Page 118 of When the Storm Breaks
Now, she gave me a little smile then slipped her warm hand into my cold one and laced our fingers together.
“Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again,” I said, my voice low. “I don’t want you spending your money on me.”
She smirked. “You can punish me later.”
“Witchy woman.”
“Stubborn cowboy. I’m on Lila and Kate’s team for Charades. Girls against boys. We’re gonna kick your asses. I happen to be a champion Charader.”
A laugh burst out of me. “Charader?”
“Uh huh.”
“You’re crazy.”
“About you.”
I still wasn’t happy about what she’d done for me, but I’d have to find a way to swallow my pride and make peace with the fact that my girlfriend was richer than I’d ever be in this lifetime. But fuck, it was a tough pill to swallow.
* * *
“Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year.” Shiloh clinked her glass of whiskey against mine and we drank to the new year.
It was just the two of us, celebrating New Year’s Eve, a holiday we both claimed to hate. Too many expectations and hopes pinned on one night. We were lounging on the sofa, her legs draped over my lap, her black hair all messy and disheveled from my hands running through it when I’d fucked her from behind. She was wearing my flannel shirt over a pair of sweats with thick cotton socks on her feet. Every item of clothing on her body belonged to me. I found it ridiculously sexy. Especially when I’d slipped my hand inside the sweats earlier and realized she wasn’t wearing any underwear.
Supposedly, we were having a movie marathon. How very rock and roll of us. But neither of us had really been watching the movie. The coffee table was littered with cartons from our Chinese takeout and neither of us had made a move to clean it up when we’d finished eating.
And I thought this was what it was all about. Finding that one person you could just hang out with, in all your messy fucked-up glory and they didn’t judge you for it or expect you to behave a certain way.
This was what love looked like.
So I just came right out and said the words I’d never said to anyone. I wasn’t even looking at her. I was staring at the TV screen. “I love you, Shiloh.”
She was quiet for a moment then she leaned over and wrapped her arms around you. “I love you too, Brody.”
And that was how we rang in the new year. Best fucking New Year’s Eve I’d ever had.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Shiloh
Brody promisedto meet me in Miami at the end of February. We’d be in Miami for three nights, the first of which was a night off. It had been three and a half weeks since I’d left Cypress Springs. Three and a half weeks of touring with Acadian Storm. I’d gone out of my way to avoid Dean and Landry as much as possible. The few times our paths had crossed, when I was finishing a soundcheck and they were waiting for their turn, Landry had looked sheepish and Dean had looked straight through me as if I didn’t exist.
The day before Brody arrived, I was in Tampa and I’d just finished my soundcheck. I had a few hours to myself before the concert, so I was heading back to the hotel to get some rest before the show.
On my way out of the arena, I ran into Ari Bell in the hallway. Her chin-length hair was dyed platinum blonde, her big brown eyes were kohl-rimmed. When she spoke, her voice sounded breathy. But when she sang, she was a vocal chameleon. Dark and sensual. Bright and angelic. Mesmerizing.
“How’s it going, Shiloh?”
“Great. Couldn’t be better.” I had zero interest in hanging around to chat with her. I brushed past her. “Catch you later.”
“Wait. Just a second. I just… I needed to talk to you.” With a sigh, I turned around to face her. Her eyes darted up and down the hallway. A few members of the road crew were hanging out talking and James was waiting at the end of the corridor to take me back to the hotel.
“Landry feels really bad about everything.”
I had no idea why she was telling me this. And I didn’t think Landry felt bad. Since our phone call back in October, he hadn’t called me or tried to apologize. “Why are you telling me this?”
