Текст книги "Out Of The Blue"
Автор книги: Carina Adams
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
Chapter Twenty-Six
~ Mike ~
I left the meeting annoyed that it had taken as long as it had. But after the problems at last week’s concert, security had been beefed up and everyone was now on high alert. Molly insisted we were overreacting, but the rest of us didn’t feel that way.
I was running late, though. Lia had over-filled our day, from meetings to wardrobe fittings to radio interviews, but our first appointment was an interview with Nikki’s friend Emily. She had flown out here yesterday, a guest of Nate and Lia for tonight’s show, because this was the only venue we were going to be at for more than a quick stop. Molly had talked to her on the phone a few times, and Emily had apparently passed some sort of test, because for the first time ever, Molly was considering hiring a personal assistant. The girls were interviewing her in less than twenty minutes.
When I turned into the main corridor, Peterson glanced up at me from his spot in front of the door and lines on his usually unhappy face deepened in a frown. “Where’s Molly?”
My steps faltered and my mind whirled as I pointed to the door behind him. “She better be in the fucking room where I left her.”
He swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing, as he drew himself up to his full height, turning to face me. “She isn’t.”
“Where’d she go, Peterson?” I ground out, struggling to keep my temper in check. He had one job, one goddamn job. A job he’d fucking failed.
“She told me you sent her a text message.” Of course she did. Because Molly never did what she was told to do. Why in the hell would she start now?
“We’ll deal with the whys later,” I clarified, making sure he understood how pissed I was at him. “Right now, all I want to know is where in the hell she is.”
“Her dressing room.” He tipped his head behind me. I turned and ran down the hall before he finished talking.
There was no one down here, no roadies running around like crazed people trying to do more in a few hours than could be done in a day, no crew hurrying back and forth as they attempted to get the stars of the show ready and on stage in time, and no musicians lounging around, laughing off their nerves. In a few hours, this entire place would explode in activity, and it would be a madhouse. Now, though, it was eerily quiet.
Molly was probably down here trying to get some peace before her day started. Either that, or Julie drove her away and I’d find her in her dressing room, clutching a fifth of vodka. At least, that’s what I always wanted to do after dealing with my ex. I laughed as I reached Molly’s door, relieved that I didn’t hear voices. At least she was alone.
When I pushed open the door, though, my laughter died. I yanked my 9mm from behind my back as my eyes moved around the room, searching for anything suspicious as I rushed to my girl. A thousand scenarios ran through my mind, none of them good, as I knelt next to her.
When my hand touched her face, she jolted awake and sat up in a panic, eyes wide, scooting backward on the floor away from me. “Hey, hey,” I soothed, “it’s just me.”
Molly blinked the sleep from her eyes, her movements jerky as she looked around, trying to figure out where she was. When her eyes settled on the gun in my hand she didn’t panic like I’d assumed she would. Instead, her shoulders relaxed and tears filled her eyes as she launched herself at me, throwing her arms around my shoulders and burying her face in my neck.
I didn’t know what happened, or who caused her this much misery, but when I found them, they were going to wish to God they’d left her alone.
All I could do now was rub her back and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
That’s how Lia and a woman I’d never seen before found us a few minutes later. To her credit, Lia took one look at us huddled on the floor, me with the gun still in my hand, and reacted the way any manager would. She ushered the woman into the room, shutting the door and sliding a chair in front of it before she joined us.
She didn’t ask what was wrong. Instead, she coaxed Molly out of my arms and into a chair. The new woman immediately went to the adjoining bathroom, coming out a few seconds later with a wet cloth. Crouching in front of Mols, getting on her level, she muttered soothing words as she washed Molly’s face and pushed the matted hair off her forehead. Molly continued to shake, but the tears had stopped.
Lia’s worried eyes met mine over their heads as I slid my Beretta back into its holster, and then she tipped her head sideways. I followed her lead, moving to the corner of the room.
“What in the hell?” she hissed as soon as I was close enough so we couldn’t be overheard. “I’ve never seen her like this.”
I shook my head, not knowing what to say. “That’s how I found her.” I explained the morning to my old friend, telling her the last time I’d seen Molly had been in the meeting room, where she’d been laughing and happy.
Lia chewed on the inside of her cheek as she tried to recall when she’d seen her last. “She was talking to Julie." Lia shook her head when she noticed me tensing at her words. “No. Julie came over to talk to Nate and me. Mols looked at her…” She trailed off as her eyes lit up and she moved back across the room to grab Molly’s iPhone, pressing buttons as she brought it back to me. “Shit! It needs a passcode.”
