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“Is this really a music video?” I demanded, then frowned at my own question. Really? That’s what I wanted to know first? Shaking my head at myself, I took a step back.
“Don’t leave,” he rasped, his hands shooting out as if to reach for me, but I was too far away for him to grab. “You promised you wouldn’t leave again.”
“I’m not,” I gritted out as I glanced around, but I didn’t see any cameramen or even my family. Just him, Dana, and Kayla. “This is just…a little much.”
“Dana and Kayla’s air conditioning stopped working the night before, and I offered them my extra bedroom so they wouldn’t have to get a hotel,” he rushed out.
“It was so hot in our place, we couldn’t breathe,” Kayla said as she came down the hall. “Jagger is a really good guy, Shaw. He offered to let us stay without hesitation, and then when I whined about going to our apartment for a change of clothes, he gave us his shirts to sleep in. What you saw the next morning? I swear to you it was innocent. We made him a late breakfast as a thank-you, and by then, our AC was working again. Our clothes were kind of gross from all the sweating we’d done the day before, so we wore his shirts home and told Jagger we would wash and return them later.”
Dana came up beside her girlfriend. “I’m so sorry you got the wrong impression that day, Shaw. I’ve felt so bad that you two broke up over it. But I swear on all that I love, I would never do anything to hurt Kayla. She’s the other half of my soul.”
I glared at all three of them. “Why didn’t you just tell me this back then?”
Jagger made a pained sound deep in his throat. “Would you have actually listened, Dimples?”
My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and I lowered my eyes to the floor that separated us. “Probably not,” I whispered honestly.
“Do you…believe me now?” he asked hesitantly, and my gaze snapped back to him.
I couldn’t help how my eyes devoured the sight of him in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. His tight abs, the way his arms were so damn defined. I loved his ink, and I noticed a few different tattoos I hadn’t seen before. I had to force myself to meet his eyes, and when I saw the emotions rolling around in them, my chest began to ache all over again. I saw the sincerity in his pale blues, but also the fear.
It was kind of a relief. That I hadn’t been wrong to trust him back then. I’d felt so stupid, so gullible to have put my heart in his hands after being so cautious before, then to have him shatter me so easily. I’d second-guessed every decision I’d made since then. Now I knew the truth, and my heart felt lighter.
“I believe you,” I breathed.
“Thank fuck,” he groaned. The distance between us disappeared, and he wrapped me up in his arms. His lips crushed mine, and I moaned as his taste exploded on my tongue.
It was a hungry kiss that left me dizzy by the time he lifted his head. I clung to him as he pressed his lips to my brow. “But seriously, Jags. Is this part of the video or what?”
He laughed, and the sound was so happy it caused my stomach to clench with need. “No, baby. There isn’t a video.” He kissed me again, quick and hard, before lifting his head. “Are you pissed?”
“Maybe. I mean, why did we have to get up so damn early?” I pouted. “I was sleeping so well.”
Kayla and Dana giggled then wrappe
d their arms around us both in a group hug. “Does this mean you’re going to be Jagger’s plus-one at our wedding?” Dana asked hopefully.
I blinked at the beautiful girl in surprise. “You’re getting married?” I looked from one to the other before Kayla flashed me her engagement ring, and I squealed in delight. “Congrats! I would love to come to your wedding.”
Someone coughing behind us had us all turning to find my parents, Cannon, and Piper standing at the “elevator.” All of them were grinning, but it was Dad who waved his hand in Jagger’s direction. “Maybe you guys should put some clothes on. There are some things a dad just doesn’t want to see when a dude is hugging his little girl.”
Kayla and Dana moved to stand in front of us like a human shield, blocking my dad’s view of the impressive hard-on Jagger was wielding. Grasping my hip, he pulled me into him for one more kiss before nuzzling my neck. “Give me five?”
I nodded, and he grabbed the backs of Kayla and Dana’a shirts, keeping them in front of him as he backed the three of them toward the door to what would have been his apartment. The two women laughed the entire way until they were safely behind the closed door.
“Does this mean you two are good now?” Cannon asked as he slowly swaggered up beside me, looking all kinds of smug that I wanted to slap his face.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” I told him, wanting to burst his bubble simply to fuck with him, but unable to completely deny that I was seconds away from jumping his best friend.
Chapter 34
Jagger
The high from the relief I was feeling that Shaw believed me was exhilarating. I rushed to get dressed then swept her out the door before anyone could stop us. Other than the show later that night, I didn’t have a damn thing to do except soak up every minute with my girl by my side.
As we got into the back of the limo waiting for the two of us, I shot a quick group text to my parents and Mia, letting them know everything had gone even better than expected. I instantly got a GIF from Mia of Rachel and Phoebe from Friends doing a happy dance, a heart exploding confetti emoji from Dad, and a congratulations picture from Ma. Even though they couldn’t be here for this, I knew they had been almost as invested in the outcome as I was.
They loved Shaw, and they wanted me to be happy. They had missed her being around and hated seeing how miserable I’d been over the past fifteen months without her. Now that she understood and believed the truth, she wasn’t ever leaving my side again.
