Love At The Bluebird

by Aurora Rose Reynolds

  My head whips around back to Sosie, panic starting to fill me at what she’s implying. “When did you see Aly?”

  “I just saw her downstairs a couple minutes ago, bawling her eyes out. She told me you two were together. Why would she think that?” Sosie and I stare at each other before we both look over at Tori, whose evil smile confirms she’s behind Aly thinking we slept together.

  “What the fuck did you say to her?” I slowly move toward her, ready to haul her ass out of here, but not before she tells me what she did.

  She stands up from the couch and slips her feet into her high heels. “I didn’t want to be rude and let your guest think you weren’t home, so I opened the door and told her you were in the shower. I can’t help she assumed we slept together when she saw I was only wearing my bra and underwear.” The smug look of satisfaction on her face causes me to stop thinking rationally. I rush toward her and grip her arms hard, wanting to shake that fucking look off her face.

  “If one bruise is noticeable on me, I will tell everyone you assaulted me in the shower.” As if her words were fire to my skin, I let her go, choosing to not waste my time on her any longer.

  “You think anyone would believe you?” I snort at her and enjoy seeing her smile falter. “Your word doesn’t mean shit in this industry anymore. You’ve tainted everyone and everything you’ve touched. Your fans will soon follow.” I mentally count to ten while I walk to the door and open it for her to leave. “I’m done with you and your father. Find yourself another songwriter. Now get the fuck out of here.” I smile coldly at her, despite my temper being held together by a very thin thread.

  She walks up to me and has the audacity to caress my cheek before saying, “See you around, lover,” and walks out. I slam the door after her, wrap my hands around the back of my neck, and look up at the ceiling to gain my composure.

  “That girl is straight up delusional,” Sosie says softly after we stand there in silence for a few moments.

  I inhale deeply and close my eyes, wishing that today was just a bad dream. But it wasn’t and my first priority needs to be saving my relationship. I exhale out a shaky breath and start walking to my bedroom to get dressed. “I need to find Aly.”

  “Maybe you should give her some time. She was in pretty bad shape when I saw her.” Sosie follows me into my room and sits on my bed while I get dressed inside my walk-in closet.

  “In this situation, time will only make things worse. I just can’t believe she would think I would cheat on her like that.” I shake my head at the thought, not understanding why she would for one second think I would not only cheat on her, but go back to someone as despicable as Tori. Then again, I thought she was only with me for a promotion. Fuck!

  “Let’s play role reversal for a second, Gavin. How would you feel if right after a fight with her, you show up on her doorstep and a hot, half-naked man, who happens to be her ex-boyfriend, answers the door and tells you she’s in the shower?” She raises a questioning eyebrow at me, knowing full well how I would react.

  I would punch his fucking lights out and never talk to her again, assuming the worst.

  “You’re right. Thanks for the reality check, Sos.”

  “You’re welcome—that’s my job.”

  I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me, because she’s the queen at making sure I eat my slice of humble pie and admit when I’m wrong.

  “Where do you plan on starting your search for her?” she asks while I finish getting ready. “I doubt she went back to work.”

  “If she isn’t at home or work, then I don’t know where she would be. Maybe Shane knows. She would’ve had to call in and tell him she’s not coming back, and if she didn’t, he would’ve called me asking if I know where she is.” I don’t want to call Valerie or Willow and worry them in case they don’t know what’s happening yet. I think Shane would be my best bet to start off with. If I can’t get a hold of him, then I will just camp out at her place until she comes home.

  “I can call him right now if you want?” Sosie offers, and I can tell she wants to find Aly just as much as I do.

  “No, I’ll call Shane.” I come out of my closet dressed and place a couple suitcases on the bed. I reach for my keys and cell phone off my nightstand and put them in my jeans pockets. “I need you to start packing up my stuff for me while I’m gone. I can’t stay here any longer. Once I find Aly, I will call you so you can meet me down at the police station.”

  Sosie’s eyes widen in surprise. “You are seriously going to the police?” she asks in disbelief.

