“I know.” I chew the inside of my cheek. “But I can’t take money from you. I don’t like how that feels.”
She sighs. “I hate that you feel that way but I understand. It’s just—you’ve done so much for me. You were my rock after Carter died. I don’t know if I’d be here if it hadn’t been for you. You forced me to get help. To push through my grief. And I can’t think of any other way to pay you back.”
“You don’t have to pay me back.”
“But I can make your life easier. You know how much Carter left me.”
We’ve had this conversation so many times and it’s so damn tempting.
To just let her give me money.
Take care of me.
Pay all my bills and let me live a life of leisure.
That just isn’t who I am.
I’m happy to let her spoil me with trips, the occasional expensive handbag, and fancy dinners.
But paying my bills? Letting me stay home and do nothing? It doesn’t sit right with me. And what would that say to Ross? The relationship is new but he works hard and if we’re going to be together, it feels like I should contribute.
Shouldn’t I?
Shouldn’t we be a team, working together to build a future? Maybe even a family?
These are things he and I need to talk about. If only it wasn’t so soon. It’s been a day. Yes, we’ve been friends for nearly a decade but we weren’t close friends. We went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye.
And in my experience, that’s a recipe for disaster.
He asked me to trust him—to take a leap of faith.
I’m just not sure I’m capable of that kind of trust.
Not even for my teenage heartthrob.
Chapter Fourteen
Ross
Nervous energy fills me as we get ready to play.
I’ve always loved performing, even if I buried that part of myself for nearly twenty years. But right now, I’m walking a tightrope between two worlds—the one I’ve built since the accident and the one I’m inadvertently being pulled back into. Taking care of the tour logistics and simultaneously being a member of the band.
Even if it’s just temporary.
Even if the contract they made me sign earlier today is going to pay me almost a year’s salary just for the next few weeks.
Not to mention being on the verge of falling in love for the first time in…a very long time.
Waking up next to a beautiful woman who makes my heart beat faster. Who’s learning all the different parts of me without letting it scare her away.
Things are moving fast but I can’t think of a single reason to slow down.
“You ready?” Kellan comes up to me as we wait for the signal that it’s go time. Usually, that’s my job. Today, Pete is taking over. He’s smart and competent. I trust him completely, but I can’t help scanning the backstage area to make sure things are running smoothly.
“I think so?” I chuckle. “It’s still a little nerve-wracking. I never used to get stage fright but we weren’t Onyx Knight.”
“We’re just five guys and a girl playing music,” he says. “That’s all this is. Don’t think about Onyx Knight the business—just the music we’re about to make.”
