Chapter 23 - Veronica
The pictures I took during the Grammys were the best I’d taken in my life. The Mondays played like they’d never played before, and the crowed went nuts. Morgan and I waited in the wings, and she looked at me with stars in her eyes.
“I think this launch will be a success.”
I put my arm around my friend and smiled. “I know it will.”
Then, Garrett rushed over to us and picked a laughing Morgan up and whisked her away. Carter wasn’t far behind, interlacing his fingers in mine and kissing me gently.
“How was that?” He asked.
“Ah-mazing!”
Carter laughed and led me back to the dressing room. “You want to watch the rest of the ceremony?”
“About as much as I want to pull my own teeth out,” I replied, wrapping my arms around his waist. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and it didn’t involve anyone except me and Carter, and possibly a bed or a couch or another similar soft surface. The floor would do, in a pinch.
Carter grinned, and pointed his chin towards the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
We walked hand-in-hand down the hallway and out the back door. He called for a car and within seconds, a sleek black limousine was pulling up in front of us.
“Rock star treatment, hey?” I grinned. Carter shrugged, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He opened the door for me when I heard my name being called out.
“Vee!”
Carter stiffened beside me. I turned to see Seth jogging towards me. Putting my hand on Carter’s forearm, I held him back. His sinewy, muscular forearm tensed under my touch, but he didn’t move.
“Seth,” I said, my eyes narrowing as he jogged towards me. He looked from me to Carter and then gulped.
“I… I wanted to say thank for not pressing charges.”
“Stay the fuck away from her,” Carter growled. He stood up taller, and Seth cowered in front of us. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed.
Seth turned back to me, holding out his hands.
“I’m sorry.”
Those two simple words shocked me. I opened my mouth and closed it again, nodding curtly.
“Okay.”
“I mean it, Vee. I…” He looked at Carter. “I won’t both you guys anymore.”
“If you ever follow me again and try to grab me, I’m will press charges, Seth,” I said, my voice hard. “And I’ll get a restraining order. Stop calling me. It’s over between us.”
He dropped his eyes and nodded. “I could have lost my job if you’d have pressed charges.”
“So stop following me.”
“I just…” he looked at me with anguish, and a small part of me felt sorry for him. The bigger part of me remembered how scared I’d felt in New York, and how terrible he made me feel when we were together. He looked so small and weak, standing there in front of us. Carter put his hand on the small of my back and I felt safer than I’d felt in months.
I turned away and got into the limousine with Carter. We left Seth standing there as we drove off, and I let out a big sigh.
“Is it bad that I almost felt sorry for him?” I asked, nestling my head into Carter’s chest. He smelled so good.
“No,” Carter replied, kissing the top of my head. “It makes you a good person.”
“I just don’t want him to bother me anymore. I don’t want to hurt him or get him arrested or anything, I just want him to leave me alone. How did he know about your divorce, anyways?”
Carter chuckled. “He probably googled me. It’s not exactly hard to find information about me.” He squeezed his arm around me. “My ex sent me the divorce papers. Looks like it’ll all work out.”
My eyes widened and I looked up at him. “Really? The whole mess will be over?” Carter nodded, kissing my lips.
“And it’s all because of you.”
I frowned and then Carter explained what had happened with his ex. He told me everything—the private investigator, the music rights, and finally Angela’s visit last night. A tiny shiver of jealousy ran through me when I thought of her coming over to his house, but then I saw the way he looked at me and my heart was at ease.
“So, thank you,” he said. “You made her realize that we were better off just being done with this divorce.”
“And I think you made Seth realize that he didn’t have a chance.”
“Not a snowball’s chance in hell,” Carter grinned. “How could he compete with this?”
I laughed, running my fingers along his jaw and wrapping them around his nape. “He can’t. No one can.”
And then, Carter did what I’d be hoping he’d do since the show ended. He crushed his lips against mine and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me in a warm embrace.
My heart started thumping as the heat of his body seeped into mine. His hands ran down my spine and over my ass just as the limo lurched to the side and I fell over him. I laughed, catching myself on his chest.
“This is dangerous!”
“Well, Danger is my middle name,” Carter said as he quirked his eyebrow.
I laughed, rolling my eyes. “Very original.”
“You love it,”
“I love you.”
It just slipped out and my eyes widened. I stammered, blushing as I tried to recover. “I mean, you know. I like you. A lot. This week has been amazing, and—”
Carter silenced me with a kiss. He growled into my mouth as he pulled me close, tangling his fingers into my hair and inhaling the scent of my skin as he kissed me.
“I love you too,” he said when we pulled apart. He rested his head on my forehead and closed his eyes. “I’m not sure how it happened, but it just feels like we’re supposed to be together.”
“It feels like I’m supposed to be yours,” I whispered. His chest rumbled and he pulled me to him until I melted in his arms and forgot the world around us. All that existed was him, and me, and our love.