“She’s leaving still, Dil.”
Her brow furrows. “Really? Did she tell you that?”
“She didn’t have to. This performance says it all.” I hold my hand out toward the stage Laney is currently checking over, talking to the sound guy to make sure everything is working right. “This is the life she wants.”
“And what do you want?”
I want her, I think to myself. I want to keep her for myself, but I know I’m not the man who gets to keep a woman like her.
“I want her to be happy,” I say instead.
“You and Remy do make her happy,” my sister counters.
“Music is her first love, and it always will be.”
“First loves don’t mean shit,” my sister fires back. “Trust me. Sometimes the person we give our heart to first is the one we think breaks it the hardest, but then we experience true heartbreak and realize we didn’t know shit about love.”
I glance over at her. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Yeah, well…lessons learned are important too. But Henley, you can’t deny that there’s something real between you two.”
“I’m not.”
“So why don’t you ask her to stay?”
Remy reaches for me, so I take her from my sister and situate her against my chest. “I knew we were on borrowed time, Dilynne. I’ve known that from the start.”
“Have you considered going back to LA with her?” she suggests, which I can’t deny has crossed my mind. But it’s not that simple.
“I can’t, Dil. I have a business and a daughter now, which means my life is here. And if I ask her to stay, she’d be giving up her dreams for me.” Shaking my head, I clear my throat. “The last thing I would want is for her to hold that over my head, to resent me down the line.”
“Oh, so this is about your baggage.”
“I don’t have baggage,” I lie, knowing damn well that she’s right, and so were my friends last night.
My sister huffs out a laugh. “Oh, so you’re also in denial, got it.”
“Thanks for the support.”
“That’s what I’m here for. But, you know what I keep thinking about? The Charming Bull. She sang a country set that night andowned the place.” She taps her chin, considering her next words. “Nashville isn’t as far as Los Angeles, and honestly, that seems like a better fit for her.”
“What are you saying?”
My sister leans closer to me, eyes wide. “I’m saying, things can change, and if you’re serious about her, maybe she could consider other options.”
Is Dilynne right? Is this something Elodie might be willing to do?
“My point is, you’ve got to stop hiding behind your fears and actually make shit happen. Otherwise, you’re going to be left living with regrets.”
“You act like it’s so simple to just forget what happened to us, how it felt to be forgotten about over and over again,” I say, finally voicing part of my fear to my sister.
Her face softens as she places her hand on my shoulder. “I didn’t forget a thing, Henley. I remember parts you probably never wanted me to, but I do. Those memories still exist, I just choose not to dwell on them. And you know who restored faith in the world for me besides you?”
“Who?”
“Carol and Nick.” She squeezes my upper arm. “We had an amazing gift of a second chance with them. They loved us like we were their own, and I’ll never take that for granted.” Sighing, she leans toward Remy and kisses her on the cheek. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom and check on Laney, but save me a seat, will you?”
“Sure.”
