Page 107 of Rockstar Next Door Neighbor

It’s honest, raw, filled with emotion—And it’s entirely for her.

The lyrics continue to pour out of me, everything I’ve wanted to say to her since that first night. The band joins in softly behind me, supporting but not overwhelming. When I get to the chorus, I look directly at her as I continue to sing about midnight pancakes and her sweet kisses.

By the final verse, tears are streaming down her face.

When I finish the song, the studio erupts in applause, but all I see is her.

I stand, my heart pounding like a damn drumbeat.

She runs to me, and when I catch her in my arms, everything else fades away—the cameras, the audience, the world. This is what matters. Us.

“I love you,” I tell her, not caring that we’re live on television. “More than music, more than fame, morethan anything.”

The audience explodes behind us.

The cameras zoom in.

But all I care about is the woman in my arms.

My everything.

I set her down. Then, kneeling in front of her, I look up into her eyes.

“Lila Jeffers. Will you marry me?” I hold out the velvet ring box.

“Yes. I love you too, Luke.”

When I stand and kiss her, the audience erupts again. But all I can feel is her in my arms, her tears on my cheeks, her whispered “I love you” against my lips.

As we stand there, holding each other, I know there will be more midnight pancakes, more adventures, more moments that take my breath away.

And I can’t wait for us to begin building our life—together.

Epilogue

Lila

It’s been a roller coaster ride since that night in the studio.

When Luke told me and the world that he loved me, since then, my life has changed in ways I never saw coming. I still run my private chef business, but now? Now, I have only one very important client—the Wild Band.

When Emily first approached me about becoming the Wild Band’s personal chef six months ago, I wasn’t sure. I worried about mixing business with pleasure, about losing the independence I’d worked so hard for. But Luke smiled and said, “Finally, I get you all to myself on tour.”

It turned out to beperfect. I get to do what I adore while being with the man I love. The band gets proper meals instead of takeout, and I get to see Luke every day, even during their grueling tour schedule.

As Emily pointed out, it’s the perfect way to contribute to the band—to be part of their world without getting lost in it.

Plus, there’s something special about feeding this crazy, wonderful family we’ve become.

Being on tour is a whole different world, though. It’s a mix of early mornings and late nights, and the tour bus kitchen is tiny compared to what I’m used to, but I’ve learned to make it work in between chasing Luke away from my desserts so others can have some. I’ve also learned almost everyone’s favorite meals and ensure they each get what they like.

It’s chaotic, exhausting, overwhelming…

And I love every second of it.

At the end of the night, when the stadium is silent, the lights dim, and the stage is empty, it’s just Luke and me, and everyone and everything else fades away.

No matter how crazy things get, we alwaysfind our way back to each other.

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