Page 27 of Meant To Be - Irresistible Bachelors

“I completely understand. That’s why I usually don’t leave the house for a month after I get back from my tours. I need time to recuperate,” she says.

“It can be hard being on the road nonstop. I’m just glad this time, I’m with you. Having you by my side makes it all much easier,” I confess.

“I feel the same way,” she says as she seizes my hand, holding it tightly in hers.

Her touch brings a smile to my face. Before, when I would go on tour, I would either spend my nights alone in a cold, lonely, king-sized bed, or I would be laid up with some random groupie, feeling just as cold as I did when I was in the bed alone. The rock star life seems glamourous, but it gets lonely quickly. I used to wish I could meet a woman half as amazing as Nikki.

All the ladies that came my way were only after one thing, though – fame. I thought I would never find love, but here it is, right in front of me. I still can’t believe how fast I’ve fallen for her, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything I’ve ever wished for is sitting right across from me on this cashmere couch. For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel lonely anymore.

“Being on this tour has helped me realize I still have a lot of fans out there,” I say.

“Of course you do! You’re a legend, Leo. Your music is timeless, and it still touches people all around the world,” she says.

“I even have a few new fans now, thanks to this tour,” I chuckle.

“Yeah, a bunch of teenage girls,” she giggles. “That is what’s so great about going on tour. You get to reconnect with your fans, and you even attract new ones.”

“You’re right. I forgot how revitalizing a tour can be for a musician’s career.”

“Yeah, it has it’s pros, but sometimes it feels like the cons outweigh them,” she muses as she stares at the floor.

Something is bothering her. I can see it in her body language.

“Something on your mind?” I ask.

“It’s my mom,” she says hesitantly. “I haven’t really told anyone, but she’s really sick. I hate that I have to be away from her for so long. Part of me wanted to cancel the rest of the tour so I could fly back home and be by her side, but she told me not to.”

“Nikki, I had no idea. Maybe we should cancel the rest of the tour,” I suggest.

“We can’t do that. It would disappoint all of our fans and be bad for both our careers. Besides, my mom doesn’t want me to do that,” she says.

“When’s the last time you spoke to her?” I ask.

“A few days ago. She called me pretty late and just wanted to see how the tour was going.” She pauses. “She used to come on tour with me, and we’d have so much fun together. My mom and I have always been close, and she has always been supportive of my career. Maybe it’s naive of me to wish this, but I want things to go back to the way they used to be before she got sick,” she cries, tears running down her cheeks.

I pull her in close and hold her in my arms.

“That’s not naive,” I say as I gently stroke her back.

“I just don’t know how much longer she has to live,” she sobs.

I hold her frame tighter and softly kiss her cheek.

I wish there was a way I could fix this for her; I hate seeing her in pain. It breaks my heart to hear her weeping and to see tears flowing down her face. I’m at a loss for words, and I can’t think of a thing to say to make her tears stop falling.

“I’m here for you, Nikki. I’ll help you get through this anyway I can. If you want to cancel the tour, we will. The fans will understand, and your mom is way more important than some tour.”

I wipe away her tears. She sniffles as she looks into my eyes.

“Thank you,” she says. “That really means a lot to me. We only have a month left of the tour, though, so we might as well just finish what we started.”

“Are you sure?” I ask.

She nods as she wipes away another tear.

“I’m so lucky to have you in my life,” she whispers.

I shake my head.

“No, I’m the lucky one. You have no idea how long it took me to finally find you. I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life alone, but then you came into my life. Now I know love really does exist,” I tell her.

“Do you really mean that?” she asks.

“Of course, baby. You’ve changed my life for the better,” I say.

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