“Holy shit,” I muttered as we approached the spot where Parker was singing.
When I’d seen him on the TV screen, there were maybe thirty people watching him – now there was probably about five hundred.
Maybe more…
It was madness. There were cars and people everywhere – I couldn’t even see Parker at all, he must have been totally surrounded.
Hannah had been on the phone to Jasper on and off during our drive downtown, but I couldn’t focus long enough to figure out what she was saying, or what scheme the two of them were cooking up.
The car pulled to a stop. “Here we are, miss,” Kelvin called from the driver’s seat.
I’d been surprised to see Kelvin driving this car – I’d assumed he would have been with Parker. I was grateful for the familiar face of someone I knew I could trust – it was sweet of Jasper to have sent him to pick us up instead of some stranger.
“Thank you, Kelvin, I really appreciate it.”
He tipped his non-existent hat in my direction.
The door next to me swung wide open and nearly gave me a heart attack.
Jasper’s blond head appeared through the door.
“Jesus, Jasper.” I clutched my chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Hey, baby,” Hannah crooned.
“Hey, barbie.” Jasper winked at her.
I sighed. They really were so cute together.
“Glad you could make it.” He grinned at me and I could already tell that he had a plan. “Out you get,” he prompted.
“Thanks for this, J, but what now? There’s too many people… maybe I should wait,” I murmured nervously as I peered around Jasper and looked at the hordes of people that were standing between Parker and me.
“Not a chance, Little Red, c’mon, days a-wastin’,” he announced.
I felt my heart speed up in my chest.
I can’t go out there.
My panic must have been evident on my face.
“Charlotte,” Jasper soothed. “Just listen to him…”
I took a deep breath and leant out the door. Now that I’d calmed down, I could hear his voice.
He was singing something I’d never heard before.
“You’re all I want… all I need… I’m empty without you… it’s nothing, without you and those sexy legs…”
I could only catch snippets over the noise of the crowd, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out he was singing this song to me.
“There’s nothing that can keep me from you… only you…”
My feet moved of their own accord in the direction of his voice.
Jasper slipped in behind me, his hand on my arm so I was close. He let out a loud, shrill whistle and out of nowhere, about half a dozen burly-looking men in suits appeared and flanked us on either side, clearing a path through the crowd as we moved.
“This is so cool,” Hannah squeaked from somewhere behind me.
I hadn’t even realised she had come out of the car behind me, but I should have known she’d want to be right in the action.
Jasper tugged on my arm and pulled me to a stop as the crowd thinned and Parker’s voice became clearer.
He’s right there.
I may not have been near him in months, but my body hadn’t forgotten how to react to him. My heart sped up and my whole body hummed with awareness.
“You ready?” He turned my shoulders in an attempt to get me to look at him.
My shoulders moved but my head stayed trained on where I knew Parker was. I couldn’t look away.
I nodded dumbly as Parker’s voice turned husky and low.
“Your blue eyes, they haunt me at night… I can’t do this without you, I’ve lost my fight.”
My eyes blurred with tears.
“Everything is nothing without you…” His voice was thick with emotion and it nearly broke me in two.
Jasper must have signalled someone because suddenly there was nothing standing between me and the man I loved.
And there he was.
I let out a sob as I laid eyes on him for the first time in what felt like forever.
He was even more handsome than I remembered… more beautiful than what any screen or photo could portray.
With that guitar in his hands and his eyes closed in concentration, he really was sexy as hell.
His fitted grey t-shirt hugged his toned body in all the right places, and even though he’d clearly lost some weight, his muscles still bulged and strained in the most delicious way.
I took a step forward out of the safety of the crowd.
I could hear whispers of ‘oh my god, she’s here’ and ‘is that her?’ starting up around the circle as Parker strummed the final chord and stilled before me.
There was nothing but silence. I didn’t know if that was due to the emotional turmoil that had just played out before the crowd, or because I was here, taking another tentative step towards Parker.
I watched him take a deep breath and with a sigh, lift his head.
His ice-blue eyes opened and he looked right at me – directly into my eyes.
His face transformed into an expression of utter disbelief. He blinked once, twice, three times before he seemed to believe what he was seeing.
“Charlotte?” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
I nodded. I wanted to yell out to him, tell him that I was here and how sorry I was… but nothing came out.
“You’re here?” he croaked out.
I nodded again and a tear slipped down my cheek. I still couldn’t seem to speak, so instead I told him with my eyes.
I’m sorry…
I should have stayed…
I love you…
God I miss you…
I sobbed again and the noise spurred him into action. He was in front of me, his strong, familiar arms wrapping around me in a flash.
The crowd went wild.
He held me so tight I was torn between worry that he might snap me in half, and my desire to be held tighter.
“Legs?” he questioned, as though he still didn’t quite believe what he was experiencing. “You’re here…”
“I’m here,” I choked out, my voice muffled against his chest. “I never should have left.” I whimpered at my own stupidity.
I was a fool to think I could live without him. In his arms was the only place that felt like home anymore.
“Shhhh.” He soothed me as he rubbed slow circles on my back. “I can’t believe you came.”
“I can’t believe you did this for me.”
He pulled back and held me at arm’s length so he could look into my eyes. “I’ve told you once, and I’ll tell you again, I would literally do anything for you, Charlotte.”
If it weren’t for him holding me up, I probably would have crumbled to the ground. He looked deep into my soul with his beautiful eyes and promised me with nothing more than a look that he was dead serious.
I didn’t deserve this man, but if he would let me, I was going to keep him anyway.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
I opened my mouth to argue but he cut me off. “It doesn’t matter anymore, legs, all I want, is to make this work… whatever it takes. Can we do that?”
I bit down on my lip and reached up to wrap my arms around his neck.
“Whatever it takes,” I agreed in a whisper before his lips met mine.