CHAPTER 20
”Wait, wait,” Charlotte said. ”You slept with Sam?”
”Yeah,” I said. ”As in sleep. We both literally slept on the living room couch.”
”And Dad was fine with that?”
I nodded even though she couldn”t see it. ”He set down the rules but didn”t seem upset.” I thought about it a second then added, ”Honestly, that might”ve had something to do with you.”
”Me?” she said.
”He already had to get used to the idea of you and Bo, so that probably made it easier. To accept Sam.”
Charlotte whistled. ”Well, you”re welcome, I guess.”
”Thanks.”
”And you say Sam hasn”t mentioned anything about it since?”
”Accurate,” I said.
”Then maybe you should,” she said.
I was already shaking my head. ”I think we”re okay. I said what I needed to say, told him the truth…mostly.”
Charlotte scoffed.
”And I don”t think it matters much anyway.”
”Because you”re still planning to break up with him,” she finished.
”Exactly.”
”How”s that going?”
I sighed. ”Sometimes, you can be so irritating.”
Four days had passed. I”d fully recovered from my cold-fever-mystery-illness, and I was caught up on schoolwork. The only thing I”d procrastinated on was ending things with Sam. I tried again and again to bring it up. But Sam always ran off, claiming he had to get to class, soccer practice, the garage, home to look after the twins. Once, I suggested that we talk about how to end our deal, and Sam effectively distracted me with a kiss. My sister knew all this. She was just too perceptive—and stubborn—to leave it alone.
”I”m working up to it,” I said.
”Scar, I know you don”t want to hear this.”
”Then maybe don”t say it?”
She continued anyway. ”But I think you should go back to Sam, tell him how you feel, kiss him like you love him—which you do—and live happily ever after. Boom.”
”Boom?” I repeated with a smile.
”Yeah,” Charlotte said. ”I think all the best ideas end with boom. Don”t you? Maybe that”ll be my new thing.”
I couldn”t stop my laughter. ”Let me know how that goes.”
”Shut up.”
As the seconds passed, my smile dimmed. ”You”re forgetting one very important part of the story.”
”What”s that?”
”Bam,” I said, ”as in Brisa and Sam. The girl he”s actually in love with.”
Charlotte wasn”t having it. ”Has he ever said that?”
”What?”
”Brisa. Has Sam ever once said he”s in love with her?”
My brows pinched as I tried to remember. ”I”m sure he has,” I said. ”He must have.”
”Hmmm, unless you”re wrong.”
I sniffed. ”Hardly ever the case.”
”I think this is that one time out of a hundred, Scar. Sam is your person.”
I wish, I thought.
My chest panged like it always did when I thought of him—but I couldn”t get too caught up in my feelings because I had something else to discuss with Charlotte. Something exciting.
”Enough of that,” I said, waving away her words. Looking at the email I received early this morning, I felt energized all over again. ”Were you listening before when I told you the amazing news? Or were you too focused on my fake love life that you blocked it out?”
”I heard you,” she said.
”Lotte, I can”t believe you”re not more excited about this.”
”Should I be?”
”Yes!” I started pacing back and forth, embracing my need to move. ”We got a request, a real one expressing real interest in our music from a real band.”
”Okay,” she said, ”but was it real?”
Even her sarcasm couldn”t bring me down.
My hopes were too high for that.
”They said they want to meet us to discuss, and I quote, ”a possible business opportunity”. Isn”t that amazing?”
”It is,” Charlotte said.
I frowned. ”But?”
”But unlike you, performing makes me break out in hives.”
”Exaggerate much?”
”Obviously if we get this job, I”d do it for you and the cousins—though I wonder if Aurora will be up for it. She”s even more introverted than I am.”
”She will,” I said. ”I know she will.”
Yes, Aurora was shy, but she”d always loved to play. I had no doubt she”d say yes.
”And you got it wrong, Lotte. It”s not if, it”s when.”
She sighed.
”When we play for this band, they”re going to love us. When they hear our music, they won”t be able to say no. And when we play, it”ll be a dream come true.”
I inhaled, feeling the rightness of it.
”I”ll get to perform with my favorite people in the world on a professional stage, and by doing that, I”ll finally get to check off the one thing on my list that I thought might never, ever happen. Not without a lot of luck and fate and divine intervention. Do you know how hard I”ve worked to try and make this happen for us?”
”I do,” Charlotte said softly. ”And I”m so glad itfinally is.”
”Me too,” I said. ”The only thing I”m wondering is how did they hear about our group in the first place? I mean, I”ve been handing out my business cards—and they”re fantastic. But I wonder how we got on this band”s radar.”
”What”s their name?”
”HERS,” I said, reading from the email.
”Hmmm, I”ve heard of them. I think they”re supposed to be pretty big.”
”Really?” I shrugged. ”Well, I”m meeting them in about an hour if you want to come.”
