Page 48 of Hold Me Closer
He sighs heavily. "I'm sorry, butterfly. I promised not to fuck up your reputation, and I'm doing it anyway, aren't I?"
"Surprisingly, no. But she thinks I might be saving yours."
"That's because you're fucking perfect, baby. People love you."
"Actually, it's because someone floated the idea that you were protecting me in the bar the other night," I murmur. "It softened people toward you. Now, you just need to keep behaving yourself."
"Scout's Honor," he says solemnly, making me laugh.
"You were never a Scout, Teo Kirby."
"True." I hear the grin in his voice. "I had more important shit to do. Like follow you around. Remember when we went to science camp that summer?"
I groan loudly, covering my face with a throw pillow. "You mean the summer I got my period in the middle of the freaking woods for the first time, and you thought I was dying?"
"Not my finest moment," he admits, chuckling ruefully. "But fucking hell, butterfly. You were bleeding and crying. How the fuck was I supposed to know it was normal?"
"You ran screaming back to camp that I was dying, Teo!"
"Yeah, I did do that, didn't I?"
"Mmhmm," I mutter. "The whole damn camp knew I'd gotten my period."
"Hey. We threw you a party."
I pull the pillow off my face, smiling at the memory. He felt so bad that I was embarrassed. He somehow managed to talk our counselors into letting him throw me a congratulations party. By the end of the night, I was the most popular kid in camp because everyone got a party by the lake out of my misfortune. And trust me, a party by the lake at science camp was worlds better than another hike up that damn mountain after dark to look at the stars.
"I don't know if you're aware or not, butterfly," he says, his voice soft and deep, "but even back then, I was shameless when it came to you. There isn't a damn thing I wouldn't have done to make you smile, especially when you were mad at me. I fucking hated when you were mad at me."
"You're still shameless," I whisper.
"When it comes to you? Fuck yeah," he growls. "Always will be. You're everything to me. If you need something, it's yours. That's how this works."
Well, crap.
I blow out a breath, sitting upright.
"I have to tell you something," I whisper.
"What is it?"
"Um, my album presales are going really well."
"That's great news, baby!"
"Yeah, it is." I bite my lip. "But it means the record company wants to add overseas dates to my tour."
"How many dates?"
"Three months' worth."
He's completely silent.
"I want to do it, Teo," I blurt, clutching the phone tightly. "I've worked really freaking hard to get here. I need to do this."
"Do you think I'm going to tell you no, Nadia?" he asks.
"No, I…"