  “Abso-fucking-lutely. I’m going to file a report about her breaking into my place and get a restraining order against her.”

  Sosie gets off the bed, throws her arms around my waist, and squeezes. Hugs are a rare commodity from Sosie, so I take what I can get and hug her back. It only lasts a couple of seconds, and she releases her hold on me.

  “I’m proud of you, Gav. It might get ugly with the Langstons, but you’re doing the right thing.”

  “I appreciate that, Sos,” I tell her while ruffling her hair, and that annoyed expression of hers that I love comes back on her face. “I refuse to let anyone manipulate me for the good of my career. I know I’ll be just fine.” I give her a tentative smile and nod toward the bed where the suitcases are. “Thanks in advance for helping me pack. I’ll call you as soon as I find Aly.”

  “Good luck!” she calls after me. I briskly make my way out of the apartment and run to the elevators. As soon as the doors close after me to take me downstairs to the garage, I call Shane.

  “You have some nerve calling me, asshole,” he growls into the phone, answering my question if he’s heard from Aly or not.

  “Shane, I didn’t sleep with that psychopath! She broke into my house while I was showering. Aly just happened to show up after she did and assumed the worst, which Tori led her to believe.” I go straight to the point, not wanting to waste any more time on the discussion of Tori. “I plan on filing a police report and getting a restraining order against her after I find Aly.”

  “Are you kidding me with this? Actually, this does sound very much like something Tori would do. Ugh, why am I believing this nonsense?” Shane says with an exasperated sigh. “Seriously, this stuff is even too crazy for Jerry Springer!”

  “Where’s Aly, Shane?” I try not to sound too demanding while I start my car and drive out of the garage, but I’d rather have a clear idea of where I’m going than drive around without a clue.

  “I don’t know if I want to tell you. She told me the whole story, and yes, she should’ve told you and me about Kathleen’s proposition when it happened, but you should’ve never believed Aly would use you for her career.” I let him chastise me without interruption, because he’s right, and I need to hear it come from someone other than Sosie.

  “You’re right, Shane, and I do believe she would never do that. I handled it poorly, and because I needed time to think, the situation has now gotten worse.”

  “It sure has! Do you know she quit her job for you? Because I’m still having a hard time dealing with that.”

  “What?” I practically run off the road from the shock of the news. I pull over into an office parking lot to try to calm my racing heart.

  Aly quit BLM?

  “That’s right, you big Texas jerk! She thought quitting her job would prove her loyalty to you. If you would’ve believed in her when she first told you, none of this shit would’ve happened!”

  Even though he’s yelling at me, I’m not listening to a word he’s saying as my heart breaks at what I’ve caused her to do.

  “Shane!” I yell back, interrupting his next tirade against me. “Tell me where she fucking is! I need to make this right.”

  Silence is his response back to me as he contemplates whether to tell me or not.

  “You better not make me regret this,” he warns before telling me. “She’s at Radnor Lake. It’s her favorite place to go to decompress from stress.”


  I smile at how funny fate works, because Radnor Lake is one of my favorite places to go hiking in Nashville, and Aly doesn’t even know that about me yet.

  “She always parks by the visitor center. Her favorite bench is off of Lake Trail.”

  “Thanks for believing me, Shane. It means a lot to me,” I tell him sincerely. From what I know of Shane, he’s extremely loyal. I have no doubt it was hard for him to tell me where she is.

  “Don’t make me track you down and kill you,” he warns, his tone making me chuckle.

  “I promise you I won’t.” I tell him goodbye and drive straight to Radnor Lake, determined to win my baby back.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ALY

  I SIT ON my favorite bench with my eyes closed, concentrating on my breathing while I listen to the sounds of the glorious nature around me. I count to six as I breathe deeply in and then slowly exhale out, letting my whole body flow with that breath for eight seconds. I open my eyes and take in the most breathtaking view of Radnor Lake.

