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I’ve seen a lot of green rooms in my life, but Lily Maxwell’s is something special.

Or maybe that’s the woman herself, tall and beautiful, joy in what she’s doing shining out of every single pore. Just being in her presence makes me want to do a pop star biopic in an attempt to capture some of that…verve.

“You okay?” Hudson asks, his arm sliding around my waist, drawing me into his side.

“I’m great,” I say, smiling up at him, my heart thudding in my chest at the soft way he stares down at me.

He strokes the backs of his knuckles of his free hand over my cheek. “Good, princess.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m here with you. How can I be anything but?”

My lips curve and I lift on tiptoe, press my lips to his. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Any—”

“Willow!” I drop back to my heels, head whipping toward Lily, who’s waving at me enthusiastically. I only met her before the show and she’s already befriended me. Kind of like the rest of Hudson’s family.

I want to stay right where I am, standing in Hudson’s arms, enjoying the upbeat mood of the room, safe and secure and not worried about whatever the hell it is that Dylan’s pulling today.

I want to just be a girl at a concert.

But Lily has been awesome, arranging for the backstage passes, welcoming me even though she’s hard at work putting on a show.

My politeness rears its not-so-ugly head. “I should go over and thank her.”

His expression is gentle. “Go,” he encourages, jerking his head toward Lily. The girls are gathering around her, and she’s pulling out her phone for a selfie.

I hurry over and Briar lifts an arm, tugging me into her side as we all huddle up for the picture.

“You all are freaking gorgeous!” Lily exclaims, snapping a few more shots and then holding her phone up so we can scroll through the pictures.

“She’s not wrong. We’re hot,” Briar agrees.

Jade’s cheeks go pink, but she bumps her shoulder against mine. “Yeah,” she says. “I don’t think we’re doing too bad at all.”

“Not sure this bump can be considered hot,” Aspen quips. “But you guys are killing it.”

“We’re all beautiful,” Lily says more firmly, glancing at Aspen for permission before gently settling her hand on Aspen’s belly. “But most especially this little bump.”

“Yup, puking my guts up, stressing out my fiancé, and wanting to sleep for eighteen hours a day”—Aspen’s voice is dry—“totally beautiful.”

Jade takes her hand. “You’re growing a life, honey, that’s beautiful.”

“Did I forget to mention the puking?”

My lips turn up as Briar chuckles.

“Rude,” Aspen says, jabbing a finger in her direction.

“If we can’t laugh at our misery then what hope do we have?”

“The hope to not puke?” Her expression is so intent that I can’t help but giggle.

Then blush when four female gazes turn my way. “Sorry,” I say, my cheeks heating further. “It’s just that you guys are really funny.”

Briar blows on her knuckles and buffs them on her shoulder. “Damn right we are.”