Page 93 of The Perfect Melody

“Austin, I?—”

“No, let me finish. Please.” Cassie nods, and I search for where I left off. “Right, so at first, I was hurt and confused. I, er, stayed up all night going down a Melody Night research rabbit hole,” I admit sheepishly. Cassie cringes but doesn’t say anything, letting me get through what I need to say. “After I calmed down a bit, I realised you’ve never truly hidden that part of yourself from me—the part that loves music. You might not have been upfront about your level of success, but after seeing the sheer number of results that come up when I searched for your stage name online, I can understand why.”

Cassie relaxes enough to take a sip of water, and I’m glad she no longer looks like she thinks I’m about to send her to the gallows.

Fiddling with the small piece of plastic in my hand, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Before we got together, I worried Pine Grove wouldn’t be enough for you. You’re youngand so fucking talented. Even after you told me you were thinking of staying, in the back of my mind I worried you’d regret it. I love this town, the people, and the slower pace of life, but I understand it’s not for everyone. Now I know that you’ve already lived the kind of life I was worried you might end up feeling like you were missing out on, I think I understand you better.”

I set the green plastic on the tabletop. Cassie’s coffee-brown brows pull together in confusion.

“I’ve never been great with grand gestures or pretty words. Knowing who you are now, I’m well aware there’s nothing I could get for you that you don’t already have, so I’ve decided not to go big. You left big and flashy behind for a reason. I think you came to Pine Grove looking for a home, even if you didn’t realise it at first. That’s what I’d like to give you—when you’re ready.” I nudge the green Monopoly house towards her. “I know it’s not much, but I?—”

“No, this is perfect,” Cassie’s voice cracks as she picks up the tiny house, her baby-blue eyes shining with emotion. “There’s nothing that you could have given me that’s moreyou.” She smiles softly and meets my gaze. “You used something you love to tell me you love me.”

“You’re supposed to let me actually say the words first.”

“When have I ever done what I’msupposedto do, Boss?”

Grinning, I shake my head. “Before you came into my life, whenever I thought of the future, all I thought about was what I wanted to achieve with the bar. Now when I look forward, I think about building a life with you because you’re right, I do love you. You challenge me, you inspire me, and you remind me to be present and have fun.”

Cassie stands and walks around the table to sit across my lap. Stroking my unruly copper waves from where they’ve fallen forward into my eyes, she replies, “I love you too.”

Our lips meet, and it feels like reaching dry land after being lost at sea. Her full lips and subtle curves soften my rough edges and hard angles. I hold on to her as if I never want to let go, and she kisses me like she could do it forever. Time loses all meaning as my focus narrows down until Cassie is all I see.

Eventually we come up for air, and Cassie rests her forehead against mine. “I know life with me won’t be as private as you’d like, but I promise to do everything I can to protect your peace.”

“We’ll make it work.” I tighten my grip, holding her closer. “What matters most is that we’ll be together. I won’t lie and say the idea of being perceived by millions of strangers on the internet doesn’t scare the shit out of me, but like you said last night, eventually they’ll get bored and move onto something else.”

I press a close-mouthed kiss on the side of her neck. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for you, people taking pictures of you everywhere you go and writing about you all the time. That level of constant scrutiny—I can see why you needed to get away from it all.” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I wet my lips, choosing my next words carefully. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but… in the interviews with you I watched… you didn’t seem like yourself.”

Smiling sadly, she sits up straighter but leaves her hands where they rest at the back of my neck. “That’s because I wasn’t allowed to be. When I was first starting out, I thought all the people around me telling me how to speak, act, and what to wear were doing it to help me. Some of them were. Most of them just wanted me to do whatever would make them the most money. I know music is a business, but it’s art too.”

Cassie adjusts her glasses, something I’ve noticed her do a few times when she’s nervous. “Don’t get me wrong, I know how lucky I am—I’ve had a level of success most people only dream of—but I got tired of pretending all the time. I couldn’t be myselfand I didn’t have any real friends. Even on days I didn’t have any scheduled appearances, if I left the house, I wasn’t allowed to wear anything that didn’t fit the princess image my team cultivated for me—all just in case someone photographed me. After a few scary encounters with fans, I had to hire a live-in bodyguard. Before coming here and being just Cassie, it wasn’t safe for me to go anywhere without him.”

“Should he be in Pine Grove with you now?” I ask, kicking myself for not considering that her walking around town alone could put her safety at risk.

My stomach churns. What if someone had recognised her when she performed at Bowman’s? I wouldn’t have had any idea what was going on. If Cassie had been rushed by a crowd, there’s no way I’d have been able to protect her. Even now I’m aware of who she is, I’m still not qualified to keep her safe against any real threat. Not that I think someone in Pine Grove would try anything untoward, but what if her fans find out she’s here? Some of them seem sweet, but there’s a worryingly large number of people online with a disturbing level of attachment to her. Even that small window into the darker side of fame is enough to make me shudder.

“I’ll fly him out in the next few days. That way, when I tell the girls at our coffee morning, he’ll already be here in case someone overhears and word spreads. His name’s Ant—I think you’ll like him. He’s as much of a stickler for the rules as you are.” She tugs her lower lip between her teeth. “He’s going to kill me when he finds out I’ve been living on my own here instead of staying with friends in London.”

“You’re planning to tell people so soon?”

She shrugs one shoulder. “Yeah. I want to make sure the girls hear it from me, and the longer I keep quiet, the more likely it is to come out on its own.”

“Secrets have a way of doing that,” I agree.

“Exactly. Better it comes from me instead of the internet. Plus, I think Mei’s already suspicious. Hopefully she doesn’t hate me for lying.”

“Nobody’s going to hate you. It might take them a minute to wrap their heads around it, but they’re all smart women—they’ll understand why you kept that part of your life secret at first.”

Cassie snuggles closer, laying her head on my shoulder. “I hope you’re right.”

Her stomach growls interrupting any further reassurances I may have given. When I stand with her in my arms, she squeaks, hooking her ankles together behind my waist.As if I would ever let her fall.

“What are you doing?”

I cross the room in three paces and set her on the countertop. “Making you dinner. If you’re up for it, I’d like to hear more about your life in Nashville and how you got into music.”

I don’t want to pry, but now I’m aware of this side of Cassie, I want to learn as much as I can. There’s no doubt in my mind that a high-profile life like hers looks very different from the outside compared to the harsh realities of living it. The more I know, the better I’ll be able to understand and support her.