Page 137 of Just Wait

Fuck that.

I’ll just politely tell her no.

Can we even break up if we never officially had a conversation about being together?

Goddammit.

I’ve never been broken up with.

That streak can’t end with the one chick that I really like.

“Come sit next to me,” Lumen says, patting the edge of the stage where she sat down as the guys left.

I frown, walk over, plant my hands on the stage, and push myself up. She was already up there, so it was easier for her to sit, but hopefully she enjoys the show with all my muscles on display.

“Please don’t break up with me,” I blurt out, turning to face her.

“What?”

“I like you,” I say quickly. “I’ve never been broken up with, mostly because I’ve never actually dated anyone, but I don’t want to start now.”

“This isn’t a breakup conversation.” She reaches over, pats my thigh, and grimaces. “Okay, it is, but not⁠—”

“I know you and Kincaid hooked up,” I blurt out. “I don’t mind. It’s totally fine. I want you to build a relationship with all three of us.”

“Whoa.” She pulls her hand from my leg to hold her palms out. “I just got out of a relationship. Let’s cool it with the relationship talk.”

“Goddammit,” I whisper. “I’m fucking this all up. Just say what you need to say.”

“I got an offer from the label,” she says, swallowing thickly. “It’s really good. Like, way better than I ever thought possible, but there’s a catch. If I sign it, I’ll have to offer them any songs I create for the next two years…” She goes on to explain that she won’t have to take their offer, but Ruined Records will essentially get first dibs at anything she creates.

“Okay, so take the deal,” I say, shrugging.

There’s no reason why she shouldn’t. It’s a great opportunity. If they like that album, she might be able to work with the label for more.

“I won’t be able to help you work on ‘When The Time Comes’ if I take the deal,” she says, frowning. “I mean, I could, but we couldn’t tell anyone.”

“We need to talk, baby doll.” I slide my arm under her knees while the other weaves around her back. Lifting her, I turn her until she faces me.

She tries to kneel, but I bet the stage is uncomfortable because she wraps her legs around me. It puts all her weight on my lap, which I love. I’ve noticed she tries to hold herself up whenever she’s on top of me, and we need to find a way to put an end to that bullshit.

I might be skinny, but I’m stronger than I look.

We’ll have to address that later, though.

“There’s no reason to lie,” I tell her. “That could have turned into a real mess with Tangled Desires. Even if you sign and have to offer any songs to the label, you said it yourself—you don’t have to accept their offer. I don’t know why we would decline for ‘When The Time Comes.’ I’m signed to Ruined. If we can make killer music, and you can earn an income from it, I’m all for it.”

Her head tilts as she blinks repeatedly. Her mouth opens, but no words come out.

“I’m just saying, being sneaky never gets you anywhere,” I say, hoping she understands what I mean. “We can tell Benji we’re working on a song. We have lawyers who will negotiate with the label and figure out the rest. Don’t stress.” I squeeze her hips.

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It kinda is.” I smirk. “There are people way smarter than me that we keep employed to ensure everything is done by the books. Now, let’s talk about something more interesting.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “How was your night with K?”

“Wow.” She laughs. “You are nosy.”

“Yup,” I agree, nodding. “Give me all the details.”