Page 143 of Forever To Me

She gasps. “A new worry unlocked!”

I grin. “You'll do great.”

She shoves my shoulder, but she’s smiling now, the tension finally breaking. I reach for her hand, sliding my fingers between hers, playing withthem absently.

She watches me, eyes tracing over my face. “You miss this, don’t you?”

The question catches me off guard. I pause, running my thumb over her knuckles. “I don’t miss performing and being in the spotlight.” I glance down at my hands and how they rest so easily on the guitar. “I think those days might be over for me.”

She frowns. “But?”

I take a breath, letting the truth settle before I say it. “But I’m really excited about the label.” I look back at her. “Helping artists. Giving people a chance without having to sell their souls to the industry. That feels right.”

And maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to believe I can build something real. Something worth holding onto. Just like her.

Something shifts in her expression. She squeezes my hand. “You’re gonna change a lot of lives, Walker.”

I let out a breathless laugh. “I hope so.”

Her lips part slightly, like she’s not sure if she should kiss me or shove me for getting too deep. So I make the decision for her.

I set the guitar aside, reach up, and pull her down into my lap. She gasps as she lands against my chest, straddling me, her hands instinctively landing on my shoulders. I smirk up at her. “Better?”

She breathes out a laugh. “You are so?—”

Whatever insult she had on her lips leaves when I thread my fingers into her hair and kiss her. Hell, I should’ve done this sooner. Maybe then I wouldn’t have spent so long fighting this with her. Because this kiss is everything.

She melts into me immediately, hands curling into my shirt, pressing closer like she can’t help herself. Her lips are warm and soft, and when she sighs against my mouth, I deepen the kiss, tilting her head to claim more of her.

Her fingers slide into my hair, tugging just enough to make mypulse slam.

I groan against her lips. “You keep doing that, and I’m not gonna be responsible for what happens next.”

She grins, challenging me. “Oh? What's going to happen?”

I grip her hips and flip her onto the couch, pinning her beneath me before she can blink. She gasps, and my grin is slow and wicked.

“You were saying?”

Her breath catches. She tilts her chin up, eyes locked on mine, daring me to kiss her again.

So I do.

If I was lost before, I’m completely gone now. This is it. This is her. And no way in hell am I letting go.

Chapter 32

Violet

Iam going to be sick.

Like, full-on, knees-shaking, stomach-clenching, might-pass-out-on-stage sick.

The Black Dog is packed. People crowd around tables and line up around the bar, waiting for the music to start. The warm glow of string lights casts a golden hue over everything, making the whole place feel too intimate, too real.

So much for it just being close family and friends. Word travels fast, and the whole town must be here.

I wipe my sweaty palms on my dress and grip the neck of my guitar like it’s the only thing keeping me upright. Well, because it is. I'm holding onto it like it's my lifeline at this point.

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