Dumping my pack on the ground, I pulled out my phone, hoping for a little inspiration. Nixon had been with me daily, keeping me on track and living my dream.
I wanted him beside me, but I knew I couldn’t type that. He had plans and parents to deal with. New York was waiting.
With a sniff, I reread his last text, then grinned when my phone dinged with a new one. Opening it up, I read the words and frowned.
Travel challenge—Day 7: Find the best-looking guy in the airport and ask him to travel the next leg with you. Trust me, it’ll be a fun adventure.
Love you always xx
With a snort, I shook my head and read the message again.
He wanted me to what?
That couldn’t be right. I wasn’t going off with some good-looking guy.
“You are batshit crazy, Holloway,” I mumbled, trying to figure out the perfect comeback.
Looking up, I scanned my surroundings for inspiration and then froze.
I found him—the good-looking guy I was supposed to travel with.
A burst of laughter shot out of me so fast and loud I scared the man walking past me.
He gave me an odd look and hurried by, but I couldn’t even apologize.
All I could do was stand in shock as my dreams fell perfectly into place.
Nixon stood across from me, a dopey smile on his face. He was in jean shorts and a black T-shirt, looking like the ultimate tourist with the overstuffed pack at his feet. His hair was product-free and flopped across his forehead.
He’d never looked sexier.
And I didn’t think twice.
Leaving my pack against the wall, I ran across the space and straight into his arms. He caught me with a laugh while I let out an excited scream and wrapped my legs around his waist. My flip-flops fell off but I didn’t even care. Nixon held me tight and met my hungry lips with a grin.
Cupping my ass, he kissed me solidly while I wrapped my arms around his neck.
In need of air, I pulled back and squeezed his shoulders. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for a travel buddy.” He winked and I kissed him again.
“I can’t believe it.” I finally breathed, running my fingers into his hair and wanting to get lost in those brown eyes of his. “How? When did you…? I…”
He laughed at my speechlessness, placing me back on the floor and grabbing his pack so we could walk back to mine. I shoved my flip-flops back on and took his hand while we walked to my pack.
“Thing is, Charlie Watson, I’m miserable without you. What’s the point of going to New York when I feel that way? I never really wanted to be a lawyer.”
My eyes bulged. “What did your parents say?”
“Well, they haven’t cut me off.” He shrugged.
“Bet they’re still not happy about it.”
“Does it even matter?” He cupped my face, his fingers curling into my blue hair. “All I want is to be with you. To see the world, with you. All this time, you didn’t think you could fit into my world. And maybe you can’t. But I can fit into yours.” His eyes burned with conviction. “We’re good for each other. You bring out the best in me. I want you. I need you.” The edge of his mouth lifted with a smile. “You think you’re a flight risk, but I know how to handle that now.”
My forehead wrinkled.
His smile grew. “I’ll just chase you. I should have chased you four years ago. I’m not making that mistake again. You fly, I fly.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “No matter who you’re with or what you’re doing, there’s no other place on Earth I’d rather be than right beside you.”
I’d never loved him more.
Tears glassed my eyes while he was talking. I gave in to them, letting them trickle down my cheeks as I let out a giddy laugh. Wrapping my arms around him, I rose to my tiptoes and hugged him tight. It was such a relief to know I wouldn’t have to let go for a long time to come. Cupping the back of my head, he held me against him and I closed my eyes, this warm kind of joy buzzing through my entire body.
“So…” Nixon brushed his nose across my cheek. “Where are you taking me?”
I giggled and pulled back to look at him. “New Zealand.”
“Nice.” His eyebrows rose. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”
I giggled again. Geez, I sounded like a fourteen-year-old girl, but I couldn’t help it. I was standing in Nixon’s arms and those plans…those dreams that we came up with in Yosemite were finally coming true.
“Well, as much as I want to stand here kissing you all day, why don’t we go see if we can squeeze me onto a flight?”
“I can rebook mine.”
“Or I can meet you in New Zealand.”
“Forget it.” I frowned. “I’d rather sleep on a dirty airport floor for the next three days than have to leave you again. I am so over that!”
Nixon grinned and brushed his lips across mine. “You’ll never have to do it again. No more goodbyes for us.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
And he sealed it with a kiss.
Epilogue
Nixon
“Okay, what are we telling them this time?” I turned to Charlie and grinned, loving the excited look she got whenever we were getting ready to record another YouTube clip.
We’d started a channel in New Zealand, posting daily updates on our trip. The clips were never more than a couple of minutes, but we’d try to choose one awesome thing from each day to share with our friends and family at home.
At first, it’d just been for them, but the Chix Travel Diary had grown in popularity and we now had thousands of subscribers who checked in for each episode.
“Let’s get the mountains in the background and tell them about the temple.”
