Chapter 17
In his arms—that’s where I want to be for the rest of my life. I don’t care who’s watching, and I know, right now thousands are. So what?
Where does this come from? Is this even me? I feel alive and fearless—that’s what Rory does to me. And this feeling isn’t even half-bad.
Rory steers me to the back of the room. The fans make way for us. Most are smiling, some are high-fiving Rory. Others, mostly female ones, give me the stink-eye. But with Rory’s warm hand at the small of my back, I feel safe and unbothered.
Just before we reach the door, Charlie’s voice booms over the speakers, “Oops, we just lost our lead guitar.”
People laugh and cheer, and there’s a female voice saying huskily, “But who needs a guitar anyway?” Right after, the air is filled with a breathtaking bass solo.
Rory chuckles. “Kat never wants Jewel to play a solo.”
“Why not? This is awesome.” I turn to listen. The music is quirky, enchanting, and captivating at the same time.
“Not this time, kitten.” Rory’s hand puts a little pressure on my back. “Let’s get out of here.”
I look at him and see happiness in his eyes. He winks and slowly steps back, tugging me by the hand. “Come with me.”
How could I possibly resist him? We step into the foyer laughing and are met by about a dozen photographers. Rory puts his arm around my shoulders and wards any questions off. “Not tonight.”
Maybe the reporters give up, or they expect us to go to Rory’s hotel, because nobody follows us as we walk to my car.
The drive to my place is filled with comfortable silence, the kind that allows both of us to process the whirlwind of emotions that have enveloped our lives in recent days. I glance at Rory, his profile bathed in the soft glow of the dashboard lights. I marvel at his calm and serenity.
As we pull up to my home, the atmosphere is charged with anticipation. I take a deep breath, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement. I know that we have a lot to discuss, decisions to make, and challenges to face, but I’m ready to take that leap.
As my apartment basically is a mother-in-law suite at the side of Carson and Brittney’s home, it is no wonder that we don’t make it inside unnoticed. The curtains in the kitchen move, and I’m pretty sure I see Brittney wave to someone in the back. I motion to Rory to speed up, but he asks, “Your sister?”
I nod. “Sister-in-law.”
I put the key into the lock, but I don’t turn it. Instead, I move around and take a deep breath. Very quietly, I tell Rory, “I’m not sure I can do forever.”
His only response is to hold me tighter. Somehow this gives me the courage to tell him, “I’m scared. You’ve lied. I might understand why you did so—or I might not. You behaved like a celebrity prick. We’ve got hurdles ahead of us, and it’s going to be hard. But I want to give us a chance. I want to make this work. I love you, and I don’t want to hide that anymore. Is this enough?”
Rory takes my face in his hands and his eyes lock onto mine. “Hunter, I’ve spent a lifetime chasing the spotlight, but none of it compares to the brightness you’ve brought into my life. I love you too, more than I ever thought possible. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to build something real with you.”
I get literal wobbly knees at this. “This sounds too good to be true.”
“It’s true, kitten. And it always will be.”
I close my eyes. “But what will we tell our families?”
“That it’s none of their effing business. You can rephrase that if you want to.”
I giggle and let my head drop to his chest.
Rory puts a finger under my chin and tips it up. “Eyes on me. And let everybody know that our plans are ours and won’t be shared until we’re ready to. Right now, this feels awesome, and I promise to do my darnedest best to keep it this way. Or make it better even.”
This is it. Our love is the melody that will guide us through the challenges, and together, we’re ready to face whatever the future has in store.
Rory wiggles his eyebrows. “Now you’ve got to decide whether to let me in or to introduce me to your family.”
“Now?” He can’t be serious.
“Sure.” He pulls me in for a kiss. “They’re watching anyhow. Your choice.”
“Yes, we want to meet him, too,” Gramma hollers from the door.
“Shh.” Carson looks up the stairs. “If the kids find out who is here, we can forget about slumber time.”
“We’ll come for breakfast,” I tell them and pull Rory into my home. Tonight is for us.
Who am I kidding? I can do forever, want forever, will have forever.