”Can”t,” she said. ”But you should take someone with you.”
”Don”t say it.”
”I”m sure Sam would want to go.”
Closing my eyes, I said, ”Charlotte. I love you, but I”m hanging up now.”
”Okay,” she said brightly. ”Just remember what I told you.”
”About the boom thing?”
She laughed. ”If you want Sam, let him know. You never hold back. Don”t start now. Go out and get your happily-ever-after.”
”I wish it was that simple,” I said.
”It can be,” Charlotte said. ”Love you, Scar.”
”Love you.”
Her words wouldn”t leave me even after the call disconnected. Maybe she was right. Maybe I could get my HEA… My brain started running like it always did whenever I got a new idea. But I needed to stay focused. Grabbing a pen, I wrote it out.
Get ready to meet the band.
Secure the job for my cousins and me.
Find Sam.
Tell him the truth.
Start HEA.
I felt better just looking at the words. Sure, my stomach was roiling with nerves, but at least I knew what I was doing. It only took me a few minutes to get ready, 15 tops. I was so excited—and scared. Mostly, I was thrilled to finally take the steps I hoped would lead to a happy future. But when I opened my front door, I found the last person I expected to see.
”Brisa,” I said then looked around. ”Um, hi. Are you at the right house?”
”You live here. Don”t you?”she said.
I nodded.
”Then I”m at the right place.”
She stared at me while I stared at her. We were about the same height, but that”s where the similarities ended. Brisa was beautiful as always. Her thick, dark hair was down and flowing, the ends shifting with the light breeze. Her eyes were hazel, I realized, the color like a green meadow washed in golden sunshine. Her lips smiled slightly, which was a look I didn”t usually see directed at me. It was no wonder Sam loved her, I thought.
”Do you want to come in?” I asked.
”No, this will only take a second.”
She shook her head.
”I can”t believe Sam chose you over me.”
”He didn”t,” I said with a sigh. ”Not really.”
”Oh no?” Brisa crossed her arms. ”Then why did he send me here to talk to you?”
”Huh?”
She relaxed her stance and pushed a hand through her hair. ”You really are annoying, Scarlett. I want to dislike you. I want to hate you, but for some reason, I can”t.”
”Glad to hear it,” I said slowly.
”It not easy for me to say this, but…”
I nodded for her to go on.
”You”re an idiot,” she said.
My brows pinched. ”You”re smiling, so I think you liked saying that.”
”Not going to lie. I did.” Brisa shook her head. ”Anyway, Sam is in love with you. He always has been.”
”What?”
”Sam. Is. In. Love. With. You,” she repeated.
”No, he”s not,” I said. ”He”s in love with you.”
”What makes you say that?”
”Well, you guys dated for three years—”
Brisa chuckled.
”—and he agreed to help with my list just to get you back. We made a deal, started Scam specifically for that purpose,” I said. ”The evidence is clear.”
”Listen, I have no idea what list or deal you”re talking about,” she said. ”But Sam and my relationship was only for show. The romance part anyway.”
Seeing my look of disbelief, she rolled her eyes.
”You”ve heard of beards, right?”
”Like facial hair?”
”No, Scarlett,” she said. ”Like, I used Sam to keep other guys and girls away. I”m using Cooper for the same reason.”
”Why?”
Brisa shrugged. ”Because I”m not interested.”
”In guys or girls?”
”In anyone,” she said. ”Labels don”t appeal to me, and I didn”t want to spend my entire high school years explaining myself.”
”I understand that,” I said.
”I”m not sure you do,” she said. ”But the point is, this is my choice. I didn”t want to tell anyone. Not until I”m ready.” Brisa fluttered her hands at me. ”Sam knows, though, so it”s fine.”
”He does?”
”Yeah, and he never made me feel bad or like there was something wrong with me.” Brisa sighed. ”I think that might be why I love him so much.”
”That, I definitely understand,” I said.
Her gaze came back to meet mine. ”What you heard freshman year, it wasn”t what you think. That was Sam telling me he loves you.”
I frowned.
”His feelings for you were so strong they hurt,” she said. ”You were his best friend, Scarlett. How could you not see it?”
At her explanation, I heard Sam”s words differently for the first time.
Being around Scarlett, it hurts.
It”s physically painful.
I don”t think I can keep being friends with her.
”But he said…he didn”t want to be friends,” I mumbled.
”Because he wanted to be more,” Brisa said with a smile. ”I thought you were supposed to be smart.”
”I am.”
”Then stop fooling yourself.”
”Why didn”t he say anything then? Or the other night?” I wondered out loud.
”Why didn”t you?” she countered. ”Listen, I only came to clear things up. I care about Sama lot, and yeah. I just want him to be happy.”
”I want that too.”
Brisa lifted a brow. ”Then what are you waiting for?”
