Page 149 of Wicked Rockstar

My adrenaline-chasing days were over. I needed Tris by my side, and I could never put that look of fear on her face intentionally again. The realization was both terrifying and freeing—I’d spent so long defining myself by the risks I took and the chaos I courted.

“Stupid? This was beyond stupid.” She deflated slightly, sinking onto the edge of my bed. “I was fucking terrified, Killian. When Jack called, he said you weredying… ” Her voice squeaked, and tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.

Each drop was a stab to my gut. I’d done that to her.Me,the man who had sworn to protect her, to love her, had been the cause of that devastation on her face. Ignoring the pain that shot through my head, I leaned closer, and covered her hand with my good one, partially afraid she’d pull away, that I’d finally pushed too far. “Hey, I’m okay. It’s just a concussion, bruised ribs, and a broken wrist. I’ve had worse.”

Her face paled, likely remembering the few times I’d told her about my life before foster care. Those dark stories shared in whispered confessions, when the night made me brave. “That’s not the point,” she said, turning her wrist over so she could interlace our fingers. The warm press of her skin against mine anchored me. “You can’t just throw yourself into danger like that. I won’t lose you, Killian. Not now. Not when we’ve finally … ”

Her words trailed off, but I understood. We’d finally found our way to each other, after all these years. The thought of losing that, of losingher,made my chest tighten until I could barely breathe. All those wasted years, dancing around each other, watching her with Peter, hating myself for wanting what wasn’t mine to have.

I tugged her toward me, needing to erase some of this distance. She came willingly, settling beside me on the bed. Iwrapped an arm around her, savoring the warmth of her against my side.

This was where she belonged, where we belonged.

Together.

The rightness of it resonated through me, a truth I’d known since the moment I first saw her, one I hadn’t been able to understand at the time. And only now, finally, did I dare to believe it could be real.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, meaning it more than I’d meant anything in my life. “I wasn’t thinking straight. After I thought you’d chosen Peter, I went a little fucking crazy, I just … I needed to do something, anything to make that pain go away.” The admission cost me, peeling back another layer of armor I’d worn for so long. But she deserved my truth, all of it, even the ugly parts that showed how deeply she could wound me.

Tris’s eyes softened. “About that,” she said, her voice gentle now. “I talked to Peter. I told him that we need some space and that I’m going to ask Jareth for an official internship at VS Music Production.”

I pulled her into my arms, being careful of my cast. I ignored her squeak of dismay as she fit right into my lap and I wrapped my arms possessively around her. “That’s fucking awesome, Tink. It’s about time you start to follow your own dreams.”

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. The tightness in my chest that had begun when she stormed in here eased when she rested her head on my shoulder. “I told him it was time to do something for me.”

Pride and love surged through me. I ran my hand up and down her back, feeling the curve of her spine beneath my palm. This was the Trissa that I’d always known was there, buried beneath years of others’ expectations—strong, determined, and standing up for what she wanted. “Good.”

Trissa’s hands twisted together. “I know I’ve been out of school for awhile, so I can’t expect Jareth to hire me for the job, but if I work hard maybe they can find a place for me there when I’m ready.”

I growled. “He’ll find a place for you, or maybe I will.” The thought of giving her this—a chance to shine, to prove herself—filled me with a fierce satisfaction. After watching from the sidelines for so long, dimming her light for others, I wanted to see her blaze.

“Killian,” she said, her voice sharp. “You will not do anything to get me the job.”

I grunted. “Tink?—”

“Wait. What do you mean, maybe you will?”

“I’ve decided to be the pirate of my own ship. It’s not common knowledge, but I told Jareth I wanted to create my own recording label after this album. He hasn’t been too much of a dick about it.”

She snorted.

I grinned, warmth spreading through me at her familiar sound. I’d loved making her laugh like that over the years, and I’d stored each one like a treasure.

“It might be exciting, to be on the ground floor of it all.” She bit her lip, a gesture that always drove me wild.

“I’d love for you to be able to sprinkle some of your Trissabelle magic and help me run the business.” The image formed in my mind—Tris beside me, building a legacy together, our talents complementing each other’s. It felt right in a way few things ever had.

Years ago I had purchased this building downtown not knowing what I’d do with it. Last year after a conversation with an up-and-coming artist that couldn’t get his album seen, the seed had been planted.

Tris snuggled further into my embrace. “I think I’d like that.”

How had I almost fucked this up? The life I’d always dreamed of since I was sixteen.

Now here she was, in my arms, choosing me. Me, the broken foster kid with too many scars and not enough faith.

“I wish I had fought harder for you back then.” I stroked her hair, the silky strands sliding through my fingers.

I also wished we were anywhere but this hospital bed.

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