Chapter Thirty-Nine
Silas
One Year Later
I had been unsure of many decisions in my life, but the one thing that I had been sure of was that I wanted to be with Riley. I knew that would always be the thing that took priority for me. I would make everything work around that one fact: Riley came first.
It was a good decision, and one that I had stuck to over the past year. At first, things had been sort of shaky with Garren. He’d been very understanding, but he’d asked me to reconsider my idea of staying behind instead of touring. He wanted to take me to great heights and believed I had the potential to become a big star. I appreciated his unwavering faith in me, but I knew that it was not something that I wanted to pursue. Once he knew that I wasn’t going to change my mind, he set up a meeting with me at home. We sat for hours, going over what other options I had. In the end, we decided to turn one of the spare rooms in the house into a studio. From there, we were able to continue producing songs and creating albums. He came by to see me once a month, and we made plans for me to sing at concerts at various times over the year. He didn’t want me to lose that connection with the public, and we both agreed that I would do it as long as it didn’t involve me touring for long periods of time.
The latest show had been in London, and I’d sold out at five different venues all in the space of three weeks. It had been fun, but I had also missed Riley. I had wanted her to come with me, but she had work commitments that she couldn’t leave now.
Riley had finally started her dream of working with troubled teens. Once I came back and gave her back the check, she spent six months working on turning it into a reality. The house was big, so we cordoned a section off and dedicated it toward her work. She set up art workshops, counseling sessions, and writing camps, and spent those six months putting the ideas together. I had never seen Riley look more alive than she had that year. The more she worked toward her goal, the more excited she became, and I knew without a doubt that she had done the right thing. Her first batch of teens came in only a few months ago. Riley had been so nervous, worried that she wasn’t good enough to help them. But, of course, I knew that she would be brilliant at it. I was right. It didn’t take long for her to feel comfortable and for her to realize that she had done the right thing. The teens took an immediate liking to her. They could sense that she had been through some hardships herself.
I was on my way back home now. I couldn’t wait to see her again after the tour. I had arrived earlier than expected, and as I made my way home, I realized she would probably be in the middle of work. I always tried to keep out of her way when she worked with the teens, mostly because I had become better known in the last year and I didn’t want the teenagers to feel suddenly awkward knowing that I was around. When I arrived, I snuck into my own office, which had its own entrance, and sent her a message.
I’m home. In the office. Let me know when you’re done. I love you.
She arrived moments later, rushing toward me to envelop me in a massive hug.
I grinned. “You finished?”
“No. But there’s no way I could work knowing you were here and I hadn’t seen you. So, uh, word sort of got out that you were my boyfriend.”
I laughed. “Uh-oh. How did they find out?”
“One of the girls saw a photo of us and came running out with it. Then she showed everyone, and they made me tell them. So . . . any chance you want to come and say hello? The cat’s out of the bag now. And let’s be honest, they’re not going to rest until they meet you.”
I chuckled. “I’d love to meet them. But I want a kiss first.”
She giggled and kissed me. I noticed that her hands were streaked with paint. I liked it when she was like this. This was when she was at her happiest. She was in her element. I took her hand, and the two of us walked back to her workspace. A group of girls and boys all clapped when I walked in. I had never met any of them, but she’d told me about them before. Riley loved talking about them with me, and I already knew who was who. It was nice to see how comfortable and happy they were around her.
“It’s great to finally meet you all.”
“Riley has been holding out on us,” a girl with pink hair said. I knew her to be Angela, one of the girls that Riley had battled the most with. She seemed to have come a long way and was looking at Riley with a great deal of respect.
I smiled at her. “Riley tells me that you’re a musician.”
She shrugged. “I’m not a musician. But . . . I mean, I’d like to be.”
“I’m going to spend some time in the recording studio this week. You’re welcome to join me.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re shitting me!” she said. Then she looked at Riley and back at me and chuckled. “Sorry. I mean, you’re kidding me! I’m trying to clean up my language.”
I laughed. “That’s okay. And no, I’m not kidding. I’d love to show you the ropes.”
Riley shot me a smile, and I knew I had done the right thing. I spent the next hour with the kids, listening to their stories. They wanted to know about me and my own journey, and it was actually nice to sit and talk to them. They were the sort of kids that appreciated honesty above all, so I made sure to answer all their questions to the best of my ability. When they left, I turned to Riley.
“They’re wonderful.”
She beamed. “Aren’t they? I’m so glad you finally got to meet them. And thanks for doing what you did with Angela. She’s a good kid. Music is her thing though, so spending some time with you might be just what she needs. I appreciate it.”
“She seems cool. Way cooler than me to be honest,” I said. “Think I could pull off pink hair?”
She laughed. “Country music and pink hair? I think I like you as you are, thank you.”
“I see you’re going for the pink look too.”
“What do you mean?” she said.
“You do realize you have paint all over your hair, don’t you?”
She ran to the mirror and burst out laughing. “Nope. I had no idea. So I’ve been sitting like this all afternoon, and you didn’t say anything?”
“It’s cute.”
She made a face, which only made her look cuter. I told her, and she blushed. I liked that after more than a year of being together I could still make her blush.
“So, how did the concerts go? I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve missed you.”
I smiled. “The concerts were good. I missed you too. But Garren was very happy to have me there. And the crowds were great.”
“How was London?”
“From what I saw, London was amazing. But I didn’t get to see as much as I would’ve liked to see. I spent most of my time either singing, preparing to sing, or doing interviews. We only got to spend like two days really touring London itself. But I think I want to go back with you anyway. We can go on a proper vacation sometime.”
“I’d love that. So, when is the next concert?”
“In about three months’ time. But they’re all local ones. Which means, I’m afraid, that you’re stuck with me for a while now.”
She groaned. “Poor me,” she teased. “You tired, by the way? Or did you manage to get some sleep on the plane?”
“I got some rest. I’m not tired at all. In fact, I’m taking you out for dinner tonight. Can you be ready in an hour?”
“An hour? But it’s only four?”
“I want to take you for a ride first.”
“Ooh, I like the sound of that. Although, you do realize that by the time I get to dinner, I will have windswept hair and messy makeup?”
I laughed. “Good. Just the way I like you.”