Page 21 of Dark Notes

With a soft smile, she speaks quietly, “Yes.”

I rise, and pull her off the sofa and her into my arms, and kiss her on the forehead.

“Where are we going? Am I dressed okay?”

I chuckle softly. “To my room, baby. I want to be alone with you, and if we go to a restaurant, I’ll be interrupted every five minutes for an autograph.”

I put my arm around her shoulder and pull her in close to me, as we walk out the door. We make it out to the bus, which is surrounded by screaming fans waiting, and she makes a face when she sees the picture of the sexy woman on the side of the bus.

“Really?” she pouts, and it should be annoying, but on her it’s adorable.

“Don’t be jealous, filthy girl. She has nothing on you.”

She slaps me on the chest. “Shut up.”

Normally, I’d stop and sign a few autographs, but right now, she’s the only thing on my mind. I feel like I’ve waited a damn lifetime for her, and I can’t handle a few more minutes.

We walk onto the bus, and my bandmates stare at her with matching expressions of disbelief.

“Guys, this is McKinley.”

She waves awkwardly. “Hi.”

None of us are ever speechless, but suddenly the guys in my band are. Chances are they didn’t think I’d ever get her. I was beginning to have doubts myself.

“Sit here.” I point to the two seats together near the front, and when she does, I climb in beside her.

“How often do you fly, and how often do you take the bus?”

I shrug. “It depends. If we can drive and make it on time, we try to. If it’s overseas, of course, we fly. And sometimes we can’t make it to the show on time if we don’t fly. We probably drive seventy percent of the time, if I had to guess.”

She nods, and I can see the wheels turning in her brain, but she doesn’t say anything for a few minutes, but then I figure out where her mind is when she finally does.

“Where are you going next?”

She turns her head to the window and stares outside, like it holds the answers to all of life’s questions.

“Santa Fe.”

She swallows hard. “Okay, maybe I can go with you, and then I’ll get a flight back home from there. Would that be alright? If not, I can leave from here. Yeah, that’s probably better. I’m so-”

“Baby, stop.”

She nods like she understands what I’m trying to say, but she most definitely doesn’t.

“You’re right. Let’s not make a big deal out of things. I’ll see you when I see you.”

I watch her pull on the bottom of her shirt and I swear I can see the spiraling. She is second guessing everything, and I will not fucking allow it.

“McKinley, can you breathe now, please?”

She gazes at me while I shake my head at her. “Do you really not get it? You aren’t going home to that fucking house with him. I want you with me.”

“I can’t stay, Jagger. You have a job. I don’t. I need to go home and find something.”

“Why don’t you have a job?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “He fired me. I can’t say that I blame him.”

---