Rosie’s fingers shook as she adjusted the wire under her shirt.

“Try not to touch it.” Blaine stilled her fingers, drawing them away from her body so he could encase them with his own. She stood in front of him while he sat on the tailgate of the van and checked her sound gear.

“Is it working?”

“Yeah, I can hear you perfectly.” He pulled the headphones off and nestled them around his neck. “I know you won’t be able to hear us, but we’ll be listening to every word, and I won’t hesitate if you need me.”

The sweet statement made her want to cry. But ever since walking into that police station, she’d run out of tears. The wells of shame and guilt within her had turned to steam. They simmered in her belly, spurring her on.

If only her determination could kill her nerves. “I keep thinking I can do this, but then I start freaking out, knowing I can’t.”

“But you can.”

Rosie loved the sound of Blaine’s voice. It was soft yet confident. There was a tenderness about him that she’d never experienced before. She’d always gone for the bad boys—the wild ones who screamed excitement, fun, escape.

Blaine was different.

He was a fortress. Solid rock that nothing bad could break through.

If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall in love with him.

But maybe that’s just what she needed.

Squeezing his fingers, she bent forward and kissed the top of his hand. “I wasted my time in high school.”

“What do you mean?”

“I should’ve stood up for you. I should’ve dumped Taylor and hung out with you. I would’ve been a lot happier.”

Blaine smiled at her, his brown eyes rich with affection. “I was so nervous, I wouldn’t have known what to do with you.” His laugh was self-deprecating, quickly disappearing behind his deep voice. “It wasn’t our time then.”

He left the sentence open, asking the question without saying a word.

Is it our time now?

Rosie swallowed, her heart pulsing out of rhythm as a flurry of butterflies burst out of it. She felt sick with nerves and excitement. Looking to the ground, she blinked and tried to rein it in.

“You know, I nearly asked you to stay last night.”

“I nearly offered.” His gentle words sent warm tendrils of pleasure curling through her system.

Her lips twitched with a smile.

“But I knew I couldn’t do that. You needed to figure it out on your own, and as much as I hated leaving, it was the right thing to do.”

“Weird how the right thing is often the hardest thing.”

Blaine nodded. “But then once it’s over, life gets better.”

He always knew what to say.

She rested her hand against his cheek and smiled. “When this is over… when you’re ready, I’d really like to date you.”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You asking me out?”

“Yeah,” she snickered, then swallowed. “If I survive tonight.”

Blaine stood tall, closing the space between them and cupping her cheeks. “You just made one of my high school fantasies come true. You are most definitely surviving tonight.”

Before she could respond, he leaned down and kissed her.

It was deep with meaning, holding promises that Rosie could cling to.

Pressing her warm tongue against his, she rose to her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around him and gluing their bodies together. He held her close, encasing her until his older brother broke them apart.

“Now is not the time for romance,” Nate muttered. “We’ve got a big fish to catch, and I don’t want either of you distracted.”

Blaine let her go, softening the move with a swift wink.

Rosie’s smile was no doubt dreamy, but she couldn’t help it. Being in Blaine’s arms was like nothing she’d ever experienced.

“Alright. Ten minutes until showtime.” Kellan jumped into the back of the van and reached for the laptop. Nestling it on the table, he pulled on his headphones and pointed at Rosie. “Say something.”

“I hope I don’t screw this up.”

The edges of Kellan’s mouth tipped up. “You’ll be fine. Remember, all they’re after is the money.”

“What if they try to take me too?”

Kellan’s lips flatlined, his voice taking on a hard edge. “I’m not going to let that happen. You trust me, and I’ll trust you. Got it?”

“Got it.”

She let out a trembling breath as Nate handed her the bag of cash.

“There’s a tracking device sewn into the material of the bag, plus the money is marked. If you can’t get him to say the right thing, then make sure he takes the bag. We’ll tail him from there.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

Nate gave her a closed-mouth smile and slapped her on the arm. “Go get ’em, Sweet.”

His firm slap jostled her. Blaine caught her against him, rolling his eyes at his brother before looking back down at her. “Remember, you’re stronger than you think you are. After this, it’s over.”

She swallowed and stepped away from him, gripping the bag and walking toward the rink.