I held out my hand. “Let me try.” I typed in 1-5-0-5, and it unlocked immediately. I used Jake’s birthday for all my pin numbers, too. Molly was that kind of mom, so it only made sense. We’d had in-depth conversations about our children and I’d never forget Bryant’s birthday because it was so close to Jake’s. Following Lia’s original line of thought, I pulled up her call history. “The only call here is to her sister.”
“Roxy?” Lia sounded horrified and pissed off—a deadly combination.
I shook my head. “No, Anneslee.”
“That doesn’t make sense. The two of them are tight.” Lia’s face scrunched together as she looked at me. “You don’t think her mom…” she whispered, the idea too awful to even complete.
“You know, I’m right here. I can hear you,” Molly called from across the room. She cleared her throat.
I would have smiled if I hadn’t been so damn worried. Instead, I moved back to her, leaning on the arm of the chair next to hers. Bloodshot eyes watched me wearily, but I wasn’t going to push her for answers. Not yet.
“Mike, have you met Emily?” She pointed to the woman still crouched in front of her. “Em, this is Mike. Mike, Emily, my new PA.”
I smiled at the woman, feeling like I’d met her somewhere before. She was older than Molly, maybe even older than me. If I had to guess, I’d say she was somewhere around thirty-five. And not at all what I’d expected from the way Nikki talked about her.
If Molly had a polar opposite on this tour, it would be this woman. Emily was short, 5’2”-ish, larger, with unruly black hair swirling around her shoulders, and was wearing yoga pants, flip-flops and a baggy tee shirt with a messenger bag slung sideways over her chest. Her smile was pleasant, and the way she was patting Molly’s hand, doing her part to calm the woman she’d just met, made me like her immediately.
I smiled and nodded my hello. We’d have plenty of chances to talk on the tour.
Molly bit her bottom lip, inhaled a deep breath, and then looked from Lia to me and back to Lia. “We need to talk.”
I crossed my arms over my chest while Lia nodded.
“But I’m just not ready yet. Okay?”
“I can leave,” Emily assured us, standing up.
“No.” Molly shook her head. “No. It’s not that. I just need to process everything. I talked to my sister, and it’s just a lot to take in…” She swallowed. As if knowing that we needed some sort of explanation, she took a shaky breath and continued. “I just found out someone I used to love died.” My heart sank. She wet her lips, shaking her head and avoiding all of our eyes as Lia and Emily offered their sympathies.
“We weren’t close anymore, but it surprised me.” She shrugged. “I think I’m overly tired and the news was just unexpected.” She glanced up at Lia. “Do you think we can push back some of today’s appointments? Just give me some time?”
“Absolutely. I’ll cancel the entire weekend if you need me to.”
“No. Those are important meetings.”
“The only important thing here is you, kid. I’ll clear your schedule. We can make up interviews from the road next week. I’m sorry for your loss.” Lia leaned down to hug Molly, then headed to the door. “I’m going to go make some phone calls. I’ll be back in a few to check on you.” She shoved the chair out of the way and then she was gone.
Molly looked at me. “I’m fine, really. I just need a little while.” She cleared her throat again. “I’m sorry that I left without you.”
“Hey, we’ll talk about that later. I’m just worried about you now. You want to talk about it?” I didn’t even know who she had lost, but the pain radiating from her body told me it was someone important.
She shook her head. “Kevin.” It was as if she’d heard my unasked question. Her voice broke as she said his name, and I wanted to do whatever I could to take the pain away. She swallowed audibly. “I hadn’t seen him since”—she shrugged—“well, since I left home. But I always thought that one day we’d…” She broke off in a sob and I rushed to her side, pulling her into my arms again and cradling her.
I held her until Lia came back in, and then I stepped away. I wanted to kick Lia and Emily out, lock the damn door, and hold her for the rest of the day. Or, better yet, take her back to the hotel room and spend the day wrapped up in blankets, watching movies that would make her laugh and forget her hurt.
Molly decided that she wanted to be alone, though. She thanked us for worrying about her, but she insisted the best way for her to process the news before tonight’s concert was her being alone with her guitar. I could understand that.
Lia and Emily planned to go do whatever it is personal assistants do, but before they left, Lia sent me away, promising to have Sam station someone in the hallway and assuring me I’d get a phone call if Molly ventured out of the room. Not that she would. This was the one time I knew for a fact that she’d stay put.
