Page 103 of Unguarded

MONROE

“There she is—the woman of the hour.” Ember greets me on the tarmac with a latte in her hand.

She holds it out to me, and I accept it with a weak smile.

“Good to see you.” I wrap my arm around her waist, inhaling her familiar perfume before climbing the stairs into my private plane.

I collapse on the white leather, sighing deeply.

Fidel reaches down to squeeze my hand. “Hey, girl. How was your break? You sure caused a stir. We need to talk about that new song I heard a rumor about. The label is very interested in the potential of a new album in the works.”

I smile up at Fidel, feeling a little lighter now that I’m actually face-to-face with him. I texted him and told him I was writing something new and singing it at the small wedding. “I’m working on it, but I’m not ready to discuss it with them. I need space for my creative juices to flow.”

He pats my hand knowingly. “I know, sweetheart,and I’m holding them off. Just wanted you to know they’re talking big numbers whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m sure they are.”

“Where’s lover boy?” Ember asks, taking the seat across from me. “I expected you two to be smooching the whole way to Nashville.”

I tap my phone, revealing a blank screen. No texts. No calls. My chest squeezes.

“I told him to stay with his family for another week. If he’s going to upend his whole life and go full-time with the tour, I want him to be sure before he commits. I need to focus on the Country Music Awards and the US leg of the tour.”

I haven’t told Cash that I love him. Part of me feels guilty for it, but I just can’t stick my neck out there like that without knowing if he really wants to give up part of his life to be with someone like me, on the road and in the spotlight half the time. Every relationship I’ve been in crashed and burned in front of millions of people. I couldn’t take it if it ended like that with Cash. It would break me. He didn’t argue when I suggested he stay at the ranch for another week.

When Clint got a taste of fame, he dove in head first and ended up drowning our relationship in the process. I know Cash is the complete opposite, but the scars from my past run deep.

Ember nods, turning her head to look out the window. “Wow. So, what happened with the stalker? One minute, you were afraid to go anywhere without Cash, and now, you’re just happy to leave him behind and trust Danny and the guys?”

I don’t know how much to share with her, but I know that whatever Cash did wasn’t legal. I’ll do anything to protect him.

“Doesn’t matter now, does it? He’s not going to be a problem anymore, thank the Lord. I can finally relax.”

The truth is, I feel the complete opposite of relaxed. I feel hollow somehow, like there’s a hole in my chest. I close my window shade before kicking my seat back.

“So, are you two together?” she pushes. “Katherine has been bugging me about it.”

I don’t know why, but her line of questions is grating on my nerves.

“For once, I’d really like to keep my personal lifepersonal. Do I need to have that conversation with Katherine?” My words have a bite to them that I don’t intend for them to.

Ember hesitates, twisting her hands in her lap. “Of course. I’ll let her know.”

“I’m going to sleep on the way.” I grab the blanket next to my seat, pulling it up over me.

I know Ember doesn’t deserve this type of backlash from me, but she doesn’t have a clue what happened in the last few weeks, except what she’s seen in the media. My team pushes their limits sometimes when it comes to monetizing my entire life. I don’t feel safe sharing anything with them until I find out who paid Kacie to take a photo of me and Cash hooking up. Cash thinks it was the same person who was feeding the stalker information about me, and that person has to be close to me somehow.

It could be anyone looking to make a buck, and whoever it is literally bargained with my life.

My mother flewinto Nashville for the CMAs and is running around my hotel suite, chattering about her latest trip to an art convention, where she met a new man she’s in love with, of course, after only a few weeks of knowing him.

“You should see his nude sculptures, dear. I posed for one, and the experience was completely cathartic.”

I nod, staring out the window blankly. “Sounds amazing, Mom. What’s his name?”

“Steven. Oh, no! Oops! Ha-ha. It’s Harry. He’s in Milan right now.” She waves a manicured hand in the air. “I told him you played a show there recently, but he’s a little older than your fan base, of course. I think we’re going to spend the summer in the Maldives. You should come stay for a week! You look like you need a little sun.”

“I’ll be on tour all summer, Mom.”

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