Page 104 of The Perfect Melody

A couple of minutes later we’re kicking off our shoes in my hallway before heading through to the living room to collapse onto the sofa.

“I’m so proud of you,” I tell Cassie as she curls up against my side.

“Really?”

“Of course. What you did today was incredibly brave.”

“You don’t think I should have done it sooner?”

“No. Hey, listen to me.” I tilt her chin up so she’s looking me in the eye. “Do I wish you’d been able to part ways with your mother sooner? Yes. But that’s only because I know how miserable she made you. I’m not judging you for waiting until you felt safe enough to leave.”

She toys with the bottom of her t-shirt where it’s gathered in a knot. “I think maybe I’m judging myself.”

“Not on my watch. You didn’t have the support system in Nashville that you do here—Miranda made sure of that.”

“I guess.”

“There’s no guessing about it, Trouble. You are one of the strongest people I have ever met. It takes courage to do what you did. You left the city you lived in for your entire adult life so far to come somewhere completely new. When you crashed into the outdoor seating at Bowman’s, you could have taken the easy way out right then and there. You could have used your card to pay for all the damages and walked away, but you didn’t. Even when I was being an arse and making your life difficult, you kept your secret and kept going. I admire you.”

“You know the only reason I didn’t use my cards was so my moth—Mirandacouldn’t find me, right? I’m rich. Like, ‘fuck you’ money rich. I’m not obnoxious about it, but I’m also going to enjoy the fact that I can afford nice things.”

“As you should.” At her look of surprise, I chuckle softly. “What, you thought I expected you to keep acting like you were skint?”

“Maybe.”

“Fuck no. It’s your money, do whatever you want with it.”

A bubble of laughter escapes her. “I can’t believe I can—do whatever I want, I mean. I’m free.”

The awestruck wonder in her voice cracks my chest open. “That’s right. Whatever you do next is completely up to you.”

“I might have already thought about that,” she admits.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Not… not anything concrete, but when I started thinking about staying, I came up with a loose plan.”

“I’d love to hear it—if you’re ready to share, that is.”

“There’s a house for sale a little outside of town. I think I… I want to buy it.”

“The one that backs onto the flower farm?”

She perks up instantly. “You know it?”

“Yeah. It’s got good bones, but that place has been vacant a long time—it will need a lot of updates.”

“I already thought of that,” she replies, a flicker of her usual fire back in her eyes. “I’m going to rent something while I have the place completely remodelled—it’s big enough that there will be space for a recording studio.”

“You’re going to make another album then?”

She smiles in a self-deprecating way. “I was fooling myself thinking I could ever leave music behind. Music was never the problem. I’m going to keep my stage name, but that’s going to be the only difference between me and Melody Night moving forward. I’m going to make my music my way.”

Cassie props her head up on her hand, her baby-blue gaze meeting mine with a vulnerability that catches me off guard.

“Maybe… when the house is ready… you could live there with me? I checked, and it’s not any further from Bowman’s than this place and?—”

I stop her rambling with a kiss. Her soft lips part in surprise, and I take full advantage of the situation, slipping my tongue inside her mouth to dance with hers. Cassie releases a soft moan, reaching up to tangle her fingers in my hair.