Page 49 of Her Rock Star's Dark Secret

“Do you really think so?” Lauren hadn’t envisioned a possible path for them to be together. All she had seen was the impossibility.

“Here’s the real question. If you found a way to be together with Chase, would you allow yourself a future with him?”

“Yes.” Lauren didn’t even have to think about it.

“Then you need to find that way. And you need to let Chase know how you feel before he goes back to California.”

“I’m way too big of a wimp for that.”

“Then you’ll have to decide you’re okay with being miserable.”

Ouch. Natasha had a way of delivering the truth in a brutal way.

Lauren knew what she had to do. She had to at least talk to Chase to see where he stood. Tomorrow all his bandmates would be in town. He would be busy with them and wouldn’t have time to talk to her. So it was now or never.

“I’m going to go talk to Chase right now.”

“Do it! At least you’ll know where he stands.”

Lauren stood and took a few steps before turning back. “Natasha?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for talking to me.”

“Anytime.”

Lauren went into the building to find Chase. She found him talking to Owen and Benson at a table. Talk about intimidating.

She locked eyes with Chase and discreetly waved him over. He said something to his friends and then stood up to join her over by an abandoned table. “What’s up?”

“Can we talk?” She sat at the table.

“Sure.” He took a seat next to her.

She locked eyes with him. “I like you, Chase. In fact, my feelings for you are . . . pretty strong.” She sighed. “I’m really bad at this.”

Chase took her hand and looked in her eyes. “My feelings for you are strong too.”

“I don’t like being away from you.” Why was it so hard to say those words?

“These past few days have been agony for me,” Chase admitted.

“Isn’t there a way this can work out for us?” Hope crept into her voice. Maybe they could find a way after all.

“There’s just one problem.”

“What’s that?” Lauren asked.

“I’m not the guy you think I am. If you knew what I’d done, you would never talk to me again.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”

“Lauren, I’m not cut out for relationships. I haven’t talked to my parents in ten years. How can I date someone?”

“So talk to them. I’ll go over there with you tonight.”

“How do I know they won’t slam the door in my face?”

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