Page 105 of The Perfect Melody

“Wait,” she pants. “Is that a yes?”

“Of course it’s a yes. In case you haven’t noticed, I would do just about anything for you.”

Her expression softens even as she teases, “Careful, Boss. What if I take advantage of you?”

Rolling onto my back, I use my grip on Cassie’s waist to bring her with me until she’s draped over my front. “Take whatever you want, Trouble.” I lift my head up just enough to nip at her bottom lip. “My body, my heart, my future. They’re all yours.”

This time when her lips meet mine, the kiss is full of promises she’s not yet ready to make. I don’t mind waiting. Cassie’s spent so much of her life living for other people. Whenever we take our next step, I want her to be a hundred percent certain it’s what she wants. I know she loves me. Everything else will come when the time is right for us. There’s no room for doubt or regret in our future—only hope.

Chapter Forty

Cassie

It’s beentwo full days since Miranda’s dramatic departure from Pine Grove, but I’ve experienced a lifetime’s worth of emotions in that time. Joy and relief that I’m finally free of her, but also sadness and anger over her not being a better mother. I think it will be a long time before I can truly wrap my head around everything that happened between us, but it’s something I’m going to work on unpacking in therapy.

At first, I was uncomfortable when Abby recommended her therapist—the appropriately named Angel—to me. Surely it would be weird to share a therapist with my boyfriend’s mum? Then Abby made it clear she doesn’t see Angel anymore, but that she found sessions with her an immense help after making the decision to fully hand over the running of Bowman’s to Austin last year. Knowing I need a healthy way of processing all of this beyond songwriting, I gave Angel a call and now we have our first official appointment set up for Tuesday two weeks from now. It’s scary, but it’s another step towards the future I want for myself.

Beyond connecting me with Angel, Austin’s mum has been incredibly supportive since finding out the truth. She came by Austin’s house on Wednesday morning to see how we weredoing after she had to cover for him at Bowman’s the day before with no explanation why. Any worries Abby was upset with me were banished by the end of her visit. The next day she texted me saying she’d streamed all my albums, then proceeded to list her favourite songs from each one. It was weird having a mother-figure be so supportive of my work. I might have cried. Austin looked like he was about to commit murder when he came home to find me sobbing on the sofa on Thursday evening until he realised I wasn’t crying because someone had upset me but because I was feeling too much and my emotions had nowhere else to go.

Speaking of emotions, mine are a mess once again, as I stand outside Beans & Bakes, too afraid to go in. When I messaged the group chat yesterday afternoon asking if we could all meet for coffee this morning instead of waiting for Monday, it seemed like I good idea. Now that I’m here, I regret not putting it off.

“Are we going inside or…?” Ant trails off, giving me some serious side-eye. He’s seamlessly stepped back into his role as my bodyguard. Luckily, his grandma is English, so he’ll be able to get an ancestry visa and continue working for me here. I worried he wouldn’t want to leave Nashville, but he’s excited for the change.

“I’m hyping myself up.”

“People have gone into combat with less preparation. Get your butt in there.”

“Ew. Don’t talk about my butt.”

Ant rolls his eyes. “You asked them to meet you, remember?”

“I know, but now I’m scared. What if they all hate me?”

“They don’t hate you.”

“How would you know?”

“I was there when you showed Bailey and Liam texts they sent when they found out you’re Melody, remember?”

“Right. I was agonising over waiting until Monday to clear the air with them, and then you were all, ‘Why wait? Ask them to meet up sooner’—now here we are. This is your fault.”

“Screw it, this is for your own good.” Then, my dear friend, the man who has been like a brother to me for the past four years of my life, pushes me inside.

My cursing draws the attention of several people. Or maybe it’s because everyone knows I’m Melody Night now. I’ve not really been out since what Liam’s started calling thebig reveal. Ant lays his hands on my shoulders, then turns me towards the tables in the window where my friends are gathered. Hm, I guess people could be staring because of the gigantic wall of muscle at my back. I’ve grown so used to walking around Pine Grove without security that it’s strange having Ant with me now. It’s going to take me and the locals a moment to adjust to his constant presence.

As if I’m walking towards the gallows, I trudge towards the women who helped make Pine Grove feel like home. Thanks to Ant’s ‘help’ with my entrance, their attention is already on me. An awkward silence greets me when I reach our usual spot by the window.

Unsure how to begin, I raise my hand in a little wave. Ant’s soft huff of amusement from over my right shoulder confirms that looked as uncomfortable as it felt.Great. Silence stretches between us as we all stare at each other. Well, they stare at me. I’m staring at a spot between Phoebe and Gem as if looking any of them in the eye might turn me to stone.

“God, this is painful,” Mei groans. “Please stop looking at us like we’re about to bite your head off and sit down.” Using her foot, she pushes out the chair next to her, inviting me to take my usual spot.

“Thank you.” I sit. Fidget with the pot of sugar packets in front of me. Drop my hands into my lap. “I’m sorry. For lying.For not telling you the truth myself. I wanted to, but then Molly posted the video of me at Bowman’s, and I didn’t get the chance.”

“Look, we might not understand what it’s like to be you, but we all know what it feels like to want to keep parts of yourself private. Nobody here is mad at you, I promise,” Erin assures me.

I look around the group as they all echo their agreement.

“We’re good. Fair warning though, I am going to bring up the fact that I mentioned how similar you and Melody Night are and you straight up denied it every time I want to win an unserious argument,” Mei chirps.