Skylar
As promised, tonight is all about Memphis.
The ride to—wherever he’s taking us—is quiet. Not awkward or tense…just peaceful.
Like we’re a normal couple having a normal night.
You know, if Memphis wasn’t a famous rock star, there wasn’t a chauffeur at the steering wheel…and I didn’t have to sneak out late at night like some unruly teenager disobeying her parents.
Memphis’s hand rests on my thigh the entire drive. Warm. Steady. Grounding.
And that’s what hurts.
Because a normal life with Memphis without secrets, fear, and all the other complicated bullshit…
Feels right.
Pain blooms under my ribcage. I breathe through it. Remind myself to enjoy the night.
Memphis squeezes my thigh gently. His touch is both magnetic and comforting.
The midnight air stretches around us as the driver pulls to a stop in front of a large glass dome. I look around the empty parking lot. It’s quiet.
No lights. No people aside from us.
“Where are we?”
Wordlessly, he gets out and rounds the car, opening my door like it’s instinctual. As if he’s been doing it for a lifetime.
I raise a brow as we make our way toward the building, but he remains silent, his fingers linking with mine.
No hesitation. No second-guessing. No uncertainty.
I scrutinize the dome-shaped building in front of us. “This better not be some underground sex club.”
A ghost of a smile curves his mouth as he unlocks the front door and holds it open for me.
Damn it. This is what I get for telling him I’d do anything he wanted.
I can’t even fully blame him. He did warn me that he was into some “freaky shit.”
I guess I was just optimistic—and a bit na?ve—by assuming his fantasy night would solely revolve around me. And us.
Then again, the man is a Scorpio.
Sure, there’s all the deep, sexy, mysterious stuff. But they’re also known for holding grudges…and exacting revenge when you least expect it.
Inside, the darkness swallows us whole. Only a faint red emergency sign on the far end of the building guides our steps.
Despite this, Memphis moves like he knows his way around, taking a sharp left before leading me down a long hallway and into…a large auditorium?
I blink. Confused.
Not a sex club. Not a trick. Not revenge.
It’s a…planetarium.
“Wow.”
My mouth drops as the room illuminates with an array of constellations, planets, and other celestial objects.
It’s nothing short of amazing. I’ve always wanted to visit one of these.
However, I already had my night.
“This was supposed to be about you,” I remind him.
“It is.”
“This is your fantasy?”
Memphis is many things, but an astronomy and astrological nerd isn’t one of them.
That’s my department.
When he speaks, his tone is low, almost coy. “Sure is.”
I give him a look that lets him know I’m not buying it. “Didn’t know you were such an astronomy buff.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why are we here?” I ask, my tone a little sharper than necessary. “Not that I’m not grateful,” I quickly add as I take it all in. “This place is incredible.”
Digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he fixes his stare on the ceiling. “This is where I was going to take you for our first official date.”
My heart stops before stumbling over itself. He has no idea just how much I wanted that date with him.
As usual, there’s always something in the way when it comes to us. “I’m sorry.”
He lifts a shoulder. “You had no way of knowing your aunt would pass that night.”
That’s not what I meant.
I could have rescheduled our date.
I could have chosen him.
I could have chosen us.
Things could have been so different.
Normal. Happy. Memphis.
A heavy ache swells in my chest, and I force myself to look away.
If I keep staring at him—while playing this should’ve, could’ve, would’ve game in my head—I might spontaneously combust from all my regret and longing.
“Come on.”
Linking his fingers with mine, he leads me to a row of seats in the center.
I rest my head on his shoulder as the dome above us and around us comes alive. Stars soar and burst like cosmic fireworks. Nebulas swirl in a luminous blue and purple haze. Constellations intricately weave together, as if telling a story.
Two shooting stars sail above us—nearly touching—before shattering violently, sending little particles of light scattering throughout the sky.
There’s something so tragic about how they missed one another by mere centimeters before imploding.
The symbolism isn’t lost on me.
“I wish I went on that date with you.”
“Me too.”
Silence stretches. Heavy. Charged.
Sadness mixed with resentment ripples through me as I think back to that day.
“Then why did you say what you did at the hospital?” I blurt before I can stop myself.
He did everything in his power to make sure I knew I was disposable and that what we had didn’t mean a damn thing to him.
He exhales as he looks at me. It’s barely a breath. But I feel the weight of it. “Because you chose him.”
“He needed me.”
“Maybe I needed you more.”
His words are like the sharp twist of a dull knife in a wound that’s never healed.
Sitting up straight, I glare at him. “Telling me that having sex with me wasn’t some monumental event and that my clingy bullshit is a turn-off hardly conveys that.”
He flinches—like he was the one on the other side of those cruel words—before his expression hardens. “Your mind was already made up before I ever said a word to you. What was I supposed to do? Drop to my knees and beg you to pick me?”
That would have only made it a million times harder.
However, he didn’t have to be so brutal.
For all I’ve done wrong, I’ve never once denied our connection. I’d rather walk through fire than ever make him feel like he meant nothing to me.
“Oh, so your pride was more important than my feelings. Got it.”
“My pride was all I had left!”
I open my mouth but quickly slam it shut.
Memphis clocked it.
But not because it’s what my heart wanted.
“Despite what you think, it wasn’t an easy choice.” My voice drops to a whisper, and I curl into myself. “I owed him.”
And some debts are paid in unconditional loyalty, silence, and sacrifice.
His jaw flexes. “For what? For manipulating you? For using you?”
There are so many things hidden inside this tower I’m trapped in—painful, ugly secrets—that are slowly killing me from the inside out.
Whether or not Josh and I are together, he still saved me from a monster.
And that’s something that will stay buried right where it belongs…six feet under.
