Jameson leaned forward, elbows on knees, and nodded. “Yes.”
Her breath left in a happy rush. “What are you going to say?”
He tucked a strand of dark auburn behind her ear, voice a little hoarse. “Charlie had your dad help us get it reviewed; revisions went back and… they accepted. We signed this morning. We have a record deal.”
Daisy launched at him. “What! Oh my gosh—congratulations!” She kissed his cheeks, his nose, his grin. “So what now?”
“We’ll keep playing Bullets through the end of the school year. Then we record our first album this summer in LA.”
Her eyes stung. “I’m so proud of you. No one deserves this more.”
“It feels unreal, like I dreamed the whole weekend.”
“Soon you’ll be living it.”
“And you’ll be right there with me, yeah?”
Daisy didn’t know what her place would look like in his new orbit. She only knew she loved him and he loved her. For now, that was enough. “Always.”
Then he kissed her slowly, guiding them down until their bodies fit perfectly along the cushions, her back against the couch, his hand tracing the delicate line of her collarbone. Heat climbed, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away. When the moment pressed toward more, Jameson paused, searching her eyes. Daisy smiled and tugged him closer.
They crossed lines they hadn’t before, careful not to go all the way, yet it was enough to drive their connection deeper than ever. Daisy had thought she knew what to expect—Anna had once explained the basics of these things—but no explanation in the world could have prepared her for how it actually felt.
“Was it… okay?” Jameson asked softly, his voice wary as they caught their breath.
“G-good. So good,” she murmured, fingers threading gently through his hair.
His lips curved. “Well, we’ve got the rest of our lives to figure it all out.”
She looked up into his wide blue eyes and smiled.
“Forever, huh?”
“I’m planning on it.”
The countdown was officially on.
In T-minus twelve hours, the guys would head to Los Angeles for eight weeks to record their first album. They’d gone down to LA once more to finalize terms and meet their new manager, Harley Luxor.
Harley was the twenty-two-year-old daughter of label president Don Luxor. She had interned at Luxor for years and now had both a job and a band. She was quick, fun, determined, and the guys seemed to take to her. Also gorgeous, according to Kyler’s fervent report to Sean and Daisy. Daisy trusted Jameson, but she was still a teenage girl with a teenage heart. She hoped Harley would keep things professional, but when it came to her boyfriend, it was hard for girls not to fawn. Daisy was usually in a state of awe around him herself and they had been together for over a year. She was still blown away by his voice and his talent, but more than anything, she was most taken by his heart.
She’d remember the way Jameson still sang her to sleep over the phone and the way he treated her like the only girl in the room, and her worry would loosen its grip.
To kick off summer—and say goodbye for now—the group found themselves at a familiar spot with what felt like the entire town. Bullets would always hold a special place in their hearts.Frankie’s voice wobbled as he introduced TKC for their final set before LA. It would be a while before they stepped foot in the bar again. As always, the guys tore through the night; their parents along with Daisy’s were all in attendance for their final show. She was surrounded by the people she loved most and wanted it to forever remain that way. She soaked in every second, greedy for it never to end.
Morning came anyway.
The guys and Daisy had spent most of the night in her studio, eating pizza, watching movies, and playing music. They left around 1 a.m. to catch some sleep, since they had an early flight to LA.
Sleep evaded Daisy. She tossed and turned, unable to succumb. At exactly 5 a.m., she left her house, got into her newly gifted car, and drove to Jameson’s.
She found him on his small wraparound porch, guitar in hand. Daisy swallowed a lump in her throat. God, she would miss him.
“Hey,darlin’.” He lightly strummed as she sat next to him.
“Hey.”
They were silent for a while, breathing in the cold morning air, watching the fog slowly move past them. Daisy rested her head on his shoulder while he continued to strum his guitar. He hummed along, working words out in his head before he began singing:
