Page 57 of Tangled Up In You

“That’s your cover shot.” She pointed to the boys. Gavin had his arms around Conor and Shay’s neck and was leaning forward slightly, a taunting smile playing at his sensual mouth as he focused intently on the camera. Martin was to Conor’s right, but Gavin drew all the focus.

“Yeah, maybe. Listen, it would be fantastic to hear how Gavin popped the question. I can use it to wrap up the story neatly.”

Sophie was slow to look at the reporter. “Um, no, I don’t think so.”

“No?”

“It’s something that should be kept private. You understand, don’t you?”

“Well,” he said with a laugh, “not exactly. Maybe you can give me just one detail? Like, where you were when he asked?”

Sophie thought about that. It didn’t seem terribly harmful, even if it meant admitting to trespassing. “I wanted Gavin to see the city at night. We hiked up behind the ‘Hollywood’ sign. Alone up there, with the lights spread out before us, it was . . . perfect.”

Riley scribbled in his notepad for a moment. When he was done, he looked at her and asked, “So, in this very short period of time, you reunited with your ex-boyfriend, got engaged, and now he’s leaving to go on tour. He’ll be on stage every night in front of screaming girls. And you’ll be here in L.A.?”

“For a little while, yes.”

“You’re not worried that this big romantic gesture will turn out to be a fairytale?”

The question wasn’t as unkind as it seemed. Sophie knew she was making a huge leap. But she’d rather take that leap, hoping she could fly, than never know what heights she might reach with Gavin.

“Actually, I already think it is a fairytale,” she said with a smile. “But I’m okay with it not being a predictable one.”

“Why’s that?”

Just then, Gavin looked away from the camera and made eye contact with her. The stoic rock star gaze he had been using for the photographs faded and was replaced by a wide smile. He placed his hand over his heart and winked at her before turning his attention back to the photo shoot.

Sophie felt her insides go liquid. She knew she’d never be able to get enough of him. The sentiment overwhelmed her and she told Riley more than she probably should have.

“Gavin’s all I need. No matter what happens now, I know I’ll always choose him. And that everything will be okay.”

31

SOPHIE

When Gavin and the band left Los Angeles to fulfill the rest of their commitments, Sophie realized that her declaration to the Rolling Stone reporter about everything being okay would be tested immediately. Their separation meant that though they had just made the ultimate commitment to each other, they were also in a long-distance relationship. It was jarring. One minute, she was basking in the attention of her fiancé, and the next she was craving a text or random phone calls from him.

It was late one night a few weeks after Gavin left that she asked about his history with groupies and the continuing temptation they would be. It was uncomfortable to acknowledge that her fiancé had been with a slew of women over the last two years. She also knew that asking a twenty-year-old rock singer to give up being with anyone else was a ridiculous expectation and wanted to acknowledge it.

“I want no one but you,” Gavin told her. “I think of no one but you. Darlin’, I’m absolutely obsessed with you.”

“That’s easy to say when it’s only been a few weeks since you’ve gone without?—”

“Listen, I understand there are consequences to this commitment. I know it’s not always going to be easy, but it’s going to be okay. I promise you, sweet girl.”

She smiled, but the ache for him was only slightly tempered.

“I miss you, baby,” she said quietly.

“I miss you something desperate, too. Which is why, I think it’d be a very good idea for you to jump on a plane and meet me.”

“Meet you? When? Where?” She sat up straighter. Because of his busy schedule and her needing to work out her school transfer, they hadn’t planned to see each other again until she moved to Dublin.

“This weekend. We’ll be in New York City for the MTV Awards show. I told you about that, didn’t I?”

He had. He’d been giddy with the news that they’d be both performers and nominees. It was their first awards show and a big deal.

“I can have Jamie arrange a plane ticket for you, yeah? Come see me, darlin’. I need you.”

---