“Here. Open it.” I shove the gift in his hands.
“Alright, calm down.” He slides his finger beneath the edge of the paper, carefully ripping it open. “I love it,” he exclaims, crumbling the paper with his free hand.
He stands up in a daze, walking towards the basement and disappearing with my gift in hand. When he returns, he’s holding what looks like maybe a guitar behind his back.
“I also have a gift for you. But you only get to hear part of it tonight,” he confesses.
My heart explodes. He wrote me a song. It all makes sense now—the practicing in the basement and phone calls he walks out of the room to take. He’s been planning this the entire time and still tried to shame me for drawing him something.
Cas slides the guitar strap over his head and begins to strum a few chords. He plays an acoustic melody for a few beats, and then he sets his smoldering hot gaze on me and begins to sing:
I never thought one night could leave me so obsessed.
Chasing after you trying to change your mind.
Don’t be a one-night stand.
He plays several more chords.
I can’t settle for just one night.
I’m selfish. I want the rest of my life.
Oh please don’t be a one-night stand.
He stops strumming. “You’ll have to wait to hear the rest on New Year’s Eve.”
I cover my mouth with my hand, trying like hell not to cry over this man writing me a song. My song—my own song—and he plans to sing it in front of everyone in a few days. This is what he’s been working on.
“It’s beautiful, Cas. I love it!” I gush.
His smile stretches from ear to ear. “Good. I’m glad you like it.”
“I do. But Cas, I don’t think it’s fair I have to wait and hear it with everyone else,” I complain.
“Sorry, little muse, it’s worth the wait, though, I promise.” He sets the guitar down on the opposite side of the couch. “Come on, let’s go to bed so I can wish you a very merry Christmas.”
Cas kisses me under the mistletoe, then cradles me in his arms, carrying me down the hall and up the stairs.
Chapter thirty-four
Backstage, it’s almost time for me to go on. The ring I picked up a few days ago sits heavy in my pocket. Nerves fill my stomach as I pace back and forth. Singing in front of all my fans on New Year’s Eve in the middle of Times Square is nothing compared to the proposal I have planned. I just hope she says yes.
The plan is for me to sing the brand-new song, then move right into the proposal. The team already made sure to place Vivienne and Roxy in the front row so I can pull her up on stage.
I check my watch again.
Three minutes.
There’s no turning back now.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. She’s going to say yes. I know she will. I don’t know why I’m psyching myself out like this.
There’s a buzz in my earpiece, and then I hear my cues.
It’s show time.
I walk onto the stage, exuding the same confidence I always do. They introduce me, and I look into a couple of different cameras before I step onto my mark in the center of the stage and begin my set. The crowd explodes with excitement over the debut of a new song.
