Ethan

Traffic between my place and the concert venue was a total fucking nightmare. The streets were still flooded with people who’d come out for the Thanksgiving Day parade. There were detours everywhere, and it took us over an hour longer than it normally would to get there.

We’d expected it, of course, but I was on edge because I hadn’t gotten five minutes alone with Emily all afternoon.

It was obvious something was going on with Dana even before we finished dinner, but afterward, it got so much worse.

Everyone was settling into the couches in the living room when she mistakenly thought there was a bathroom on the second floor and started up the stairs. The whole room went into panic mode at the idea of her discovering my studio, and Emily, in her haste to stop Dana, sort of barked at her.

It wasn’t a mean thing, just a startled, “No!” but Dana looked genuinely hurt by it.

We’d played it off, and Lennox’s stupid ass hinted that I had some sort of sex dungeon up there—which started a debate on whether a dungeon could exist on the second floor or if it was by definition a basement room.

Dana played along but I saw the looks she was giving Emily. She knew we were keeping something from her and—worse than that—so was Em.

I hated, fucking hated, that Emily was in a position to lie to her best friend because of my secrets.

They’d both sort of drawn into themselves after that, and when it came time for Dana to head to work, she didn’t even want Emily to walk her out.

I needed to get Emily alone to make sure she was okay, but Jared and Lennox had hitched a ride with me while the twins and Aubrey took Kade’s rental car.

I was used to not having much privacy, and it didn’t generally bother me, but I needed—physically needed—to get her alone for a few minutes before the show so I could try to get that forlorn expression off her gorgeous face.

I had to fix it because it was my fucking fault she had to lie to her friend. It was my fault they were both hurting.

When we finally got where we were going and managed to get waved through into the private entrance area, I told Jared and Lenn to go on ahead and stayed in the car with Emily.

She was doing an admirable job of faking a smile, but I knew better than to buy it.

“I’m so sorry about what’s happening with you and Dana. It’s my fault. All of it.”

“No, it’s not.” She shook her head and reached for my hand. “She was off even before I barked at her.”

“Still, this hasn’t been easy on you, keeping things from her. And that’s because of me. Because I was selfish and dragged you into my insane situation.”

Her face fell. “Do you wish you could take it back?”

“Not at all,” I answered without hesitation. “I just wish it didn’t complicate your life. It’s not fair to you.”

“It’s okay.” Her gaze flitted to my face and darted away as her voice dropped to a pained whisper. “Besides, it’s temporary anyway, right? I mean, you’re leaving soon, and she’ll forget all about the unanswered questions once you’re gone.”

Was the hurt in her voice for Dana…or for me?

“It doesn’t have to be temporary. I don’t want it to be.” I reached out to tilt her head in my direction, and her eyes locked on mine. “When did I ever put an end date on this thing between us? Because I don’t recall that.”

Her eyes welled and she tried to pull away, but I held on. “You’re leaving. And there’s no telling when you’ll be back. You have a life out there, one that takes you literally all over the world, one that demands your time and your presence. Where would I fit into all of that?”

I took her hand and placed it on my chest, right over my thundering heart. “This is where you fit. The rest will work itself out, as long as you want it to.”

Tears rolled over her cheeks, and she swatted them away with her free hand, her eyes darting from her hand on my chest up to meet my gaze and back.

A loud knocking on the window behind me made us both jump.

“Dude, we’ve got sound check in like five minutes. Come. On.” Lennox gave me an impatient look before his eyes wandered to Emily. When he registered her tears, he put his hands up in apology and muttered a quick, “I’m sorry,” before hauling ass.

He might be a total ass most of the time, but seeing a woman cry really got to him, so I knew his hasty exit wasn’t him being a douche. Two seconds longer seeing that beautiful woman crying, and he would have crawled in the car to hug her till she stopped.

And that would have totally ruined his rep.

I cleared away the final few tears with my thumbs and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. “We’ll definitely continue this later, okay? But in the meantime, just know that I have no intention of bailing on you. Not after the holidays, not after New Year’s, not after Columbus Day or Flag Day or what-the-fuck ever. I’m in this until you’re sick of me, which hopefully won’t be anytime soon.”

She sniffed and wiped her face, blowing out a long breath. “Stop being so…Ethan. You’re going to make me ruin what’s left of my makeup.”

“You’re gorgeous. Stunning. Perfect. And best of all, you’re mine.”

She teared up again, fanning her face. “Dammit, drummer boy. What did I just say?”

We walked into the arena hand in hand, and despite the heavy conversation, I’d never felt lighter in my life.