Peyton and Brody busy themselves playing with a few toys that Sam brought over with them while I nervously pick at my fingernails. Sam’s been over nearly every day since school let out two weeks ago, and it’s been nice having her and the boys here so I don’t have to be alone.
Sam sets her coffee mug onto the table at the end of my couch. “London, have you decided if you’re going to go see Jared before he goes back on tour now that they’ve found Wicked White’s front man? I mean, that’s no secret that you’re still hung up on him.”
I shrug. “I’ve been trying to create some space between me and the Kraft boys. I don’t know if I should go talk to him. It feels too soon to run from Wes to Jared since the baby and everything.”
“You’ve been through a lot, and I’m sure Jared doesn’t want to push you to be with him until you’re ready, so he’ll wait. I have a feeling that guy isn’t going anywhere,” Sam says.
The phone rings, and my head snaps. “What if it’s Wes checking to see if I got these papers? I don’t know if I’m ready to talk to him just yet.”
Sam sighs while the phone continues to ring, but I don’t dare check the caller ID. “London, you love Jared. It’s no secret. We all know it. Wes knows it too. If you and Jared decide to get back together, it won’t shock anyone, especially not Wes. It’s time you finally make a decision about who you want to be with. I don’t want to see you go back to that sad sack who is still hung up on a man from the past. Either be with Jared or move on.”
I sigh. She’s right. My life is at a crossroads, and I need to pick a path to move forward on.
I reach over and pick the phone up. “Hello?”
“London, can I come over? We need to talk.” Jared’s voice makes me sit up a little straighter because it’s like a sign of fate.
I lick my lips slowly and then take a deep breath. I have the feeling my future is about to be given a clear path. “Okay. I’ll be here.”
The sound of car keys jingling in the background catches my attention before he says, “I’m on my way, then. See you in twenty minutes.”
He gives no further explanation as to what’s so urgent that he needs to come over here right away, and my mind goes crazy playing a million different scenarios of what’s about to go down.
Sam stares at me. “Wes?”
I shake my head as I set the phone back down, still wondering what’s going to happen when he gets here. “No, actually, that was Jared. He said we need to talk and he’ll be here soon.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Then that’s my cue to load up my heathens and split.”
When she stands, I wrap my arms around her and bury my face in her hair. “Thank you for being such an amazing friend to me. You always know just the right things to say.”
She pulls back and smiles. “Anytime. What are best friends for?”
Twenty minutes later there’s a knock on my door. I rush over, and the moment I open the door and see Jared, a rush of butterflies flutters in the pit of my stomach.
My eyes flit over his face, and I’m curious as to why he’s standing on my doorstep after us not having much contact other than his daily texts. “Is everything all right?”
Jared nods and then gives me a sad smile. “It’s fine. Can I come in?”
I push open the door. “Of course.”
Jared steps up and wraps me in a one-armed hug once he’s inside the door, but he seems so hesitant, like he’s trying to respect me and not overstep some boundary with me. “I’ve missed you.”
I squeeze him back, but his tone worries me, and I know he’s probably here to tell me good-bye. “I’ve missed you too.”
I walk into the living room and sit in the chair and motion to the couch, where I offer Jared a seat.
Jared clears his throat. “I know you said you needed space, and I don’t want to push you to talk to me before you are ready, but I needed to come here to tell you good-bye.”
My heart clenches because I knew this day was quickly closing in on us. I’m not ready for him to go yet. I don’t want to lose him again, but I can’t force him to stay and be with me. I’ve been keeping up with reports on his band while I’ve been at home. Every channel on TV has been running the story about the missing Wicked White front man.
“I heard they found Ace White,” I say.
He nods. “They found him in some dumpy trailer park in Ohio. The guy didn’t want to be found, that’s for sure.” He sighs. “I talked with my tour manager, Jane Ann, and she told me it was best if I come back to California, because as soon as Ace gets back, the label wants to throw us into the studio. They want to cash in on all this publicity, since Ace’s disappearance thrust the band into the limelight.”
“So are you leaving now . . . or tomorrow?” Selfishly I wish that the answer will be never, since I want more time with him so we can figure out whatever this thing is between us.
“My flight is tomorrow evening, but that’s what I’ve come to talk to you about.”
I lift my eyebrows. “Oh?”
