The Rock Star’s Fake Fiancee - Kenzie Reed Page 0,110

me. That’s how he got that scar on his eyebrow, folks! Secret’s out! And I want everyone to know that years ago, when Sebastian claimed he’d trashed a bunch of hotel rooms, it was really— What, damn it?” he says, as I poke him in the arm and try to grab his mic. He dances back away from me, dragging the microphone with him. “Can’t a man make a very touching and humble public apology when he’s screwed up?”

I glower at him. “Not when his brother is trying to propose, no.”

The mic picks it up. There’s a collective exclamation from the crowd. “Ooooh!”

His eyes widen. “Oh!” he groans. “Oh, shit! Sorry.” Then he looks at the crowd, which is full of kids. Several mothers are putting their hands over their children’s ears. “Oh, ship! I said ship. Like, a pirate ship.” He hesitates. No one’s buying it. “Okay, everyone, my brother’s the best, and I just crashed his proposal, and I’ll probably never hear the end of it.”

“Nope.” I shake my head. “You sure won’t.”

“Peace out!” He hands me the microphone and leaps gracefully off the stage, trotting over to join Monica and Parker.

“As I was saying, before I was so weirdly interrupted, I want to introduce you to the woman who’s been playing the role of my fiancée for the last month and a half, the woman I love—Callie Abernathy!”

I point down at her with a flourish. The crowd is abuzz. A forest of hands are waving in the air, holding cell phones and recording us.

“Callie, I’ve made some terrible mistakes in my time, but I love you, and I’ve always loved you. It’s always been you, Callie Abernathy. If you’ll come up on this stage, I have something I want to ask you.”

Callie looks around nervously. Daisy gives her a shove, and Callie gives her a quick shove back, then she scrambles up onto the stage.

“Aw, this is kind of sweet,” one of the bodyguards says.

“Puke,” the other one observes dryly, clearly not a romantic.

Let’s hope Callie is more like the first guy.

“You’ve clearly lost your mind.” Callie’s laughing and crying at the same time, wiping at her cheeks with her hand. “But I can’t wait to see where this is going.”

I lean into the mic, fill my lungs with air, and burst into song—the song I wrote just for her. The song about finding love at last, the song I was saving for our gig tonight, but I just couldn’t wait. She’s never heard it before, but she knows it’s for her, because I wove in verses about eating French fries and pecan pie.

The crowd shrinks away and it’s just her and me. I stare into her beautiful blue eyes, and I’m lost in their depths. I see love, and forgiveness, and acceptance. I have no doubt in my mind that I could put down my guitar and walk away from it all, and she’d be happy as long as she was by my side. She loves me for me. Not the lead singer of Heat Lightning. She loves Sebastian Monroe, flawed human being, occasional asshole, but someone who wants to be a better man—for her.

When my voice trails off, I hold my breath. Did she like it? Did she hate it?

“That was beautiful,” she says, her voice hoarse with emotion. Tears glitter like dewdrops on the tips of her eyelashes.

“Thank you. I wrote it for you.” I go down on one knee, reach into my pocket, and pull out the twined lily of the valley flower ring that I made this morning. “I promise I’ll get you a better one. This was kind of short notice. Callie Abernathy, will you do me the honor of being my bride?”

She looks at me, saucer-eyed, then swivels and stares down at the crowd. Her whole family have pushed their way to the front. Gramma Mae waves her cane in encouragement.

“You go, girl! Get some!” she yells.

“Oh my God.” Callie flashes me a mortified look. “Our families. Could they make this moment any more embarrassing? They’re so awful.”

“The worst.” I grin back at her.

“Say yes, for heaven’s sake!” Carole calls.

“You have my permission!” Fiona shouts to her, hands cupped around her mouth. “But I don’t have to like it!”

“Good going, son! We knew you were one of us!” Mayor Culpepper calls.

He’s dressed up in a Sorrowful Abernathy costume, which I definitely plan on ribbing him about at some point. His wife Jolene is dressed up as Innocence Abernathy. Hermann, the