The Happy Ever After Playlist - Abby Jimenez Page 0,96

was right. I needed a break.

If I went overseas like this, I was going to fall apart. I was physically exhausted, and the UK leg was even longer than this one and I’d be jet-lagged on top of it. If I was worn down now, how would I be then without a chance to recover first? I could come back, reset, and be ready to take all this on again, and we’d try the bus thing and maybe it would be a game changer.

And there was something else too.

If I said no, if I didn’t take him up on this offer, he’d feel worse than he already did. He needed this solution as much as I did so he wouldn’t feel helpless to make things better for me. I couldn’t let him carry that guilt.

I licked my lips. “When were you thinking I’d go?”

“Tonight.”

I blanched. “Tonight? As in a few hours?”

“If it’s too fast or you’re not up to it, you can stay here for a few days and rest. But there’s a flight to Duluth at seven thirty. And if you left today I could even go with you to the airport. I already talked to Dad about picking you up.”

I shook my head at him. “Why is every trip to your parents’ house pitched to me with less than twelve hours’ notice?”

He smiled gently at me and waited for my answer.

I held his eyes. God, but two whole weeks with Kristen and Oliver! And the luxury of unpacking, sleeping in the same bed until I was ready to wake up, no alarms going off or flights to catch. No more bus or endless Taco Bell. Painting.

“Say yes, Sloan.”

I let out a breath. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

I nodded.

He looked almost relieved. His face went soft and he ran a thumb along my cheek.

There was something so tender in the way he touched me it made me forget to breathe. He looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. I was sick and gross, but he didn’t care. I was everything to him and he made me know it, every single day.

And now he was going to be without me for weeks. Maybe even months. And he was doing it all for me. I was his sacrifice. Just like he was mine.

I pulled down his hand and looked at it, holding it between us, touching the calluses on his fingertips. “I love your hands.” His instrument. His talented, capable, loving hands.

“Have them. They’re yours,” he said.

I smiled. “You’re giving me your hands?”

“My hands, my voice. My back to do your heavy lifting, my arms to carry you to bed when you’ve had too much tequila. My money, my time, my heart. It’s all yours, Sloan.”

I could feel the love in his words. It was so earnest, it made my heart ache so much, tears pricked my eyes. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sing love songs for a living.”

He shook his head. “It’s just how I feel. I’m yours. All of me. I think I always belonged to you. Even when you belonged to someone else.” His eyes moved back and forth between mine. “Tucker knew it. He took one look and he saw the other half of me inside of you and he brought you home.”

Two hours later we said goodbye at the airport. And I watched him pretend not to be sad.

Chapter 38

Jason

♪ Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea | Missio

Five weeks later

I was playing in Vegas. I was sitting on a cold metal folding chair backstage drinking my second Red Bull of the night when Sloan called. It was loud. Grayscale was almost done with their set.

It had been five weeks since I’d last seen her. I missed her so much it made me physically ill. I couldn’t sleep and I was getting headaches. Probably grinding my teeth, who the fuck knew.

This whole thing with Sloan was a complete and total transfer of energy. She was happy and light and rested, and now I was a mess. Saying goodbye to her had fucking wrecked me.

“Hey, babe. What’s up?” I said, rubbing my forehead.

“Did you get the cookies?”

I could hear the smile in her voice. She was always smiling now. I tried not to dwell too much on what it meant that she was so much happier not being here.

“Yeah. Thank you.”

“Your mom gave me the recipe,” she sang.

I arched an eyebrow. “Did she?” I set the empty can down and waved at