“I … no. He texted me with Lucy’s phone, but I didn’t get his number. Wouldn’t that be weird?”
“Here.” I hand my phone back to her. “Tell him to come eat. He’ll be here in twenty minutes.”
Liza doesn’t notice, but Jude texts Sam to come over and call off his bodyguard.
It’s too cute, and I’m in deep.
I graze my fingers over the back of Jude’s neck and kiss his cheek.
“Show me the rest,” I say into his ear.
A slow smile spreads over his features as he pulls me into his lap and holds the phone out for us to see.
“Y’all are disgusting,” Liza groans, but curiosity draws her attention to the rest of the video. “Last night I saw some mean comments in there calling you and Sam names. One said you were fake and he’s singing with a cheater, but they’re gone now. I don’t know if I read it wrong or they got deleted.”
There it is.
The exact moment when my happy bubble bursts.
Chapter 30
Feels Like the First Time
Sam helps himself to a late breakfast with Liza.
Whatever he says to her in the kitchen soothes the savage teenage beast, but he still needs to be careful with his attention. I know singing Taylor Swift songs in a Mickey Mouse voice isn’t flirting, butanythingis flirting when Sam does it. He’s chasing dreams and bound to break some hearts, even if it’s unintentional.
Jude notices my squinty expression as I listen to Sam’s ear-piercing performance in the kitchen. “I taught him that. You’re welcome.”
I snort out a laugh. “I’m going to need proof later.”
He leans in to steal a kiss, turning the joke into promises against my lips. “I’ll prove anything you want, Punk.”
We pile on the couch to watch the afternoon Braves game, but I catch Jude and Sam talking with serious expressions when I go back to the kitchen to start dinner in the slow cooker for Mom. They could be watching videos from last night—reviewing what was awesome or what we could’ve done better—but I know that’s not the only thing they’re talking about.
I suspect they’re discussing the comments Liza saw. Normally, I’d be frantic about bringing Sam any kind of negative attention, but I think I’m ready to let them handle it. I was only there because I was asked to be there.
The gig went well. I know good crowd energy, and we had it. There were hundreds of positive comments when I looked. Sure, some were spammy, but the comments Liza saw must’ve been removed. I didn’t see anything as specific as what she said. A disgruntled female fan maybe? Whatever it is, it’s apparentlynotnothing.
They aren’t hiding it as well as they think.
My name was only vaguely mentioned, like an opening act or a manager. But that video … I don’t know.
I tried to make him appear single, but Sam dates. It’s always casual, but he does. He gets tagged in photos with local musicians and fans all the time. He’s a good guy, and he doesn’t deserve any negativity.
Was it Nathan? Surely not. He doesn’t even know Sam.
My phone’s been strangely quiet, other than a few texts from Annie and Jace. Sam says he and Annie will handle the comments and giveaways from the show, so relax andenjoy my honeymoon, which nearly makes me spew my energy drink, but Jude laughs.
When I come back to join him on the couch, he pulls me close to whisper in my ear. “I’m in no rush, but that topic doesn’t scare me, Punk. When the time comes to discuss it, I’m picturing less Sam and fewer teenagers around, but I’m all in.”
My eyes bug out of my head. It’s all I can do to hold in the screams of my inner voices—Happy, Shocked, and Terrified.
Like Snow White’s dwarves, only with less mental stability.
When I look for his teasing smirk, it’s noticeably absent. His gentle expression feels new. Tentative? I know Sam was just teasing, but how can Jude use words likewhen?
Is he not terrified of jinxing this whole thing?
