I couldn’t imagine taking on that level of responsibility. “It was.”
She nodded toward the screen that had been paused on the opening credits for Black Panther. “Are we going to watch?”
I connected my Bluetooth speaker and hit Play on the projector remote. Eying her, I stretched in an exaggerated fashion and nonchalantly rested my arm around her shoulders.
She laughed. “I see your smooth moves are intact.”
I leaned closer. “Baby, you have no idea.”
She blushed, and I grinned.
Leah
I was wiping down the tables at the diner when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find Debra Pritchard standing with hands on her hips.
“Hi, Debra,” I said cautiously. “How can I help you?”
“You can tell me where your no-good father is holed up.”
I blinked. “I have no idea. I thought he was staying with you.”
“He was until a few days ago. Then today, I noticed all the gold jewelry I wasn’t wearing is gone.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that, though I’m not surprised.” I wanted to have sympathy for her, but she’d said it herself—the man was no good. If she knew that, I couldn’t understand why she put up with him.
“He’s the one who’s going to be sorry,” she muttered.
“Did you file a police report?”
She scoffed. “They won’t do anything.”
“Still, it could help to have it on record.”
“Uh-huh. You just tell him not to come back around unless he plans on bringing back all my jewelry.” Debra turned on her heel and stormed out of the diner.
I shook my head. I barely knew the woman, and I didn’t know the extent of her involvement with my father—nor did I want to. But I could unequivocally say that she deserved better. Everyone deserved better than that scumbag.
I’d never seen any signs that he’d physically abused her. If I had, in good conscience, I would have had to get involved. I always worried about that—that he would start abusing someone else because I hadn’t gone through the proper channels to stop him. From the best I could tell from my online research, though, a statute of limitations prohibited me from pressing charges for the assault that had happened four years ago.
Maybe I’d made a mistake by handling it the way I had. I had no way of knowing, though, so I didn’t want to dwell on it.
The short conversation with Debra put a dark cloud over my good mood. I hadn’t seen nor heard from my father for weeks, since right before the break-in at my apartment. We still didn’t know for sure that it had been him, but my gut told me it had. I had hoped that would be the end of him for a while. Unfortunately, he was like a fungus—he’d be back eventually. At least Lacey wasn’t around for the latest round of shenanigans. Although she acted like it didn’t bother her, I knew it was just that—an act.
I shoved thoughts of him out of my mind. Unless I was going to seek him out—and hell would have to freeze over first—there was nothing to be done about it.
I went back to wiping down the tables. The diner wasn’t closing for another hour, but I wanted to get a jump on it. Despite how late I was getting off, I had plans to hang out with Gabe. Since our movie night, we’d been spending all of our free time together. It helped that he didn’t have anything on his schedule other than taking Aunt Rose to her appointments, so we were basically spending all of my free time together.
Sometimes Tyler joined us, which was a good thing, because the more time I spent with Gabe, the more my resolve for keeping things friendly weakened. Sometimes, my own brain toyed with me, asking if it would be so bad to give in to temptation. The answer to that question was an unequivocal yes. So far, we’d been managing the friend dynamic, but just barely. Beneath the surface, something more was always lurking, and it wouldn’t have taken much to bring it to the surface.
But it needed to stay buried, because if we redeveloped the deep connection that came from sleeping together, then when it came time for him to leave, I didn’t know how I’d be able to let him go again.
Gabe
Leah showed up around eleven, carrying a pie in each hand and looking like a pastry-wielding angel. I took one from her. “What’s up with the pies?”
“Sharon baked them yesterday, and she won’t serve them past two days, so I claimed them. Occasionally, working at the diner has its perks.”
“It’s a good thing Aunt Rose is already in bed, so we can actually have some of these.”
She followed me into the kitchen. “The way you two bicker, you’d think you were siblings instead of great-aunt and nephew.”
“It suits us.” I took the other pie out of her hands and placed it on the counter next to the one I’d carried. “I missed you.” While I wasn’t pushing the physical boundary Leah had set, I wasn’t holding back when it came to other things.
She chuckled. “You just saw me yesterday.”
“It doesn’t matter. I always miss you.” I held her gaze, and she swallowed thickly. As always, I waited a beat to give her time to respond in kind, and yet again, she didn’t. We belonged together, and I didn’t understand why she continued to fight it, especially when her struggle was obvious. “Why don’t you slip into something more comfortable?”
Her eyebrow quirked up. “Is that a euphemism?”
My lips slowly stretched into a lazy grin. That was more like it. “Do you want it to be?”
Much to my disappointment, Leah stepped back. “I would like to get out of this uniform.”
I would like to get her out of that uniform too.
As she walked away, I admired her ass and calves. She didn’t work out that I was aware of, but both of her jobs were active, so she was in great shape. The sight of the new shoes on her feet made me smile. I hoped she’d burned the old ones.
When she returned, I was sprawled on the couch and working my way through my second slice of pie. I patted the cushion next to me. Letting out a big yawn, she sank down. “Even my eyelashes are tired.”
