I feel a vibration against my leg.
“You’re vibrating,” I tell him.
“With goddamn need.”
I laugh. “Linc, I think your phone’s ringing.”
He digs in his pocket, retrieving his cell. His brows furrow in the center of his head and the look on his face tells me it’s not his mother.
“Hello.”
I can faintly hear a female voice come across the line, and I move to walk away so I can give him some privacy but he grabs my arm and presses the phone against his chest. “We’re not finished,” he informs me, kissing my swollen lips. I turn away and walk inside the house.
A few minutes later, Linc walks into the kitchen, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Now, where were we?”
“Who was that?” I ask, filling a glass with ice.
“My assistant, Kacey. The new album releases soon and she needs to go over the promotion schedule with me. Told her I’d call her back tomorrow.” He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me close.
Hot stones of dread settle in my stomach. “You’re leaving?”
I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about it until now. Of course he would be leaving again. His life is his music, and I would never ask him to give that up for me.
“Just for a couple of weeks.” His fingers lift my chin to meet his eyes.
We’ve been apart for so long. Now he’s back and I’m so scared of losing him again. “Don’t worry. I told you already I’m not going anywhere. I’m never leaving you again.” He tucks my hair behind my ear and kisses my forehead softly. “But I do have to promote this album. I have an obligation to my fans and my band.”
“I know. I just—I don’t want to be someone who holds you back.”
His head tilts as he eyes me carefully. “Hold me back?”
“Besides ruining our friendship, it’s one of the other reasons I never told you how I felt all those years ago. I didn’t want to hold you back then and I don’t want to hold you back now.”
“Jesus, Syl. Don’t you get it? My home is wherever you are.” He points to my chest. “Here, my home is here.”
“What about your career?”
“What about it?”
“You can’t just walk away from that life.”
“I’m not walking away from anything. I’m slowing down. I’ve been working nonstop since I was fifteen years old. I deserve a long ass break. I’ve paid my dues. Ten times over if you wanna be honest. Now it’s time to reap the rewards.” He kisses me with tender care, gently caressing my lips with his own before he continues. “I poured my heart and soul into this album. I know it’s going to be a hit. Even if I don’t take time to promote it myself. But I can’t do that to my fans. I know you of all people can understand that.”
“I do. Of course I do. It’s just…”
“Stop trying to come up with excuses for us not to be together. That ship has fuckin’ sailed, babe.”
His clipped tone irritates me. “I’m not making excuses, Linc, I’m being realistic. We are on different ends of the spectrum here. I’m just trying to figure out where Caroline and I fit into your world. I mean, what are fans going to think about you dating a single mother who works in a café in Grandeur?”
“I really don’t give a shit what anyone thinks. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to buy my records.”
“What if this doesn’t work? What if you and I…what if we don’t work?”
“Impossible.”
“Anything ispossible, Linc. We have to be smart about this. We can’t get caught up in our emotions. I have Caroline to think about. And what if all of this turns out to be nothing more than wanting something we couldn’t have? It could all fall apart before it even begins. What if we end up hating each other? Then where will that leave us?”
“Goddamn it, woman. Will you listen to yourself? You’ve been my best friend for over fifteen years. You’ve pissed me off countless times and basically told me to get the fuck out of your life and stay out. You shattered my heart over and over and still…here I am. I don’t think there is anything in this world that could ever make me hate you.”
