Page 24 of We Wish You a Happily Ever After

Chapter Eight

It was latewhen Bella finally pulled herself from Jeremy’s bed. Her body ached all over in the most delicious way as she made her way to the bathroom. Their lovemaking had been…explosive. Bella could have laughed at herself for even thinking it, but there was no other word to describe it. Their coming together had been thirteen years in the making, since those first few fumbling kisses they’d shared when they were kids. And it had been worth every single minute of those years.

Bella took a moment to examine her naked body in the mirror. She’d always been confident about her appearance and her sexuality, but now, as she took in her reflection, it was different. Being with Jeremy had brought out something different in her. She couldn’t even begin to explain it, especially because she knew it would sound ridiculous even to her own ears, but she felt as though something had shifted.

Never before had she been with a man who’d worshiped every inch of her body the way Jeremy had. Every touch, every kiss—it was full of...feeling and desire on a level she’d never before experienced.

Bella finished up in the bathroom and crept back into the bedroom. Jeremy was asleep, but she was too wired to sleep. Not yet. She needed a glass of water, and she should probably check her phone in case her grandfather had tried to call. She hadn’t intended to stay out so late. She glanced at Jeremy again. He was sprawled on his stomach, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other outstretched to her side of the bed, where she’d been lying wrapped up in it, only a few moments ago. Her body warmed at the memory. It had been nice to fall asleep with his arm around her, tucked in and protected. Loved.

She watched him for another moment before finding her coat on the floor and fishing out her cell phone. Before she left the room, she grabbed a flannel shirt off a nearby chair and as quietly as she could, padded out to the kitchen.

The shirt smelled of Jeremy and it was almost as good as having his arms around her.

Almost.

She helped herself to a glass of water and powered up her phone. The screen lit up almost instantly with dozens of missed texts and calls. But they weren’t from Papa.

They were almost all from Kyle. The band leader of her…well, her former band.

Where are you?

Gig opportunity of a lifetime.

We need you.

This is everything. The gig. The record deal. Everything. Call me.

* * *

Bella scanned the rest of the messages. They were more of the same, increasing in urgency. She dialed into her voicemail. She knew she shouldn’t be excited. She shouldn’t let Kyle get her hopes up in this way. After all, it was less than a month ago that he’d all but ripped everything away from her.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

She’d sealed her own fate and had mostly burned that bridge all on her own by freaking out when she’d discovered that he was sleeping with—well, everyone as well as her. Apparently they had different moral and ethical standards. It was true that Kyle had no intention of kicking her out of the band, but it didn’t feel right to stay. Not when she’d been played for a fool. At least, that’s how it had felt at the time.

Was it worth giving up the increasingly prestigious gigs and the forthcoming record that Kyle kept promising?

Maybe not.

But apparently she hadn’t burned the bridge all the way down with Kyle the way she’d been so sure she had.

As she punched in the code for her voicemail, his voice came over the line.

“Bella, baby! You need to call me back right away.” He didn’t sound upset with her, despite the fact that she’d left him in the lurch for two paid gigs right before running to Glacier Falls. By all rights, he should be livid. But he sounded downright giddy. “I just got a call from Hector Graham.” Hector Graham? Why did that name sound familiar? “That name should sound pretty familiar to you, right?” Kyle clearly knew her better than she would have liked. “He’s the head of Starshine Records and before you get too excited…” Bella leaned forward in the chair, her stomach twisted in tight knots as she realized exactly who Hector Graham was. “He’s not signing us,” Kyle continued. Bella sat back. “Not yet.” She jumped up from her seat as Kyle’s recorded laugh filled her ear. “But he’s giving us the chance of a lifetime, baby. A private concert at his house. Just us. We’re the opening act and the headliner and if it goes well…” Bella held her breath. “That’s when we’ll get the deal.”

Bella wanted to scream. It literally was what she’d been dreaming of her entire life. A deal with Starshine Records was huge. Everyone knew that. She held the phone in front of her, did a silent squeal and danced her bare feet on the tile—careful not to wake Jeremy up, but also way too excited to contain herself. After she got it out, she put the phone back to her ear in time to hear Kyle’s recorded voice say, “I hope I can count on you, Bella. It’s a group deal. We need you. Just shoot me a text to let me know you’re in. We’re counting on you.”

The call disconnected.

She didn’t even have to think about it. Immediately, Bella switched over to her text messaging app and answered Kyle’s message.

I’m totally in! OMG!

Unable to contain her excitement for one more moment, she dropped her phone on the table, her water forgotten, and went to wake Jeremy up for a private celebration.

* * *

Jeremy yawned. His mouth stretched awkwardly wide, with no hope for covering it. He was on his third coffee of the morning, but it wasn’t doing much for his exhaustion.

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