Page 46 of The Fangirl and the Crooner

Inside, I find her on the couch, staring at the carpet with a frown marring her lips. She looks up when I walk into the room, her sad expression turning to one of confusion.

“I thought you were meeting the guys for lunch,” she says.

“I was,” is all I say, and she seems to accept it without explanation before standing to face me.

“Willow texted me. The apartment is going to be ready tomorrow,” she blurts like she’s trying to get it out before changing her mind.

“I know.”

“You do?” she asks, her confused expression returning.

“That’s why I’m back so early. Gavin told me, and I left and came straight here to talk to you,” I say, then tilt my head. “Why didn’tyoutell me?”

“I don’t know,” she says, then shakes her head. “That’s a lie. Idoknow. I was scared.”

I take her hand, then sit, pulling her down beside me. “Scared of what?”

Her face turns an adorable shade of pink, and she bites her lip before taking a deep breath and saying, “I was scared you’d want me to move out.”

My chest swells with joy and relief. “You don’t want to go?”

She shakes her head. “I know it’s crazy. My staying here was always supposed to be temporary. And here we are, barely getting started as a couple, and I want to stay here. Like, officially move in together. But for real this time, not like a roommate thing. Ugh, I’m so stupid. It’s crazy, right?”

“Pressley,” I say, halting her rambling stream of words.

She snaps her mouth shut, and I can’t stand the mix of worry and embarrassment in her expression. Reaching over, I grip her upper arms and pull her over into my lap,twisting her until she’s straddling me. Then I lightly grip the sides of her throat, using my thumbs to tilt her face up until she meets my eyes.

“You should’ve seen how fast I ran out of Vincenzo’s when I thought you might be here packing. I was freaking out, terrified you’d leave before I could talk you into staying.”

She inhales sharply, her eyes going wide before filling with tears. “You really want me to stay?”

“I really do.”

Leaning forward, I press my lips to hers. I feel her tears wet my thumbs as they drip down her cheeks, and a relieved laugh puffs out of her as we seal our unspoken promises with a long, lingering kiss.

This, right here, is what life is all about. I don’t know if I’ll talk to the music label reps. Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.

But whatever I decide, this woman will be right by my side, in my arms, and that’s all that really matters.

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Pressley

It’s been days, and I still can’t stop smiling. When I told Willow I wouldn’t need her apartment, after all, she screamed and called Keegan, who screamed even louder until I started screaming with them. It was all ridiculous and juvenile, but who cares? I’m over the moon, and my friends are ecstatic. That’s what real friendship is all about, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to temper my excitement just because we look and sound silly, screaming like a bunch of teenagers.

I officially moved my things into Bram’s bedroom––ourbedroom––and we turned the spare room into a sort of set for Bram’s BingBang videos with a backdrop against one wall, a chair for him to sit in, and a table next to it.

I worked out a deal with Planter’s, and if I display a bottle of their vodka on that table and the video goes viral, they’ll give me a small bonus in addition to theregular pay Keegan and I get for their sponsored content. We’ve only shot one video in there so far, and it went viral almost immediately, gaining over eight-hundred-thousand views in the first twenty-four hours. And it’s still growing.

Bram walks into the living room where I’m supposed to be reading, a smile on his lips when he catches me staring off into space.

“Not holding your interest?” he asks as he plops down beside me and taps the book.

I shake my head as I mark my place and set it aside. “I can’t stop thinking about how amazing my life is.”

“Ourlife is pretty awesome, isn’t it?” he asks, brushing his thumb across my cheek. I nod, and he pulls his hand back before taking a deep breath. “I’ve put a lot of thought into it, and I’ve made a decision. I want you to give my number to the music label guys.”

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