Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
She gritted her teeth until her jaw muscles started to ache.
“One day, you’re going to decide you want to be brave and do something you never thought you could do. And it will be a beautiful moment—a moment I refuse to miss. So if you’re not going to share my dream with me, it better be because you’re chasing your dream. And it’s not that diner.” He shrugged off his bloodied shirt and tossed it aside before retrieving a white tee from the bag in the bin above them.
Jersey despised his words because she feared there was truth to them. She couldn’t imagine a world without Ian. Without G. Without her Guardian. Jersey struggled to accept the fact that she was alive because of him. If she acknowledged his strength, it made her feel weak, and that’s the truth Jersey feared the most.
When they landed in Miami, Jersey left the plane on her own accord. She climbed into the black SUV that took her to the hotel while Ian and the band headed to the venue. Two hours later, Max texted her that her ride was waiting out front to take her to the concert.
Jersey hadn’t toured with Ian since everything happened with Kessler. Sliding her credentials over her head felt different. She found herself looking for Chris down every hallway, through every door.
“You made it.” Max smiled, standing outside of Ian’s dressing room.
Jersey offered her a tight smile and curt nod.
“He’s alone.”
Jersey nodded, gripping the door handle and taking a deep breath.
Ian glanced up from a small loveseat, elbows resting on his knees. “Thanks for coming.”
Jersey grunted before shaking her head while strolling around the room, popping a grape into her mouth from the food table. She remembered the days when she pocketed food because she didn’t believe her next meal was guaranteed.
Jersey wondered if the day would come when she wouldn’t feel she needed to guard herself against the worst “what-if,” live in fight-or-flight, or keep one hand fisted and her head on a swivel.
Ian didn’t live that way. He trusted the life he had, and he believed it would be there the next day … and the next.
“We were fine,” Jersey said. “Why’d you have to fuck it all up?”
Ian chuckled. “You mean, why did I have to say what I was feeling? Why did I have to be honest with you? Why did I have to unapologetically admit that I didn’t want to go ten months on the road without you? Why must I confess again that I want you to marry me?”
Jersey glanced up, standing a few feet from him. “Yeah,” she whispered.
Ian stood. “I’m not going to let you drown, Jersey. If you stay idle too long, you will drown. If you stop swinging because you’re afraid you’ll miss, life will knock you out.”
Jersey wasn’t sure what Ian meant.
He took her hand and led her to the backstage. The crowd roared while the band started to play, and the lights went out for his grand entrance.
“Wish me luck, Jersey.”
She couldn’t even look at him. Too much shame and anger still simmered in her guarded heart. “Luck, Coop,” she murmured.
Ian strapped on his guitar and strutted onto the stage. For the next two hours, he played to a sold-out crowd. Songs of heartbreak. Songs with hidden meanings that only Jersey could decipher. When Ian tightened his grip on the mic and stared off-stage at Jersey while belting out the most heart-breaking lyrics, Jersey felt every word in the most vulnerable corners of her heart.
When Ian exited the stage between sets, he winked at Jersey before gulping down water, and she relinquished a tiny grin. A shy grin. Jersey found herself falling in love with a rock star all over again. Ian knew … he knew if he could get her to a concert, he would be able to win her over one song at a time.
After the encore performance, the crowd got out of hand—specifically the girls in the front rows. Security escorted Ian off the stage and directly toward the rear exit. He snagged Jersey’s hand and pulled her behind him as the band and help funneled around them, unavoidably shouldering and bumping into each other.
Ian waited for Jersey to slide into the back of the SUV before hopping in behind her; the door quickly closed behind him. She grabbed his face and kissed him the second he turned toward her. Her heart soared as she fell for him all over again. This time was different. It was deeper. There was no begging and no apologies. It was just a moment. And in that moment and the many moments they shared longing glances during the concert, Jersey knew she couldn’t hold back anything, or she’d lose Ian. She’d drown, and he’d keep swimming.
“Say it,” she whispered over his lips while the driver wasted no time speeding away from the curb. “Tell me you’re mine.” She straddled his lap and kissed him harder.