Page 36 of Leah

“I hear your music from time to time,” I then said with a hopeful smile. I needed to make things better and judging by how relaxed he suddenly got by those words, I figured I was on the right track. “You’re wonderful. I love what you boys put out. I don’t think I can turn the radio on without hearing one of your songs.”

“It’s still crazy for me, too,” he said, smiling softly at me.

“And the videos!”

He cringed. “Oh, fuck, don’t get me started on the videos.”

I laughed. “As if I wouldn’t. They’re awesome. Your latest one with you singing in that café to that girl—”

“Stop,” he cut in, looking adorably embarrassed.

“Why?” I was tempted to poke him in the ribs if I wasn’t so scared of touching him. “You looked like you had some serious chemistry with that girl.”

“Probably because I imagined she was you.”

I balked. My insides literally seized as I tried to act casual. “Sure, you did.”

“Why do you think she looked like you so much?”

“She didn’t.”

He bit his bottom lip, resisting a grin. “Leah, she did.”

He was being serious, and I thought back at the video. I could only vaguely remember the girl because I’d been more focused on staring at him. If it was true… well, I didn’t know what to say either way.

Why was he even telling me this?

“Well, it was a very good song,” I told him. “I can see why you guys are huge.”

“I miss the quiet,” he murmured. “I didn’t expect us to hit it off so fast. I thought it’d be gradual. The record label rushed us along with the first album. I had some other stuff in my head I wanted to put down, but they weren’t interested.”

“Why weren’t they interested?”

“Because we were still hot off those videos.”

“Oh.”

“And now they’re trying to get us to push out another record. My brain’s dead.” He shook his head. “I can’t think.”

My brows furrowed. I stepped closer to him and thought about resting a friendly hand on his arm, but I resisted. “You need some inspiration.”

He turned his head to me, his blue eyes taking me in ravenously. “Youwere my inspiration,” he whispered. “I don’t think there’s a song on there that didn’t come from us, but you know that already, don’t you?”

My body heated, and I forced a nod. “Yeah.”

I’d read every lyric of every song of his, and I was able to connect the moments behind them without even thinking.

“I don’t hear words anymore, Leah,” he continued. “Not the way I did with you.”

I froze as he brought his hand up to me. His finger slowly slid down the side of my face, and the touch stirred something within me I hadn’t felt in an eternity. Carter looked at me desperately, and I blinked away the ache behind my eyes.

“Maybe…” Maybe what? Christ, I didn’t know. “Maybe…Molly will help you out with that now.”

Yes, remind yourself he’s with another girl. A lovely, dense, two-dimensional doll that’s famous for being famous.

He rolled his eyes, a fleeting look of irritation passing them. “I’m not in a relationship with Molly. What we had was over before it even began. I tried with her. I thought she was bright at first, but the more I got to know her, the more I realized the light may have been on, but nothing was really going on up there. Her mind’s an empty fucking place, filled with Prada bags and pumps.”

“So why is she here?”

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