Page 83 of Of Heartbreak and Harmony
“It’s almost ten, Savvy. Not everyone sleeps as late as you.”
“Do you see anyone else awake?” She arches a brow and gestures to the empty, quiet suite.
I shrug. She’s got me there. I don’t hear anything coming from Callie’s room, either. I should go knock, but I haven’t gotten to talk to Sav in a while. I close the distance between us and make sure to keep my eyes firmly on her face.
“How are you?” I ask, and her expression softens.
“Fine. How are you?”
“Fine,” I say with a laugh. “Anything new with your biggest fan?”
“No.” She shakes her head, and her eyebrows slant downward. “But it kind of freaks me out. The investigative team doesn’t think it’s Fieldman anymore.”
“What? Who the fuck else would it be?”
Sav’s had trouble with Dennis Fieldman a few times in the past. He once broke into her hotel room, and he was caught masturbating in her shower. The label wouldn’t let her press charges, and then two months later, he ended up going to prison for attempted armed robbery of a sex shop. The guy is a fucking creep.
Sav sighs. “There’s no shortage of gross men out there, Tor. It could be anyone. Hell, it could even be a woman. We just don’t know, and now that they’ve disappeared, our ways of finding out are limited.”
Her hands tighten around her biceps and her lips purse as she stares at the carpet. I want to comfort her. I want to make this all go away. We’re not together anymore, but I still love her. I still want her to be safe and happy. Sav is my fucking family. She used to be my best friend. Seeing her like this and being able to do nothing to fix it? I fucking hate it.
“We’ll get him, Savvy. We will. It will be over soon.”
She sniffles, her eyes glossing over with a shimmer of tears before she frowns and blinks them away.
“I’m just scared,” she admits, her voice shaking slightly. “And I’m tired. And I miss Levi and Brynn. Everything feels so ominous. Like, sure, the stalking seems to have stopped for now, but what happens at the end of these three months? What happens when the PR relationship ends? Do I just wait around until it starts back up again? I fucking hate feeling like I’m in limbo. I just wish things could be fucking normal for once.”
I reach out and rest a hand on her shoulder. I squeeze gently and then rub, resisting the urge to pull her body against me in a comforting embrace. I wait until she makes eye contact before I speak.
“Sorry to break it to you, Sav Loveless, but thisisyour normal. You’re arguably one of the most famous celebrities in the world. You lost your opportunity for a boring life a long time ago.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Do you ever wish we couldrewind and undo it all? Sometimes I think boring sounds like it could be nice.”
“Sometimes,” I say honestly, then my lips turn up into a small smile. “But then we play a show and I’m reminded that there’s no way I could do anything else. If I wasn’t playing with the band—with you—I’d be worse than bored. I’d be purposeless. Chaos is a fair trade for purpose, Savannah. At least I think so, anyway.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think you’re probably right.”
Sav sighs, then catches me off guard by wrapping her arms around my waist in a tight hug. I don’t hesitate to return it, but for a split second, I brace myself for a rush ofsomething. Lust or longing or that deep, deep ache of unrequited love. I wait with bated breath, my muscles stiffening, my heart racing, prepping for any kind of unwelcomed emotional invasion. But when nothing happens, my shoulders relax, and I pull her tighter against me.
I feel no hunger or desire. I feel no loss or heartache. Nothing impure or unwanted.
I only feel comfort, the love you have for a close friend, and relief.
So much fucking relief that I almost sway on my feet from the rush of it.
“We’re going to be okay,” I say quietly, resting my chin gently atop her head, and I hear her laugh into my chest.
“Thank god. But fuck, man, it would be nice if someone stalked one of you for a change. I’d like to be left alone.”
I open my mouth to say something smart-assed, but the sound of a door opening behind me has me releasing Sav and turning around instead.
Sav lets out a low whistle. “Wow, smokeshow. You’re looking good. Very classy.”
Callie forces a stiff smile. “Thanks. It was in the closet.”
The simple green and white polka-dotted dress looks amazing on her. It has a sweetheart neckline, flares out at her waist, and reaches just below her knees. She looks gorgeous despite the uncomfortable rigidity of her spine.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her, closing the distance between us. “Perfect for what I have planned.”