  Not many people know about my love for this park and how I have a special spot here. I’ve been coming here since I was sixteen, this being the only place I can find refuge in when life turns sad, stressful, or ugly. This bench has absorbed many of my tears, and I deem it my own little sanctuary. Time seems to stand still here, and although I know I haven’t been here long, it feels like hours. I shut off my phone after I told Shane what happened and knew I needed peace and quiet. Being here, breathing in the fresh air, and being surrounded by nature helps clear my mind so I can reflect rationally on what transpired today.

  After the initial shock of it all wore off, I was able to replay the entire scene back in my head. I technically don’t know if Gavin really cheated on me with Tori, since I didn’t physically see him. Just because he was taking a shower doesn’t mean anything happened between them. Gavin doesn’t seem to be the kind of man who goes chasing skirts every time he and his significant other have a fight. Especially getting back together with the person he claims he despises.

  He loves you, Aly. You know he wouldn’t do that to you, my heart screams at me, but how do you explain Tori being in his apartment?

  Gavin’s the only one who knows the truth, and there’s only one way to find out. I reach into my purse and pull out my phone. I turn the phone back on and take a couple more deep breaths while I wait for it to reboot. I keep the phone on vibrate, so its notifications don’t disturb the quietness of nature.

  After a couple more moments, I look at my phone to see missed calls and texts messages from Shane and Sosie. At first, I’m disappointed to see there’s nothing from Gavin, but then my heart starts to race while reading the missed texts. I smile through tears of happiness as both Shane and Sosie tell me what Tori did and how it was all a misunderstanding.

  A new text appears from Shane while I finish reading his old ones.

  Shane: Don’t be mad at me. He’s coming for you, baby girl. I love you!

  I would never be mad at Shane for telling Gavin where to find me, because if Shane’s willing to give up that information, then that only means he believes Gavin is innocent.

  Just like I knew he was.

  A calming peace comes over me as I realize everything is going to be okay. This is just a bump in our journey together. We’ll have more, but as long as we stick together, we’ll always come out stronger.

  I sit alone for a little bit longer until I hear the sounds of footsteps coming closer to me. I don’t have to look to know it’s Gavin, because my body is buzzing with that familiar anticipation. I keep my gaze straight ahead until he’s standing before me. He kneels down so that we’re eye-to-eye, his hands covering mine, and we stay that way while we stare into each other’s souls. I start taking snapshots of him in my mind, hoping to never forget the beauty of this moment with the lake behind him and love radiating from his eyes at me.

  “Baby.” His voice starts off gruff, and he clears his throat to start over. “Darlin’, I’m so sorry about everything that happened today.” He starts rubbing his hands over mine, and I briefly close my eyes to bask in their warmth. “I hope you know I would never in a million years disrespect you by being with someone else while we’re together. What you saw today was Tori breaking into my apartment and her letting you believe we had sex.”

  I open my eyes back up to look at him. His eyes pleading with me to accept his apology. I gently place the tips of my fingers over his mouth, not needing him to say another word about it.

  “I believe you,” I whisper.

  He closes his eyes and moans in relief before kissing my fingers. I move my hand away from his mouth and lightly caress his cheeks and jawline. He opens his eyes and leans his head into my hand.

  “I know you would never betray me, baby, and I’m sorry for my hotheaded reaction this morning. I promise to work on not letting my past dictate us in the future, but, darlin’, you didn’t have to quit your job to prove yourself to me.”

  “You’re worth it, Gavin. I would quit it a thousand times over if it eliminates any doubts you have about me.” I look tenderly into his eyes and can see how sorry he truly is.

  “I have zero doubts about you, Alyson. You’re my fucking everything. You’ve become part of my heartbeat, and knowing I caused you so much pain today has wrecked me.”

  His words cause my breath to hitch. I grab his face and kiss him with everything I have. “I love you so much, Gavin,” I pant in between kisses, his tongue assaulting my senses like it always does.

