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“After all that happened, I never felt I could trust anyone again. Not a lass, not even my best mates. Anyone could stab me in the back at any time.” I glanced at Ghost, but then quickly looked away. I was embarrassed by what I’d believed of him.”I saw a text on Summer’s phone this morning. It brought me back to the note I found in Aila’s purse. I imagined the worst, but now I think I just overreacted.”
Ryder gave me a friendly nudge. “Don’t you see the way she looks at you, man? Like you light up her world. She’s in love with you.”
“Dude, did you confront her about the text?” Bash tapped his fingers restlessly on his thigh.
I rubbed at my temples. “No, not after what happened with Aila. I just took off.”
“So, no worries, then.” Sid paced back and forth in front of the coffee table. “She doesn’t need to know how you freaked out. Sober up and shake this off, man. Don’t even ask her about the text. Just trust in her love for you.”
“I guess,” I said hesitantly. “Luckily, I didn’t do anything too stupid.”
Ghost, who had remained fairly quiet, finally spoke. “Knox, if you’re serious about your relationship with Summer, you need to tell her about Aila and what happened. And you need to find a way to let go of the guilt. Talk to a therapist if you can’t work it out yourself.”
I nodded stiffly at him. I was grateful that he was still there for me, even though I’d been a complete arsehole with my accusations. “Thank you.” I looked around the room at everyone. “I’m sorry about before. Let’s just forget about all that nonsense about leaving the band and taking off to Aussie, aye?”
Bash slapped me on the shoulder. “Fuck, yeah, we’re forgetting it. You’re not going anywhere.”
The tension in the room seemed to dissipate as everyone chuckled. Everyone nodded in agreement and we all looked at each other knowingly, sharing a moment of brotherhood.
Ghost took the lead as we huddled up. “Ride or die.”
“Ride or die!” We responded in unison.
Chapter 30
Summer
AsIglancedoverat Knox, his strong hands gripping the steering wheel while he navigated the winding coastal road, I couldn’t help but think about how much closer we had grown in such a short amount of time. His brown eyes focused on the road ahead, thick eyelashes casting shadows over his sun-kissed cheeks. After he had opened up to me last night, explaining his tragic past with his fiancée, Aila, who died in a car accident after some heartbreaking circumstances, I felt a deeper connection to him. He’d suffered a lot of guilt.
“Hey, what are you thinking about?” He asked, glancing my way with a small smile.
“Last night,” I answered honestly, unable to hide the blush creeping up my cheeks. “And everything you shared with me about what happened in Scotland. I’m glad that you felt you could trust me with that.”
“Ah,” Knox nodded, taking one hand off the wheel to squeeze mine reassuringly. “I think talking about it helped. I’ve been keeping it all bottled up for so long.”
I squeezed his hand back, knowing it was a big step for him to trust me with that part of his life. In return, I had shared my own heartbreaks — the ones that left me feeling raw and vulnerable. It was both terrifying and exhilarating to let someone in like that, but I knew our bond had only deepened because of it.
“Hey, remind me what we got for Talia again?” Knox asked, changing the subject as he pulled into Ryder’s driveway.
“We got her that trendy diaper bag that all the new moms are getting. It was on her registry.” I replied, picturing the hip bag that didn’t scream ‘diaper bag’. “And don’t forget the sleep sheep. It’s a fuzzy stuffed sheep that generates white noise like a heartbeat sound or rain showers. It supposedly helps keep the baby calm and relaxed.”
“Aye, right. Good call on the sheep. I think she’ll love it.” His smile was genuine, and I felt a flutter in my chest. He was so handsome, especially when he flashed those dimples at me.
“Thanks, I hope so,” I said as he parked the car and turned off the engine. He looked at me for a moment, his eyes softening with warmth and affection.
“Summer, I just want you to know that the way you listened to me and supported me last night … meant a lot to me. And hearing about your experiences … I want to be different from those guys who hurt you. I really care about you. I love you, Sunshine.”
My heart swelled with emotion as I gazed back into his eyes. “I love you too, Knox. Thank you for trusting me.” With that, we shared a tender kiss before stepping out of the car and joining the baby shower festivities, hand in hand, stronger together than ever before.
The baby shower was in full swing when we arrived, and the sound of laughter filled Ryder’s backyard. Vibrant decorations adorned every surface, and a table laden with delicious treats stood in the center. I scanned the crowd and saw some familiar faces: Talia, looking radiant as ever; Ghost, charming everyone around him; Sid and Kaylie, laughing together at the buffet table; Bash, deep in conversation with Donovan, the band manager; and Lacey, working her social magic as she flitted from one group to another. Greyson Durant, a famous TV actor, was there. I’d never met him, but I’d heard he was good friends with Talia.
“Hey, you two,” Ryder greeted us, a wide grin plastered on his face. “Glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Knox replied, clapping his friend on the back before handing over our gift — the diaper bag and sleep sheep. “Congrats again, man.”
“Thanks, Knox. And thank you, Summer. Talia’s gonna love this,” Ryder said, nodding in appreciation. “I know she’s not due until November, but we wanted to have the baby shower before the tour started when everyone was still available.”
As the afternoon progressed, I participated in a lot of crazy shower games, imbibed a lot of the special punch, and heard a lot of funny stories about the band. It was an unusual baby shower, but apparently, the precedent had been set with the shower for baby Kody. I couldn’t help but smile every time I caught Knox’s eye, feeling for the first time like I truly belonged to this tight-knit family.
