My daughter is way cooler than I am, Will instantly decided.
“That was the most fun I’ve had all day,” Archer told her. “Why don’t you bring me over to meet the rest of your friends?”
Their dance proved to be a highlight for everyone. As the party went on, Katie stuck by Archer’s side and made her way around the room as he greeted the remaining fans and signed autographs. She also got to meet the other band members and get photos with them using Will’s phone. They all treated her like a VIP.
The band took photos with Will and everyone in their group too. They all exchanged autographs. It flattered Will that The Void members had brought along some Atlanta memorabilia for them to sign.
It was hands-down one of the most awesome moments of his life.
He carried the high of the evening with him to the pickup spot for the chartered car after the party, just as he carried Katie. She fell asleep while curled up against him on the sofa as they conversed with the band.
“I don’t think Katie will ever forget this evening,” Jasmine said after they climbed into the car and were on the way back home.
“Definitely not, especially since it could be all over YouTube by morning.”
Lily had been the one to prepare Will for that eventuality. As the band’s social media director, she had promised not to air anything featuring Katie if he didn’t want it. Since several of the party guests were filming with their phones, however, it was unlikely the content wouldn’t be released at all. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Hopefully no one in the room had a particularly successful YouTube channel.
“That dance was the best part of the night,” Jasmine said.
She reached over with a soft smile and brushed aside a lock of Katie’s hair that had fallen in front of her face. It stirred that desperate wish inside him.
“You’re so good with her,” he murmured.
Her gaze moved to him. “Katie’s an excellent student. She makes it easy for me. You’ve done such a great job with her, Will.”
It bothered him that she continued to classify herself as Katie’s teacher. Yes, it was an accurate description of her relationship with his daughter, but he was no longer happy with that. If he wanted that to change, he had to do more than just accept it.
“You know,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt, “this evening got me thinking about things. About us.”
“You mean you and Katie?”
“And you.”
Her lips briefly pressed together. “Are you talking about Lily asking if I was Katie’s mother?”
She was clearly uncomfortable. It appeared he hadn’t been imagining her earlier reaction. A sour feeling crept into his gut.
“In part,” he said.
She issued a deep sigh. “I figured that might come up.” Looking back down at Katie, she continued, “Look, this is a sensitive subject. I really don’t think now’s the right time to get into it.”
The feeling in his gut instantly turned bitter. “You have an audition coming up, don’t you?” he guessed.
Her eyebrows drew together. “Yes. In a few days.”
This wasn’t the first time he’d dropped hints that he’d like to discuss taking their relationship to the next level over the past few weeks. Each time, she circled back to needing to focus on her career.
Knowing she was once again putting him off for that purpose cut deep. Her response to the question about being Katie’s mother dumped salt right into the already agonizing wound. It had him speaking from temper rather than his heart.
“If you don’t want to discuss this until it’s convenient for you, Jasmine, that’s fine,” he said. “But you need to ask yourself what’s really important before all you end up with is a series of failed auditions and years of regret.”
He watched the words strike her like verbal punches and immediately wished he could take them back. He knew when her expression cleared and her chin lifted that he’d made a serious mistake.
“It’s funny you should say that, Will,” she responded in a tone so cold it spread like ice through his chest. “Because right now, there’s little I regret more than getting involved with you.”
“Jasmine, I’m sorry. I—”
“No. I said it wasn’t the time to discuss this. Unless you want to destroy anything that might be left between us, you’ll stop talking right now.”
With no other choice, he suffered through the rest of the ride in silence, wondering