I needed a drink, but considering it was still before noon, I’d have to settle for coffee. When I shoved my way into the room where we’d had breakfast, I was shocked to see Julie sitting at a table, staring at her tablet. She was the only person there. “What are you doing here?”
She glanced up, did a double take, and then smiled when she realized it was me. “Hey!” She joined me as I filled my coffee cup. “I didn’t think I’d see you until much later.”
“Where are the kids?”
“With Nate. He was going to show them the buses and then put them to work.” She laughed. “They were so excited about it, but I think he was just as enthusiastic. He loves kids. I wish Lia would stop worrying about her career so much and give that man a baby of his own. She—”
“Shut up, Julie. Just shut up!” I’d had enough of her in those five seconds to last a lifetime.
She looked taken aback. “You don’t have to be such an ass. I was just making an observation.”
“I don’t need you to make observations about my friends.”
She glowered at me, sticking a hand on her hip. “They’re my friends, too.”
I could argue that point, considering neither of them liked her, but it wasn’t worth it. Instead, I sipped my coffee and sat at a table. Pulling out my phone, I hoped she’d take the hint and leave me alone. She didn’t.
Instead, she took the seat across from me. “Where’s Molly? In an interview?”
“She’s having a meeting,” I lied effortlessly.
“Do you have some time to talk?”
I almost said no and told her to leave me the hell alone, but then I remembered that I had promised to listen to whatever she had to say. This was the perfect moment—we were alone and I wouldn’t have to waste time later. I nodded. “A few minutes.”
She looked relieved. “Please just hear me out, okay?” I immediately knew I wasn’t going to like whatever she had to say, but I didn’t stop her. “I’m not contesting the divorce.”
“Okay.” I couldn’t understand why that would matter to me.
“I’m only asking for my car and half the bank account. I don’t want the house, Lewis does, so we’re going to have to move. The kids and I talked about it, and we think a fresh start would be good for us. Get the hell out of town, maybe even Maine.”
“You’re moving Jake?” She now had all of my attention. I traveled for work, yeah, but when I was home, I wanted to be within an hour’s drive of my kid.
“I’d like to, yes.”
“And you want me to give my permission?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m the custodial parent. That’s my decision.”
“Lewis is a dick, but I can’t see him letting you move his daughter away from him. He’ll fight you.”
“He actually has no say in the matter.”
“Jules,” I sighed, leaning forward and bracing my forearms on the table, spinning my coffee cup. “That’s just shitty. I’m not just saying this for me, I’m saying it for Lewis, too. We deserve to have a say in where our children live. I want Jake in a safe place.”
“I was actually hoping that you’d help us find a place. You know, wherever you’re going to be.”
My Spidey senses were lacking, overwhelmed with everything else going on, but I felt like I was missing something. I knew I was. “What are you trying to say? Stop talking in circles and spit it out.”
She sighed dramatically. “The kids and I want to go where you go. We all love you, we’re all happier when you’re around. I want you to think about letting us move in.”
I stared at her, gaping, for a few long minutes. “You and the kids? Meaning now that Lewis is gone you want to play house with me?” She’d lost her mind. “Does Lewis know that’s why you’re not contesting the divorce and holding out for the house and the bank accounts?”
“No. He’s the one who made the most of our money. Without a mutual child, I wouldn’t get anything, even if I did contest.”
She was an idiot who obviously needed a better lawyer. “You have a mutual child, Jules.”
She took a deep breath. “Legally, Janet is yours.”
I glared at her. She’d told me years ago that she’d gotten the birth certificate amended and that I had no legal right to Nettie. “Says an outdated piece of paper. Biologically, she’s not. That should be the only documentation a court needs to make sure he provides for his child.”
She fidgeted with her tablet. “I didn’t want to tell you here, like this.” She waved her hand around the room.
“Tell me what?” I demanded, the cold tone in my voice making her flinch.
“Lewis wanted to add Janet onto his insurance policy, but unless a child is born in marriage, they demand DNA proof.” Her voice dropped to a whisper and she avoided my eyes. “When the results came back, he wasn’t a match.”
“What?”
“You knew she came early. I was under so much stress that pregnancy…” She trailed off, finally looking me in the eye. “I told you that I couldn’t be sure. But that there was a small chance she was yours.”
