Page 4 of The Fangirl and the Crooner

“This is going to be great,” Keegan says, snapping me out of my thoughts as she bounces on the balls of her feet.

“I’ll try to stay out of your way,” I promise.

“Nonsense,” she proclaims, slashing a hand through the air. “Trace and I are thrilled to have you for as long as you need. Our home is your home, Pressley. Seriously.”

“Thank you,” I murmur, feeling tears sting the corners of my eyes once more.

“None of that, now,” she says, lunging forward to wrap me up in a tight hug.

Leaving the unpacking for later, I follow Keegan down the stairs. Trace waits for us to pass at the base of the staircase, his arms filled with two boxes. The steps creak and snap beneath his weight, echoing behind us as Keegan leads me into the kitchen and pulls a bottle of champagne and a jug of orange juice from the refrigerator.

“Mimosas?” I ask, sniffing to clear my emotion-clogged sinuses.

“Shit, girl, it’s always a good time for mimosas. You know that,” she says, shooting me a saucy wink.

A laugh bursts out of me, and fuck, it feels good. The day hasn’t gone at all how I expected, but I’mhere, in Evening Shade, ready to start my new life.

And speedbumps and curveballs only make life more interesting, right?

I nod to myself, then accept the champagne flute filled with tart and bubbly goodness from Keegan. Lifting her own glass, she clinks it against mine, and we both take a hearty sip.

“Oh, I know,” Keegan says, her eyes wide with excitement. “We should veg out on the couch today, eat a bunch of junk food, and watch the Cursed trilogy!”

I laugh again, my smile remaining as I shake my head. “That sounds perfect.”

Chapter

Four

Bram

It’s official. Pressley is back. And this time, she’s here for good.

I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about it. Part of me is ecstatic for her. I know she’s excited and will be happier here, with her friends, than she was in Seattle. Plus, Evening Shade is a great place to live. It’s a beautiful, simple lifestyle we lead, and I know I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

On the other hand, I’m still angry, and knowing I’ll see her––we share the same friends––has me feeling antsy and uncomfortable.

“Hey, man.”

My gaze jerks up from the glasses I’ve been washing to see Trace across the bar. He slides onto a stool, and I grab a nearby towel to dry my hands as he orders his favorite beer. After grabbing the bottle and popping off the top, I set it in front of him.

“Thanks. It’s beena day,” he says as he picks it up to take a long swig.

“Oh, yeah?”

“You haven’t heard?” he asks. When I shake my head and shrug, he sighs. “Willow’s apartment caught fire this morning.”

“What?” I blurt, my eyes flaring wide. “Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone’s fine,” he assures me before I can spin out. “The apartment was empty when an electrical fire broke out. The fire department was able to put it out before it spread, but the apartment is a wreck. It’ll take weeks, if not months, to repair it.”

“I’m glad everyone is okay,” I say slowly, my mind spinning with all the terrible things thatcould’vehappened.

“So that means Keegan and I have a houseguest for the foreseeable future.”

My heart trips as an image of Pressley flashes through my mind. She was planning on moving into that apartment. This disaster has obviously left her with very few options, since she agreed to move in with Trace and Keegan.

I may be upset with her, but I stillknowher. I’m certain she hates this. She would never want to feel like an imposition. I know Trace and Keegan don’t see her that way, but deep down Pressley will always harbor fear that they do.

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