Page 115 of Starstruck
She raises her brows. “Oh, can you?” Her tone drips with sarcasm. “I figured you would’ve done that by now if you had any valid excuse for hurting her the way you did. But you haven’t. So would you care to prove me wrong, or are you going to continue being exactly who we all thought you were?”
Holding strong, I exhale and calmly say, “All you need to know right now is that until the trial a few weeks back, I hadn’t spoken to Logan since I was twenty-one. For all intents and purposes, mybrother, as you called him, has been dead to me for eleven years.”
She narrows her eyes, rolling her lips together as if she’s trying to decide if I’m telling the truth or not. A moment of silence passes between us, like she’s waiting for me to elaborate more, and when I don’t, her shoulders drop.
If I’m going to tell this story to anyone, it’s going to be to Lennon herself. Not to her sister, her brother, her best friend—not to anyone other thanher.
She relents slightly. “I want to believe you. I’ve seen the way Lennon has changed since the accident, how she’s been healing,and I know a lot of that is thanks to you. She was so sad for so long, and rightfully so—we’ve all been struggling. But I was beginning to think she was never going to get better. Until you came around.”
She lets out a sigh, shaking her head. “I want to believe you had her best interest at heart, and I want to believe you aren’t actually the guy we’ve been made to believe you are over the years. But right now, I’m finding it difficult to believe anything you say. Until you come clean about everything, that’s not going to change. And even then, it’ll be up to Lennon to make the decision about whether she forgives you or not.”
“I know.”
She nods, her eyes scanning me. “Do you love her?”
Gritting my teeth, I jerk my head in a nod. “More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life.”
She relents even more, taking a step closer as she nods. “Then you need to figure out what’s more important to you—keeping your past with thatbastarda secret, or getting her back.”
I shake my head. “There’s nothing to figure out. I’ll do anything to get her back.”
Her lip quirks up. “I hoped you’d say that. So tell her the truth, and then if—and that’s a bigif—Lennon chooses to forgive you…Dylan and I will, too. But you have a lot of making up to do first.”
“Understood.”
She tilts her head down, turning her back to me. But before she leaves, she adds, “Hey, Baxter?”
“Yeah?”
“Please prove me wrong.”
I nod. “I plan to.”
Then she walks away.
[52 ]
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
LENNON
“FEELING A MOMENT” BY FEEDER
“Lennon!” Isa calls to me, running over and wrapping her arms around my neck.
We’re about eight hours into the twelve-hour show, with only four acts left to go. The Lighthouse just began their forty-five minute set, and then after them is Sadie, Isa, and of course, Baxter.
“Isa!” I shout with a smile, wrapping my arms around her, too.
“Today has been insane! How are you feeling?”
I simply shake my head, unable to find the words for how incredible today has been. I had my doubts this morning about how things would go, but I truly couldn’t have asked for a better day.
The crowd has been electric, and we surpassed the goal of five million dollars nearly one million dollars ago, which is unbelievable. I’ve also had a few performers confirm that, if I’m able to do this all again next year, they’re in.
Which makes me feel better than I have in weeks.
Isa giggles before hugging me close again. “I have an idea for a way to make the day even better.” She pauses for dramatic effect,as Isa always does. “Are you ready?”
