It seems that when Xander first met Dahlia he acted like a real ass. I’m glad to see that they’ve moved past their issues, especially since the day he met her was the day I announced my engagement to Damon. He told me he was pretty drunk by the time they were introduced.

“Xander. Ivy,” River says in such a drawn-out way that it clues me in that he knows something. Dahlia kisses River’s cheek before circling to stand next to him. River searches Xander, and if I hadn’t been looking, I would never have noticed the slight nod Xander gives him. River grabs Xander around the neck and pulls him forward, and with a not so subtle snicker, he says, “A phone call would have been nice.”

Xander’s eyes grow bright with laughter. “Right, bro. Sorry. I’ll remember next time.”

River lets him go. “That’s better.”

Xander slants him a look. “If that’s not a spade calling a spade.”

Before River can counter Dahlia swoops in. “Congratulations,” she cries, kissing me and then Xander in turn as she wraps an arm around each of us, pulling us together for a group hug.

River ducks under Dahlia’s arm and pops up in the middle. He kisses her on the lips. “Don’t forget me.”

Dahlia releases us just as Garrett comes over. “Awww . . . I missed out on the hugs and kisses. What, because we all work together now, I get shafted?”

Laughing at him, I have to say he is the funniest person I know. He seems to love his new job, and I think he may have even gone on a date or two with Ena. He nods hello to each of us and then in true guy fashion grabs River by the collar and jerks him backward. “You’re late, dick. Come on,” he quips. Then he starts to shake his hips and sing, “LA, let’s get this party started!” He sounds so much like B. Taylor, I actually want to hear him sing the whole song.

Dahlia and I giggle as Xander shakes his head and we all watch as River gets dragged away and pulled onstage for a jam session with the guys. They’re all up there—River, Leif, Nix, Garrett, and even Zane. The crowd rushes the dance floor and throws hands in the air, dancing to a cover of “Hands All Over.” I have to laugh because I know how much Dahlia loves Maroon 5. I also know how much River dislikes them. But he must have planned this for her, for their anniversary.

“Excuse me,” she says, and moves toward the stage. Mesmerized, she watches them, her hands clasped near her heart. She grins ear to ear as River sings to her—the performance seems to make her very happy.

Bell finds me in the midst of all the excitement. She too looks beautiful. She’s so petite, but her vibrant emerald eyes and long coppery brown hair make her look like a spitfire. She’s wearing a green strapless romper with metallic flowers on it, and wisps of thin gold chains adorn her neck—she’s stunning and it looks like she’s also a little sunburned. The red contrast against the silky dark fabric makes her rosy all over. Dragging me over to the photo booth she rented, she has me posing in it for at least twenty different pictures. Then she runs off to use them to decorate the tables so everyone knows who I am—I can only laugh at that.

I spot Xander across the room and wave him over to drag him in with me. I try to get him to make playful faces and whenever I whisper something dirty in his ear, he does. These pictures are for me, not for the tables. When we step out of the booth, I’m a little flushed myself.

Sashaying up to us, Aerie greets us in an extremely bubbly manner despite looking very businesslike—her hair is in a bun and she’s wearing a purple pantsuit with pumps, but surprisingly it’s low-cut and shows a hint of cleavage. We’ve spent a great deal of time together since I came back to LA. We get along so well. She’s even shown me some of her uncle’s music collection. She hugs me and cascades kisses on each cheek, then does the same to Xander, who looks utterly shocked at her exuberant display of affection.

“Where’s Jagger?” he asks her.

She gestures toward the makeshift bar with her wineglass. “Oh, Jack caught him on our way in and they’re huddled somewhere.”

Xander’s gaze follows mine across the room. They’re leaning against the bar with their heads together, each holding a glass of beer. Xander crosses his arms and lifts his brow. “What’s going on?”

Aerie giggles. “Jack wants Jagger to help him move No Led Zeppelin’s sound track release date up.”

“But it hasn’t finished filming yet, has it?” I ask.

She shrugs. “No, but Jack’s pushing for an early sound track release around Christmas and then a rerelease when No Led Zeppelin hits theaters.”

Xander nods. “Makes sense.”

“Yes, it’s a brilliant idea, but Jagger is still working on perfecting most of the songs,” Aerie says.

“Get River to help him,” Xander suggests.

“They’ve been coconspiring, but I think they might be spending more time playing around than actually focusing,” Aerie replies, rolling her eyes.

Xander chuckles. “Sounds like I’ll need to pay them a visit.”

Now I roll my eyes.

Aerie snatches the sleeve of photos I have in my hand. “Nice,” she says with a smirk. “I like the one of Xander licking your neck.”

He snags the photo strips from her and she laughs.

“Hey, do you think I can talk to you a minute?” Aerie asks Xander.

“Sure,” he says.

“There’s something I think you should know before it’s announced,” she adds, slipping back into business mode. Then she looks at me and says, “And you and I will catch up later. And don’t forget lunch tomorrow!”

I nod my head. She’s such a type A personality. “I’m going to get another drink. I’ll leave you two to talk.”

As I walk away, I feel a pair of hands grip my waist. “You forgot something,” Xander’s deep voice says into my ear.

I turn my head and feel the tickle of his whiskers against my skin. “What?” I purr.

He gently pulls my mouth to his, and a soft brush of our lips has me tingling all the way to my toes. He runs his cheek down my neck and groans wickedly in my ear before releasing me. And for some reason, this tiny display of affection seems so much more intimate than just a simple goodbye kiss—it has me flushing.

I can feel myself smoldering as he turns back toward Aerie. I stand there and watch him as the two of them engage in conversation. When I snort to myself and break out of my lovesick trance, I continue my journey toward the bar just as Phoebe turns the corner in a knockout champagne-colored gown. She sees me instantly and waves, motioning me over. I look her up and down. She’s dressed so elegantly, she even takes my breath away.

“You look beautiful.” I say.

She’s grinning from ear to ear. “Can I tell you something?” she asks, practically jumping out of her heels.

“Of course. You know that.”

“Nix and I got married today.”

“What?” I scream. I can’t believe they got married on the same day I got engaged. I’m so happy for her and Nix. It’s all so exciting and I want to share my news, but Xander and I agreed to let this night be about the album.

“It’s crazy, I know. We haven’t known each other that long, but it seemed like the right time. Nix loves his new job and I love my new teaching position. We decided what better way to start our new lives.”