I shook my head, not knowing if I should be running out to find my daughter—my daughter—or if I should even listen to a word the psychopath in front of me was saying. “You are a fucking bitch.”
Julie didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed. Instead, she shrugged. “Oh, like you’re innocent here. You could have asked for a paternity test when I told you. You could have insisted that you were her legal father and gotten a parental rights and responsibilities order written. Instead, you ran away. So save your judgemental bullshit, okay?”
She was a fucking piece of work. “I won’t make that mistake again, I can promise you that.” I sat back, worried that if I was too close to her, I’d hurt her. “You don’t have to worry about moving with the kids, Jules. ‘Cause I’m going to take them, and you are never going to see them again.”
She laughed. “I’ve heard that one. Before you deployed the last time, remember? You promised me that when you got back, you were taking Jake. Instead, you got your stupid convoy blown up and your men killed. If that wasn’t a sign, I’m not sure what is.”
If she’d been a man, I would have knocked her goddamn teeth down her throat. Leave it to Julie to hit below the belt.
“You’re not taking my kids away from me. And if you keep spending time with home-wrecking whores like Molly Ray, who are horrible influences for our young, impressionable daughter, I’ll be forced to explain to the judge just how crazy you went after your accident and how you once told me you didn’t feel safe alone with the kids. Don’t fuck with me, Michael. Or I’ll make sure the only time you ever see them is during your quarterly supervised visits.”
I had to get out of there before I hurt her. I needed to get out of the building, away from the people I cared about before I exploded. I rushed out of the room, Julie’s smug face burned into my mind.
I felt helpless. Fucking disgusted with my ex-wife and my own stupidity. I’d believed her. I’d fucking bought every lie she’d ever told me. I had no way to know if she was telling the truth now. The only thing I knew for sure was that I needed to talk to someone.
Molly, I needed Molly. But after her breakdown this morning, I couldn’t lay this shit on her. Nate was out because he had my kids. That left only one other option. I grabbed my phone and dialed the one friend I could always count on.
“She’s fine, I promise,” Lia told me as she answered her phone. “Try not to worry about her.”
“Lee.” I hated the desperation I couldn’t hide in my voice. “I need you.”
“Where are you?” And just like she had all those years ago, Lia took charge, saving me from myself and handling everything.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
~ Molly ~
They left me alone all day. Emily was very sweet, checking on me every so often, bringing me warm tea with honey and snacks, insisting I needed to eat something. But everyone else stayed away.
I half expected Mike to come barreling through the door, demanding I talk to him the way he usually did. I was positive if I’d told him everything, about Jamie showing up at my sister’s, Eli knowing without telling me, and Jamie’s vow to hurt me, that Mike would have never left me alone. Instead, he would have been glued to my side, barking out orders and never giving me a moment’s peace.
I would tell him. Everything. Later.
Not just the information my sister gave me. I’d tell Mike the secrets I’d been clinging to for years, the ones that only Kevin and I knew. I’d also explain all the things I’d learned from scouring the Internet after they’d left me alone. I’d taken all the information I had and worked backward, piecing together a story that devastated me.
While I’d run away, chasing my dreams and forgetting who I’d been, Kevin had stayed close to home. Maybe he’d been waiting for me to come back like I’d promised I would. Or maybe it was his guilt that kept him there. Or maybe, he’d believed his father’s hateful words and had believed he wasn’t good enough to break the cycle and get out.
It didn’t matter. Because I would never know. I did know that the last time I had seen him would be forever burned into my memory. Tears in his eyes as he walked away, me begging him to stay.
The truth was that I hadn’t told everyone I’d lost the baby. Kevin knew the truth, and he’d shown up that night with a stolen car parked at the end of the road so my mom wouldn’t hear it, and begged me to run away. I’d had a plan, and was going to go eventually, but Kev insisted we had to go right then.
I threw what I could in a bag, and snuck into my parents’ study, taking every cent my mom had stashed in the safe. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to get me by for a little while. I’d vowed to pay her back, tenfold. Then we ran.
The plan was that we would stay together, that we’d go to the shelter in the city and they’d help us find the perfect family for our baby. The closer we got to New York, though, the more Kevin started to second-guess the plan. He was worried about his mom, about his little brother, and he was afraid that if we both disappeared, they would figure it out.
Chances of them finding me, in a city of millions, was slim to none. If we were together, the odds were much smaller. Protecting our baby was the number one priority. So Kevin would go home without us. He assured me that he’d come visit as often as he could. And I swore I would come get him after the baby was born and safe in a new home.
