AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thanks, Matt. This is Quinn. She’s my plus one for the evening, so can you make sure she’s okay too?”
“Always, Emmy.” He held open the door and whisked us inside. “I’m just going to call Addi and let her know you’re here.”
He made a quick phone call, and when he hung up, he smiled at me. “Follow me, Emmy. Let me take you both to where the band is.”
He led us to the elevator and pressed the button for the right floor. I tried to take a deep breath, but my chest felt heavy. Quinn slipped her hand into mine, tugging me to look at her. “Breathe, beautiful. You’re just here to say hi to everyone. Nothing more.”
I tried to focus on seeing Frankie or the twins again, but really, there was only one person I could think about.
The elevator doors opened and the twins, Frankie and Addi, were all there, waiting for me. Rushing me, they wrapped their arms around me. Questions, words, and statements flooded me as they all talked over each other, but I couldn’t listen. My eyes searched frantically for him. And when he stepped out in front of me, my heart stopped.
Dressed in black ripped jeans, a black shirt that was unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up, his muscles and tattoos exposed, black boots, leather bands cording his wrists, and a single silver ring with angel wings on his ring finger. Hair tussled, jade eyes glistening like precious gems, eye liner in place, and those rich cherry lips parted in a silent sigh.
Tanner.
“Angel.” One word. His voice low, deep and husky. But that single word vibrated through my body and made me ache for him. “You changed your hair. You look—” But he didn’t get to finish because Quinn interrupted.
“Fuck me, Em. He’s even sexier than I remember. I mean, edible,” Quinn hissed in a loud stage whisper that everyone around us heard. I turned to glare at her.He might be beautiful, but he’s broken and likes to hurt people.I silently reminded myself, tearing open the wounds he’d left so I didn’t get sucked into those eyes.
“Knock yourself out, Quinn. He’s single. Go for it,” I murmured back to her, not meaning a word of it.
Two hours later and I was regretting this evening so much I wanted to run.
The band and I posed for photos where Tanner seemed to find a way to stand behind me, his firm body pressed against my back. There were interviews where his hand found my knee or brushed against my arm, distracting me while I spoke. Wherever I went, he seemed to be there, close enough that my body cried out for more, but far enough away that he felt just out of reach.
I was so turned on I could barely remember why I’d left him.
“Matt, I can’t breathe. I need a moment. “
“Come this way. It’s locked on every other floor so no one can get to you. I’ll wait here. Knock when you’re ready to come back.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled as I forced out a half-smile, and he pushed open a fire door to the stairwell. Stepping through it, I let the cool air soothe me and ease the throbbing between my thighs. I was wearing a floor-length, strapless olive green dress with a long slit up the skirt and I shuddered as I sat on the stairs. I took a second to fill my lungs fully and calm my racing heart. When I heard the door slam, without even looking, I knew he was here.
“Emmy,” his voice rumbled behind me.
“Tanner.” I turned my head to look up at him.
“Can I?” He pointed to the space on the step next to me.
“I guess.”
I felt his warmth instantly… his energy. God, I thought I felt his soul calling to me.Stop it right now,I screamed silently to myself.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes; the tension hanging heavy in the air.
“I loved the book, angel. You did us all proud. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but it’s what you paid me to do.”
“There’s so much I want to say to you, angel. So much I want to apologize for. I’ve thought about texting or even writing a letter, but I saved this to do face to face.” He paused, his eyes boring into me until I felt like I was suffocating from his attention.
“I was a dick. There aren’t words to tell you how sorry I am. I hurt you. I didn’t believe I was worthy of your love. I didn’t think you’d hang around for me. I thought you’d leave because that’s what I’m used to, so instead, I pushed you until we broke.” He paused, pushing my hair back from my face, letting his fingers linger on my shorter silver waves before dropping his hand to his thigh.
“What I said to you, what I did. I don’t blame you for hating me and I don’t have any words to make that better. All I can promise is I got the help Ireallyneeded after you left. I’ve worked hard on my sobriety and why I’m doing it. You, you became my addiction, Emmy Winters, when you should have been my salvation… my reward. I ruined us. I just hope you know how much I love you and how much I wish I could make it better. I’m so sorry, Em.”
I couldn’t hide the tears that streamed down my face, his words breaking down the walls I’d put around my heart to protect myself from getting hurt by him again.
“I need to ask you a question though, angel. Why did you run?”
