Текст книги "Tainted"

Автор книги: K. A. Robinson

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 11 страниц)

13

Drake released me, and I walked over to where his car was parked. The guys and Jade were already in a car idling behind Drake’s car. He waved them to go ahead, and then we got into his car and backed out of the driveway.

I started to feel nervous as we headed back to the center of L.A. I wasn’t good with crowds, and I wasn’t sure how I would handle being surrounded by a bunch of strangers. I hated to depend on Drake, but I definitely needed him to help me adjust to this life.

After battling the crazy Los Angeles traffic again, we pulled up in front of a sushi restaurant. As soon as we stepped out of the car, a man appeared and took Drake’s key. I gave Drake a confused look, and he shook his head.

“They have valet parking almost everywhere here. You better get used to it.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, feeling silly.

The guys and Jade were standing by the entrance, waiting for us to join them. Once we were all inside, the hostess took us to a table in the back of the restaurant. I noticed that she had seated us far away from all the other guests. When I asked Drake about it, he explained that they’d been here before, and the staff knew who they were. They weren’t being noticed a lot yet, but since their music video had been released, people had come up to them from time to time.

It was strange that all of this had already started. Once the album came out and they started touring, we wouldn’t be able to just go out and do things anymore. People would know who Drake was, and they’d want a piece of him. After dealing with Kadi, I worried about stalkers now. I didn’t want anything to happen to Drake, and we both knew that there were some serious nut jobs in this world.

We placed our orders, and our food was brought out shortly after. I spent the next hour catching up on what had happened with the band since I’d seen them last. They also wanted to know what had been happening in my life. It felt like I’d never been away from them. Although we weren’t blood-related, these people were my family.

Right as we were getting ready to leave, my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my purse to see that Jordan was calling.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, did you make it to California yet? I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days,” Jordan said.

“Yeah, we made it. We’re at dinner with the band right now.”

“You should’ve called me. I was worried.”

“I’m sorry. I never even thought about it. I also need to text Amber and Logan to let them know I made it.”

“Yeah, you should. I’ll let you go, but I wanted to make sure that you were safe.”

“Thanks for thinking of me,” I said.

“Always. Take care, Chloe.”

“Bye, Jordan.”

When I said Jordan’s name, I felt Drake tense beside me, but I ignored it as I sent a text to Amber and Logan to let them know that I’d made it safely. I put my phone back into my purse and looked up to see Drake watching me closely.

“Everyone ready to go?” I asked.

“Yeah, we’ll meet you guys there,” Eric said.

We stood up and started walking to the door. Drake was quiet as we waited for his car to be pulled around. He was still quiet as we pulled away from the restaurant.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“I didn’t realize that you still talked to Jordan,” he said quietly.

“Of course I do. He’s my friend, just like Amber and Logan.”

“I don’t like it. I’ve accepted Logan in your life, but Jordan just rubs me the wrong way.”

“You need to accept that I’m friends with him. It’s not like I talk to him every day. We talk on the phone once or twice a week, and the last time I saw him was at Christmas.”

“So, while I was being a fucking asshole out here in L.A., you were singing Christmas carols and opening presents with him?”

I sighed. “You can’t be jealous of him or Logan when you’re going to have women hanging all over you all the time. You have to trust me. We’re starting fresh, so let’s put Logan and Jordan behind us. Okay?”

“You’re right. I’m being a jealous idiot. If I can accept Logan, I can accept Jordan.”

“Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I promise that you’re the only man I want.”

“I don’t know. I’ve seen the way you look at Adam. I’m starting to worry.”

I laughed. “You’re right. I can’t hide my feelings anymore. I’m in love with Adam.”

“I knew it!” he joked.

We pulled up to a nightclub, and just like before, a man was beside Drake by the time he got out of the car. Drake handed over his keys, and then he took my hand and walked to the door. There was a line outside the door, but the bouncer took one look at Drake and let us pass by. I saw several people glaring at us when we passed by.

“Come here often?” I joked.

“Brad thinks it’s a good idea to be seen out and about in L.A. This is one of the biggest clubs in town, so we’re here every weekend. I just go with it. He knows what he’s doing.”

“Don’t the fans who recognize you come up to you?”

“Nah. The club has a VIP floor here that overlooks the main floor. People can see us, but they can’t come up.”

I whistled as we entered the club. “Wow.”

Nothing could have prepared me for this. The bars where the band had played last summer were shacks compared to this place. The floor beneath my feet looked like it was made of glass with lights shining up through it. Above my head, hundreds of orbs in different colors were hanging every few feet. Laser lights were everywhere and in every color that I could think of. There were booths around the entire room. Each table was made of glass with lights inside of it, mimicking the floor. The seats had a band of lights across the top. I looked over to the huge dance floor. Hundreds of bodies were dancing to Icona Pop’s “I Love It.”

I kept my arm looped through Drake’s as we walked over to a staircase. Another bouncer was standing there in front of a rope. When he saw Drake, he removed the rope and let us through without a word.

We walked up the steps to the second floor. It was a lot like the main floor, but it was a little bit fancier. When I noticed the floor was black marble, I sighed in relief. Being on the upper level, I wouldn’t feel comfortable walking on glass floors, thinking that the people below us could look up and see under my dress. The booth seats were all a pristine white color with the same glass tables as below. There was a smaller dance floor on this level. My mouth dropped open as I recognized some faces from movies and music videos. Dear Lord, it was like I’d walked right into the middle of a tabloid.

Jade and the guys were already sitting at a booth next to the railing that surrounded this level of the club. We walked over and sat down with them. I took a seat against the railing that separated me from the level we’d been on moments before. I peeked through the rungs to stare down at the people dancing below us. I’d never seen so many people together like this. I was going to need some time to get used to L.A.

“What do you think?” Jade yelled from across the table.

“It’s nuts. There are so many people.”

She laughed. “You’ll get used to it.”

A waitress appeared at our table and took our drink orders. I had no clue what to order, so Drake ordered for me. A few minutes later, she appeared with all of our drinks. I was shocked at how fast she was, but Drake shrugged when I asked.

“VIP is a whole new world. They kiss your ass on just about everything.”

I was silent as Drake and the band talked. I was too busy watching everyone around us. In the booth directly across from us, I saw an actor that I’d followed for years. To be sitting this close to him was unreal. I started to feel uneasy as I realized that this was going to be Drake’s life from now on. How would I ever be able to fit in and feel comfortable in this world? I was so different from all of this.

“Want to dance?” Drake whispered in my ear.

I jumped. I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I had forgotten where I was. “Um, I don’t think so. Have you see the people on this floor? I’ll probably fall on my face in front of them.”

“You’ll be fine. If you start to fall, I’ll catch you.”

“Don’t you always?” I asked.

He pulled me from the booth and led me to the floor where a few other couples were dancing. I kept my eyes on him as we started moving to the music. I was afraid to look around and see someone watching us. He smiled down at me as he pulled my body tight against his. I shivered as I felt the heat radiating off of his body. I slowly ran my hands between us and up his stomach until they were wrapped around his neck.

“You look so beautiful tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

“Thank you,” I said shyly.

I always felt so plain next to him, and it meant the world to me when he told me things like that. I didn’t want him to ever grow bored with me.

“No thanks needed. I’m just telling you what I see.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. “How did I ever get so lucky?”

“I think it’s the other way around,” I replied.

“Not a chance. I’m the lucky one.”

For the rest of the slow song, I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes. I took deep breaths, inhaling his scent. If we were together for a thousand years, I would never get used to being with him like this.

The song ended, and a fast-paced rap song started playing.

He looked down at me and grinned. “I remember the first time I danced with you like this.”

I pretended to think as we started moving with the music. “I’m not sure that I do. I mean, I’ve danced with so many guys.”

He frowned. “Let me see if I can remind you.”

He spun me around until I was facing away from him. His hips started grinding into my ass, and I gave it back to him just the same. When I felt him harden against me, heat shot between my legs. I pushed against him as I slowly slid down his body and back up. When I was standing again, he grabbed my hips and dug his fingers in as we continued to move together.

For someone who hated rap music, Drake could certainly dance to it. I forgot about everyone around us as we danced together. All that mattered was that Drake and I were together. He spun me around so that I was facing him, and then he reached around to cup my bottom.

“I want to take you right here on the dance floor,” he whispered in my ear.

He ran his tongue down my neck, and I moaned in response. I dug my nails into his back as he pushed tighter against me. His body felt so good, pressed up against mine.

