“Duh, you’re a teacher, and we need one for Stella.”
My body locks up under his eyes. “Let me get this straight. You want me to travel on tour with you guys to teach a little girl. What grade?”
His voice remains calm and collected, unlike me currently. “First grade.”
“No, absolutely not. I can’t do that, Elijah.” I jump off the counter and start pacing in front of him.
“And why not?”
Is he trying to get on my nerves?
“If you haven’t realized … I am not a rock star like you. I’m used to this boring everyday life, not being on the road, dealing with fans and the media,” I rant, stopping in front of him and giving him a look like he’s crazy to even suggest this.
“You might punch me for this.” He straightens up, and his close proximity does something to my head. “But it doesn’t seem like you have anything more to lose.”
My mouth drops open, and he reaches out and pushes it back closed.
“That’s a bold statement.” I tilt my head. “And rude.”
He shrugs nonchalantly. “I warned you that you might want to punch me in the face.”
When I crack my knuckles for the added dramatic effect, he booms out a laugh.
“Calm down, woman. Jeez, when did you get this scary? I know everyone involved in a tour sacrifices a lot, but this opportunity is rare. Put aside what happened to us and remember what this could bring. The money you’ll make will pay off the mortgage of this house, you’ll be working with such a sweet girl, and you will see the world while you do it.”
I purse my lips, taking in everything he’s saying.
“Just think about it, okay? Levi, her brother, is willing to meet with you personally after I talked you up with him.”
“Elijah—”
His finger smashes into my lips.
“Don’t make any decisions now. Here, text me.” Dropping a piece of folded paper, he backs away like I’m a wild animal he isn’t trying to threaten.
He winks and literally runs out of my house and slams the door.
FOURTEEN
LILY
I crumple up my pros and cons sheet.
“I don’t even know why you’re thinking about this,” Thea exclaims, downing half her iced coffee in one sip. “I would jump if I got this opportunity.”
“Have you thought about what this life entails?” She lets me continue my rant. “My privacy will be gone. I’ll have to drop everything here and leave. Not to mention, I won’t have a moment of peace.”
She rolls her eyes. “And why is that?”
Looking around at the half-empty coffee shop, I whisper-yell, “Him! I’m going to be surrounded by the person who broke my heart. What kind of message will I be sending him if I act like I forgave him instantly?”
“Girl, you need this money,” she urges. Grabbing my fists, she squeezes them. “This could change your life. Picture not having to stress about every penny when you come back from the tour. That will be your reality if you take this job. Besides, he’ll know you haven’t forgiven him if you don’t kiss the ground he walks on … like I’m sure a lot of people do.”
Another con: watching people throw themselves at him and acting like it doesn’t hurt.
“I don’t know if I’m built for this,” I admit, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“One of my favorite things about you is how well you adjust to everything the world throws your way.” Her sad smile makes my heart hurt. “As much as I’m going to miss you, I think you should go. I don’t want to see you stressed anymore.”
