Total pages in book: 198
Estimated words: 186242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 931(@200wpm)___ 745(@250wpm)___ 621(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 931(@200wpm)___ 745(@250wpm)___ 621(@300wpm)
Rhodes just blinked at me. One long, slow blink, and all he was able to say was “Wow.”
I nodded at him.
“If he hasn’t already, he’s going to wake up one day and think, that’s the worst mistake of my life,” he said in surprise.
“For a long time, I hoped and prayed that exact thing would happen, but I told you, I just don’t care anymore.” I squeezed his hand. “When his mom showed up, that’s what I told her too. So you know, he has tried emailing me. Months ago. I never replied to him.”
The surprised expression on his features disappeared, and his serious face was back on as he dipped his chin once. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Also, so you know, I’ve talked about it with Yuki and my aunt, and we all agree he’s only trying to get back in contact because the two albums he did without me did so bad.”
Rhodes’s eyes roamed my face, and he softly said, “That’s not the only reason, sweetheart, believe me.”
I shrugged. “But it’s not like I can write anymore anyway. Or that even if I did, I would ever go back to that bullshit.”
“You know that doesn’t factor at all between us, yeah? You know I don’t care even a little bit about that, don’t you?”
I pressed my lips together and nodded.
His gaze caught mine and held it, the lines on his forehead there and fierce. “I almost feel bad for the idiot.”
“You shouldn’t.”
Rhodes’s mouth and words softened. “I said almost.” His hand squeezed mine. “He really gave you all that money?”
“He had to or I would’ve gone after him in court, and then everything would’ve blown up in his face,” I explained. “I’m not dumb. After his little fake relationship, I thought of what my mom would say, and she would’ve told me to take care of myself first. So I kept proof, pictures, and screenshots that would have been more than enough to screw him over in court. I figured I deserved it. I’d worked for it. It’s mine.”
I knew I didn’t imagine the pleased and proud glint in his eyes. “Good.”
“It won’t bother you then?” I asked after a moment.
“What?”
“The money.”
He looked right into my eyes as he said, “Is it going to bother me that you’re rich? No. I always wondered what it would be like to have a sugar mama.”
I grinned and knew I had one more thing to say to him before I hoped we never talked about Kaden again. “This is the happiest I’ve been since I was a kid, Tobers. I want you to know that. This is where I want to be, okay?”
He nodded solemnly.
“I love you, and I love Am. I just . . . want to be here. With you two.”
Rhodes’s hand went to my face, his thumb under my jaw. “And that’s where you’re going to be,” he said. “Never in a million years did I ever think somebody—somebody other than Am—could make me feel the way you do. Like I’d do anything, anything, for them. I can’t even look at you when I’m mad because I can’t stay that way.” He lowered his face, so his lips hovered inches from mine. “I’ve only had a few things in my life that were really mine, and I’m not the type of man to give things away or throw them away. And I mean it, Aurora, and it’s got nothing to do with your notebooks or your face or anything other than that heart you’ve got in your chest. Are we clear?”
We were clear. We were clear all right, I told him, hugging him close.
We’d never been clearer.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Whoa, man! That was awesome!” I clapped and whooped where I was sitting in my favorite camp chair about a week or two later.
A wonderful week or two later. Who was keeping track?
Am flushed like he always did, holding the last note on his guitar, but the second he lowered it, he huffed. Things between us were back to normal, fortunately. The awkwardness had only lasted about two days before the elephant in the room decided to walk away on its own. “I thought I was off-key at the beginning.”
Crossing one leg over the other, I tilted my head. “You were a tiny bit flat, but I mean a tiny bit. And it was only once when you went into the chorus. I figured it was only because you were nervous. I can really tell you’ve been working on your vibrato by the way.”
Setting his guitar in its stand, he nodded, but I could tell he was pleased. “I was, but I did what Yuki said.”
She had happened to video-call me the other day while I’d been with Amos in the grocery store parking lot, and she’d asked him how the nerves were going. “Fine,” he’d responded sheepishly. Knowing he wasn’t being completely honest, she had given him some suggestions. I wasn’t going to tell him that hours later, she’d messaged me asking for a video of his upcoming performance so she could watch too.