Fuck.
My shoulders slump as tears well in the corners of my eyes. “I can only imagine…how difficult that must’ve been for her. I never meant to hurt her. Please let me in so I can make this right. I’m begging you,” I plead, desperate to have one chance to talk to Kate, willing to give anything to see her face.
“Fine. You can come in. But I swear to fucking God, if you hurt her any further, you’ll have me to deal with. And I’ll make what you’re experiencing on social media look like a fucking cake walk,” Chelsi threatens, opening the door so I can come inside. “She’s in her room, resting. You better not make her fucking cry again.”
I nod silently, walking down the hallway to Kate’s room as I try to quell the rising nausea. Whatever happens after this conversation will change my life, one way or another.
When I open the door to Kate’s bedroom, I find her curled up under her duvet, turned away from the door. An odd combination of peace and sadness washes over me as I stare at her briefly before reaching over to gently touch her arm. “Hey, sweetheart. Can you wake up and talk to me?” I say softly.
“Hmmm…Jake. Is that you?” she asks, rolling over until she’s facing me. “You’re here.”
“Yes. I got here as soon as I could. I’m so incredibly sorry for everything,” I reply, sitting next to her. “Nothing happened. I would never. You have to believe me.”
Kate sits up, leaning against her headboard, not breaking eye contact with me. “The pictures and videos are pretty damning.” She pulls her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as a steady stream of tears falls. “It doesn’t help that she claims to have slept with a member of the band. It’s only made the story go more viral.”
My mouth falls open, slightly shocked by this news because neither Jason nor Anna mentioned it. Anxiety running rampant, I get up and start pacing. “Jimmy invited her and her friends backstage after the show. The group wanted a bunch of photos, so I obliged, like I always do.”
“Yeah, I saw,” Kate mutters. “A picture-perfect leggy blonde—the type of womaneveryonewants for you. The complete opposite of me.”
“Don’t you dare compare yourself to her. You outshine every other woman on this planet every single day. No one could ever have my heart like you.”
She swallows hard and averts her gaze.
Continuing to pace, I tug at the end of my hair, ready to pull it all out in frustration. “She wouldn’t leave me alone all night. Kept following me around, trying to put her hands on me. At some point, she sat on my lap and wouldn’t get up until Alex forcibly removed her. I went to bed alone right after that.”
Kate doesn’t say a single word, blinking through her tears.
I stop and drop to my knees next to the bed and lock eyes with her. “I’m so sorry for how it looks, but I swear on my life that nothing happened. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to be in a situation where photos like this could be taken. I should have gone to bed after the concert.” My head drops into my hands as my elbows rest on the bed. “It was stupid of me to drink so much this weekend. None of this would’ve happened if I had made better choices.”
I sigh loudly, wiping away my own tears. “Please, give me the chance to make this up to you. I promise to never put you in this position again.”
Silence lingers in the room. The only sounds are the whirling of her ceiling fan and our labored breathing.
She closes her eyes tightly, inhaling and exhaling for a few minutes without saying a word. And I can’t do anything but stare and wait. Praying I haven’t royally fucked up the best thing that ever happened to me.
“I believe you, Jake,” she whispers.
I breathe for what feels like the first time in twenty-four hours, letting all the air I’ve been apparently holding out.
She believes me. Thank God.
“But it doesn’t change how hurt I am. How many people questioned your character. Your love for me. I was already struggling with the public aspect of our relationship. All of this has made it a hundred times worse.”
“I know,” I reply, taking her hand in mine and sitting on the edge of the bed. “It’s absolutely killing me that I hurt you. I never want to do anything that causes you pain. You mean the world to me, Kate. You’re my everything. Please tell me you’ll be able to eventually forgive me.”
She nods, and I immediately pull her into my arms, holding her body so tight against mine. “I’m so sorry,” I murmur into her neck, gently caressing her back like I know she prefers when she’s stressed out.
“I forgive you, Jake. Deep down in my soul, I know you would never cheat on me. I trust you with my heart. My life.”
Fuck. That shatters me a little further. Knowing how much she trusts me and how close I was to destroying it by allowing myself to be in a compromising situation. Although this might be my first serious relationship, I’ve been in this industry far toolong and should’ve known better. Anticipated the lengths people will go to get their fifteen minutes of fame.
“Thank you for coming to see me.” She rests her head against my chest as our hearts beat in synchronization. “I know it probably wasn’t easy for you to get here.”
I chuckle softly, thinking back to the hurdles Max apparently had to jump to get me a private plane on short notice and the call from my credit card company due to the unusually large charge. “Nothing was going to stop me from getting to you. Ensuring you knew the truth about what happened and how much I love you.” I release the hold I have on her, leaning back slightly so I can see her face. “Kate, I’d give it all up for you if that’s what was best for us. The new album. The tour. All of it. None of it means anything to me without you in my life.”
Her mouth parts as tears fill the corners of her eyes again. “You don’t have to do that. I would never ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. I’moffering. Say the word, and I’ll finish out my existing contracts, then I’ll be done. We can live a quiet life wherever you want,” I reply with full sincerity. “I can always write songs for other people if I want music in my life. I don’t have to be the one on stage. All I need is you.”
