Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Her frown deepens. “Did what?”
“You walked in there and gave it your best shot.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“The hell it doesn’t.”
She looks at me like she wants to argue, but I don’t give her the chance.
“You went in there even though you were scared. Even though you could’ve easily turned around and walked out. That means something, Chey.”
She remains silent.
As she stands in the middle of that hallway, looking so damn unsure of herself, I realize this is about more than just cheering her up. She needs someone to remind her that what she did today matters.
“We’re going out tonight and celebrating,” I tell her.
Her brows lift. “What exactly are we celebrating?”
“That you put yourself out there and tried something new. You didn’t let your mom or the show or anybody else decide your future.”
She continues to stare at me.
“That’s worth celebrating,” I tell her.
Her expression softens. “You really think so?”
“I know so, babe.”
She hesitates before nodding. “Okay.”
“Good, because I already made reservations.”
“You did?”
“Yup. Gold Coast Table,” I say, starting down the hall again. “Nice place. You’ll like it.”
She huffs out a small laugh, and hearing it loosens something inside me.
By the time we get home, she’s still quiet, not at all like herself, and I hate it.
The second we step out of the elevator, I back her up against the wall and kiss her, slow at first and then deeper, until she stops thinking and starts feeling. Until her hands slide into my hair and the tension in her muscles finally drains.
All that matters is getting her out of her head and giving her something else to focus on. When her breath hitches and her body tightens just before unraveling, I know I’ve done exactly what I set out to.
After that, we finish getting ready and then head to the restaurant. No matter what happens with that audition, tonight is about Chey taking the first step toward the future she wants to build for herself.
The restaurant is the kind of place that has fancy white tablecloths, mood lighting, and soft jazz drifting through the space. We’re shown to a table near the window with views of the city. The conversations around us are low enough that it almost feels private.
Even though Chey stares at the menu, I can tell she’s not actually seeing it.
“Hey,” I say. “You okay over there? Having a hard time deciding between the beef Wellington and the seafood special?”
She looks up, clearly pulled from somewhere far away. “Huh?”
I reach across the table and brush my thumb over her knuckles. “It’s going to be fine. I promise.”
“Oh.” Her attention drops back to the menu. “Yeah… sorry. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all. I’m not exactly good company tonight.”
“This has nothing to do with you being good company. It’s about taking time to celebrate what you did today. You showed up and went after something you wanted. No matter what happens, I’m proud of you for that.”
The waiter stops by our table and takes our order. After the food arrives, Chey barely touches her meal. She just pushes it around with her fork, lost in whatever loop is running through her brain.
I watch her for a minute before saying, “You’re overthinking.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not. Really.”
“You are, babe. I can tell.”
With a sigh, she sets the fork down. “I can’t stop replaying the audition. Every note. Every look they gave me. Every quiet comment they made to each other. Every second I stood there thinking they were going to realize I didn’t belong and ask me to leave.”
The words are like a kick to the gut. What I hate most is that some part of her believes them.
“That’s what you still don’t get. You do belong on that stage. You’re the only one who doesn’t see it.”
Her lower lip quivers before she glances away, trying to wrangle her emotions back under control. “I know you believe that. And I’m so appreciative to have you in my corner—”
I lean forward, cutting her off because this feels too damn important to let her brush aside.
“You know why I believe it? Because I heard you sing. And the way it made me feel…” The words catch in my throat because I’m not great at this kind of shit, but I force them out anyway. “It gave me goose bumps, Chey.”
Her gaze flicks up to mine before dropping again.
“You didn’t see the other women. They’ve been doing this their whole lives. They have training and credits. They know people.” She swallows. “I walked in there, and all I could think was… they’re going to see right through me.”
My jaw tightens. “See what?”
A humorless laugh falls from her lips. “That I’m nothing more than a reality star. A storyline. I’m the girl who cries on TV and starts drama on cue.”