Page 79 of Silk and Steel

“I said, good. You said you would shoot him again, and I said good.”

“Oh…oh!” Cole gasps.

“Thank you, Cole. You’ve saved my life, in more ways than one.”

I go back and fetch the gun, then toss it on the ground next to my past.

“It’s too bad he went for the gun when you told him not to. We both shot him, me in the hand, you in the head.”

“Wait, if we’re going for this story, the gun should be on this side, judging from the way he fell.”

“Have you staged these kinds of things before?”

“I tell no lies, if you ask no questions.”

I hug him tight around the waist.

“As long as you adore me.”

“I love you.”

My heart stops beating for a long moment, and I forget to breathe. The world re-starts along with my heartbeat, and I find myself trembling. Everything seems shaper, more in focus. The smell of the woods, the feel of Cole’s chest against my cheek, and the soft, rapid thuds of his own heart.

“I love you, Emory,” he declares once more, big, tattooed arms holding me tight. “That’s the absolute truth.”

“Cole, I love you, too,” I mumble into his chest. I feel terrified. I feel sick. I feel great. The roller coaster of emotions inside of me are tough to ride, but I do my best. At least I don’t throw up on him. “It feels so much different, loving you. So much different than…”

I don’t have to finish it. Julian made me feel special in the early days of our time together. But he twisted my sense of what love was supposed to be. I knew better, deep down. I knew it wasn’t supposed to be like that.

Loving Cole is effortless, soothing, and yet exhilarating and crazy all at once. But it’s not terrifying. I don’t fear that Cole is going to have a bad day and destroy me, physically or verbally.

“I really wish we weren’t saying these things to each other with two corpses nearby,” I mumble into his chest.

Cole laughs, and he gently pulls away to arm’s length. His big thumb gently wipes a tear away from my cheek and then he kisses me so tender my heart melts.

“We should call this in. To the office and the police.”

“I know where there’s a treasure trove of cell phones. We might need the help of Boys R Us to unlock them, though…wait, how did you find me, anyway?”

“Boys R Us. They slipped an RF transmitter into your purse in case Lovejoy kidnapped you. When they stole the studio van, Cody called me and sent a link to the tracker service.”

“How did they get a transmitter? And when did they stash it in my purse?”

“The transmitter came from one of the tech guys on the tour. I don’t know when they got it in your purse, but probably at one of your dance practices.”

“I really do owe them my life then, don’t I?”

He kisses me again and puts his arm over my shoulder, walking both of us back toward the road.

“Those guys are the bravest pop stars in history. Probably not the smartest, but certainly the most valorous.”

“Hey, be nice. Some of them are, um…above average intelligence.”

We walk back up to the road and wait for the arrival of the authorities. To my surprise, the entire Platinum Security crew turns up before the cops arrive. Jax wasn’t taking any chances. This leads to a really interesting meeting of the minds when the hiking boy band catches up to our group.

I almost feel sorry for the FBI agents and state patrol who have to interview the entire, huge group of us. My statement takes priority, but they want to talk to everyone. I tell my story as best I can remember it, with only one embellishment about the death of Julian.

The interviewing agent kind of smirks when I describe the slightly edited way Julian died. I get the impression he thinks we did him, and the world, a favor.

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