“Maybe you should take a few days off,” I suggested. “Surely, you’ve earned a little break.”
She yawned again. “Yeah, sure, a break. Sounds like a plan.” She leaned her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes, a sign of just how tired she was. A moment later, she let out a little snore.
“Leah?” I whispered. “Leah?” I said a little louder.
Her body jerked, and she sat straight up. “What?”
“Do you want me to take you home so you can sleep? I’ll tuck you in and everything.” I didn’t want her to leave because I felt like I barely saw her, but she was dead on her feet. The last few weeks had shown me that Leah’s work schedule was running her ragged. It was frustrating because I had the means to make her life so much better if she’d just let me, but before we could get to that point, she had to let me into her life as more than just a friend.
“I drove here, remember?”
“It’s dangerous to drive when you’re tired. Perhaps we should have a sleepover.” I grinned.
She rolled her eyes. “A sleepover? Really?”
“It’s the only responsible course of action.”
She eyed me for a moment then shook her head.
A familiar song came on the TV as part of a commercial, reminding me that I needed to talk to her about something. “Come to New York with me.”
She blinked. “What’s in New York?”
I gestured toward the commercial that was just ending on the TV. “SOCK.”
“Huh?”
“SOCK, as in Stamp Out Cancer for Kids. You know, the benefit concert? It’s in Madison Square Garden in two weeks.”
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “I’ve seen that.”
“I’m one of the headliners, and I want you to come with me.”
She fiddled with a strand of her hair. “I don’t know. Sharon already has the shift schedule done, and I’m booked solid for cleaning for the next month.” It wasn’t an immedia
te “no,” so that was good.
She wouldn’t like the next part, but I decided to offer anyway. “I know you’d have to miss work, and I’m willing to cover your missed wages.”
“We already talked about this. I can’t take your money like that.”
“I figured you would say that, but I don’t want money to be the reason you don’t go.”
She sighed. “It’s not just the money. I have responsibilities. I worked hard to build up my cleaning client list. I can’t just cancel on them.”
“I want you there. It would mean a lot to me.” My time in Cedar Creek had been good for my soul, especially reconnecting with Tyler and Leah. While I planned to visit more often, that was just it—I’d be visiting. My life was elsewhere, and I wanted to share it with Leah. Taking her with me to a show was the first step.
“Why?” Her question was genuine, but it floored me.
I took her hand and laced my fingers with hers, the most intimate contact I’d allowed myself. “You know why.”
Her eyes met mine, but she didn’t unclasp our hands. “Gabe, it won’t work.”
“You haven’t even given us a chance. I’ve been patient, but I won’t be in Cedar Creek forever. I want you in my life, and not just as a friend on my visits home. I want you with me.”
She was silent for a long moment. “We might have had a shot in Cedar Creek, but as you said, you won’t be in Cedar Creek forever.”
“You’re adamant it won’t work, but you’re wrong. That’s why you need to come with me—so I can prove it to you.”
She licked her lips. “How can you be so sure?”
“How come you can’t be?” My voice was laced with frustration. “You don’t even know what you’re giving up.”
She pulled her hand back and scooted away, putting distance between us. “Trust me. I know what I’m giving up. I lost you once already.”
I moved closer, not caring that she’d deliberately tried to set herself apart. I’d played it safe and given her space. That time was over. “Come with me. What do you have to lose?”
Her chin quivered, and tears glistened in her eyes. “Everything.”
Chapter 15
Leah
Sharon barely blinked an eye when I asked for time off to go with Gabe to SOCK. Both of my cleaning clients it would affect didn’t mind my shifting the schedule. In fact, they were more excited for me than anything.
So that was how I ended up cruising up I-95 in Gabe’s Challenger at zero-dark-thirty two weeks later. When I asked if he normally drove to events like these, he admitted that he usually flew. We were driving for my benefit. He explained that he didn’t want me to have to deal with fans or paparazzi, which were unavoidable when flying commercial. I had asked him what the alternative was, and he mumbled something that sounded like “private jet.”
For all his bravado, I got the impression that he was nervous. Not about the show but about what I would think about everything. It was laughable. If anyone should have been nervous, it was me. In the past two weeks, I’d had no less than three video chats with Lacey and her friend who was a fashion-design major to try to figure out what clothes to pack. In the end, I decided that I was hopeless, so I might as well be comfortable.
The closer we got to the Big Apple, though, the more I was starting to regret that decision. Not only would the biggest stars in the music industry be there, but a lot of movie stars pitched in to man the phones. I always wondered if they actually answered real calls or if they just posed for the broadcast. I guessed I would find out.
The hotel was the nicest place I’d ever been—it must have been one of those five-star deals that Gabe had mentioned. It had valet parking and everything. The lobby belonged in a movie. Hell, it probably had been. I expected Julia Roberts or George Clooney to stroll by, followed by techies holding boom mics.
Once Gabe had checked us in and I’d managed to roll my tongue back into my mouth, I clutched his arm. “Do you think we’ll see anyone famous?”