I nodded and got ready to set up for recording.
We only had a few days left in Nepal before flying to New Delhi.
The last four months had gone by in what seemed like a rush. New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos. We’d met the most amazing people, seen the most amazing sights, and there was still more to come.
In an effort not to run out of money, we’d brainstormed ways to earn as we traveled. My trust fund and Charlie’s savings would only keep us going for so long, and I kind of wanted the liberty of spending cash I’d earned rather than continuing to use my parents’ money. If anything, I wanted to keep that money for necessities only…plus a few donations we’d made along the way. Some of the poverty we’d seen was a real eye-opener, and it was impossible not to give some to charity. It was the least we could do.
So as a way to earn some cash-on-the-go, Charlie had started selling her photography and was making a mint on each picture. However, the sales were sometimes sporadic, so I’d spent a few weeks contacting every travel magazine I could and had managed to score myself a weekly column for an online one, plus a monthly column for a glossy one in LA. Dad helped me hook it up. It’d been a beautiful moment.
Charlie and I were also working on publishing a series of travel books as we went. One per country, filled with photos, guides, travel tips—anything useful to travelers on a tight budget looking to do something similar. Readers were starting to take note and between the different income sources, we were getting enough to fund our flights.
The thought of returning home seemed so farfetched it was almost laughable.
Our plans took us through the next twelve months at least, and we wanted to keep going for as long as we could.
The lifestyle suited us.
We’d slept in hostels, tents, a few nights of luxury in the odd hotel, but mostly we were “roughing it.”
And I was the happiest I’d ever been.
Waking up beside Charlie on a daily basis suited me. Experiencing life together, the good and the bad, the stressful and the peaceful. We somehow worked our way through it all and continued to come out stronger.
“Okay.” Charlie stood behind me, wrapping her arms around my w
aist and resting her chin on my shoulder.
She must have been on the very tips of her toes, but the shot on screen was perfect.
I pressed Record and we grinned at the camera before doing a slow circle as we captured the Himalayas behind us.
“Hey, everyone.” Charlie’s voice was bright and vibrant, just like her hair. The ends were still blue, but she’d added a layer of purple, which looked amazing. “So we’re in Kathmandu. Today we checked out Bodhnath Temple, which was so incredibly like wow.”
“Totally wow.” I nodded.
“So, I’ll post some of my pics online…along with a certain video.”
Charlie’s dry voice and expression made me laugh.
“Yes, thank you to Everett Marshall for today’s challenge.” I grimaced and poked my tongue out before grinning at the camera.
Charlie laughed in my ear. “Yeah, so it turns out Swan Puka is actually goat lungs,” she explained to the camera. “We ate goat lungs today, people. Thanks for that, Everett.”
We’d no doubt get a lot of comments on that one, plus some more challenges. The idea had taken off pretty soon into our trip. It’d been fueled by Chaos, who got the whole thing going after Fliss found out how I’d started Charlie’s trip for her.
Some of the challenges were pretty insane, but so far we’d managed to pull all of them off, including sex in the ocean (Flick’s idea—we didn’t video that one) and breaking into a spontaneous rendition of “Geronimo” at some random restaurant in Thailand. That one had been from Jane and Harry, and in typical Charlie style, she managed to get the whole place singing. That was one of our most liked Daily Challenge videos.
Surprisingly enough, my parents commented on almost every clip we posted. It meant a lot and was a way to help mend some bridges.
Charlie spoke a little more about our day in Kathmandu, including some history about the temple before we signed off with a local greeting. We were trying to at least learn “hello,” “goodbye” and “thank you” in the language of every country we visited. It was working pretty well so far, and people appreciated the effort.
Tucking the camera into my day pack, I hitched it onto my shoulder and then smiled down at my girl. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her against me and wiggled my eyebrows.
She grinned. “What’s that look for?”
“Well, we’ve kind of seen everything we wanted to today, so I’m having visions of you, me, a little hotel room about five minutes down the road, and a whole lot of afternoon delight.”
Biting back her grin, Charlie shook her head. “You’re never going to get enough of me, are you?”
“Nope, never.” I winked at her, loving the smile on her face.
“Well then, Mr. Nix, you better just take me to bed and show me exactly what afternoon delight means.”
With a soft chuckle, I took her hand and started walking for our little hotel, humming “Afternoon Delight” as I went. She snorted and slapped my arm, taking charge in the music department and changing the song to “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” by Smash Mouth. She changed the word “I” to “you” and belted out, “You can’t get enough of me, baby” at the top of her lungs. I wasn’t about to let her win, so we ended up doing a song battle all the way back to the hotel—laughing, singing, and basically being Chix.
The way we were always meant to be.
Two best friends.
A whole wide world.
And enough love to last a lifetime.
