Page 58 of Rising Star

I found Riley still seated in the office the hospital had let him use and informed him Madison had agreed to stay in Nashville. For the time being.

For the rest of the day, I remained by her side while she drifted in and out of sleep.

Around six, I gathered my stuff. I was supposed to fly back two hours ago, but I rescheduled my flight after Madison woke up. Now I would need to get to the venue right after I landed. I had missed the sound check and hoped I could still be able to deliver a great performance, even though my heart was stuck in a hospital room in Tennessee.

“Maddie, I gotta go, or I’ll be late,” I whispered in her ear. “I’ll be back in four days because I have three back-to-back shows.”

She cracked her lids open, and her sea-green irises swallowed me whole.

Her throat worked. “Sam, don’t come back.” Her voice sounded so weak.

My hair stood on end over my arms. “Why?”

“The girls. They need their daddy. You can’t spend all your free time here. They’ll resent us. They will want to be with you. That was the plan. For the tour. To make them a priority.”

“But—”

“No buts. We agreed on this. Listen to me. I want this. For you to thrive. And be a father. I’m not going anywhere anyway. Please don’t come back. Not for the next week at least.”

I pulled her into a hug. “I’m not sure I can stay away that long.”

“You must. It’s a dare. Don’t deceive me.”

“Will you call me if you feel down? Or change your mind? Or if you just wanna hear my voice or your song?”

“Yes. Now go. I’m glad you didn’t cancel the tour. I would have been very angry if you had.”

I locked my emotions inside. “I know.”

After I kissed her one last time, I neared the door, my heart sinking to my heels as I padded away.

“Hey Sam?”

I pivoted to face her.

“Don’t fall in love with the nanny, okay?” She winked, and I burst into a mix of giggles and tears.

With the back of my hand, I wiped my damp cheeks and returned to her side. “Never.” I closed my eyes and kissed her lips. “I love you. Only you.”

“I love you. Thank you for everything you are doing for me.” Her voice trembled. “I’m sorry I can’t be there to cheer on you.”

With her hand hooked around my nape, as if she feared I’d disappear before she was ready to say goodbye, Madison held me against her, returning the kiss. And together, we let the sadness wash away, bringing each other the comfort we both needed so badly.

18

MADISON

It had been six days since I moved into Sam’s house. Back to my old room. I was wearing one of his sweaters while lying on my side. My entire body hurt. Radiating pain crippled my left half. Every time I shifted position by myself, my eyes watered, and I had to grit my teeth until the wave passed. Even my arm muscles had weakened since my accident. June, Riley’s assistant, had come over to set up the house so I would have everything I needed. Sam had hired a nurse to live here with me full-time, and Emily had taken over the third bedroom upstairs.

I wasn’t alone, but in a sense, it felt as if I was.

Unable to bathe or go to the bathroom by myself, I was dependent on so many people. And for someone who wasn’t used to having people hovering over her, it was a tough pill to swallow. And the pain added to the embarrassment. I was losing my mind. Anger seemed close to the surface, and every time things didn’t work my way, I wanted to hit something or someone.

Since I woke up after the accident, I spent most of my nights crying in pain. The doctors weren’t kidding when they said the painkillers would partially work. The rest of my atrophied leg would require pain-wracking physiotherapy. Muscle spasms down my leg paralyzed me and messed with my breathing. Due to the cast covering my flesh, I could not massage my thigh, the half that had required the most work, and had to ride the excruciating pain. Not knowing what the scars looked like got me anxious. And being unable to comfort my own leg was hard enough.

A part of me wished Sam would be by my side, comforting me and murmuring in my ear I’d get through this. That he would hug and heal me.

The rest of me thanked the tour for his absence because I didn’t relish the idea of him seeing me like this. A victim of the circumstances. Glued to the bed all day.