Page 20 of Discover Me
"Why are you telling me this?" I lean back in my chair, my good hand gripping the armrest.
Tom's smile sharpens. "Because you're going to be his boyfriend."
I stare at him, waiting for the punchline, waiting for him to laugh and say he's joking. But his expression stays serious, a hint of hope that I might just readily agree to the shit that came out of his mouth.
"It's just three weeks," Tom continues, pulling out what looks like more legal documentation. "You get to eat out at lavish restaurants, take a few pictures together, attend some events. Get new outfits, probably a whole wardrobe upgrade. A little bit of everything and in return, you'll get a pretty paycheck." He slides another paper toward me, this one with numbers on it. "Enough to pay off those medical bills, I'd wager. Maybe even geta new expansion on your house or take a really good vacation. It's a win-win situation."
I look at the number on the paper and my breath catches in my throat. It's more money than I make in six months of construction work. Maybe more than I make in a year after taxes. Enough to pay off every bill sitting on my kitchen table, enough to replace my aging truck, enough to finally fix the leak in my roof with the expensive material needed I've been ignoring.
"I don't..." I shake my head. "This is ludicrous."
"It's really not." Tom leans back, completely at ease. "This kind of arrangement happens all the time in the industry. Publicity relationships, image management, controlled narratives. You'll get along fine and you get to hang out with a rockstar for three weeks. Most people would jump at this opportunity."
My chest tightens and not from the pain this time. This is insane. They want me to pretend to date Kellan, to lie to everyone, to make a relationship out of nothing just to sell albums. The man I've been obsessing over for a month, whose scent I can't get out of my head, whose face haunts my dreams.
I start breathing a little harder, my ribs protesting each inhale. My vision tunnels for a second before it comes back, my scent fluctuating between too thick and nonexistent. This is too much. Everything about this is too much.
The door bursts open and Kellan stands there, his expression clearly pissed off. "Tom, get out. I need to talk to Micah."
Tom doesn't move. "Just hold on a minute. We're in the middle of—"
"I'm not going to hurt him." Kellan's voice deepens, a growl edging his words. "I'm going to talk to him because god knows you just sprung some shit on him and it's a lot. Out. Let me talk to him."
Tom looks between us, the Alpha weighing the pros and cons before finally standing and walking out. "You've got ten minutes. Then I need an answer."
Kellan stands there for a moment, hands fisted at his sides before he seems to deflate slightly, the aggressive posture softening into something more human. He clicks the door closed, leaning back against it. "I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't know they were going to pick you."
"But you knew they were going to pick someone for this contract?" Honestly, I’m just genuinely confused.
Kellan drags a hand through his hair, messing up the carefully styled look. "It's complicated, but yeah. I knew. They told me before the show that they'd chosen some random fan to approach with this arrangement. I didn't know it would be you. I didn't even know you'd be at the concert."
He looks frustrated, flustered in a way that doesn't match the bad boy image he projects on stage. There are dark circles under his eyes, his skin paler than it should be. He looks like someone who hasn't slept properly in weeks.
"You don't have to sign anything," Kellan continues. "I'll just let Tom know. It doesn't matter. We'll find someone else or I'll refuse to do it at all. You shouldn't feel pressured into this."
I stand slowly, Kellan watching me warily, like he's not sure what I'm going to do. Maybe he thinks I'm going to yell at him, tell him what a fucked up situation this is, storm out and never look back.
Instead, I walk over to him. Each step feels monumental, the distance between us both too far and not far enough. The pain in my chest pulses stronger with each step closer, but it doesn't feel bad. It feels like something clicking into place, like a puzzle piece finding its match. I test my luck and place my good hand on Kellan's chest, right over where his heart is. The contact sends a jolt through me, heat building in my lower belly.
It feels fucking perfect. Like my hand belongs there, like I've been searching for this exact spot my entire life without knowing it. The pain in my chest eases immediately, not disappearing but transforming into something else. Something that feels right.
Kellan's eyes widen, his breath catching audibly. His hand comes up to cover mine, pressing it more firmly against his chest, the rapid thud of his heartbeat picking up faster.
I swallow, searching his expression for what I’ve been feeling for the past month. "You feel it too?"
Kellan
I stare up at Micah, his hand still pressed against my chest, and something inside me snaps. The pain that's been clawing at me for weeks suddenly eases, replaced by an overwhelming need to close the distance between us. I don't think, just act. My hands come up to cup his cheek before I pull him down to me, attacking his lips with mine.
The kiss is everything I fucking needed. The second our lips connect, the pain in my chest vanishes completely. Just gone, like it was never there at all. In its place is warmth and rightnessand something that feels like coming home after being lost for too long.
I pull back slightly, breathing hard. "I'm so confused."
Micah hums against my lips and nods, his eyes dark and dilated. Then he's kissing me again, a passionate need simmering between the both of us. It doesn’t make sense. None of it does. His good hand moves from my chest to the back of my neck, fingers threading through my hair.
The kiss intensifies and I'm completely floored when Micah pushes me back against the wall, taking charge. No one ever takes charge with me. I'm the Alpha, I'm supposed to be the one leading, the one in control. But here's this Beta, pressing me against the wall and kissing me like he's been starving for it.
And for some reason, I really,reallylike it. The surrender, the letting go, the not having to be the one making decisions. A desperate groan escapes me, Micah not even missing a beat as he swallows the sound, his tongue pushing into my mouth and tangling with mine.
