Page 207 of The Song We Lost

That shuts me up.

Luke’s hands slide gently up my back, as he says, “Don’t give them rage songs meant to self-destruct your career.” His eyes lock on mine steadily. “Give themyourtruth.”

“They want another album?” he says quietly. “Fine. Then give them the real Bailey Brooks. Not the version they tried to turn you into.”

Emotion swells hard and sharp in my throat. Because even after everything… Luke is still the person who sees me clearest.

“What if I can’t do it?” I whisper.

His expression softens instantly. “You know you can.”

“I can’t do it alone.” The words slip out before I can stop them.

Luke doesn’t even hesitate. “I’ll help.” My breath catches, but he doesn’t stop, “You never have to do another thing alone if you don’t want to.”

My eyes burn immediately. Before I can think too hard about it I lean forward and kiss him. It’s soft at first. Then deeper when his hand slides against the side of my neck and he exhales shakily into my mouth like he still can’t believe this is real either.

Luke pulls back just enough for our foreheads to rest together while we both try to breathe normally again.

“You know,” he murmurs softly, “you interrupted a really good song.”

I laugh quietly against his mouth.

“Play it for me?” I ask and then give him a quick kiss.

His eyes lift slowly back to mine and the smile he gives me is blinding when he says, “For you? Anything.”

Luke turns me around and pulls me back so I am flush with him and slightly on his lap. Then he pulls his guitar up in front of us, his lips brushing against my temple when he starts to sing.

“There’s a crack running through this house

Through the boards and through us

And every dream we built back then

Feels different looking back at it again

We were kids with hearts too big

Believing love could carry this

Before the world got in our heads

And taught us what fame could take instead”

I close my eyes, letting his words wrap around us and feel parts of my heart heal.

chapter 52

bailey

. . .

The album doesn’t get made overnight, we build it slowly. I pushed back on any deadlines and they seemed happy enough to be getting another album so they agreed.

This time it is just us.

Some mornings Luke and I disappear into the studio before breakfast and stay there until the sky turns dark outside the windows. Other days we barely touch the instruments at all, ending up out in the orchard with Iris asleep against one of our chests while Noah and Thomas argue over irrigation systems. And somehow…