Page 95 of How to Catch a Rockstar

“Please let me explain.”

A part of me I’m not proud of warms at the pleading in his voice.

“Explain how you’re a coward?”

“Yes.”

I motion to him. “Please proceed.”

“No one’s ever told me they love me before.”

I rear back. This can’t be true. I know he didn’t grow up with parents or a family of any sort but his bandmates are his family. They love him. Surely, they’ve told him so.

“No one?”

He shakes his head.

“Gibson never said ‘I love you, bro’ to you?”

Another shake of his head.

“Cash? Dylan? Fender?”

He cocks an eyebrow. “Can you imagine Fender saying I love you?”

My nose wrinkles. “Not really. I figured the grumpy bass player would never fall in love. I have a folder prepared with the best places for rockstars to retire when they’re too old to take care of themselves.”

He chuckles. “Of course, you do.”

“Don’t laugh. Your name is on the folder, too.”

He sighs. “I deserved that.”

He deserves a hell of a lot worse but how can I kick him when he’s down? No one’s told him they love him before? He’s thirty-one years old. No wonder he has issues with relationships.

Okay, fine. I’ll put on my big girl panties and handle this the way an adult should.

“So, when I said I love you what happened? You panicked?”

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. Damn. How can I not love him when he looks at me with tenderness in those piercing blue eyes? I’m such a goner for this man.

“Not at first. First, excitement filled me at the idea of someone loving me. I couldn’t believe it. This wonderful woman who’s having my baby loves me. It was a dream come true.”

“And then the panic came?”

He smiles at me. “You know me so well.”

“I thought I did,” I mutter. Stupid me. I thought he’d respond to my declaration. Not with words of love. But with some sign of happiness. I didn’t think he’d run out of the house at the first opportunity.

He grasps my hands and pulls me near until I’m forced to straddle him. “You do know me.” I open my mouth to respond but he continues. “You know me better than anyone. The only other person who knows about Cindy is Gibson. And I didn’t tell him. He found out because I had a nightmare and was calling out her name.”

The thought of him having nightmares about the death of the little girl has my heart breaking.

I place my hands on his cheeks. “Cindy’s death is not your fault.”

“If I agree, will you forgive me for running away from you?”

“I want you to agree because you believe it. Here.” I tap his heart.

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