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Once he’s alone, I read Rory her book, and then we both say good night to Gage. After I give her two kisses—one from me and another from Gage—I leave the room, closing the door behind me.
“I’ve been looking at places,” Gage says once I’m back in the living room. “I’d like to see them in person before I sign a lease, so I’m going to stay at the hotel for a little bit until I decide which place is my best option. I was, umm…” He clears his throat. “I was wondering if maybe, after a while, I could take Rory to my place. Maybe once you can trust me enough, she can spend the night. You could spend the night too…” My eyes go wide, and he backpedals. “I mean, like, so you know she’s safe with me. Not like that. Although, if you wanted…” He scrubs his hands over his face. “Fuck, this is all coming out wrong.”
I snort out a laugh. “It’s okay, I get it. We’ll figure it out. One day at a time, right?”
“Yeah,” he says softly. “One day at a time.”
“Oh, God, this is so crazy,” I say for the millionth time as I push a sleeping Rory down the street in her stroller. “What was I thinking? What if this is a mistake? A huge mistake?” I mutter to myself as I walk into the Blackwood studio where Gage texted me a little while ago, saying he was. Apparently, he’s there to sign a bunch of papers to terminate his contract. So instead of meeting him at the hotel, I came straight here to stop him.
After I got off the phone with Gage, I sat in the living room thinking about everything and weighing my options. I came to the decision to move back to New York so he wouldn’t have to leave his band, and he would get to see Rory every day. Before I could second-guess my decision, I packed us a bag and booked us a flight. And now, here we are, walking up to the front desk at Blackwood.
“Hello, how may I help you?” the woman asks.
“I need to see Gage Sharp.”
She snorts a laugh. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but this is a closed studio. If you—”
“Sadie?” a masculine voice says. I glance over and find Easton, dressed in a suit, walking over. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Yes… No.” I sigh. “Gage said he was here.”
“He is. Is he expecting you? We’re about to go into a meeting.”
“That’s why I’m here,” I say, then take a deep breath, knowing if I say the rest, I can’t take it back. It wouldn’t be fair to Gage to say I’m moving here and then change my mind. “I’ve decided to move here… so Gage doesn’t have to leave the band.”
Easton’s eyes widen, and then a smile splits across his face. “Oh, Sadie.” He pulls me into a hug. “Thank you, but are you sure?”
“I am. I need to talk to him first, but yeah, I am.” I’ve spent the entire night and morning thinking this through.
“All right, then how about we go see him, yeah?”
I follow Easton down the hall and into the large room where Gage and the rest of the band are all already sitting.
“Sadie,” Gage says, noticing me immediately. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“I need to talk to you… alone.”
His brow furrows, but he nods. “Okay…” He glances around. “Can we use your office?” he asks Easton.
“Yeah.”
Gage walks us down the hall and into a gigantic, over-the-top office filled with records and expensive wood and plush furniture. I’m so distracted by it all that I forget what we’re doing until Gage says, “Talk to me.”
“I want a contract,” I blurt out. “I want it in writing. If you do any drugs, whether it’s powder or pills or even smoke weed, you forfeit your rights to Rory.” Gage’s eyes bug out, and I groan, hating the way that came out. “I’m moving here… Rory and I are moving here, so you can stay and play,” I explain. “I’m an editor and can do that anywhere, but you need to be here with the band. And you have family here. I don’t… I don’t have anyone. Not really.”
“You have me,” he says, stepping toward me. “If you let me in, you have me.”
“I’m scared,” I admit, trying like hell to push back the tears. “That’s why I want it in writing. I want you to be tested every few months, and if you come back positive for any kind of drugs, you have to let Rory and me walk away. I know that seems harsh, but—”
“No, that’s not harsh,” he says. “Your late husband lied to you, and you need the reassurance. I understand, and I agree.”