I lost it when it was time for him to go. I begged him to stay with me, not to let me go through it alone. He only shook his head, insisting it was the best thing for everyone, and he promised he’d be back to visit soon. He kissed me, kissed my belly, told me he loved us both, and walked away.
I never saw him again.
I let the tears flow as memories I’d locked away flooded my mind. I often downplayed how much he’d meant to me, but to Georgeanne Davis, Kevin Oakes had meant everything. He was more than my first love, he’d been my best friend.
He’d been my Lia.
I smiled, thinking of Mike. I missed him. He’d only been gone a few hours, but if felt like months. My afternoon of reflection had given me an entirely new outlook on his feelings for Lia, and I suddenly understood exactly what Lia had meant when we talked at the diner. He’d loved her, he would always love her, just as a part of me would always love Kevin, but Lia was his past.
I wanted to be his future.
To do that, I needed to come to terms with my past. I needed to let go of the guilt that constantly tugged at me, and I needed to say goodbye to an old friend that I would carry with me forever. I snatched my guitar and sat on the couch, pouring every ounce of pain I had into a new song.
When Lia came into the room a few hours later, I was still sitting on the couch, guitar across my lap, notepad on the cushion next to me, pencil lodged firmly between my teeth. She arched an eyebrow and smiled softly. “Feeling better?”
“A bit. I wrote a new song. I was hoping I could sing it tonight. It’ll be acoustic, and not something I normally sing, but I need to sing it.”
She sat in the chair across from me. “Are you up to going out there tonight? If you aren’t, say the word and we’ll cancel your performance.”
I was beyond lucky to have a manager who put my needs first. I loved this woman. “Thank you. But I have to go out there, Red. I can’t explain it other than to say I need to.”
“Okay. That’s all you have to say.” She nodded, standing up and walking toward the closet. When she opened it, I realized it was full of the clothes I was supposed to try on today and never got around to. Hangers slid squeakily on the rack as she scanned outfits. “This one.”
She turned, holding up a pair of jeans and a white V-neck tee shirt with a brown-toned plaid. The jeans weren’t the skinny jeans I was used to wearing on stage, and they weren’t the pre-shredded ones, either. The whole outfit wasn’t something I’d normally wear on stage, but for once, I couldn’t wait to get dressed. It wasn’t flashy, it didn’t show off my tattoos, and more of me was covered than not. “It’s perfect.”
“Pair it with you brown cowboy boots,” Lia told me as she draped it over the back of a chair. “People will be able to focus on your music, not you.” She blew me an air kiss as she headed for the door. “I’ll send Randy in. And I’ll let everyone know about the song change. Do you want to close with it, or open with it?”
“Close. I don’t know if I can make it through it without crying.”
Lia twisted her lips in contemplation. “Let’s set it as the encore. You’ll do just that one tonight. That way, you don’t have to go back out afterward, and the audience will have time to compose themselves before Nate takes the stage.” Waving a little, she promised me she’d be back in a bit.
“Hey, Lia?” I called just as the door was about to close behind her, and she peeked her head back in. “I haven’t seen Mike all day.”
“He was going to be sitting around here, worried about you and driving everyone nuts, so I gave him the day off.”
That made sense. “Thank you.” I smiled at my friend, thankful she always saw the big picture. He didn’t get to spend enough time with the kids, so I was glad he’d had the day today. “Will he be back tonight?”
“I honestly don’t know. I didn’t think you’d want to go on, and I just needed him out of here.”
“Oh.” Unnecessary fear crept into my mind and I wondered if I should tell Lia about Jamie.
Reading my body language, Lia came back into the room. “Hey, it’s okay. Sam’s right outside. He’s personally staying with you until Mike comes back. You’re fine.”
I forced myself to breathe and smile. I was fine. It would be fine. “I know. I’m just so used to Mike’s goofy face.”
“Me too,” she said with a laugh and then glanced down at her watch. “I’ve gotta get Randy in here. Twenty minutes ‘til you’re on, kid.” And then she was gone.
The show went extremely well. The audience had a contagious energy and I felt more comfortable on stage than I had in years. Mike hadn’t shown up, but when I walked into the wings after my set was over, Sam handed me a Gatorade and a towel.
“Courtesy of Carson,” he said with a smile.
Lia appeared out of nowhere as the band filed off the stage. “You really want to do this?”
