When Nate pulled his bright-blue Ford Focus into the driveway of a brick townhome, the reality of what I was doing stabbed me like a knife.

“I know it’s probably not what you’re used to,” he said, turning off the engine.

I gasped, ripped my eyes off the quaint home, and turned to him. Without thought, my hand covered his. “I think it’s lovely.”

He gave me a look as if he thought I was lying. But I wasn’t.

Clearing my throat, an image of my childhood flashed in my mind. “I wasn’t always famous or rich, you know. There was a time when I had less… a lot less.” I glanced back at the place he called home. “I like it.”

Beneath my hand, Nate flipped his over, linking our fingers. “Fair warning. It’s a bachelor pad inside.”

My fingers tightened around his. “You live with your dad.”

He nodded.

“I hadn’t really thought of that before… I’ve been so preoccupied.” I lifted my eyes to his. “He has no idea I’m coming.”

Nate shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. He won’t mind.”

I wasn’t sure I believed him. Watching him now, I wasn’t sure he believed him.

“I can stay at a hotel.” I offered. “Just take me to the closest one.”

His mouth flattened. “No. You’re staying with me.”

“But—”

“You’re staying.” With those final words, he got out of the car and slammed the door before I could argue further.

Inside his carrier, Cheeto meowed.

I glanced over my shoulder at it on the backseat. “It’s okay,” I told him. “We’re here.”

“C’mon, princess,” Nate said from the open hatch in the back.

I got out of the car with Cheeto, and Nate loaded himself down with our bags. I followed him through the garage and to a door that led into the house.

He was barely through when a voice carried out to me. “You’re late.”

“Dad! I missed you too,” Nate exclaimed, dropping all the bags and flinging himself at a man standing in the kitchen.

He chuckled, and I smiled. Nate had a way with everyone. He endeared himself so effortlessly.

“Good to see you, son,” his father said and slapped him on the back. I moved a little farther into the doorway, and his eyes flashed to mine.

Nate’s father was younger-looking than I expected. He had close-cropped dark hair (not red) and light-colored eyes (not green, though). He was slightly taller than his son and wider. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, a green flannel open over them.

“Who’s this?” he asked, still staring at me.

I was used to staring, but he made me nervous. I wanted him to like me, and it seemed I was going to have to work for it. Something I was not used to.

“Dad, this is Aerie Boone,” Nate said, coming back toward me to take the carrier I was holding. When his back was turned to his father, he winked at me. “And this guy in here is Cheeto.”

“You brought home a girl and a cat.” His father stared.

“Aerie, this is my dad, Derek. He’s head of the music department at Blaylock.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” I said. “Music is something we have in common. I—”

“I know who you are,” he spoke, cutting me off.

See? Work for it.

“Aerie’s having some work done on her house, so I figured she could stay here while we work on her album.”

“Album?”

Nate nodded enthusiastically. “Turns out it’s not just one song they hired me for. It’s an entire album.”

Honestly, Derek looked a lot less excited and proud than I thought he’d be. Nate always talked about his dad like they had a great relationship, but it sure didn’t seem like it right now.

“How’s that going to work with school?” he asked.

“I’ll make it work,” Nate replied.

Derek didn’t say anything. An awkward silence filled the air for a long pause.

I cleared my throat. “I know it’s probably a surprise that I’m here. I’m happy to go to a hotel—”

“You are not going to a hotel, A.” Nate’s tone rang with finality, as if anyone would dare say otherwise.

Derek cleared his throat. “Of course not,” he said and came forward, offering his hand to me. “Nice to meet you.”

I took his hand and smiled. “Nate has told me a lot about you.” Derek seemed surprised. I smiled. “All good, of course.”

Cheeto meowed. I made a sound and went over to Nate, opened the carrier, and pulled out the kitten.

“That thing is tiny,” Derek said.

“Nate found him on the side of the road,” I explained. “We sort of adopted him.”

“You two adopted him,” he echoed.

Nate’s hand settled on the small of my back. “C’mon. Let’s get him some food, show him his room.”

I let him lead me into a room with a twin bed on each side. It looked like a space where a war was going on. A war between a child and an adult.

“Is this your room?” I asked, gazing around. A warm feeling filled me.

“Since I was born,” he replied. “It’s your room while you’re here, too.”

I gaped at him.

He chuckled and pointed to one of the beds. “That’s usually Ten’s, but he won’t mind if you borrow it.”

“Ten sleeps here?”

He made a face. “I washed the sheets.”

We were going to be sharing a room. Nate and I in the same space… all night long. Butterflies filled my belly and my limbs tingled.

Cheeto squirmed around, and I set him down. He moved around the room, sniffing and checking everything out cautiously.

“I feel like I shouldn’t be here,” I confessed quietly.

Nate dropped the bags he was holding and moved to shut the door. Coming back to where I was, he grabbed my hands and stared down. “I want you here, princess. Don’t take my dad’s lack of… welcome personal. He’s, ah, pissed at me because he wants me to finish school.”

“I kinda got the impression he wasn’t happy about the album.”

Nate sighed, sinking down on his bed. He seemed too big for it, and I smiled a little, kind of excited to watch him squish himself in it tonight. “Ten’s career changed him, almost destroyed him.”

I nodded. I knew all about Ten and what fame could do to a person.

“Dad thinks it’s going to do the same to me, too.”

I shook my head, adamant. “It won’t.”

He cocked his head to the side. “How do you know?”

“You aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met. You’re… solid. You know who you are. I don’t think anything can corrupt you.”

Nate shoved off the bed and stalked across the room with intent. His hands felt familiar at my waist, and I tipped my chin back, knowing he was coming.

The kiss didn’t linger, though I wish it had. Instead, he pulled back, rested his forehead on mine, and sighed. “Sometimes I think he wants me to stay a little kid forever.”

I cupped his face, letting my thumbs stroke his cheeks. “I can’t really blame him. I wouldn’t want to let go of you either.”

He kissed me again. This time it was longer. This time he didn’t pull away until my lungs absolutely burned for air.

A sudden knock on the bedroom door made me jump back.

“Yeah?” Nate called out.

“You guys wanna go to dinner?”

He lifted an eyebrow to me in silent question. I nodded.

“Be right there!” he answered.

The sound of Derek retreating echoed into the room.

“I need to set up Cheeto’s stuff, and then I’ll change.”

“You don’t need to change,” he murmured, nuzzling the side of my neck. He made me feel drunk. “I like those socks. They kind of drive me crazy.”

I wrinkled my nose. “My socks?” They were just knee socks. Cozy ones I usually wore when I was alone.

He growled, kissing under my jaw.

“I look a mess, Nate.”

“You could never.” He pulled back, leaving me slightly dizzy. Enough that I had to grab the front of his shirt to steady myself.

His hand covered mine. “Hey, you sure you’re up for dinner? A lot’s happened today. You haven’t really said how you are.”

You’re here. I’m fine. I nodded. “I’m up for it.”

Cheeto made a sound, and I glanced around, bursting out laughing. He came out from beneath Nate’s bed, a pair of boxers draped over his back.

“Hey, I was wondering where those went,” he quipped.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re gross.”

The nervousness I’d felt when we first arrived was still there, but now it wasn’t at the forefront. Instead, there was curiosity. I was excited to be here at Blaylock, to see Nate’s home.

Excited to learn everything I could about him.