better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.”
“I guess.”
My phone buzzed, and I looked down to see a text from Casey.
CASEY: Are you and Tyler interested in a jam session one night this week?
I looked over at Tyler. “Casey wants to know if we’re interested in a jam session one night this week?”
“I’m always up for a jam session,” he replied.
ARIEL: We’re in! Just tell us when and where.
CASEY: Probably Friday night. I was thinking we’d rehearse for an hour or two and then invite the palace staff and a few close friends to come watch. We’ve all been so busy it might be fun to entertain everyone.
ARIEL: Sounds great. Can’t wait.
“I wish the rest of the band was here,” Tyler said quietly. “I think they’d love playing at the palace.”
“Well, we can make that happen,” I said. “Why don’t we bring it up to Casey? Maybe not for Friday night, but going forward?”
“That’s a good idea.”
“You want to go for a walk?” I asked impulsively. “It’s a beautiful day, even if it’s cold, and we haven’t explored the grounds much.”
“Sure.” He got up and reached for a sweater.
It was fun to see Tyler turn into just another hot guy in a sweater sometimes. He’d worn dress pants and a button-down shirt to dinner the other night, and except for his very tattooed forearms, you wouldn’t have known he was a rock star. With his hair pulled back in a ponytail, it had been striking to see him and Marcus close together.
Marcus didn’t like me, though. No matter what he said or what Tyler said, I could tell. I often caught him watching me, as if I was going to do something crazy any second, and it was unnerving sometimes. My life was a hot mess, but I was always polite and friendly with him, and I was crazy about Tyler. I would never do anything to hurt him, but I had no idea how to prove that to Marcus.
We walked out the private back entrance of the palace, the one mostly used by the staff, and wandered into the gardens. Tiny white lights covered the trees, giving an aura of old-fashioned romance. Even covered in snow, it was beautiful, a veritable winter wonderland, and I smiled over at Tyler.
“If it was just a little warmer, I could sit out here and write songs all day long.”
“I think there’s a spot in Casey’s apartment that overlooks the gardens. Maybe she wouldn’t mind if you did that once in a while.”
“She’s already been so generous, I hate asking for anything else,” I admitted.
“I don’t think she’d mind. Her wanting to play Friday night, essentially for family and the palace staff, tells me she’s bored or antsy.”
“Well, we’ll see how much longer I’m going to be here,” I said slowly. “And go from there.”
“Are we leaving?” he asked, glancing down at me.
“Madeline thinks I need to be back in L.A., and though I don’t have a date yet or anything, we’re going to discuss it again after she gets copies of all the court documents and stuff.”
“One day at a time,” he said softly, his fingers squeezing mine as we continued through the gardens.
He always calmed me. His voice, his quiet strength, and especially the passion that lurked behind those gorgeous blue eyes. Every time the details of my situation started to overwhelm me, I just had to look into his eyes to find acceptance, understanding, and best of all, passion. Our physical relationship went way beyond sex. The sex was fantastic, of course, but the intimacy was everything to me. He understood me on a level no one had since my mom died. He didn’t try to push me to do or not do anything, and more than anything, he listened. And no one ever really listened to me.
“I bet this is beautiful in summer,” I said, staring at the ornate stone fountain.
“I’d love to take pictures of you in front of it,” he said softly, looking down into my face. “With the sun shining on your hair, the water running behind you.”
“You’re a romantic, Mr. Rabinowicz.”
“Not until you, I wasn’t.” He leaned over to kiss me, and our mouths moved together with familiarity. The sun had disappeared, and a slight chill swept over me, but it didn’t matter because whenever he touched me, I forgot everything anyway. If this was what it was like to be manic, I was in big trouble because I loved how it felt.