Chapter 11 #2
“So, that was bullshit. He had no business talking to you, let alone trying to scare you off with all those lies about me needing to stay single to be popular. I told him as much, and then he’d tried to hit me with his ‘just looking out for you, kid’ line like he’d done it for me and not for his bullshit bottom line or his gross need to feed off my groupies.
And it is bullshit. I’ll still be bankable and popular because you and me being together won’t change anything.
I’ll still be making music. I’ll still be me. ”
“The you who loves to rap about bitches and slashing tires and whatever else was in that gross song.”
Ben winced. “Not all the lyrics are like that. Didn’t you hear my song ‘ Don’t Leave ’? Or ‘ Maybe Forever ’?”
I shook my head. “After listening to the lyrics to that first song and finding out who you really are, I blocked the rest of it out. Roscoe was nice enough to give me fresh earplugs.”
“Remind me to thank him,” Ben muttered before rocking forward to kneel at my feet.
“I’m not going to deny that I wrote those lyrics, but I was a different person then.
I was angry—mostly at my parents—but also at the world.
At what happened once I hit it big. Everyone crowding around me just wanted a piece of me—of my money or my fame or the women hanging around me.
No one cared about me . No one saw me as a person anymore.
I was a commodity. And after a while, that fucks with your head. ”
I was silent for a minute as I absorbed his words. “I wouldn’t have looked at you that way.”
Ben smiled sadly. “I was afraid to give you the benefit of the doubt. Most people in my life have screwed me over one way or another.”
“That’s really sad.” I hunched into myself. “I can’t trust someone who doesn’t trust me.”
“I do trust you, Emma. I was just scared.”
I rolled my eyes. “Reuben Bello was scared of little ole me? Give me a break.”
“It’s true.” He blinked those golden eyes at me, and I felt my resolve crumbling.
“You weren’t exactly shy about your absolute hatred of me and my music.
Telling you the truth about who I really was scared the shit outta me.
” He leaned forward and held my hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it as he stared into my eyes.
“Because you already mean so much to me. I didn’t want to lose you. ”
“Ben.” I stared back at him and shook my head slightly.
And that was when I felt it.
All my walls came tumbling down.
“I love you, Emma.” He came up on his knees and brushed his free hand over my cheek.
“I started falling for you in the stupid diner and then spent the whole next day worrying about what you’d think of me when you found out who I really was.
But I still ended up screwing it up. It fucking broke my heart to watch you run away. ”
My lower lip quivered as I fought against the tears threatening to fall. The pained, urgent tone in his voice ripped at my conscience. I hated that I’d hurt him.
But he’d hurt me, too.
“Is there any way you’d be willing to give us another chance? I swear it’ll only be the truth between us going forward—no lies, ever. And I’ll be that person in your corner, always holding you up and looking out for you. And maybe you’d be interested in being that person for me?”
I took a shuddering breath. “Did you really fire your dad?”
He nodded. “He’s gone. I was actually going to talk to Monica’s manager, see if he’s interested in representing me.”
“Ben, seriously? You can’t make business decisions based on if it’ll give me a leg up or not.”
“Why not? Two birds or whatever. I need a manager, and you need a tour to dance for. Sounds like a perfect arrangement to me.”
“It sounds ridiculous to me.” I reached out and brushed the hair off his face. “Promise me you won’t do that. I want to get a job because I earned it. Not because my boyfriend arranged it for me.”
“All I heard was that I’m your boyfriend now.”
I laughed. “That would be the only part you’d hear.”
“So it’s official? We’re back together?”
I nodded slowly. “Consider yourself on probation.”
“I’ll take it!” He scooped me up in his arms and kissed me like a soldier returning from war. All passionate and every inch a welcome home embrace that quickly led to wandering hands and lips.
“Any chance you have a bigger bed than that tiny twin bed over there? Does the sofa pull out maybe?”
I shook my head as a giggle bubbled out of me. “No. There’s no room.”
“I guess we’ll just have to get creative.”
“Or there’s always the floor…” I waggled my eyebrows.
Bruno barked from the couch just before someone knocked on my door again.
“Seriously?” I groaned, resting my forehead against Ben’s chest. “This place is Grand Central Station all the sudden.”
“Maybe if we’re quiet they’ll go away,” Ben muttered softly from the corner of his mouth.
But the knock came again, followed by Gwen’s hollered, “You okay, Emma? I know about Lydia tossing you out. Open the door and let me in, kiddo.”
“Well, that’s one way to kill the moment,” Ben muttered.
“Better than Bruno interrupting us with an inopportune tongue.”
“Touché.” Ben laughed. “I didn’t even think of that.”
“I can hear you in there, Emma!” Gwen yelled. “Let me in, already. It’s hot out here.”
I stomped over to the door and ripped it open. “It’s never hot this early. Come right in, Gwen,” I muttered as she blew past me and into my apartment.
“Oh.” Suddenly she stopped short.
Peeking over her shoulder, I saw the scene Ben made with his naked torso and rumpled jeans, standing over by the sofa. I grinned at him and waggled my eyebrows.
He winked then stepped forward with his hand out. “Gwen, is it? I take it you’re a friend of Emma’s?”
Gwen shook his hand dazedly. “Holy crap. You’re Reuben Bello.” She swung back at me with wide eyes. “What is Reuben freaking Bello doing in your home? Shirtless, no less?”
Ben laughed and gently pulled his hand out of Gwen’s grasp before jerking a thumb in her direction. “She recognizes me. But you couldn’t? What the hell, Em?”
I shook my head and shrugged. “I didn’t know you were a fan, Gwen. You never play his music in the diner.”
“Like Lydia would let me. That dragon has to have everything her way or no way. Which is why I’m here. Do you know what she did?”
We rehashed all the drama of the morning, and I agreed to hang around so we could go to the labor board tomorrow to file multiple complaints.
“And then I want your cute little behind out of here.” Gwen shook her head resolutely. “This isn’t your battle to fight. You have your own dreams to chase.”
“About that…” I trailed off, unsure of how to tell Gwen everything that’d happened with Ben. And how I was most likely running off with him instead.
“Yeah. About that.” Ben grinned, nodding at me. “This one got pulled onstage with Monica Moore last night and already made a connection. She’s supposed to call Monica’s manager today about going on tour with them.”
Gwen was grinning when she left a few minutes later.
“Does that work for you? You up to sticking around an extra day or do you have to get on the road again?”
“I’ll make it work for you.” Ben stepped up to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me even closer.
“Any chance you have room for a dog on your tour bus?”
“Like I said, I’ll make anything work for you, baby. You’re my person.”
“And you’re mine.”
Then Ben’s lips came down over mine and we had to be creative, but we made it work.
Together.