Page 222 of Fame & Chaos

“I’m sorry,” she sobs quietly.

“Don’t apologize.” I rest my cheek against the top of her head. “I’m gonna miss you just as much.”

She eventually pulls back enough to look up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You promise you’re coming back?” she asks quietly. “You promise you won’t get caught up in touring and decide you never wanna stop?”

My heart cracks hearing the genuine fear in her voice.

“Baby…” I cup her face gently. “You seriously think I’d leave you behind?” She shrugs weakly through tears. “You’re part of me now, Indi. No amount of fame or touring is ever changing that.” I smile softly. “And when I come back, I’m probably gonna ask you to marry me again, so prepare yourself.”

She laughs wetly through her tears. “What? You gonna hold me down and force me to say vows?”

“If necessary. I’m excellent at coercion.”

That finally earns a proper smile from her.

“Well, rockstar,” she whispers while snuggling back against me. “Go have the time of your life. I’ll be here waiting when you get back. And when you do get back…” She looks up at me. “We’ll start making real plans.”

“Deal.”

I kiss her slowly, and for a second, the world completely stops moving around us.

If I could freeze this moment forever, I would.

But I can’t stay here.

And walking away from her already feels impossible.

“You have to go,” she whispers eventually.

I swallow hard and nod. “Technically, I don’t even leave the country for hours yet,” I joke weakly.

“Well then…” she says softly as she wipes her cheeks, “… you should probably stop keeping the band waiting.”

I nod again and kiss her one more time, holding onto her tightly like I can somehow delay leaving by refusing to let go.

She kisses me back with the same desperation, and somewhere deep down, I know we’re going to survive this.

We’ve already survived worse.

Eventually, she pulls back, biting her bottom lip while tears spill down her cheeks again.

I wipe them away gently with my thumbs before kissing her nose.

“You’re stuck with me, sweetheart.”

She laughs softly through the tears. “Good.”

I pull her into one final hug, and honestly, letting go of her feels physically painful.

“Go, Caleb,” she whispers shakily. “Before I can’t let you.”

A lump rises hard in my throat. I’m dangerously close to losing it myself now, but I know if I fall apart completely, she will too.

“Okay,” I say quickly. “I’ll message you when I get to the hotel, and before stage call, and after the concert, and before bed, and—”

She laughs softly. “Okay, okay. Just message me when you can.”

I kiss her again quickly before she grabs my keys from the bench and walks me to the front door, holding tightly onto my hand the entire way. The closer we get to the door, the tighter my chest feels. Like I’m walking away from the best thing that’s ever happened to me.