Page 92 of Rockstar's Accidental Marriage

“Don’t let Vince get to you.”

The comment surprises me, and I turn to look at him. There’s something in his eyes—concern, maybe even regret—that makes my chest ache.

“I’ve got it under control,” I say, though the words feel hollow.

He nods, his gaze drifting back to the ocean. “Emily, about the other night—”

“It’s fine,” I cut him off, not wanting to reopen that wound.

“It’s not fine,” he says firmly, turning to face me. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just... I didn’t know how to explain.”

“Explain what?” I ask, my voice curious.

He hesitates, his jaw tightening as if he’s wrestling with the words. But before he can answer, my phone buzzes in my pocket, breaking the moment.

I sigh, pulling it out and glancing at the screen. “Sorry, I need to take this,” I say, my tone apologetic.

Sam nods, stepping back as I answer the call. But as I turn away, I can feel his eyes on me, the weight of everything left unsaid hanging heavy in the air.

By the time I finish the call and return to the house, Sam is nowhere to be found. I assume he’s gone for a walk or run—something to clear his head. I wish I could do the same, but there’s too much to do, too much weighing on my mind.

I spend the next hour finalizing the interview schedules, making sure everything is perfectly aligned. It’s a distraction, but it’s not enough to drown out the doubts swirling in my head.

When Sam finally returns, he’s quieter than usual, his expression guarded. We move through the evening like two people occupying the same space but existing in separate worlds.

As I lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling with Sam’s back to me, I can’t help but wonder if this is how it starts—this distance, this silence. Is this the beginning of the end? Or is it just another bump in the road?

I close my eyes, willing myself to sleep, but the questions linger, their answers just out of reach.

The next morning, I wake to the sound of Sam’s phone buzzing on the nightstand. He groans softly, fumbling for it as I roll over, still half-asleep.

“Who’s calling this early?” I mumble, my voice muffled against the pillow.

Sam glances at the screen, his brow furrowing. “It’s my dad.”

That wakes me up. I push myself up on one elbow, watching as he answers the call. “Hey, Dad. Everything okay?”

There’s a pause as Sam listens, his expression shifting from sleepy to alert. “Wait, what happened?”

I sit up fully now, my stomach twisting as I watch him. His jaw tightens, and he rubs the back of his neck.

“I’ll come down,” he says after a moment. “No, it’s fine. I’ll head out this morning.”

When he hangs up, I’m already sliding out of bed. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s fine,” Sam says quickly, but his tone tells me otherwise. He sighs, setting the phone down and scrubbing a hand over his face. “Stubborn as hell, though. He’d never say it outright, but he needs help. The back gate is down again. One of the horses got loose, and Dad’s been dealing with it all night. He didn’t want to call, but…”

With a soft smile, I finish his sentence, “He’ll drop hints and hope you offer before he has to outright ask.”

Sam shrugs, his jaw tightening. “Yeah,”

I reach for his hand, squeezing it. “You should go.”

His eyes snap to mine, a flicker of uncertainty in their depths. “What about you? You’ve got so much on your plate. I don’t like leaving you right now, Em. Not with the baby and everything going on.”

I give him a small smile, my heart swelling at his concern. “I’ll be fine. Really. The band has a few days off, and I’ll mostly be stuck behind my laptop handling logistics anyway. I can survive without you for a couple of days.”

“I don’t like the idea of you being alone,” he murmurs, his face tight.

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