“Um, you guys might want to tone it down. You have an audience,” Eric whispered next to us. I’d been so wrapped up in Drake that I hadn’t noticed him approaching.

I pushed away from Drake and looked around. When I noticed several people staring at us, I felt my face burn from embarrassment. “Oh my God.”

Drake chuckled at my embarrassment. “What’s wrong?”

“Why are you laughing? We just made fools of ourselves in front of all these people.”

“Who cares what they think?”

“Um, I do.”

“You shouldn’t. I was having fun.”

I rolled my eyes. I walked back to the table and sat down. Drake had no shame. He followed me and slid in beside me.

Eric sat down across from us with a smirk on his face. “Well, at least everyone got a good show.”

“Shut up, Eric,” I grumbled. I laid my head down on the table.

He never tormented me, so I knew Drake and I had put on quite a show if he was.

He laughed. “Sorry, Chloe. I had to. At least I stepped in and saved you though.”

Adam smacked him across the head. “Damn you! I wanted to see Chloe naked again.”

My head snapped up. “Again?”

Drake shot him a glare as Jade tried to cover her laugh with a cough.

“Uh, just forget that last part,” Adam mumbled.

“Oh no, you don’t. Drake, when has he seen me naked?”

Drake gave me an apologetic look. “Remember when you sent me that picture last summer?”

I nodded.

“Well, Adam was standing behind me when I was looking at it, and I didn’t realize it.”

“Someone just shoot me and put me out of my misery!” I groaned.

“It’s not a big deal. Besides, you have a smoking hot body. I couldn’t look away,” Adam said.

“Dude, shut up,” Eric growled. “You’re not helping.”

“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. I would never look at you naked on purpose unless you wanted me to. If you ever do want me to, just let me know.”

“I’m about two seconds away from kicking your ass. You’ll never see Chloe naked again,” Drake growled.

“I just meant that if you two ever wanted to take a walk on the wild side and have a threesome or something, I’m your guy.”

“Shut up, Adam!” we all said in unison.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Jade put her hand over it to stop him. He rolled his eyes as he held up his hands in surrender.

Drake put his hand on my leg and started rubbing. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t want you to freak out,” he whispered in my ear.

Despite my embarrassment from both our dancing and Adam’s confession, I shivered as Drake’s breath tickled my ear. I was still turned on from our dancing, and Drake’s hand on my bare leg wasn’t helping the situation. Each time his hand brushed the bottom of my short dress, I swore I forgot how to breathe. He didn’t notice at first as he talked with the band, but he caught on to my predicament quickly when I grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

He gave me a small smile as he put his hand back on my leg and continued to rub. Each time, he would go just a bit farther under my dress. His fingers ran along my underwear as I tried to keep my breathing even. No one else at the table seemed to notice my predicament as they continued to talk. Drake continued to be a part of the discussion as if nothing was happening.

He pushed my underwear to the side and slowly started rubbing back and forth along my clit. I tried to clamp my legs shut, but he pushed them apart with his hand and continued to stroke me softly. When he flicked my clit, I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning. I was going to kill him when we were alone.

Drake had to turn his head away to hide his smile when Jade had to ask me a question twice before I answered. I finally managed to drag my attention away long enough to answer. I almost sighed in relief when he stopped stroking me and rested his hand on the inside of my thigh. Just as my body was starting to relax, he moved his hand back and thrust two fingers inside me.

I gasped and grabbed the table. The band stopped talking and looked at me.

“You okay?” Jade asked.

“Yeah, I just had a cramp in my leg,” I managed to gasp.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Drake grinning, but I refused to look at him. He pulled his fingers out and thrust them back in. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the table harder. The band went back to talking as Drake continued to thrust his fingers in and out of me. My breathing grew shallow as I tried to act like he wasn’t about to give me an orgasm. I tried to push his hand away, but he wasn’t having it. Instead, he pushed my hand away with one of his hands and started thrusting in and out faster with the other. A thin sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead as I felt myself edging closer and closer to my release. When he pulled his fingers out and flicked my clit, I came undone. I grabbed his leg and dug my nails in as I tried not to cry out. My body shook, and I rested my head against Drake’s shoulder as I tried to hide what he’d done to me.

