Page 123 of Forever Flames: Padraig & Stevie
When the door shuts behind him, the quiet feels heavier than it should. My phone’s already in my hand before I’ve decided what to do. One tap, and Stevie’s face fills the screen.
She smiles, but it’s quick, distracted. “Hang on.” The picture shifts and blurs as she walks, a door clicking shut behind her. “Okay. I’m in the laundry room. Hi. You look stressed. What’s going on?”
“Connor stopped by. LTZ can’t do their European festival run. Some serious stuff went down and they’re asking Fireball to fill in on their European festival tour.”
Her brows lift. “How long?”
“Three months. A handful of big dates, plenty of downtime between. I don’t want to do it.”
The pause stretches. She tilts her head, studies me, making me feel both seen and exposed. “Because of Rafferty?”
“And because of us,” I admit. “We’re barely finding our way back to each other. I don’t want to disappear before we’ve figured out what this is.”
She moves closer to the camera. “Think about it.”
Her words hit differently than I expect. There’s no push or judgment. It feels like encouragement wrapped in something heavier.
I blink. “You’d be okay with me going on tour?”
Her shoulders rise and fall. “I’m saying I have regrets about how I handled things back then. I told myself I couldn’t be with someone who lived on the road. I built a wall so high it blocked out everything we might’ve been had I been a little more mature. Yeah, it made things simpler, no false hope, no waiting around. But it also meant I jumped into a relationship with Cooper. Got pregnant. Took away our chance. I don’t regret my marriage and my kids, but if we’re going to be together, Iwouldregret putting restrictions on what you can and cannot do. We’re older, clearer about what matters and there’s no rush. Besides, merging our families is going to take a lot of time.”
The mix of hope and fear in her eyes twists in my chest. She’s not pretending this would be easy. She’s offering me something I never thought I’d get. A chance to do this with her, not in spite of her.
I search her face, trying to read between the lines. “I’m having a hard time believing you’d be okay.”
“Padraig.” Her smile turns wistful. “I never gave you the chance to see if we could make it work. Maybe this time, we bend. Test the communication skills we’re supposed to have learned in the last decade.”
Her words soothe places I didn’t even know were raw. It wrecks me a little. Seems too good to be true.
I want to believe it’s possible, of course. Navigating time zones and hotel rooms and weeks apart without losing what we’ve finally found again. It’d be amazing.
Performing on stage knowing she’s not counting the days like a sentence she has to serve. Believing I’d be faithful to what we have.
I’ve also watched love fray under the weight of missed calls and seen trust dissolve in green rooms and afterparties. I’ve lived it. Hell, I’ve been part of it.
“I don’t want to stand in your way,” she says without hesitation. “Not ever.”
“Huh.” I tilt my head. “Didn’t expect this reaction.”
“I mean it,” she says softly. “If you want to do these shows, do them. I’ll be here.”
I drag a hand over my face. “It’s not so simple. Raff’s so small—”
“I know.” She nods. “This isn’t about me deciding for you. You’ll have to figure out what’s best for him, and for you and Mara. All I’m saying is don’t make your choice because you think I can’t handle it. I can.”
“The timing isn’t bad,” I admit. “We’re not even close to blending our families yet. We haven’t spent any time with each other’s kids.”
“Exactly.” Her mouth tips into a faint smile. “We’re building something between the two of us first. We don’t need to rush anyone else into our day-to-day before we’re ready. A few shows this summer won’t change anything.”
Her faith in me and us is nearly overwhelming.
“I’m going to really think about it.” I pace back and forth. “I’ll call Liam back and find out the logistics, figure out what it would mean for Raff and me. Then make the call.”
She tilts her head. “Good. Then you’ve done all you can do.”
“So…tomorrow good?” A smile pulls at my mouth. “Do you have a few hours free while the kids are at camp?”
“Yeah, I’ll be counting down the minutes.” The corners of her lips curve into a wicked grin.
