Page 49 of Taste of Surrender
I glanced back at Jasper, who was now focusing intently on the grill. The playful spark in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a shadow of disappointment. It felt as though a knife had pierced my heart becausehewas who I wanted and it felt as though no matter what, that would never happen. Not only because of Savannah, but also Jesse. While we’d once had a secret relationship, I wasn’t sure I wanted that again.
But I wanted him.
“Let’s get this over with,” I muttered, letting Savannah lead me to where fans had gathered.
We stepped into view of the crowd, the noise level rising as they spotted us. Savannah turned to me, a smile plastered on her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss. It was rehearsed and familiar, but it lacked any genuine emotion.
Savannah and I pulled apart, and she kept her smile in place as she whispered, “Thanks for playing along.”
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice flat. “Anything for the fans.”
We signed a few autographs and then walked back to where the rest of the band was waiting. Savannah’s hand was still resting on my arm, which was unnecessary since we were now out of public view. The first thing I noticed was that Jasper was gone. I wanted to ask, but couldn’t. Instead, I forced a smile and rejoined the group.
“Let’s make this a night to remember,” Jesse said, raising his energy drink in a toast.
We all cheered and clinked our cans together, but as I raised mine, I couldn’t help but glance toward the buses, wondering where Jasper had gone and if I’d get another chance to see him before or after the show.
The roarof the crowd echoed through the theater; the fans were going nuts. We had just finished “Silver Lining,” and while our setlist stated it was time for the duet with Savannah, we had a different plan for our first show.
Sweat dripped from every part of my body as I glanced over at Jesse. He gave me a subtle nod. “All right, everyone,” I said into my mic. The crowd quieted down slightly. “We’ve got something special for you tonight.”
The audience went wild, probably assuming this was the moment Savannah was going to come out, but of course, it wasn’t.
Taking a deep breath, Jesse removed his guitar from his shoulder and handed the instrument to me. His eyes darted briefly to the front row, where Liv stood watching with a bright smile, completely unaware of what was coming next.
Nodding to the guys, I started to strum the chords of the song we’d written together a few years back, a song that had never made it to an album but was perfect for the moment. The lights dimmed, and a single spotlight focused on Jesse as he pulled his mic off the stand and sang, each word full of the love he felt for Olivia.
When he reached the chorus, the music swelled, and I could see Liv’s eyes widen in realization. Jesse walked to the edge ofthe stage with his gaze locked on her. She covered her mouth with her hands.
The crowd, sensing something monumental was about to happen, hushed almost entirely. He stopped singing, and the music faded out. The theater was silent. Jesse knelt at the edge of the stage and pulled out a small black box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing a stunning diamond ring that sparkled under the stage lights.
“Liv,” he started. “You are my rock, my best friend, and the love of my life. I can’t imagine spending another day without you as my wife. Will you marry me?”
For a split second, everything was still, and then she nodded vigorously, her words lost in the cheers that erupted from the crowd, but I knew she’d said yes.
With a little help from security, she was lifted onto the stage. Jesse stood, slipped the ring onto her finger, then enveloped her in his arms for a deep, passionate kiss. The fans’ roar grew louder, and I couldn’t help but grin. It was about damn time.
Jesse and Liv pulled apart, both of them beaming. He took her hand and turned back to the audience. “Toronto, she said yes!”
The crowd went wild, and we launched into the next song with Savannah coming out to join me so we could give the fans another love show.
Except ours wasn’t real.
It waslate by the time we got back to the hotel. Normally we would be on the buses, heading to the next city, but our next show was less than six hours away, so we chose to spend another night in a bed bigger than the twin we had to endure on the bus.
Everyone went their separate ways, but instead of going to my room, I headed for Jasper’s. More than anything, I wanted to know why he missed the concert. I’d expected him to be in the front row next to Olivia, but he wasn’t there.
I knocked on the door, and it swung open a few seconds later. I was greeted by a bare-chested Jasper Bennett. My mouth watered as I zeroed in on his six-pack and light dusting of chest hair he didn’t have when we were younger.
He looked over his shoulder and then back at me, lowering his voice, “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Garrett is sleeping.”
“Then let’s go to my room.”
“What if someone sees?”