Gabe’s eyes twinkled as he grinned at me, and I realized what a stupid question it was. I was already with someone famous. I realized I didn’t think of him that way, though. To me, he was just Gabe, the boy I’d fallen in love with when I was still just a teenager.
Now, he was Gabe, the man I’d never stopped loving.
I hoped I wasn’t making a major mistake. I hadn’t been lying when I’d told him how much I was risking. This trip had the capacity to change everything, and I wasn’t sure how it would go. Hell. Gabe was convinced we belonged together, and maybe seeing me like a fish out of water in his music world would show him once and for all that I didn’t belong.
The thought was overwhelming and heartbreaking.
I rolled my shoulders back. I’d told myself I wouldn’t overanalyze everything. What would be would be, and I was determined to enjoy the trip. I would probably never have another one like it.
“Not you, silly,” I said with a small laugh.
“There will be lots of famous people at the concert. I’ll even introduce you to some of them.”
Now, I felt doubly stupid. “I meant, you know, out in the wild. Like in their natural habitat.”
Laughing, he punched the elevator button. “New York isn’t my natural habitat.”
“Your house is in Malibu, right?” That sounded so exotic. My only knowledge of Malibu was the Malibu Barbie I’d had as a kid. Gabe didn’t talk about his new home much. From what I understood, he didn’t actually spend much time there.
“Yeah, but I was thinking about buying that parcel of land next to Tyler’s dad’s. The one we watched the movie on.”
“Why would you want to do that?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. The elevator opened, and we stepped in, but not before I saw the expression on Gabe’s face. Damn, I hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings, but I didn’t understand. If I had the money to buy property, I would... well, I didn’t know what I’d do because I never expected to have that kind of money. One of these days, I was hoping to move up to renting a house, maybe buying one before I hit forty. Probably in Cedar Creek, because I had no reason to believe the world had more to offer me somewhere else, but maybe not. I might follow Lacey wherever she ended up. “Sorry... I’m just surprised is all. You have a house in Malibu.”
“Yeah, but Aunt Rose isn’t in Malibu. Tyler isn’t in Malibu.” He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. “Most importantly, you’re not in Malibu.”
“Oh,” I breathed. His body was flush with mine, pressing against me in all the right places. Heat pooled in my core, but it was from more than just the physical contact. It was the knowledge that after everything that had happened between us, Gabe still wanted me.
Gabe still loved me.
I was suddenly reminded of his purpose for the trip—to prove to me that I was wrong, that we belonged together. I’d never wanted to be wrong so much in my life, but allowing myself to hope might just break me.
Gabe
If I’d have known what a thrill it would be to watch Leah take in New York and all it had to offer, I would have swept her away weeks ago, her jobs be damned. She deserved the kind of joy that put a sparkle in her eyes. And I wanted to be the one who helped put it there.
Wide-eyed, she peered out the window of our car as we passed through Times Square. She settled back in her seat. “It looks a lot different on the New Year’s Eve shows.”
“That’s because there’s a million people crammed in together. I wouldn’t want to be here then.”
“You wouldn’t be in the crowd,” she reasoned. “You’d be on stage.”
“True,” I admitted, “but I don’t get the appeal.”
“Isn’t that the Broadway ticket office?” Leah pointed at a huge red staircase.
“Yes.” I was surprised she’d picked it out since I hadn’t realized what it was the first few times I’d seen it. Broadway wasn’t really my thing, though some musicals like American Idiot and Jagged Little Pill were based on mus
ic albums. So who knew—maybe one day, I’d see my songs performed on Broadway. It would be cool to be included in an updated Rock of Ages. Tyler would shit his pants to hear my songs played alongside his beloved eighties rock songs.
Leah smiled. “I got a New York travel guide from the library. I didn’t want to be a complete novice.”
I didn’t have the heart to break it to her that the way she was gaping at everything from the skyscrapers to people charging to take pictures with the guy dressed as Elmo made it obvious she was a newbie. I tried to remember the first time I’d gone to New York. I’d already been to several other big cities by then, so I wasn’t as amazed, but I had probably been bug-eyed as well.
“Sorry, I didn’t plan for us to see a show.” If I’d realized she was interested, I would have asked Bette to get us tickets for something.
“It’s okay. We don’t have time, anyway. I feel lucky I was able to get off work as it is.”
I might have had a little something to do with that, but Leah didn’t know it. I had no idea what Sharon planned to do with the stack of autographed items I’d given her. Bribery at its finest.
Our car finally made it to Battery Park. Though I’d driven into the city, we would be using other transportation while there. Driving in New York was a pain, and trying to find parking was downright lethal.
Before we got out, Leah clutched my arm. “We don’t have to do these touristy things if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to get mobbed.”
Ironically, the most populated city in America was one of the least likely places to get mobbed. The New Yorkers didn’t give a shit if I was famous, and tourists were usually too distracted by everything else to notice. Paparazzi might snap a few shots, but even they usually kept a respectful distance unless I pulled a Britney Spears umbrella move.
Back To You (In Tune Book 1) Page 14