“Chloe, are you sure you’re okay? You look flushed,” Jade asked.

“You do. Are you not feeling well?” Drake asked, his voice full of fake concern.

“I’m not feeling that well to be honest. Maybe we should head home,” I answered.

“Come on, let’s get you home and into bed,” Drake said.

I didn’t miss his true intentions even though everyone else did.

“I’ll see you guys later,” I said as we stood up.

We didn’t stick around to hear their response. My legs felt like jelly as I walked down the stairs and to the door. Drake kept his arm around me as we waited for his car to be pulled around. When he kissed me softly behind my ear, I shivered. I was going to kill him when we got in the car.

“That was dirty.” I said the moment we got into the car.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“Don’t what me. You shouldn’t have done that in front of everyone.”

“You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it.” He glanced over at me. He had that shit-eating grin on his face that always melted my anger away.

“Of course I enjoyed it. That doesn’t mean it was right.”

“But it was fun to watch you squirm. We should do it more often.”

I shook my head in annoyance, but I laughed. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Now,” his voice turned serious, “let’s get you home and into bed.”

14

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Drake and I had settled into a routine—one that I didn’t like very much. Drake and the band were constantly at the label’s office, trying to get things finalized for the album’s release. Drake would leave early in the morning, and he wouldn’t return until dinner time. He’d mentioned bringing me with him, but so far, he hadn’t been able to. He promised that once things slowed down, he would.

With no school or job to keep me busy, I was bored. I hadn’t found the nerve to go explore L.A. on my own. I was afraid I’d get lost or mugged. I spent most of my days reading on my Kindle or listening to music. I’d unpacked all of my things the day after I’d arrived in L.A., and I’d cleaned Drake’s house the following day. Our house. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact we had a house together. If something didn’t change, I was going to get a ladder and start cleaning the windows or something equally ridiculous.

Drake and I grew closer and closer as the time passed, despite the fact that we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together. Even though he wasn’t around during the day, we would spend almost every evening together. Once he walked through the door, we would be glued to each other. I smiled as I remembered how he’d wanted to christen every room in the house that first week. We had done exactly that, some rooms more than once.

There was no doubt in my mind that Drake loved me and that he was doing everything in his power to stay clean. Once a week, he would go to the rehab clinic to just talk with the doctor. I was so proud of him. Despite being bored and hating his schedule, I felt like my life was finally falling into place.

* * *

After a month of solitude, Drake finally announced that I could go with him to work one day. The tour would be starting in less than a month, and they had covered all their loose ends, so things were slow for them. Dressing up a bit for the visit, I wore a short-sleeved white button-up shirt and gray dress pants with a pair of flats. I styled my hair until it was stick straight, and I put a little extra effort into my makeup. I didn’t want any of Drake’s coworkers to think that he could do better than me. When I told him so, Drake rolled his eyes and tried to kiss the lipstick off of my lips, but I stood my ground as I pushed him away. I didn’t want to embarrass him.

I tapped my foot nervously as we drove across town to the label’s building.

“Hey, calm down. They’re going to love you. Even if they don’t, who cares? My opinion is all that matters.” Drake reached over and took my hand.

I snorted. “You always know just what to say.”

“It’s my gift.”

When Drake parked his car in the garage underneath the label’s building, I took a deep breath to prepare myself. Despite what Drake had said, I wanted these people to like me. He held my hand from the time we left his car until we walked into his manager’s office. The rest of the band was already in there. Jade was relaxing on a couch next to the window while Adam and Eric were sitting on a couch on the opposite side of the room. A man was sitting behind a desk directly across from the door.

Drake practically had to drag me as he walked up to the desk. “Brad, this is my fiancée, Chloe.”

Brad stood and held out his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

I wiped my sweaty hand on my pants before shaking his hand. “Likewise.”

“Drake has told me so much about you, but he left out the part about how beautiful you are.”

I blushed. “Thank you.”

“So, what brings you to our office, Chloe?” Brad asked.

“I wanted to show her where I worked and introduce her to some of the people I work with. I also wanted her to meet the crew who will be on the road with us for the tour. That way, she’ll know them before she’s stuck on the road with them.”

Brad raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize that Chloe would be going on tour with you.”

“Where I go, she goes.”