Because some secrets and truths can never be spoken about.
Not even to him.
The silence between us thickens. Heavy. Weighted with everything we can’t say…and everything we want to.
My mind flicks back to the first night I ever crawled through his attic window. I was so terrified. The fear of Shane swallowing me whole, threatening to be my undoing.
But I remember the way Memphis held me tight.
How he assured me I was okay.
How I finally believed it for the very first time.
How he felt like home.
“Losing you was hard enough,” he cuts in, tearing me from my thoughts. “But losing you to him? That’s the pill I can’t swallow.”
Once again, guilt gnaws at my insides. “I hate that I hurt you, Memphis.”
“And yet, it didn’t stop you.”
I seriously don’t know how much more I can take of this. “Is that what tonight is about? Did you bring me here just so you could remind me about the date we never had while rehashing our past and blaming it all on me? Is that what really gets you off?”
I’m so sick of him acting like he fought some brutal battle when he didn’t even lift so much as a finger to fight for me.
“No,” he argues.
When I pin him with a look he sighs and says, “Not exactly. Yes, I brought you here so I could take you on the date we never got to go on, but…”
“But what?” I urge.
“I was stupid to think it wouldn’t be this fucking complicated.”
Because it always is.
Then again, that’s me. Flawed. Damaged goods. Complicated.
“Right.” The lump forming in my throat makes speaking painful, but I force the words out anyway. “There’s no point in us arguing about the past. It is what it is. Besides, you can’t lose what you never had.”
Those dark eyes become daggers. “Can’t I?”
I fold my arms over my chest. “You’re such an asshole sometimes.”
Grasping my chin with his fingers, he tips my head back. “Fighting for you would have been pointless, Sky. We both know you’ll always choose him.”
I hate the conviction behind his words.
But not nearly as much as I hate the truth behind them.
“Don’t blame your inclination for avoidance on me. And don’t you dare try to act like you’re some kind of psychic who can suddenly predict the future when you didn’t even try.”
“Sky—”
“No. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that what you believe you manifest?”
Jesus, what is wrong with me? Not only am I turning the tables around on him and lashing out, I’m being such a fucking hypocrite.
I’m about to apologize and suggest we go back to the hotel because it’s clear the night is ruined, but what he says next renders me speechless.
“If that was true, then you’d already be mine.”
“Memphis.”
I look up and find him watching me…like I’m the only star in his entire galaxy.
“What do you want from me?”
I can’t go back and fix what happened.
Nor can I ignore that I’m indebted to Josh.
“You.” There’s not even a drop of hesitancy in his tone. “I just want you.”
Damn it. He’s bringing out the heavy artillery.
I peer up as the dome spins softly above us, constellations shifting, stars aligning.
There’s an entire galaxy out there. Filled with billions of people and who knows what other life forms…yet the only person I want is the one I can never truly have.
It turns out, almost can hurt far worse than never.
Something inside me cracks when I meet his stare. Captivating. Stable.
There’s an entire galaxy out there…but Memphis is my earth, always keeping me grounded.
Even when I don’t deserve it.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I whisper.
“Like what?”
“Like I’m more.”
Like we could be more.
“Don’t do that,” he bites out.
“What?”
“Ruin my fantasy.” He cradles my face in his big hands. “Because you’re it, Sky.”
Electricity detonates throughout me when he claims my mouth.
I melt into him, giving up the fight.
Callused fingers grip my neck, keeping me right where he wants me as he tastes every inch of my mouth.
No one kisses like Memphis Payne does.
He swallows my moan, teasing and taunting me with his tongue as his hand slowly slides up my thigh, anchoring me to him.
“What do you want, Sky?”
I open my mouth to tell him, but he sweeps his thumb across my bottom lip. “Show me.”
My pulse thunders as I push him back into the chair and lower myself to the floor, kneeling between his legs.
“Eyes on me.”
Only it’s not a command or a challenge.
It’s a plea.
Holding his gaze, I unzip his jeans and tug them down, freeing him.
Watching my every movement, he grips the arm of the chair, so hard his knuckles turn white.
A hoarse sound tears from his throat when I wrap my hand around him. He’s thick. Aching. Pleading for me to taste him.
“Sky…” he warns when my grip tightens. Teasing.
However, he’s not the one in the driver’s seat this time.
Leaning down, I drag my tongue up the length of his dick. Slowly. Deliberate. Drawing out both his anticipation and pleasure.
A ragged breath punches out of him. “Fuck.”
There’s no arrogance.
No cocky rock star charm.
Just his pure, raw want for me.
I kiss the slick head of his cock, my lips and tongue gentle but so very eager.
When it’s clear he’s about to break, I reward his patience and take him deeper, hollowing my cheeks as I slide down.
His heartbeat pulses with every wet suck and slide, and I can’t help but drink in the sight of an uninhibited Memphis.
He’s slumped against the seat with his head lolled back. Those beautiful lips of his are parted in pleasure. His broad chest heaving with every inhale and exhale.
It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
One of his hands tangles in my hair…like he’s afraid I’ll go away if he doesn’t hold on to me.
I set a rhythm. Slow. Controlled. My hands and mouth working in tandem. His muscles tighten. Those powerful thighs tremble ever so slightly.
A ragged, almost painful sound tears out of him as I speed up my movements, like he’s coming undone piece by piece.
The moment his body loses the battle and he unravels, I hear it. “Sky.”
He says my name like I’m his lifeline.
When he looks at me, it’s open and unguarded.
Like I’m the only thing in the universe that’s ever made any sense to him.
It no longer matters that our relationship can only exist in the shadows, hidden behind a veil of secrecy.
Because even though the stars above us are fake.
What we have is real.