Tessa’s eyes bulged so wide Lucas thought they were about to pop out of her skull. “You’re in love with my brother?”
Lucas was about to tell Tessa that it was over between him and Sindy. They weren’t going to screw up their chance at making it big. They were putting their feelings aside for the good of the band. Prodigy came first. And then he realized Sindy’s admission, and his head began to spin. Euphoria burst from his heart and filled his entire body. He smiled so wide his cheeks hurt. Happiness overflowed from every pore in his body. “You’re in love with me?”
Sindy turned so he couldn’t see her face and continued to sob into her hands.
He went to her and gently pulled them away from her face. “You love me?”
“Of course I love you! Don’t you know that? How many times have I told you to stay away from me? No matter how hard I tried, I always found my way into your bed. I told you to leave, and I still opened the door and let you into my apartment.”
“I love you, too!” He kissed her, and she clung to him. A rush of energy shot through him and made his heart flutter. This new sense of wanting someone so completely, and having those same feelings returned, made him high. He couldn’t get enough of her. He slowly pulled away so he could look into her eyes. “I love you, Sindy.”
Fresh tears streamed silently down her cheeks. “I can’t believe you love me back.”
“Of course I love you.”
“You two are in love?” Tessa was still gaping at them with disbelief. “My brother and my best friend?”
“I love her, Tess. I’ve never been in love before. When I’m not with her, all I do is think about her. When she’s here, all I do is think about her. She’s in my head and I can’t get her out of my mind.”
“I feel the same way.” Happy tears streamed down Sindy’s cheeks, accompanied by a quivering smile. “All I kept thinking about today was how to stop thinking about Lucas. I can’t. I love him too much.”
“Did you know about this?” Tessa asked Mason.
“I just found out a few days ago. But Lucas said it was already over.”
“Over?” Tessa’s mouth bowed downward. “Why?”
“Because,” Sindy replied. “We’re getting ready to release a single and embark on a promotional tour. It’s stressful. There’s too much at stake to be messing around.”
“I thought you just said you loved each other. That’s not messing around.”
A small smile and gentle laugh escaped Sindy’s lips. “No. It’s not.” She wiped her eyes. “Are you mad?”
“I’m mad that you went behind my back. If you two were just screwing around, I’d kick both your asses right now for jeopardizing the future of the band and possibly ruining everything. But you’re in love. Obviously, very much in love. And that’s not something you throw away. Love is a wonderful thing. I’m happy for the both of you.”
“You are?” Sindy asked, tentatively.
“Yes. Love is amazing. Just being in the same room with the person you love changes everything. The day is suddenly better. Brighter. It turns a bad mood giddy. And when you share the same things, you’re a team.”
Surprised that his sister articulated exactly how he felt about Sindy, Lucas asked, “How do you know so much about love?”
“I . . . uh . . . I watch TV,” Tessa said with a smile.
Mason squeezed Lucas’ shoulder. “I’m so happy for you, man. You two are perfect for one another.”
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me,” Tessa stated.
“Because Sindy kept pushing me away. She didn’t want to get involved.” Lucas tightened his arm around her shoulder to bring her closer to him and keep her there.
“Why?” Tessa asked Sindy.
“Because I didn’t know Lucas was in love with me. We didn’t plan this. We just fell into each other’s arms during a heated argument and slept together. I hated myself afterwards. I felt like I betrayed our friendship, Tessa. I didn’t know why it happened in the first place. I didn’t even like Lucas.” She glanced at him with a playful smile. “I couldn’t stand him, actually. But I couldn’t stay away from him either. I thought it was a toxic relationship, and it was going to explode and end really badly. I’d have to leave the band. You’d hate me. Prodigy would implode. I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t ruin my chance at success, either. I couldn’t ruin my life and everyone else’s. But, then I fell in love with Lucas, and it turned my world upside down. I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t concentrate. I was brokenhearted.” Tears filled her eyes again, and she smiled up at Lucas. “I didn’t know you were in love with me, too.”
“Well, I am.” Lucas cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. “And I’m never letting you go.”