Brad’s phone rang, and he held up a finger as he answered. “Yes?” He was quiet as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. “I’ll send them down now.” He placed the phone back in its cradle and looked around the room at the band. “They need you guys in the studio for just a few minutes. They found a glitch on track three, and they need you to rerecord about ten seconds of the song.”

“Sure. Come on, Chloe, I’ll introduce you to everyone in the studio,” Drake said.

“You know the rules—no one in the studio when someone is recording. She can stay in here with me, and you can come back and get her when you’re done.”

I felt uneasy about sitting in a room with Drake’s boss by myself, but I didn’t really have any other options. I smiled weakly at Drake as he nodded, and then he followed the rest of the band out the door. Trying to put some space between Brad and me, I walked over and sat down on the couch where Jade had been sitting moments before.

“So, tell me, Chloe, how long have you and Drake been together?” Brad asked.

“Um, for about a year and a half.”

“That’s very sweet. When do you two plan to get married?”

His questions were making me uncomfortable, but I couldn’t exactly ignore him.

“We’re not sure yet.”

“I thought you were engaged?”

“We are.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t started planning a wedding already. Most women would be climbing the walls in excitement.”

“We’re taking our time,” I answered shortly.

“I can see that. Why?”

“Sir, with all due respect, that’s between Drake and me.”

“Of course it is. Forgive me. I was simply trying to understand your relationship with Drake.”

“I love him if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Of course you do. Drake is a very attractive young man with an incredible future ahead of him. I just don’t want to see anything bring him down.”

“What are you saying?” My body was humming with anger. Despite his warm welcome when Drake had been in the room, it was pretty obvious that this man did not like me.

“I’m just saying that Drake is at the beginning of his career. A lot of his fan base will be young women who find him attractive. I’d hate to see that disappear because he’s engaged to a woman who doesn’t want to marry him.”

“I do want to marry him.”

“And I’m glad to hear it. While I want Drake to be happy, I don’t see how you coming on tour with him would be beneficial. The less that you’re seen with him, the better. Your presence will be nothing more than a hindrance to the entire tour. The fans won’t like you, and you’ll take up space on the bus.”

“So, you think me breaking up with him would help the overall moral of the tour?” I asked sarcastically.

“Of course not. I want Drake to be happy. In this case, I think it would be better if you kept yourself hidden. You want him to succeed, don’t you?”

“That’s a stupid question. You know I do.”

“Then, consider staying far away from the tour. You’ll do nothing but jeopardize it, and a new band doesn’t need a clingy girlfriend,” he glanced at me and grinned, “I mean, a clingy fiancé in their way.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to go to hell, but then I stopped. What if he was right? During his shows over the summer, I’d seen girls glare at me thousands of times because I was sitting with him. I didn’t want to destroy his career just because I didn’t want him to leave me. He would never forgive me.

Brad smiled at me. “You know I’m right.”

I was still speechless when the door opened, and Drake walked back in.

He stopped instantly when he saw me. “Everything okay?”

“It’s fine. Chloe isn’t feeling well though. Maybe you should take her home and do the studio tour another day,” Brad answered.

Drake glanced at me with a worried look. “You’re right. She doesn’t look good. Come on, babe, let’s get you home.”

I stood and followed him from the office. I never said a word when we left the building or on the drive home. I was in shock. By loving Drake, I was destroying his career. I couldn’t do that to him. I couldn’t take his dreams away from him just because I was clingy. I wouldn’t. He’d never forgive me if I took everything from him.

“Babe, what’s wrong? You haven’t said a word since we left Brad’s office,” Drake said as we walked into the house.

“Nothing. I just need to go lie down.” I climbed the stairs to head into our bedroom.

* * *

The next few days passed by slowly as I battled with myself about whether or not to tell Drake what had happened in Brad’s office and if I should go on tour with him. Drake continued to ask me what was bothering me, but I deflected every time. I didn’t want to tell him what Brad had said to me in his office. I knew it would only make Drake angry. When he was angry, he did stupid things.

Drake finally exploded a week after my visit to the studio.

“For fuck’s sake, tell me what the hell is going on!” He slammed the remote down.

We’d been sitting on the couch, watching a movie, for the past hour. I’d tried to pay attention, but it was useless. The guilt was eating me alive. I kept picturing Drake’s face when the tour fell apart because of me.