  He looks me in the eyes as he says, “And I love you, Aly.” He kisses me one more time and decides to sit down on the bench, demanding I get up to sit on his lap. I sit across his lap, with my legs out in front of me on the bench, and we hold each other while we look out at the lake.

  “So, what’s next?” I ask after sitting in compatible silence for a while.

  He takes a strand of my hair and wraps it behind my ear before kissing the tip of my nose. “We go to the police station to file a report and press charges against Tori. We will also be requesting a restraining order.” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but I’m beyond happy he’s going to take action against her. “Once that’s taken care of, we pack up my place and I become a permanent resident of your house.” I raise an eyebrow at his bossiness, and he gives me a sheepish smile, with that dimple I so love popping out. “That is, if it’s okay with you?”

  I kiss his dimple and rest my forehead against his. “What are we waiting for?” I ask with a smile. I get up from his lap and hold out my hand.

  He chuckles as he stands up and laces his fingers through mine. We walk hand in hand back to our cars, ready to start the next chapter of us.

  Epilogue

  GAVIN

  5 months later

  I TAKE IN the sea of bodies standing in front of me and marvel at the fact that all these people, from all over the world, are standing in this frigid cold weather on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, listening to me sing. With the stage lights in my eyes, I can’t see all of them, but I know thousands of them are there, and I want to make sure they have a damn good time.

  I look over at Aly to gauge the crowd’s reaction, and she’s nodding her head at me, giving me a thumbs-up and mouthing I love you. She looks stunningly beautiful, her black faux-fur headwrap accentuating her whiskey eyes and porcelain skin, and I can’t wait to bring in the New Year with her.

  Goddamn, I’m a lucky bastard.

  When I got the invitation to perform during the live New Year’s Eve broadcast, I decided we needed to spend our holidays together in NYC. We arrived the day before Christmas Eve, doing all the tourist attractions, walking everywhere, shopping, and eating copious amounts of food. Sosie and Valerie joined us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day then flew home together the following day. I could’ve had Sosie stay longer, but I wanted alone time with Aly. I know all of our families are back home watching, and tonight is going to be just another monumental night in our adventures together. Life wit
h Aly has been a dream come true, and I thank God every day for bringing me this angel.

  This opportunity to sing tonight has just been one of the many doors that have opened my way. When Atticus Langston heard what his daughter had done, he tried to once again buy my silence. Instead, I negotiated for him to let me out of my contract early after the album released and I wouldn’t press charges. The restraining order was non-negotiable, and she’s not allowed to come within twenty feet of me and Aly. My debut album did so well that I was able to get picked up by another reputable record label and am currently working on my next album for them. An album that is filled with songs inspired by Aly.

  Aly being out of a job was the perfect opportunity for her to become my manager. She refused the job at first, but with much convincing and multiple orgasms within a forty-eight-hour timespan, she finally said yes. I have the dream team now, with her and Sosie always being at my side.

  I finish up my set and wave to the crowd before being rushed off the stage during the commercial break. I was fortunate to be the last performer before the ball drops, so after the commercial, Aly and I will help start the countdown on live television.

  “Mr. McNeer, you have thirty seconds before you need to stand at your mark,” one of the producers tells me. I nod at them and go over to get Aly.

  “Oh my God, it’s so cold!” she says against my lips while I kiss her. I’ve got her wrapped in my arms, and I start to rub my hands up and down her back to warm her up. “Can we go back to the hotel now?”

  “Not yet, darlin’. We get to help with the countdown.” I grab her gloved hand and start pulling her to where we need to stand.

  “Wait, I don’t need to be on live television!” She tries to pull her hand out of my grasp, but I just hold on tighter.

  “Baby, this is our first New Year’s together, and not many people get to celebrate it in Times Square! You are not depriving me of my New Year’s kiss,” I tell her while throwing my arm around her shoulders to help lead her where the cameras are. I introduce her to Seth Ryan, the famous television personality who is hosting the live event. We stand on our marks and watch as the cameraman counts down with his fingers and points to us when we’re live.