I nodded. “I really do.”
She smiled, nodding to a roadie who then picked up a stool and carried it to center stage. Another handed me my guitar. “Go break a leg.”
The crowd continued to holler until I sat on the stool and the backlights came on. I waited for a few straggler screamers to finish before I started to talk.
“For those of you who have been to one of my concerts before, you know that Nate usually comes on stage with me and sings a few songs.” More screams and ear-splitting whistles. “But tonight, I’m doing something different.”
I swallowed, adjusting my guitar, knowing the hard part was coming. “Everyone has a first love. Sometimes you cling to it and compare everyone else to that person. Other times, you don’t even realize how important that person is until it’s too late.” I lapped my lips, hoping I wasn’t going to mess this up.
“That’s what happened to me. I found out this morning that my first love, the one person who was always there for me when I was younger, has moved on from this world.” The collective sound of sadness from the audience gave me encouragement to finish. “He was an amazing man, with a giant heart. The world lost a good soul.”
I plucked a few chords, trying to decide what to say next. “I wrote this song for him earlier today. I apologize, because it’s a little rough. But I need to share it with you all.”
Nothing else needed to be said, so I instead launched into the melody.
“How can I say goodbye when we’ve barely said hello?
It seems Father Time has robbed us, before our friendship had time to grow.
There are many parts of you that I’ll take with me,
Long after your body has been laid to rest.
Your smile, your laugh, the mischievous twinkle in your eye,
The memories I’ll carry forever are the best.
I never got to tell you how much you really meant to me.
Or that I was sorry for never being the person you thought that I could be.
I’ll love you forever, don’t you see?
Your body may be dead, but your spirit is still here with me.
You were my savior when I needed one the most.
No matter where you were, or what the time of night.
The one person I could always count on,
Because with you, hope was never out of sight.
How many times did you pick me up,
After my body or pride took a nasty fall?
Now that you are gone, how can I repay you for it all?
I never got to tell you how much you really meant to me.
Or say that I was sorry for never being the person you wanted me to be.
I’ll love you forever, don’t you see?
Your body may be dead, but your spirit will always be right here with me.
How can I say goodbye when I know we’ll meet again?
Fortunately, my great memories will keep me,
And I know you’ll be watching over me until then.
I never got to tell you how much you really meant to me.
But I promise you from now on, I’ll be the person you knew that I could be.
I’ll love you forever, don’t you see?
Your body may be dead, but your spirit lives in me.
When I strummed the last note, the lights went out. God bless Lia. I had barely kept it together, and in the darkness, I let the tears fall. It took me a second to realize the entire theater was quiet—there wasn’t even any noise coming from backstage. It was an eerie feeling. I knew I wasn’t alone, but in the dark quiet, my senses had trouble computing that fact.
I realized too late that they must have hated it. I was too close to the subject matter, and I should have played it for Lia before I tried to play it for a crowd. I’d wanted the song to honor my feelings for Kevin, to honor him. If everyone hated it, though, that didn’t accomplish anything.
Then, as if on cue, they erupted. The applause was like thunder, the screams the loudest ones I’d heard. Smiling through my tears, I stood and carried my guitar off stage. Nate pulled me in for a hug before I’d made it into the wing.
“That was beautiful, Mols. I’ve been lost in my own shit, and haven’t been a very good friend lately. That stops now.”
I shook my head. Nothing could be further from the truth. I looked over his shoulder, not seeing the one person I wanted to see. “We’ll catch up soon, just you and me, okay?” We hadn’t had an us day since he’d gotten married, but that was simply because I hadn’t wanted photographers to see us alone. Now I didn’t care. Life was too damn short.
Nate pushed me back slightly, his eyes roaming my face. “Yeah? And the paparazzi?”
“Fuck ‘em.”
He grinned, nodding. “There’s my girl. I’ve fucking missed you, Mols.”
He yanked me back in for a quick hug, but I pushed him away. “Go give ‘em hell.”
“Always.” He took two steps toward the stage before he stopped, spinning on his heel. “I love you, Molly.”
“I love you, too.”
I watched him run on stage and then turned to Sam, who was now scowling. “Didn’t like the song?”
He only held a finger up to me, as if I’d interrupted, and it took me a second to realize someone was talking to him on the radio. He barked an order into his wrist, telling someone he’d be right there. Then he turned to me, put his hand on the small of my back, and steered me away from the crowds.