“Nothing,” I mumbled as I focused my eyes on the television.

“Bullshit. I’ve had it with this mopey Chloe. Tell me what’s going on inside of that head of yours.”

I looked at him with tears in my eyes. “I’m not going on tour with you.”

That obviously wasn’t what he’d expected me to say.

His eyebrows shot up. “Why not? Have I done something to make you angry? I swear I’m not using again.”

“No, you didn’t do anything. I just think it’s for the best.”

“There’s something that you’re not telling me. We had this all planned out. Now, you’ve suddenly changed your mind? I’m not buying it. You’ve been like this since I left you alone with Brad. Did he say something that upset you?”

I turned my head away from him. “No.”

He ran his hands through his hair. I knew he was getting seriously aggravated when he did that.

“Why do I think you’re lying? Tell me what he said.”

“I’m not lying,” I lied.

“Chloe…”

I sighed. “Fine. Yes, he did talk to me while you were gone.”

“And?”

“He made some good points.”

He growled, “Chloe, don’t make me drag this out of you. Talk to me.”

“You’re a new band, and you’re trying to build a solid fan base. A lot of those fans will be girls who like you because they want to sleep with you. It’s kind of hard to increase your following when you have your clingy girlfriend on tour with you.”

“Fiancée,” he corrected automatically.

“Whatever. You’re missing the point. You’re going to lose fans because of me. I don’t want to destroy your career because I can’t stay away from you for a few months.”

“Chloe, when it comes to music or you, I will always choose you. Always. I’d throw everything away as long as I knew that I had you. You’re my everything.”

“I won’t let you throw it all away for me. It’s not right.”

He cupped my face, forcing me to look at him. “What else did Brad say?”

I lowered my eyes. “He doesn’t understand why we aren’t married yet. I’m assuming he thinks I’m using you with no intentions of marrying you. I swear that I’m not though.”

“Do you want to marry me?” he asked.

My eyes snapped up to look into his. “Of course I do. I love you so much that it hurts.”

“I want to marry you, too.” He stood. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” I asked, already knowing and dreading the answer.

“To have a little chat with Brad.”

“Don’t! I won’t let you ruin everything for me.”

“I’m not going to ruin anything. Just stay here.”

With that, he grabbed his keys and walked out of the front door. I groaned as I settled back on the couch. I hadn’t meant to tell him anything, but it had all slipped out. I just hoped that he didn’t mess anything up because of me.

* * *

A few hours later, Drake walked back through the door. I could feel the tension rolling off of him.

“How’d it go?” I asked.

“Wonderful,” he replied shortly.

“Drake? What happened?”

“I told Brad to go fuck himself.”

“Drake! You didn’t!”

“I did. He’s a fucking asshole for even thinking what he told you, let alone saying it to your face.”

“He’s your boss! You can’t do something like that because of me! You could lose everything.” I was so mad at him for doing this to himself.

“I don’t care. No one disrespects you. Besides, he didn’t do anything except for apologize.”

“Bull. There’s no way he backed down. I saw the way he looked at me when he was telling me to stay away. He doesn’t want your girlfriend tagging along.”

He looked up at me and smiled. “I don’t want my girlfriend on tour with me either.”

My eyes widened in shock.

“I want my wife on tour with me.”

“You’ll be on tour soon. We can’t plan a wedding before then!”

He ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck. As soon as we get back, we’re getting married. You can make plans while we’re on tour.”

My pulse hammered in my ears as I thought about planning a wedding. I couldn’t do something like that. I had no idea what I was doing. I would have to find a venue, find a caterer, make a guest list, pick colors, decorate, find a dress, and so many other things I couldn’t even think of. I wasn’t good at this kind of thing.

“Are you okay? You look like you’re about to have a seizure,” Drake said, his voice full of concern.

“What? Yeah. I mean, no. Oh shit, I can’t plan a wedding, Drake. I just can’t.”

“Of course you can. It can’t be that hard.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Or maybe you could ask Amber for help. She likes girlie stuff like that.”

That was actually a pretty good idea. Amber was far better at being a girl than I was. I knew she wouldn’t mind. She’d probably be thrilled about it.

“That might work. She’d probably do it all for me just so I don’t have a panic attack.”

“Is it really that big of a deal?” he asked, completely baffled by my reaction.