“Yeah, I’m good.” He takes a deep breath. “I woke up early and looked at my phone to check the time. There was an email fromGlenn waiting. He sent me a link to the tracks we recorded for our new album.”
“Oh.” I deflate in my seat, my back rounding. “Totally get why you couldn’t sleep.”
“I sent it to Ines and asked Glenn to send it to Owen’s parents too.”
Using the side of my fork, I cut a piece of my omelet. “Why didn’t you send it to his parents yourself?”
“They don’t talk to me anymore.”
I jerk my head back, my stomach sinking. “What do you mean?”
“Owen’s mom kind of blamed his death on Ines. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one he talked to about how he felt sometimes. He’d opened up to his mom a little too, but I saw him daily. He’d talk to me about the bad but also the good. He told me more than once how terrible he felt about the negative thoughts that suffocated him. But his mom only ever heard the bad, so she assumed Ines wasn’t supportive, that she’d driven him to do it.” He hangs his head low. “Grief makes us irrational, but whether she meant it or not, it hurt Ines. And when Owen’s mom insisted Ines and Santi move to LA so they could be closer to each other…Ines said no. When I refused to try to talk her into it, I ended up on Owen’s parents’ shit list.”
“I can’t even imagine how that felt. They’re both hurting, both grieving, and instead of supporting each other…” I shake my head. “Though I guess it shouldn’t surprise me. It’s a lot like what happened to Mom with Piper’s dad’s family.”
The warmth in his gaze soaks into me. Our connection is so natural, so easy. Does he notice it too?
“Want to listen to the album after breakfast?” he asks quietly.
“Absolutely.” I nod.
When we’re finished, he collects the dishes. “Any plans for today?”
“Not really.” I finish the last of my juice and set the glass on the table. “I thought I’d run out for groceries.”
“Really?” He puts one plate into the dishwasher, then the other. “I just stocked the fridge.”
“I really want some strawberry ice cream. And something else—I’m not sure what yet. My cravings are very chaotic.”
“Let me get dressed and I’ll—” He lets out a low growl. “I can’t even go with you. Fuck.”
I set my elbows on the counter and rest my chin in my hands. “Yeah, there’s no way we can go anywhere together now.” I sigh. “We’re kinda trapped.”
He puts his mug in the dishwasher and leans against the counter. “I know it feels impossible right now, but it’ll calm down. And we’ve got Wyatt. If he drives, we can go places together. We just have to leave through the underground garage.”
“That doesn’t exactly solve the problem.” I tilt my head to the side. “Sure, we can leave together, but we can’t show up anywhere. Not anywhere public, at least.”
He sighs, his shoulders sagging. “The label will announce our new album soon. That’ll steer attention away from the pregnancy.”
“I think you’re wrong.” I clasp the pendant around my neck. My breaths quicken. “I’m sure it’ll only fuel their curiosity.”
“Ry…”
“It’ll be so much worse once the album is announced. I’ll end up in all the gossip blogs. Everyone will be talking about me. What a failure I am…what a coward…” My breaths saw in and out of my lungs painfully. Fuck, this is not good, not good at all.
“Hey.” His voice is soft as he steps closer to me. “Look at me, Ry.”
I force myself to focus on him, my body shaking. He hovers over me then wraps me in a tight, warm hug, running a hand up and down my back. His scent and the warmth of his skin are enticing. I hide my face in his chest.
“Everything will be okay. I’m here for you, and I always will be,” he whispers. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. They can fucking try, Ry. They can fucking try. If anyone so much as opens their mouth, I’ll slap them with a lawsuit.”
I sniffle. “You can’t sue people for speaking the truth.”
“What truth?” He rears back, eyes searching mine. “You’re not a failure. You’re not a coward. Pursuing your dreams takes alot of courage, but it takes even more to walk away when you’re unhappy.” Gently, he cups my face, brushing away my tears with his thumbs. “You’re phenomenal, Ry baby. Please remember that.”
Every word goes straight to my heart, to that hopeful little organ that can’t stop dreaming about this man. That keeps on hoping and believing.
With the way he looks at me now? His green eyes warm, his smile soft? I will never move on from him. He was my first crush. My first unrequited love.