”I really appreciate you coming here,” I said. ”Seriously, Brisa. Thanks.”
”For what?” she said then walked away as if nothing happened.
As if she hadn”t just shifted my whole world with one conversation. I pulled out my phone and sent Sam a text.
We need to talk.
He replied instantly.
Sam:I agree.
Me:See you soon?
Sam:Maybe sooner than you think ;).
Smiling, I pocketed my phone, got in my car, and began the drive to my meeting with the band. It would take a few minutes. That was more than enoughtime to get my head back on straight. I turned on the radio to distract myself, but when the song Sam and I danced to came on, I let my mind go there.
Sam had loved me.
According to Brisa, he was still in love with me.
I hoped that was true.
And even though I hadn”t thought anything could top the excitement I felt about this meeting…my heart only wanted to see one person.
#
”Hi, you must be Scarlett.”
I reached out to shake the hand he offered. ”Yes, and you”re Hayden. Right?”
”That”s right.” The guy shot me a smile that I”m sure had hearts falling at his feet. Gesturing to the girl at his side, he said, ”This is Magnolia. My girlfriend.”
”Nice to meet you,” I said.
”You too,” she replied.
”The rest of the band couldn”t be here. But I think you”ve met our drummer?”
I tilted my head. ”Really? I”m not sure…”
”His name”s Ryker,” he said, and my eyes widened. ”Big guy, excellent rhythmic timing.”
Magnolia rolled her eyes. ”Ryker”s the strong, silent type,” she said. ”Dark hair. Darker expression—but not as dark as his little brother”s. He”s very attractive too.”
”Seriously, Maggie?”
”What? He is.” Hayden tugged her toward him and placed a kiss against her temple. ”You would remember if you met him.”
”I do,” I said. ”My cousins and I played at his sister”s birthday party.”
Hayden nodded. ”He also mentioned something about his dog Onyx and the beach?”
”Yeah,” I laughed, blushing like crazy. ”I definitely remember that.”
Maggie and Hayden both looked like they wanted more details, but I doubted they”d care about my skinny-dipping adventure. Or maybe I was just too embarrassed to jump into that story with near-complete strangers. In an effort to steer the conversation in a different direction, I smiled.
”So, Ryker, he”s the one who told you about us?” I asked. ”I was wondering. My cousins and I aren”t famous or anything.”
”Not yet,” Magnolia said. ”But if you play forHERS, it will expose you to a bigger audience.”
”No doubt.”
Hayden smiled. ”Yeah, Ryker told us about your group. But actually, it was someone else who gave me your contact info.”
That was a surprise.
”Oh?” I asked. ”Who was it?”
And then I heard him.
”Kent.”
Sam stepped up next to me, and I stared at him, unable to believe he was actually here.
”I got caught in traffic,” he said, ”or I would”ve been here sooner. Everything good?”
”Yeah,” Hayden said, ”I was just about to ask Scarlett if her group wants to open for us.”
My eyes shot to his in surprise. ”But you haven”t even heard us play.”
”My cousin tells me you”re amazing,” he said, and Sam nodded.
”She”s the best.”
”He also showed us some videos of you and your cousins playing at different local events. Really cool, unique sound.”
My gaze went back to Sam who was smiling at my dumbfounded expression. ”How…but you”ve never seen us play live. Where did you get the videos?”
”From your sister,” he said, ”and your dad.”
”My dad?”
”Yeah, I asked him to send me some of your best performances.”
”What for?”
”For this,” he said, gesturing to Hayden. ”And because I wanted to see you play.”
Swallowing hard, I said, ”That was thoughtful of you.”
”Just being a good boyfriend and list assistant.”
”Will you excuse us for a second?” I asked.
Hayden and Magnolia nodded, and I pulled Sam to the side. Once we were far enough away, I looked up.
”You can”t do this,” I said to him.
He shrugged. ”I already did.”
”I won”t let you force your family into letting us play to help me get ahead.”
”First, I didn”t force anyone,” Sam said, shaking his head. ”You know how amazing you are, Scarlett. All I had to do was show Hayden the videos, which he then shared with his management team, and they were practically begging to have you play.”
I raised a brow. ”Begging?”
”Yeah, and I told them about your youth mentoring program too.”
”You…you did?”
He nodded. ”Hayden”s girlfriend, Maggie, has a heart for that stuff too. I guess she used to work at a soup kitchen? Anyway, they wanted you without hardly any persuading from me.”
Sam reached up and placed a hand against my cheek.
”This was all you,” Sam said. ”I just put your name out there.”
”You used your connections to help make my dreams come true,” I said.
”Yeah, if you want to put it like that.”
”And why would you do that, Sam?” I asked.
His eyes brightened. ”You called me Sam again.”
”It”s your name.”
”I know. And I love hearing you say it.”