*******
Thank you so much for reading Rather Be. If you’ve enjoyed it and would like to show me some support, please consider leaving an honest review.
KEEP READING TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE FINAL CHAOS NOVELLA…
The final Chaos novella belongs to:
Jace & Jenna
SONGBIRD
Due for release in August 2017
Some risks are worth taking…
Being the drummer for a world-famous rock band is the job Jace always dreamed of…but it comes at a price. Constant press, misleading articles, and a slew of fans who can’t always be trusted have made him question whether the lifestyle he’s chosen is worth the risk.
But he loves drumming, and he doesn’t want to quit on his rock band family, Chaos…until he hears the voice of Jenna, a mysterious woman who captures his heart at first song.
Jenna knows all about risks, and falling for a famous rock star is the last thing she needs. She has far more important things to do…like staying hidden and keeping her secrets safe. But Jace is so sweet and different—he makes it impossible to resist him. Jenna knows she’s playing with fire by dating a guy who’s instantly recognized wherever he goes…whose face is splashed across magazine covers and television gossip shows.
For Jace, Jenna just might be a risk worth taking.
But Jenna knows that some risks are too big, too great. Especially when her life is on the line.
This novella is an exclusive story for newsletter subscribers only. If you’d like to receive the story in August 2017, then please sign up to become a Songbird Novels Reader.
You’ll also receive free copies of the first two Chaos novellas—Angel Eyes and Complicated—when you sign up.
I want to become a Songbird Novels Reader
MELISSA PEARL’S SONGBIRD NOVELS
THE SONGBIRD NOVELS CAN BE PURCHASED ON AMAZON
FEVER
Cole & Ella’s story
BULLETPROOF
Morgan & Sean’s story
EVERYTHING
Jody & Leo’s story
HOME
Rachel & Josh’s story
TRUE LOVE
Nessa & Jimmy’s story
TROUBLEMAKER
Marcus & Kelly’s story
ROUGH WATER
Justin & Sarah’s story
GERONIMO
Harry & Jane’s story
HOLE HEARTED
Troy & Cassie’s story
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
The last Songbird Novel. I can’t believe it! I’ve tried to make this book as special as I can for you. I wanted to gift you little cameos from each of the books—stories I have adored working on.
Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me. I published Fever nearly three years ago. It feels like a lifetime. So much has happened in this Songbird world since then. Each and every novel holds a very special place in my heart, and it’s a true privilege to finish the collection with Nixon and Charlie.
These two characters were with me right from the beginning. When I first mapped out the books, I knew I wanted to finish with them. They were actually the couple that inspired me to connect all the dots and have characters from previous books feature in all the other stories. It’s been such a treat.
I will miss this world, but after Jace’s novella, I’m ready to move on to something new.
The thing I’ll miss the most, other than these wonderful characters who feel like real people to me, is the music. I often go back and listen to the playlists I created for each book. It brings back memories, but it’s also a chance to enjoy some really fantastic songs.
I know I’ve said thank you a few times, but seriously - THANK YOU for reading this book. I hope it’s warmed your heart and inspired you in some way.
May music connect you with the ones you love, make the memories last forever, and help you through the emotional times when the only thing you can do is listen and cry.
May you dance.
May you sing.
May you love.
xx
Melissa
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you so much to everyone who had input in producing Rather Be.
It ended up being a tough story to complete, and I’m so grateful to the people who helped me.
My critique readers: Cassie, Beth, Renee, Lenore and Rae. Your insights were so helpful. Thank you for always giving me so much time and making me think about how I can make the story the best it can be. I loved our little
impromptu discussions. It felt like we were all writing the book together :)
My editor: Beth. Thanks for stepping up last minute and being so wonderful to work with.
My proofreaders: I love you guys. Thank you for your time and attention.
My advanced reading team: You guys are awesome!
My cover designer and photographer: Regina. I love this cover so much. You nailed it, clever lady.
Songbirds & Playmakers: My daily interactions with you guys are so much fun and you make this job so amazing. Thanks for your constant support and encouragement.
My family: Thanks for letting me harp on about writing. Thanks for the pep talks. Thanks for the hugs, and loving me without fail.
My Lord Jesus: My inspiration, the music in my heart. Thank you for your daily friendship and abounding love. You make all things possible.
OTHER BOOKS BY MELISSA PEARL
The Songbird Novels
Fever — Bulletproof — Everything — Home — True Love — Troublemaker — Rough Water — Geronimo — Hole Hearted — Rather Be
The Space Between Heartbeats
Plus two novellas: The Space Before & The Space Beyond
The Fugitive Series
I Know Lucy — Set Me Free
The Masks Series
True Colors — Two-Faced — Snake Eyes — Poker Face
Rather Be (A Songbird Novel) Page 21