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Without a doubt, she needed time to clear her head and figure out what she wanted for her future—and not what Joyce demanded and had dictated all of Raevynn’s life, which had started at the age of three, when her mother had enrolled Raevynn in her first beauty pageant as a toddler. As soon as Joyce discovered that her daughter could sing, she’d become obsessed with making Raevynn a big star, and from there, her life had never been her own.
“Paul just pulled up to the back exit,” Glen said, reading the text on his phone. “He said it’s completely clear.”
“Perfect.” Relief rushed through Raevynn.
There was nothing worse than trying to get to your car while fans converged around you. She’d always found it anxiety-inducing, and tonight, she was grateful to not have to deal with any crowds. In just a few short minutes, she’d be whisked away to her hotel, and she’d have at least one blessedly quiet night all to herself. Her mother was currently in Los Angeles negotiating a deal with a name-brand cosmetic company that wanted Raevynn as its new spokesperson, but tomorrow Joyce would be back and Raevynn’s rest and relaxation would be over.
God, she just wanted to run away from it all and, at least for a little while, escape her mother’s constant pushing and pressure to do more.
“Rae!”
A male voice calling out her nickname jolted Raevynn out of her thoughts and prompted her bodyguards to move closer to her. Curious to see who might know her so personally, she stopped between Glen and Derek and glanced in the opposite direction of where they’d been heading. She frowned, taking in the other security guard posted at the entrance to the corridor and, beside him, a dark-haired, good-looking man in a tuxedo.
She took in his strong, masculine facial features and was hit with a shocking wave of recognition, followed by a flood of memories that were so bittersweet she felt her breath catch.
“Hold him back,” Glen barked out to the other security guard, clearly viewing this situation as a threat as he gently but firmly grabbed Raevynn’s arm. “Let’s keep going.”
Glen attempted to guide her toward the exit, but she stood her ground.
“Wait.” Her voice was stern and loud enough to make her security detail halt, and as she tipped her head and met the familiar green eyes of the man wearing the tuxedo, a slow, disbelieving smile curved her lips.
“Collin?” His name came out on an incredulous whisper.
Upon her recognition, his tense shoulders relaxed a fraction, and the grin he gave her was just as stomach fluttering and potent now as it had been all those years ago. He’d definitely matured from the cute boy she’d grown up next door to and into a devastatingly sexy man. His dark hair was neatly cut, his features gorgeously defined and purely masculine. The formal suit he wore accentuated his muscular frame, from his broad shoulders to his solid chest and down to a lean, trim waist.
“Yeah, it’s me,” he said.
“Oh, my God.” The joy that wove through her was like the infusion of happiness she needed so badly right now, and she shook off Glen’s hold on her arm and went straight to Collin.
He watched her approach, a shadow of uncertainty in his gaze, and when Raevynn reached him, she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him tight. He stiffened in surprise, but then his hard, muscular body gradually relaxed and he returned her embrace, his strong arms sliding around her waist and pulling her close.
She couldn’t remember the last time someone had held her so affectionately, and the seven years that had passed between them seemed to melt away. He felt solid and warm and made her feel just as safe and secure as he used to when she was with him. He also smelled so good—a combination of woodsy cologne and male heat—and she wanted to bury her face against his neck and breathe him in.
“Rae . . .” Her name was a husky whisper in her ear. “I . . . I wasn’t sure what to expect. I honestly thought you’d hate me.”
She knew exactly what he was referring to, and it took her back to the exact day when he’d told her they were over for good. That he was leaving for college soon and didn’t want to be tied down to a girl he’d only see a couple of times a year and who was still in high school. Hearing the words had been gut-wrenchingly painful, especially coming on the heels of her giving him her virginity, but seeing the genuine anguish in his eyes as he’d tried to end things had told her those were not the emotions of a guy who’d only used her for sex and now no longer wanted her. No, they’d been the emotions of someone who, quite possibly, had been forced to make a decision based on coercion.
Her mother’s involvement was something Raevynn had always questioned, but no one would ever confirm her suspicions when she’d asked. Collin had denied that his reasons for breaking up with her were based on anything more than the two of them going their separate ways—him to university and her to compete on Encore. Confronting her mother hadn’t given her any answers or insight, either, other than Joyce telling Raevynn that Collin had done the right thing.
“I’ve never hated you,” she said, giving him the truth. Yes, she’d been angry with him and the decision he’d made to cut her out of his life, and so hurt by his rejection she’d cried herself to sleep for months. Her heart and emotions had been crushed, but she’d never held a grudge against Collin.
“Raevynn, we should go,” Glen said, interrupting them.
She didn’t want to go . . . not with Glen and not to her hotel room that was just another version of a temporary gilded cage. She pulled back and looked into Collin’s eyes, and the regret she saw shimmering in the depths pulled at something inside her that still belonged to him. Yes, he’d broken her heart all those years ago, but in this moment, he felt like the lifeline she desperately needed in a world filled with chaos. After spending so many years under Joyce’s authoritative thumb, and her entire life and choices being dictated by her mother’s controlling, ambitious nature, she needed an escape. A respite from everything currently closing in on her. She needed calm and peace, and Collin Donovan always been that harbor for her.
She knew her decision was an impulsive one, but she was feeling defiant enough to act on her reckless request, because if she didn’t, she’d look back on this moment with a whole lot of regrets.
Swallowing hard, she met his gaze, imploring him with her eyes. “Collin, I need you to take me away from here, please,” she said in a voice that was low and remained between the two of them so her security detail couldn’t hear her plea.
His dark brows furrowed into a confused frown, one that would have made her laugh under different circumstances. “Take you away?” he repeated, completely perplexed by what she was asking.
She bit her bottom lip, knowing how insane she probably seemed begging Collin to pretty much whisk her away from this superficial life she felt as though she was just existing in, but now that she’d acted on the idea, she was all in. “Take me away from all this. From my crazy life.”
The corner of his mouth quirked with an amused smile. “Where do you want me to take you?”
“Take me somewhere, anywhere.” Her hands lightly clutched the lapels of his tuxedo jacket. “I really don’t care where.” And she meant it.
“Are you okay?” he murmured, his suddenly concerned gaze going to her bodyguards before returning to her. “Are you in some kind of trouble and need help?”
