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And maybe I will.

But not yet.

We come together wrapped in each other, her hands buried in my hair, her lips on my neck. Her body trembles beneath me as she cries out my name, and I follow with a groan that sounds like it’s tearing out of my chest.

And then we’re still.

Breathless. Twined together. Wrecked in the best, worst way.

She buries her face in my chest, and I wrap my arms around her like I’ll never let go. Eventually, her breathing evens out, her fingers loosen, and she drifts to sleep curled against me, warm and soft and still mine—for now.

I lie awake.

Staring at the ceiling, arms wrapped around the most important person in my world, and all I can think is—I don’t want to go.

I don’t want to leave her here.

But I have to.

Because she’s safer here.

Especially after what happened at the last gig. That attack. The fear. The terrified look in her eyes. I haven’t gotten it out of my head since.

I can’t risk putting her in the line of fire again. Not with everything that comes with the tour. The press. The label. Her.

Laney deserves peace.

I reach for my phone on the nightstand, careful not to wake her, and type out a message to Lucas.

Eddie: Keep an eye on her while I’m gone?

His response comes fast.

Lucas: You know I will. Always.

Then I send a second message.

Eddie: I think Randy’s still lurking. I’m leaving her here. I need to know she’s good.

A minute later:

Nico: It’s handled.

I exhale, the knot in my chest loosening—but only slightly.

Because even with them watching her… she’s still not with me.

I set the phone down and look at her again, asleep against my chest, lips slightly parted, hair fanned across my shoulder.

She looks peaceful.

She has no idea how much I love her.

And I don’t know if I’ll be able to say it again before I leave.

My eyes burn. My chest aches.

Eventually, exhaustion takes me under, but not gently. I fall into a restless, broken kind of sleep—wrapped around the woman I love, haunted by the fear that everything will be different when I wake up.