Still, her mind wouldn’t stay quiet.She thought about the way he’d looked at her that morning, steady and concerned, his voice softer than it should’ve been when he told her she didn’t have to do this alone.
The words had stayed with her.
She closed her eyes for a moment.The sounds of traffic outside came faintly through the cracked window, the rhythm slow and familiar.For the first time since she’d left Miami, she let herself wonder what it would be like to stop running on adrenaline and actually let someone in.
Her phone buzzed one last time.
Jami:
Goodnight, Carlene.Don’t forget to breathe.
She smiled, small and tired, and whispered into the quiet,
“You too.”
Then she turned off the light, slid under the blanket, and let herself drift.Sleep came easier this time.But somewhere between awake and dreaming, she saw his face again, the softness in his eyes, and the truth she’d been trying to deny finally settled deep inside her.
She wasn’t just fighting to protect the band anymore.
She was fighting to protect the man who’d somehow stolen her heart.
ChapterNineteen
Jami woke before sunrise to the steady patter of rain against the roof.He’d crashed on the couch again, too wired to go to bed and too restless to sleep.The air smelled like wet cedar and the wet Jasmine from outside.Usually, mornings like this helped clear his head.Not today.
He sat up, ran a hand through his hair, and reached for his phone.The screen lit with a half dozen messages from Tony, Bret, and the label.He ignored them long enough to pour a cup of coffee.The smell pulled up an image he couldn’t shake, her standing in the doorway, eyes tired but steady, telling him she’d handle it.
He hoped she was still asleep.
When Tony’s name popped up again, he answered.“Tell me this is good news.”
“Depends on your definition,” Tony said.“The clip Carlene pulled last night hit internal review.The label’s calling it ‘resolved,’ but they’re being weirdly quiet.No follow-up, no praise.Just a line that says,Don’t dig further.”
Jami frowned.“Does that sound right to you?”
“No.Normally, they’d be throwing a parade for her.Something’s off.”
Jami rubbed the back of his neck.“She said she found traces of deletion requests.You think they’re trying to hide more?”
“Could be.”Tony’s voice dropped.“Don’t say anything to her yet.She’s burned out.Let her sleep a few hours before we light another fire.”
“Got it.”
After the call ended, Jami leaned against the counter, staring out across the gray horizon.Every instinct he had told him something about this story still didn’t fit.Reed & Carr were snakes, sure, but this whole mess had felt too big, too polished, too perfectly timed to just be an old rival gunning for revenge.
He strummed the guitar leaning nearby, soft enough to fill the air but not so loud that it interrupted his thoughts.The unfinished song that had been haunting him came again, the one that always showed up when his brain was trying to tell him something.
By the time the rain stopped, Tony had arrived at the barn, followed by Livia and Sean.He slid his shoes on and sauntered across the wet grass to join them.They moved quietly through the barn, each of them checking equipment or running through a few notes.The plan was to prep for tomorrow’s livestream — Carlene’s idea — and they all knew how much was riding on it.
“Where’s Carlene?”Livia asked.
“She’s resting,” Tony said.“Or at least pretending to.I told her to take the morning off.”
Sean grinned.“You think she’ll actually do that?”
Tony snorted.“Not a chance.”
Jami smiled faintly, but it faded as he scrolled through another message from the label.Vivian had sent a short note thanking them forstaying aligned with the brand strategy.It read more like a warning than a compliment.
