Asmile tugs on my lips as I read the script written across a chalkboard sign outside of theater seven.
Q&A with Jade Wilson, International Bestselling Author of Painted Inferno
The event is already underway as I slip inside. Her laughter echoes throughout the room, the sound tugging on the strings attached to my heart. My chest warms and I find an empty seat at the back of the room.
She doesn’t know I’m here. Hell, she didn’t even know I was coming. She still thinks I’m in St. Louis, getting ready to fly to Detroit. What she doesn’t know is that I took a flight separate from the team to Chicago first.
This is the second to last stop on her book tour and so far, I’ve had to miss every stop. This was the only one I could make and the only way I was able to make it.
After her book was finished with the final round of edits, she finally let me read it and I’m forever in awe of the story she crafted. It’s a story about two rival artists who end up having to collaborate on a project together for an exhibition. It’s an angst-filled story with the tender tug of war between two hearts who can’t seem to stay apart, even while the two main characters fight against it the entire time.
It’s perfect, just like her.
I stare up at the stage with the bright lights shining down upon Jade. She’s sitting in an armchair on the left and her conversation partner is sitting in the one to her right. She’d been so nervous about all of this and seeing her up there right now—it looks as if her anxiety never existed.
A smile tugs on my lips and pride swells inside my chest. I always knew she could do it. I pull my gaze from her, glancing around the historical theater with almost every single seat filled. She was so afraid no one would show.
Doesn’t she get it yet?
I may be the one who has her heart, but I’m not the only one who loves her. She has so many readers who love every single thing she writes. She deserves it. She deserves to be seen and to be heard and to be celebrated.
To be loved.
Her voice carries through the room, pulling my attention back to her. I didn’t catch the question her conversation partner asked. Jade’s face relaxes, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiles.
“My boyfriend was a huge help with the inspiration behind the whole story. I was struggling with writer’s block when we ran into each other. We ended up striking a deal where he said he would help me.” A smirk tugs on her lips. “I’d say it worked, wouldn’t you?”
Laughter ripples through the crowd and I can’t help but chuckle to myself. I was supposed to help her with research or bouncing off ideas, but I really had nothing to do with the story at all. It was inside Jade the entire time, she just needed to believe in herself.
Their conversation wraps up and they shift gears into a Q&A to end things. There’s no shortage of questions, and I listen as they pick Jade’s brain or express their love for the characters and the story.
“Alright, friends!” The emcee’s voice sounds through the microphone. “We have time for one more question and then we’re going to conclude tonight’s event with a signing.” She smiles brightly, looking around the room at all the hands that shoot up.
Clutching her book in my hand, I rise to my feet and step into the aisle, lifting my arm above my head. “I have a question for Miss Wilson.”
Jade pushes her head forward, her eyes squinting, eyebrows furrowing as she looks in my direction. The Emcee tilts her head to the side. “Oh.. okay.”
Jade’s expression softens, her eyebrows lifting in surprise as I walk closer to the stage and step into the light where she can see who it is. An audible gasp escapes her as her gaze collides with mine.
“Matteo?!” She climbs to her feet, lifting her hands to cover her mouth.
“Hi, Sunny.”
I walk up onto the stage, murmurs spreading through the crowd like wildfire.
She throws herself into my arms and I willingly accept, wrapping my arms around her body. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane to Detroit?”
“Yeah, I’m just taking the long way there instead,” I chuckle, breathing in the familiar, comforting smell of vanilla and berries. “I would have come to every one of your stops if I could have.”
She pulls away, her hands cupping the sides of my face. “I never expected you to come to any, but I’m glad you’re here.” She lifts up on her toes, her lips soft and warm as they land on mine. The crowd lets out a collective awe.
Her lips curl into a smile against mine and she lets out a soft chuckle as she pulls away from me. A pink tint creeps across her cheeks and she stares up at me with those shimmering eyes. “I love you,” she murmurs.
“I love you.” Her arms are still around the back of my neck. I glance at the emcee. “You said there was time for one more question, right?”
She grins, nodding with excitement. “There is.”
I look back at Jade, my eyes slowly searching hers. “Sunny, baby. I love you so much.” I reach up to grab her wrists, pulling them away from the back of my neck. “I think I’ve loved you since you stared at me like I was a wild animal when I drank my drink after you had at the coffee shop.”
