Luca paused thoughtfully and shrugged. “Yeah, that might be it.”
“Hey, beautiful.” Jax greeted me by pulling me into his arms. “He’s right, you know. I do have the most gorgeous girlfriend in the world.” He gazed down at me, and I saw a flicker of worry flash across his face.
“Brady has the first group here now.” Antoni stuck his head in the door as Cash slipped into the room and stood near the far wall.
“You guys good?” Derek glanced around at everyone before settling his eyes on me and Jax.
“Yeah,” I answered. Jax reluctantly released me from his grasp, and I crossed the room to stand with Cash.
I’d watched the meet and greets several times since being on the road with the band, and I loved watching the guys interact with their fans. Derek was always the more mellow one, but he still had quite an effect on the ladies. Luca ate up every ounce of attention that came his way, flirting with all the women. Meanwhile, Dallas was the one who made everybody feel at ease, joking and laughing with each person that came in.
Jax’s smile lit up the room and the heart of every woman who walked through the door of the dressing room. People often seemed completely disarmed by the fact that his warm disposition matched the genuineness of his smile.
Small groups of fans filtered in and out, much like Ella, Grace, and I had the first night we met the guys. I noticed Jax’s eyes search for mine as people filed in and out of the room. Finally, the last group entered. It was a young couple with their daughter who looked to be no more than about five or six years old.
“Who do we have here?” Jax smiled at the bright-eyed young girl.
“Cora.” She gave him a bashful smile, and he crouched down so that he was at her eye-level. She tugged at the hem of her ruffly pink dress.
“Cora,” he repeated. “That’s such a pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty girl.” She grinned again, hiding her face in her mom’s side.
“Thank you.” The mom smiled, ruffling Cora’s hair. “We love your music, but Jaxon, you are Cora’sfavorite. When we found out you guys would be here, we knew we had to bring her to meet you.”
“Thank you so much for coming to see us,” Jax said, his eyes fixed on Cora. “May I have a hug?”
Cora looked up at her mom as though asking for her approval, to which she nodded. “Go ahead, honey. It’s okay.” She ran into his arms, and he expertly scooped her up, holding her on his hip. He took his time talking with Cora and her parents while the rest of the guys made over her. Dallas made silly faces at her, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles.
Antoni grabbed my hand and leaned into my ear. “You okay, honey?”
I nodded. I noticed Cash watching me, and I wondered if he could see right through me.
Jax was a natural with Cora. Seeing him interact with her caused sharp bolts of shame and guilt to shoot through me. How could I deprive him of having his own Cora one day?
After the guys took pictures with Cora and her family, one of the other guards showed them out, and Brady let us know it was showtime.
Jax put his arm around me wordlessly, and we walked to the side stage area, listening as Sam Corbyn finished his set. He stood with his arms around me until it was time for him to get plugged in and hit the stage.
“I’ll meet you here after the show.” He leaned in to kiss me on the forehead before disappearing backstage. I stood with Antoni and Cash as I had many nights before, watching the guys play their hearts out.
By the time the band began to play the melody to “Love You More,” a deep sadness had settled into my heart. Jax deserved someone that could give him the family he longed for. He deserved the whole world, and I knew that no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t promise him that. He deserved someone that loved him enough to let him go so he could still have that dream.
Tears blurred my vision as he sang the chorus. His eyes met mine once more, and I couldn’t control the sob that escaped me. Tears streamed down my face as I turned on my heel and backed away from the stage. I heard Cash call after me and Antoni’s voice telling him to give me a moment. I tore through the backstage area with my head down, running down the hall, and I didn’t stop running until I was outside the back entrance of The Palace. I gulped in the chilly night air, leaning against the wall outside with my hands clutched to my chest.
The pain felt as though it might drown me. I knew that tonight, I had to break my own heart. I had to let Jaxon Slade go.
Chapter 24
Jax
“Liv!” I breathed a sighof relief when I found her outside the backdoor of the venue. Under the lamplight, I could see her face was damp with tears. My mind whirled as I tried to figure out what could have happened to make her this upset. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“I—” She started to speak as Brady came barreling out after me. “I just needed some fresh air.”
“Brady, can you take us to my apartment now?” I asked, not taking my eyes off Liv. “I’ll text Cash and ask him to grab the rest of my stuff.”
“Of course.” He nodded, his eyes awash with concern. We walked to the car, and even with her hand in mine, she felt a million miles away. The ride to my apartment was painfully silent as I stole glances of her grief-stricken face.
Brady pulled up to the kiosk outside my complex, and I flashed my card out of my window, opening the gate. We pulled to a stop outside my building, and I exited the car, helping Liv out behind me. Brady gave me a sympathetic nod before pulling away.