“I want you to come with me.” My eyes widen, but he holds up his hand, palm out. “I know that sounds crazy, but just hear me out. You’re out on summer break, and I figured if you came with me, we’d have a couple weeks to spend together—just the two of us—at my place, getting to know each other again.”
“You still want to be with me—even after everything?” I ask.
Jared nods. “I know things are still raw, but I want you to know that I need you in my life. If you’re ready to move on, I want it to be with me. I’ve already explained my intentions to my brother. He knows that I still love you.” Jared reaches over and takes my hand in his. “I guess what I’m asking is if you’re willing to give me another chance at your heart.”
My heart thumps hard in my chest. This is what I’ve been waiting on for five years. I’ve missed him and what we had together so much.
“If you give me another shot, I swear I’ll do right by you. I’ll guard your heart every second of every day, and I promise I will never let you down again. You can count on me, London. I’m a changed man,” he pleads.
Jared’s eyebrows pull in, and a slight frown flickers across his face when I don’t immediately answer. This is a huge, life-changing decision, but when I stare into his eyes I see sincerity in them. He’s proved since he showed back up in my life that he’s changed—that he’s in control and has a better ability to deal with adversity and pain. He’s matured, and he’s become a man I can picture spending the rest of my life with.
The concern in his eyes chokes me up a bit. I’m sure waiting for my decision isn’t easy on him, but after what he put me through, he deserves to sweat it out while I make up my mind.
I stare at him, and a tear slips down my cheek. Jared is quickly by my side. The way he wraps his arms around me, pulling me in tight, makes me feel like he’s willing to be there to protect me forever. I cry harder as I worry that one day, just like Wes said, Jared will leave me behind again to go be some rock star, and I’ll be left here alone.
“Don’t cry,” he whispers and folds me into his arms even tighter. “I’ve got you.”
I cling to him like he’s my life raft on a sinking ship. “Promise me that I won’t lose you again, Jared, because you’re all I’ve got. I won’t make it through us splitting up again if I let you back into my heart.”
His fingers smooth down the hair on the back of my head. “You don’t have to worry about that, London. I won’t leave your side again. I swear it to you, and I mean that.”
“Please don’t ever break that vow,” I say as I burrow myself against him.
Jared pulls back and cradles my face in both of his hands. “I swear it. I’ll be here for you until I take my last breath on this earth. I’ve learned my lesson about staying away from you. You are everything to me, London. I know I have a crazy way of showing it, but you are and always have been. I spent five long years without you, and I know that being away from you is something I never want
to go through again. You make me a better man, and no matter what life throws at us, I’ll stick by your side and keep my fucking temper in check because I never want to do anything that fucks this up,” he whispers.
He pulls me in for a simple kiss. “I love you, London, and nothing on this earth will ever change that.”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. The look in his blue eyes tells me he means every word of what he’s saying, so the best thing is to tell him how I feel in return. “I love you too, and I’ll come with you to California.”
“I think I could get used to hearing that again every day,” he murmurs against my lips before I fade into his kiss.
TWO YEARS LATER
LONDON
Standing side stage watching one of the hottest rock bands perform is truly an amazing experience, and I never grow tired of it. I watch in awe as my man is in his element, entertaining thousands of people with his phenomenal skill. Jared Kraft was made to be center stage.
Ace, the lead singer of the band, steps up to the microphone and thanks the crowd for coming out to see them. It’s been amazing to see the transformation of this band. They’ve really become a cohesive unit. They are nothing like the band I first met a couple years ago. Ace and Jared hated one another back then. According to Jared, they both went through a bit of a transformation during the break Ace took from being a rock star, both of them finding love and being humbled.
“Hey, London,” Tyler says as he passes me with Luke by his side, who gives me a simple wave.
Finally Jared makes his way off stage and then carefully wraps his arms around me. “What are you doing up here? The doctor said no strenuous activity. It’s not good for the baby.” He reaches down and rubs my round belly, which is holding his daughter, and smiles when she kicks. “She’s active today.”
I place my hand on my stomach. “I think she likes the music.”
His eyes widen and he bends down at the waist to talk to my belly. “You’re far too young to be a rocker chick, young lady.”
I laugh and roll my eyes as he hooks my arm with his. When we make it to the tour bus, I spot Iris, Ace’s brown-haired girlfriend, sitting on the steps of the bus while she watches her two-and-a-half-year-old toss rocks in the parking lot.
