Page 83 of My Song for You
Which was why Hailey and I were getting together for a couple of drinks. Just the two of us. No talk about the band allowed.
I opened the back passenger door and helped Logan out. Logan trotted up the steps to the front door, with me following behind. It had been three days since the news story first broke, and Logan was adjusting to it better than I had expected, beyond what happened that one day at preschool.
I was a different matter. The media had tracked down my phone number and kept calling me, asking for an interview. I changed my phone number after the second day. A few more creative individuals had also discovered where I worked. As soon as I came to get their order, they bombarded me with questions about Logan and Jared, about my relationship with Jared, about Tiffany’s thoughts on my home-wrecking skills when it came to her and Jared’s perfect relationship. The last question made me laugh. If it was so perfect, how could I have wrecked it so easily?
I still had no idea if they had split up. One report said friends claimed the couple’s relationship was stronger than ever. Another claimed Tiffany was emotionally distraught over their breakup and had recently checked into some sort of rehab. My favorite report, though, was the one claiming she was pregnant with an alien baby.
Logan rang the doorbell. The door opened a second later, and Jared’s mom and the delicious aroma of chocolate chip cookies greeted us. We stepped into the house that had always felt like home, cozy with its warm colors and southwestern theme.
“I want cookie,” Logan said with the level of exuberance normally reserved for his favorite ice cream.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “How about you at least say hi to your grandmother first?”
“Hi,” he said, sheepishly.
Jared’s mother bent down. “Do I get a hug?”
He threw himself at her and allowed her to hug him for fifteen seconds before he began squirming.
In the kitchen, she gave him a cookie from the cooling rack, then picked up a pitcher of what looked like strawberry lemonade. “Callie, do you mind taking this outside to the gazebo? The glasses are already out there.”
“Not a problem.” I took the pitcher from her and went out through the backdoor.
As I put the drink on the gazebo table, a small sound behind me, like a soft exhalation, alerted me that I wasn’t alone. Thinking it was Logan, I turned around. “How’s the…” I began.
The rest of the sentence froze at the sight of Jared standing in front of me. My heart pinched, begging me to ignore everything Tiffany had told me—but I couldn’t.
I stepped away. Jared gently grabbed my arm. “Please don’t go. I want to talk to you.”
“I can’t. I’m meeting up with Hailey.”
“You still have time.” When it looked like I wasn’t going to run—at least not yet—he released my arm. “First, whatever Tiffany told you, it’s not true. She and I aren’t getting back together. We want different things in our lives.
“Second, she was the individual who leaked the information to the online tabloid. I tracked down the photographer yesterday. She’d actually paid him to do it.”
“He told you that?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say my lawyer and I can be very persuasive. I’m aware that the job I signed up for isn’t the most ideal one for having a family, but I promise to do my best.” He fumbled for something in his jeans pocket, then took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Callie, will you marry me?” He held out his fist and opened it. I gasped at the engagement ring in his palm. It was simple, not overly flashy—at least it wouldn’t have been if not for the large diamond.
I gaped at the ring. Jared had asked me to marry him. I should be throwing my arms around his neck, screaming,Yes, of course I’ll marry you,and kissing him. That’s what my heart desired. But my brain was smarter. It knew what was happening wasn’t real. Not for the reasons I wished it to be real. I wanted Jared to marry me because he loved me, not because he needed a mother for his son. He was leaving on tour soon and wanted to give Logan a stable home, like the home Jared had grown up in. I wished for that too, but not this way.
If I ever married, it would be to someone who loved me as much as I loved him. It wouldn’t be because it was convenient.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. You want to marry me for the wrong reasons. I’ve already told you Logan can still stay with me while you’re touring. You don’t have to marry me for that.”
My eyes teared up. I needed to escape before they gave away the pain ripping through me. “I’ve gotta go” was all I said before I took off running.
I didn’t bother to go into the house. I already had my car keys and purse. Yes, I should’ve stopped to say goodbye to Logan, but I couldn’t. There wasn’t enough time. As it was, the tears had started falling the moment I escaped through the side gate.
“Callie,” Jared called out, which prompted me to run harder.
I made it to the driveway and scrambled into my car, my breath coming hard and fast.
Guilt pounded on me for not saying goodbye to Logan. I pushed it back and twisted the key in the ignition. Without giving the house a second glance, tears streaming down my face, I drove away.
Chapter 36
Callie
