Page 142 of California Wild

Then—“You want me to come?”

The question hung there. Innocent. Open.

And her heart squeezed, because the answer should’ve been easy.

Of course.

Of course she wanted him there.

He was Jesse. Her Jesse. The only person who knew about the baby, the only one who’d held her hair back at three a.m. while she puked her soul into the toilet.

But…

She thought of Caiden. Of the way he’d looked at Jesse that one night they all ended up at the Holding Company. There was one thing for damn sure—Caiden hated Jesse. And if those two men were in a room together… there would be a murder.

And now, with label meetings and numbers on the table, with the band finally gaining serious traction—Caiden had been circling closer. Possessive in ways she didn’t want to name.

She couldn’t deal with that tonight. Not with Jesse watching.

Not with Caiden trying to start something.

Hayley kept her voice light. “It’s probably gonna be a packed house. You hate that kind of crowd.”

Jesse tilted his head slightly, that unreadable expression he wore when she was clearly full of shit but he wasn’t sure if it was worth calling her out.

“Don’t mind the crowd if I’m with you.”

Goddamn it.

She forced a small smile. “Honestly? I kinda just need to focus tonight. It’s the first one back since Australia. I don’t wanna be in my head about anything.”

Jesse’s jaw flexed once, subtle but there.

“Right,” he said after a beat. “So… you want space.”

“No,” she said quickly, too quickly. “It’s not like that. I just—tonight’s big. Zoe said it’s sold out. I haven’t played in over a month. I’m tired. And sick. And I feel like I’m two steps behind everyone else.”

She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. “I just need to… perform. Not think.”

Jesse nodded slowly, his thumb tracing the rim of his glass. “Okay.”

Okay.

But it didn’t sound like okay.

It sounded like Noted.

Hayley shifted on the couch, suddenly restless. “I promise it’s not about you.”

He met her gaze, steady. “You don’t have to explain. You’ve got your world. I get it.”

Her throat tightened.

But she didn’t correct him.

Didn’t say, Actually, I want you there more than anything. I’m just scared Caiden will look at you sideways and start some shit and you’ll throw a punch and I’ll lose everything I’ve worked for.

She didn’t say, I’m protecting you.

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