Page 31 of Risk It All

She hasn’t been responding to any of my text messages either, but I can’t seem to stop myself from trying to reach out to her.I know that she’s reading them and every time I see that, I hold my breath, hoping that this is the time that she finally messages me back.

So far it hasn’t been.

A hand comes down on my shoulder and I jerk out of my thoughts, looking up into Theo’s smiling face.He just got back from Europe and stopped to see me perform before we head back to Los Angeles to pack up our place.

“Hey, man.You all set?”he asks, looking around the club.

The lights are dim and more and more people are starting to pile in.It looks like it will be a full house tonight.That should make me feel something but it doesn’t.

I need Emerson.

As if my thoughts have conjured her up, she walks into the club.Layla is beside her, excitedly talking to her as she points out something on the other side of the room.I don’t look though.My eyes are too busy taking in every detail of Emerson’s face like I’m a man starved.I guess I am.

“Is that her?”Theo asks and I nod, not tearing my eyes away from her.

“The redhead or the one with the black hair?”

“Red.”

“So I can have the black-haired one?”Theo asks and I snort, looking up at him.

I look over to Emerson and her friend, studying the two of them for a moment before I turn back to Theo.

“She looks like she would eat you up and spit you out,” I warn and he shrugs.

“We’ll see about that.”

Theo heads across the room, squeezing by a few people on his way to her and I follow eagerly.This could be my one chance to talk to Emerson, to apologize and try to win her back.

“Hey, ladies,” Theo says charmingly.

“Emerson,” I say, far less eloquently.

“Hey,” she says shyly, her blue eyes skirting away from mine.

“Can we talk somewhere private?”I ask, wanting to reach out and touch her.

“Isn’t your show starting soon?”

“I’ve got a few minutes.”

I don’t want to let her go yet.She could be gone by the time that I finish up my set.I can’t let her slip through my fingers again.

“Um, okay,” she says, looking over to Layla.

Theo and her are deep in conversation though, so she’s no help.

I grab Emerson’s hand and lead her into the back hallway that leads to the offices and green room.

“Hey, I’ve missed you,” I say once I’m sure that we’re alone.

“Yeah, I’ve uh, I’ve got your messages.”

“I know.You left me on read.”

She looks away, her cheeks heating until they’re almost as red as her hair.

“I deserved it.The way we left things… I was an asshole to you, Emerson.I just froze.I’m so sorry about that.”

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