Page 84 of Finding Emotion

It was all wrapped up soon enough, and she and Damon returned to Jami’s digs, though technically Muscles was the one that owned the house. After everything that had happened, neither of them had wanted to return to the suite. Mandy had agreed to send both of their belongings over. The sooner Skylar could pay the best manager in the world, the better she’d feel.

It was still midday, so they had the place to themselves. She followed him into the guest bedroom.

“It’s too bad your head’s not up for any head-banging.” Skylar jiggled her eyebrows, and Damon laughed.

He lay on the bed. “I might be up for something less strenuous.” Only there were dark bags under his eyes.

“Shit, I was joking! Not that, you know, before, was bad or anything. Fuck, it blew my mind.” As Damon looked on, she tried to find the words. “I wanted—” She bit her lip. How fucking sappy did she have to be, admitting to just wanting to snuggle.

Damon held out his arms. “Come here,” he murmured.

She didn’t hesitate. Curling against him felt way too damn right, and his hands slid into her hair, working on tension she didn’t even know she had. “Damn it, I should be doing this to you.”

“You had a lot to think about today. Besides, doing this soothes me too.”

The quiet that fell was only interrupted by the steady heartbeat under her ear.

Skylar found for once that she didn’t want to avoid something. “What’s up with your tour? You were supposed to perform today, weren’t you?”

“I cancelled the first two performances, which was hard, but the fans have all supported it. The interview I did yesterday helped.”

“Because you told them fucking everything.” Skylar hadn’t been surprised. Damon didn’t seem to see a weakness in being vulnerable. He wasn’t even perturbed that she refused to say she loved him back. “I mean, except about us. You didn’t admit to us being a couple.”

His fingers slowed. “Is it so wrong, wanting to keep my love between us for a little longer?”

She buried her head in his chest a little tighter. “Don’t say it again!”

Damon laughed. “I’m working on the theory that the more I tell you, the more you’ll accept it. You are very loveable, Skylar.”

She still couldn’t quite figure out why he thought that, but hearing him trying to convince her would only embarrass her.

Damon’s hands slid to her back, holding her close. “What about your tour? When do you have to leave?”

“With all this legal shit, I told Mandy to cancel the whole thing. I wasn’t the primary performer anyway, so it’s not a huge issue. Besides—” She bit her tongue. Fuck no, she wasn’t going to say it.

“Besides… what?” he asked.

She rolled away. “Nope. I’m done.”

Damon wasn’t one to hold her in place, but he sat up on the bed as she scrambled to her feet, his face confused. “What’s wrong?”

He was going to give himself another headache if he scrunched his forehead like that. Or worse of one, she remembered, still seeing the lines of his exhaustion. She groaned, leaning over him again.

“Besides, this way I can stay with you. Happy now? I’m so fucking sappy.” She kissed his suddenly grinning mouth as she climbed back on the bed. The kiss drew out, their mouths clinging. She pulled away first. “Cool it, sweet face.” Her hand hovered over his cut, which had needed stitches. “No getting carried away.”

“Are you sure, Skylar?” Damon asked. “Your career is as important as mine. I’m happy, I can’t lie about that, but we’re both performers. We can manage long distance.”

“I told you. I’m breaking contract with my label. This is best.” She tucked her body against his. Almost all the time over the past couple of days, and especially while she rested with him, music had played in her head, a kind that she never thought she’d want to make. It was all filled with emotion, and not just shouted anger at the world. “I kind of need time to create. When all this bullshit is finished, I want to drop a new album. Something for me.” Specific lyrics pulled at her, ones she was almost terrified to write down but that wouldn’t go away.

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Damon said.

“Oh, you’ll wait. Ask Mandy about how I get when I’m deep in creative mode.” Skylar snorted. “I bet you won’t be so quick to say you love me after you experience it.”

Damon hugged her to him. “I just heard you acknowledge that I love you.”

“For fuck’s sake.” Skylar’s arms wrapped around him. “Go to sleep. You look like crap, all exhausted like that.”

He laughed again, the sound echoing inside her from where it vibrated under her ear.

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