Page 116 of Forbidden Lyrics

“Please?” I repeat for what feels like the hundredth time.

Jaw tight and eyes shadowed from the harsh lighting, he tangles our fingers together and drags me on stage. My heart rate spikes as my flats slap against the dark painted floor.

Holy freaking crap.

He said yes.

He’s out here.

With me.

Because of me.

For me.

The stage lights are blinding, but I keep my focus on our tangled hands, refusing to look at the audience. The crowd. The fans who are about to hear me sing. The people who are all warmed up from Broken Vows’ previous songs and are ready for another round.

“Looks like we have a surprise guest,” Fender announces, more amused than anything else. The crowd goes wild, and Fen chuckles into the microphone.

“Sounds like some of you might recognize him. Let’s hear another round of applause for our friends!”

Gibson stops me in front of a microphone stand and lifts his finger, telling me to stay put before sauntering over to Fender like he owns the place. They slap each other on their backs, then Fen continues, “I’m sure you’ve all been wondering who the mystery man from the RV is, and I’d like to introduce you to Gibson Hayes.”

“Woo!”

“Take your shirt off!”

“Can I lick you?!”

My jaw drops as a few sets of boobs grab my attention from the sea of people spread in front of us.

Uh, what the heck?!

Gibson’s deep chuckle echoes throughout the arena as he leans closer to Fender’s mic. “Ladies, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, I think my girlfriend over here”––he hooks his thumb toward me––“might usher me off stage if we don’t start playing.”

“And I might get jealous,” Fen adds, his voice booming throughout the stadium. “No one’s asked me to take my shirt off yet.”

“That’s ‘cause you do it without any of them needing to!” Phoenix interjects before drumming out ba-da-bum-ch.

Fender flips him off, and Gibson chuckles under his breath. Like he’s in his element. Like he belongs on this stage. And like he didn’t just call me his girlfriend in front of thousands of people.

Girlfriend.

Me.

Whether it was to get the girls to back the heck off or if he was serious, I’m not entirely sure. But I’m on cloud nine. Because he’s out here with me. He’s being the rock I need him to be so that I can face one of my biggest fears. He’s helping me shine.

I choke back a fresh wave of tears and take a deep breath. No one has ever wanted me to shine before. No one has ever sacrificed anything to help me be seen. But Gibson has. He’s doing it right now. And I just might love him for it.

“So, you gonna sing with us tonight, Gibson?” Fender asks, grabbing my attention.

The audience waits with bated breath.

Scratching his jaw, Gibson looks over at me. “I dunno, Dove. Am I gonna sing with you tonight?”

Even though he looks confident and sexy as heck, I can feel the tension simmering beneath the surface. The fear. The anxiety. They match mine. But the part that turns my insides into knots is that he doesn’t have to be out here. He wasn’t part of the plan for tonight. He didn’t even officially agree to be on stage at all, even though Hawthorne suggested it. He only agreed to babysit Fen. And he’s been holding up that end of the deal like a champ. This, however, is completely spur of the moment, and now, he’s entirely out of his element. But he’s still doing it. For me. Because I asked him to. Because he wants to make me happy.

If there’s ever a moment in my life when I know I’m loved, where I feel like I could burst into a million pieces of happiness, it would be right now. With the look in his eyes. The adoration. The affection. The sacrifice that he’s making. It’s all for me.

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