It’s funny how becoming a father and a soon-to-be-father has chilled both Ace and Jared out. It’s done wonders for the band since these two have learned to coexist and not fly off the handle at one another every chance they get. Jared no longer seems obsessed with taking over as front man anymore either. He told me since I’ve come back into his life, he’s been too preoccupied with me to worry about the dynamics of the band as much.
Ace’s son, AJ, looks up and notices Jared and me coming in his direction and runs to us with his arms spread wide. “Wondon!”
I bend down to pick him up, but Jared beats me to it and scoops him up. Jared looks at me and shakes his finger side to side. “No heavy lifting either, remember?”
“AJ weighs all of twenty pounds. I think I would’ve been fine,” I scold him, but secretly it makes me so happy that he’s such a protective father. He’s already so amazing with AJ, so he’s getting his practice in for when our baby comes.
“Dadda?” AJ asks Jared.
“In two minutes, buddy. He’s busy talking to reporter people.” Jared holds up two fingers. “Can you say two?”
“Doooo,” AJ repeats, and we all clap like it’s the greatest thing ever.
I watch Jared with AJ, and I swear if I weren’t already pregnant, I would be from just watching him with Iris and Ace’s son.
“He’s so adorable,” I tell Iris.
Iris smiles, causing her teeth to sparkle. No wonder the girl is a famous Broadway star. I bet people pay money to just stare at her. And to top it all off, she’s supersweet. I can see why Ace is so gaga over her.
“Tired, Momee,” AJ says to Iris, monopolizing all of her attention.
Iris stretches her arms out to AJ, and Jared hands him over to her.
Jared smiles as AJ yawns and stretches his chubby little arms. “Looks like this one is all partied out.”
“Make that two—I’m beat myself,” Iris says. “I think I’ll go inside and put us both to bed.”
“See you later,” I say before she waves and heads inside the bus.
When we’re alone, Jared wraps me in his arms and places a sweet little peck on my lips. “I can’t wait until our kid gets here. You’ll be such an awesome mom.”
I smile at him. “And you’ll be a great father.”
I’m still grinning like an idiot as he holds me in his arms. Suddenly I realize that this moment in my life is perfect. I’ve gotten everything that I’ve ever wanted: I’ve married the man who I’ve loved since middle school. Wes has moved on and is now dating a rambunctious bartender named Rhonda, and from what I hear is getting pretty serious with her. Julie and my dad are both over-the-moon excited to meet their soon-to-be-born grandchild, and it’s funny to watch them argue over what we should name our kid when we get together once a month for a family dinner.
It was a long road to get to this point, but I’m glad we finally made it here, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with Jared.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First off, I want to thank you, my dear readers, for giving this book a shot!
Emily Snow, thank you for being there for me over the years. Your input on my books has been a lifesaver.
Jennifer Wolfel, I can never thank you enough for reading a million versions of this story and hashing out the bugs with me and not allowing me to give up on Jared and London.
Toski Covey, thank you for being my first test subject on this story idea. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate our little chats about this story line.
Jennifer Foor, thank you for being amazing and sharing your killer writing methods with me!
Holly Malgieri, thank you for reading the very first draft of this book and giving me feedback!
Jill Marsal, thank you for being an amazing agent!
Charlotte Herscher, thank you for working so hard on this book! Your input made it so much better!
To my amazing team at Montlake, you guys are wicked awesome!
My beautiful ladies in Valentine’s Vixens Group, you all are the best. You guys always brighten my day and push me to be a better writer. Thank you!
To the romance blogging community, thank you for always supporting me and my books. I can’t tell you how much every share, tweet, post, and comment means to me. I read them all, and every time I feel giddy. Thank you for everything you do. Blogging is not an easy job, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you do for indie authors like me. You totally make our world go round.
Last, but always first in my life, my husband and son: thank you for putting up with me. I love you both more than words can express.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2014 Kent Smith
Michelle A. Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Rock the Heart. Wicked Reunion is the second novel in her Wicked White romance series. She attended college as a drafting and design major, but her love of people soon persuaded her to join the nursing field. It wasn’t until after the birth of her son that she began her love affair with romance novels, and she hasn’t looked back since. When she’s not writing, she feeds her music addiction, dabbles in party planning, and expresses herself by working with arts and crafts. She currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, son, and two beloved dogs.
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