“Shall we then?” I ask, waggling my eyebrows.
“Are you asking me to accept this pizza in place of a rose?” she jokes.
“I am,” I whisper, playing along, pretending to tear up.
“Of course,” she gasps, handing me a soda and plopping on the ground in front of the coffee table.
We laugh uncontrollably and finish the show. When it ends, Roxy turns on a background show so we can yap. We talk about the project and the trip to Texas. We research restaurants and things to do, slowly building an itinerary. Somehow, the topic of Cas surfaces.
“I don’t think it’s going to work out, Rox. He hasn’t found my number, and I’ve been signed off social media.”
She frowns at me. “So what I’m hearing is: I set him up for failure, and now I’m upset he hasn’t contacted me, but I have no idea if he has on social media because I decided to play way too, fucking hard to get and blow my chances of happiness and a happily ever after with the hottest rockstar to ever walk this Earth!”
“I think that’s a little extreme, but otherwise, yes,” I answer.
She rolls her eyes. “Give me your phone.”
I hand it over once more and watch as she signs me in and frowns again. “You have thirty unread messages from Cas Wilder, Vi.” Her tone is laced with disappointment. “Sabotage much?”
She’s right.
“Here, I’ll message him right now. I’m sorry I was working on a deadline. Here’s my number because I haven’t been on social media,” I suggest.
“That’s desperate, babe. Here, I’ll message you were on a deadline. And then we can read through his messages and see what needs to be responded to.”
Before I can say okay, my phone chimes. Roxy and I both pause, eyes glued to the screen and the pop-up that reads,Cas Wilder tagged you in a story.
I gulp down what feels like sandpaper, then reach for my bottle of water and finish the rest of it. It’s like he knew I was doubting him. I look at Roxy. She’s just as surprised as I am.
“Do we open it?” I whisper.
She pauses, thinking it over, then shrugs. “You’ve got nothing to lose, babe.”
I swipe open the notification. Cas pops up on my screen. Moody music plays in the background, and then he starts to sing. It’s a chorus.Don’t be a one-night standrolls off his lips, and my heart explodes from my chest. He wasn’t playing me. He meant what he said, and he’s definitely been busy…writing a whole damn song about me. We both squeal, embracing one another.
I’m overcome with emotion. Here I was doubting his intentions, fighting my heart, trying to protect myself from getting hurt—and all along, he was thinking about me. I bite my bottom lip, speechless, not sure what to say.
Roxy breaks the silence for me. “You know what this means, Vi?”
I nod my head slowly.
“I don’t think you do. I think Cas Wilder has it bad for you.”
Heat rises to my cheeks. A deep blush sweeps across my skin, painting my face with embarrassment. There’s no reason to be embarrassed. It’s not a bad thing.
“Keep playing hard to get. Let’s just like the video and heart the message. It’s definitely game on,” she gives me a side-eye, “and babe, he’s playing for keeps.”
“Roxy,” I manage to whisper. “I’m scared. I’m not ready to fall in love again. I’m still healing.”
She pulls me against her, in an embrace only found family can understand. “It’s okay, Vi. I promise, I won’t let him hurt you.”
“You’d do that for me?” I practically blubber.
“Of course I would,” she answers. “You’d do the same for me.”
I smile. I have the most amazing friend, and she’s right. I’d do it for her in a heartbeat.
Chapter thirteen