I leaned my head against his hand, waiting for him to answer my question. Sam did not disappoint.
”I love how you try to plan everything, even though you know it”s impossible.”
My pulse beat faster.
”I love your lists, especially when they give me an excuse to do things I”ve wanted to do for years.” Sam pressed his lips against my forehead then said, ”Like kissing you. I love that you bought that story about the lessons. I didn”t want to convince anyone but you.”
”Convince me of what?” I asked.
”That I”m the one you want.”
He pressed another kiss against my cheek.
”That we could be so good together.”
Another kiss landed on the corner of my mouth, and I shivered.
”That you are my Tina Turner.”
I smiled.
”You”re simply the best,” Sam went on. ”Did you get it, Kent?”
”I got it,” I said.
”Thank goodness.”
Sam kissed me, and I didn”t know where he stopped and I began. It was like a song. I moved my lips against his, making music only the two of us could hear. He sipped up my sighs, breathing me in like oxygen. For a moment, he just rested his head against mine, and I smiled, feeling so happy my heart could hardly take it.
”I love you, Scarlett,” he said softly, the words brushing against my lips. ”You know that, right?
”I do,” I said through the lump in my throat.
”Good, just making sure.”
I was too stunned to speak, too content to move. Sam loved me, and I didn”t know what to do with myself. I had to tell him. I knew I did. But the words were stuck somewhere between my heart and my lips.
”Hey, sorry to interrupt,” Hayden said, and Sam and I broke apart with a smile.
”No problem,” Sam said. ”What”s up?”
”I”ve got to get Maggie back in about an hour.”
”Okay.”
”Scarlett, are you ready?” he asked.
I turned from him to Sam with raised brows. ”Ready for what?”
”To go for a ride.”
Looking behind him, I noticed the motorcycle and felt a giddy thrill roll through me.
”Really?” I asked.
”Yeah.” Hayden laughed at my expression. ”Sam said something about a bucket list.”
”A firsts lists,” I corrected then looked back at Sam with a grin. ”I can”t believe you did all this.”
”Yes, you can,” he said.
Yes, I could.
Because he loved me.
And I loved him.
And I was going to tell him.
Hayden gave Magnolia a quick kiss then threw a leg over his bike, starting it up. As I settled in behind him, I thought of #21 on my list (Do something that terrifies me). No time like the present, right?
”Hey, Sam?” I said.
”Yeah?” he said with a smile.
”I love you too.”
”What?”
I had to raise my voice to be heard over the motorcycle”s engine, so I said it again.
”I love you,” I yelled. ”I love you so much it”s ridiculous.”
Sam”s jaw went slack, and in the next instant, I was speeding away on the back of Hayden”s bike. I liked the feeling of freedom, the air blowing against my face. It was a rush for sure. But not as much of a thrill as finally confessing my feelings.
My heart only beat harder as we came to a stop a few minutes later, and a familiar Mustang rolled to a stop behind us. Sam got out of the car, slammed his door, and strode over to me. I couldn”t tell if he was upset or elated. Probably both.
”Are you kidding me, Kent?” he said.
”What?” I said back.
”You can”t just tell someone you love them then speed off with your arms wrapped around some other guy.”
”Why not?”
”Because,” he sputtered. ”Just because.”
Hopping off the bike with a laugh, I said, ”Thanks, Hayden.”
”No problem, Scarlett. Sam, I”ll see you.”
”Later.” Sam lifted his chin in a nod. When we were alone, I walked over and threw my arms around his shoulders.
”You”re cute when you”re pretending to be mad,” I said.
”Who”s pretending?” Sam said back.
I leaned up and pressed a kiss against his lips, one he prolonged by following me as I rocked back on my heels. ”So cute,” I repeated.
”Been called stunning,” he said.
”Never going to let that go. Are you?”
”Nope. It”ll be carved on my grave.”
”That”s so morbid,” I said.
”Thought it was romantic,” he said.
Taking a deep breath, I looked up into his eyes and let him see my heart, fully and completely, for the first time.
”I have a confession to make,” I said and watched as his breath hitched. ”I secretly love that you can sleep through class and still make good grades. Your gorgeous face and soccer body certainly don”t hurt—but you”re so much more than that. I love that you are literally the best big brother ever. I love that you did all this for me today even when you thought I wasn”t in love with you anymore.”
”I”m a hard guy to fall out of love with,” he said.
”You are. You really are.”
Sam smiled.
”You”re my person, and I”m so yours.”
”Really?”
”You check all my boxes, Sam Bishop,” I said. ”I love you.”
”I love you more,” he said.
And then he kissed me.
Charlotte was right again. Sometimes, fake love does turn real. But our love was never fake. It was only waiting for the right moment to emerge.
Our happily-ever-after started with a list and ended with an I love you.
It was the best first, and I knew my love for Sam Bishop would last forever.