Page 24 of Meant To Be - Irresistible Bachelors

She’s quiet again for a bit, then she sighs heavily.

“Don’t worry about me, Nikki. Just stay focused while you’re on tour,” she says.

“Mom, if there’s something wrong, then tell me. I have the right to know,” I remind her gently.

“Honey, there’s nothing you can do about it, so try not to think about it. We’ll discuss everything when you come back from your tour, but right now, you need to concentrate on your music,” she says.

Tears rush to my eyes as I assume the worst. I don’t want her to hear me cry because she’ll start crying, too.

A single, heavy tear streams down my cheek. I wipe it away and take another deep breath. I understand that she doesn’t want me to worry, especially since I’m all the way on the other side of the country, but keeping the truth from me only makes me worry more. I know she won’t tell me what’s going on until after the tour. She thinks she’s doing what’s best for me, but in actuality, she’s making it harder for me to go on stage every day.

I wish my dad were still alive so that I could rest in the knowledge that someone was taking care of her. But I’m all she has, and I’m thousands of miles away from her right now.

Maybe I should tell Rocky we need to cancel the rest of the tour because I need to be by my mom’s side. My fans would be disappointed, but it’s what’s best for my family. My mother is extremely ill, and it tears me up inside that I can’t be with her.

But if I cancel the tour, my fans won’t be the only ones disappointed. Leo’s will be too, and he’s been working so hard to make a comeback, I would hate to snatch that away from him. I’m so conflicted; I don’t know what to do.

“Maybe I should come home early. I can cancel the tour and come back home early,” I suggest.

“I don’t want you doing that,” my mom says adamantly.

“But Mom—” I begin.

“I mean it,” she interrupts. “You’ve worked hard to get this far in your career, and I’m so proud of you. I don’t want you to give up on your dreams because of me. Finish the tour, and I’ll see you when you get back. Okay?”

I hesitate because I don’t want to agree, but I have to. I don’t have any other choice. She won’t take no for an answer.

“Okay,” I nod reluctantly.

“Good. I love you with all of my heart, Nikki,” she says.

“I love you too, Mom,” I reply as tears run down my cheeks.

“I’ll talk to you soon, sweetheart. Goodbye.”

“Bye, Mom,” I say as I hang up the phone.

I grab some toilet paper off the roll and dab away my tears as I look in the mirror. I look just like my mom. I have her big brown eyes and her beautiful, curly hair. I finger-comb my strands as I stare at my reflection. Looking at myself is like seeing her standing right before me; I’m the spitting image of her.

I get why she doesn’t want me to cancel my tour, but I miss her and wish that I could hug her. But maybe it’s best if I don’t cancel it. A cancellation at this late date would be bad publicity, and my fans would be outraged.

And then there’s Leo. Cancelling the tour won’t only affect my career; it will affect his as well. Overall, I have to do what’s best for everyone, not just for me.

I open the bathroom door and flick the light off before tiptoeing back over to the bed and carefully climbing back in. I rest my head on Leo’s chest and wrap my arms around him, seeking his comforting presence. He shifts in the sheets as he slowly wakes up. He incoherently stares at me, then closes his eyes again as he engulfs me in his brawny frame.

I close my eyes as I listen to his heartbeat. The soothing rhythm drowns out the sound of all my worries. I snuggle closer to him and kiss his chest softly as I allow his embrace to calm me. I might not be able to cancel my tour, but at least I’ll have Leo here with me to keep me sane while I’m away from my mom.

10

Leo

“…never felt this way before. You see the true me, and you comfort me. You’re there for me when I need you…”

I stare into Nikki’s beautiful eyes as I strum my guitar. She places her hands on her headphones as she softly sings into the microphone. Her angelic voice sends chills down my back and enchants me. She’s like a siren, luring me in with the mesmerizing sound flowing from her lips – I can’t resist.

Emotions are flying between us in the sound booth, and it isn’t just because we’re recording our duet, “Always True,” together. The air is electric, and I think everyone in the studio can feel it. I can see Rocky out of the corner of my eye staring at us with his arms folded. He has to know that something is going on between us by now. We’ve been on tour together for the last month, and although we’ve done our best to keep our relationship a secret, there’s no denying the chemistry between us when we’re together.

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