Page 122 of Beautiful Distraction

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how the saying goes, and it suredoesn’t fit the context,” I say, annoyed that, yes, he’s been pretty good atpersuading me, and I didn’t even notice. “Kellan, we’re not getting marriedjust because you feel the need to get your way with me.”

“Okay,” he says, nodding.

I narrow my eyes because I don’t trust him. He’s never beenone to give up easily. “Okay? Just like that?”

“Sure. Whatever you say, baby.” His lips find mine in asweet kiss that soon turns not so sweet after all, as his hands begin to roamover my ass and travel places.

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EPILOGUE

Two years later

If I had known that my first meeting with Kellan would befollowed with the loss of his sister, I would have accepted his first offersooner and ignored my mind harder, if only to join him faster. If only to easehis mourning. It’s clear that her death made him face his own demons andquestion his own beliefs, that she is the reason for the immense change in hislife.

It’s a slow process. Healing can take time, but I’m patientand confident.

While he doesn’t blame himself for her death anymore, Istill sense his regret for not being home when she was here.

I would have loved to meet Clara. I think we would havebonded. And it’s thanks to her that Kellan’s life is where he wants it to be.

He’s different now compared to the first time we met. The arroganceis almost gone. Left behind is a caring, down-to-earth, and committed man. Hesays that’s who he was before he became famous. I don’t know if that’s true.All I know is that I love him and I don’t miss K. Taylor one bit.

Today marks the day we first met in front of Club 69. Imight have only known him for two short years, but he and Mandy are the peopleI trust the most. He’s closer to me than anyone’s ever been.

More than my parents. Even more than my best friends.

If someone had told me Kellan would change my life for thebetter, I would have laughed. In so many ways, I changed too.

As it turned out, there was never a question of whether Iwanted to quit my old life. Things would have turned out the way they haveanyway:

The moment the lines were back on and I switched on myphone, I received anicevoicemailfrom my boss from Hell, in which TB declared me fired for switching off myphone. Apparently, by being caught in a storm, I was violating one of theclauses in my work contract, which stipulated that I was to be available to herat all times.

My parents didn’t even notice I was away. They were too busywith their own lives and work at the orchestra, so they didn’t even pretend tomiss me when I told them about moving to Montana.

During their one-week vacation, Mandy had invited Josh tocome to NYC and stay with us in our tiny apartment, as if it wasn’t already toocrowded. Apparently, it sort of clicked between them and they were dating. So,moving back there wasn’t even an option. I mean, no one wants to be the thirdwheel, right?

Last but not least, after the hurricane alert, my landlordpanicked and decided to double our rent, in spite of the fact that a pipe hadburst during our vacation. So I paid my share, thanked TB for the workexperience, sent my parents an email to inform them of my new address, thentied up all loose ends, packed my bags, and moved to Montana.

That’s where I’ve now been for almost two years. Kellan’sfamily and friends have become my home.

So, no, I don’t regret the change. As it turns out, trustyour heart because she knows better.

Kellan was the right decision, the right choice.

I love my new life.

While I still love to help Kellan with the farm every oncein a while, he does have people who do most of the work. I’ve become afreelance journalist and earn good money. (You hear that, TB? You can shovethat job up your tiny ass.)

I haven’t been to NYC in a long time, and at first, Ithought I would miss it, but I don’t. I don’t miss it at all. I had been so engrossedwith my work that I forgot how to breathe, to live in the moment, to not takepeople around me for granted. Stripped bare of all the things that come withworking for someone like TB, I recognize how stressful my life had been. Itmakes me wonder how much pressure Kellan was under when he was on tour. I haveno doubt that sooner or later, he would have turned into an addict like Rock,or suicidal like Casper.

As to Kellan’s previous life, his music company spun asensational story that he was fired. Apparently something about him being hardto work with.

The lie annoys me to no end, but Kellan says it’s okay.

Just as expected, the news that K. Taylor was no longer thelead singer of Mile High resulted in a mass panic among the female population.Rumors started to circulate that he had checked into rehab like Rock, that hehad OD’ed, that he had disappeared from the surface of the earth—all nottrue, obviously.

Kellan didn’t seem the least bothered about all the wildspeculation. Maybe it was all pretense, or maybe he really didn’t give a damn.He says his previous life is nothing but a past chapter in a long book.

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