Page 116 of Cherry Beats

I brought a hand up to his chest, holding it over his heart and feeling the way it pounded heavily against my palm, a private solo for me.

“Back then, I wanted her. Now? Now, I love her, too,” he told an arena filled with people. “And I thought the whole fucking world should know that. Especially you, Tess.”

The lingering silence lasted a tenth of a second before the entire place erupted into hysterics, their cheering beyond anything it had been all night.

“You love me,” I sighed dreamily.

“That’s right, baby.”

My eyes filled with tears, and I didn’t care that the world was watching.

I didn’t care who would use it against us, my family included.

I didn’t care how much hate I’d get for loving him from people I’d never meet.

“One more time.” I grinned as a single happy tear fell freely down my cheek. “Just for me.”

“I love you, Cherry.”

That’s all it took for me to finally crumble and press my lips to his. I held his face in the palms of my hand, letting another tear fall, and hoping with everything I had that Presley West would forever look at me the way he had done tonight.

My heart was his forever now, and I couldn’t find a single reason not to be elated by that very fact.

“Let’s close this motherfucking showout!” Rhett roared.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“How bad is it?”

Julia and I were standing backstage, watching the guys have their post-performance photographs taken against Le Zenith’s promotional backdrop. She was biting her bottom lip when I glanced her way, her amusement obvious.

“That bad, huh?”

“Fuck it. We’ll deal with it later. It’s an important night for him. Probably more than you understand. Let him have it.”

“Planning on it.” I grinned at her.

She walked away, pulling her phone out of her pocket before taking a call.

Presley was standing in the middle of his bandmates, his usual moody stare at the camera gone, replaced by a bright, white smile.

“Le Zenith!” the photographer cried, and the guys all followed, their arms rising high as they shouted out the venue name with joy, while the camera flashed away in their faces.

When Presley’s eyes met mine across the crowd, he winked and held my gaze, and my whole body heated under his stare. There were men who made you feel special, and then there was Presley West who made you feel like a deity.

“I thought you were the chick who didn’t want to hold him back,” Dicky whispered in my ear, forcing me to spin around to him quickly. His brow was raised, but other than the accusatory nature of that, he looked amused. “I’m beginning to think you’re the chick who doesn’t actually have a fucking clue what she wants at all.”

“I know what I want,” I assured him.

He raised his chin and looked over me towards the band. “No going back now.”

“Wouldn’t want to.”

Dicky’s shoulders relaxed, and he released a sigh. “We move to Berlin after this.”

“I know.” I nodded, swallowing the awkward lump in my throat.

“Come and see me before we leave. You’re going to need representation.”

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