Page 18 of Hard Rock Temptation

“And you’re scared.”

Micah flinched like I’d slapped him in the face.

“I know you have feelings for me,” I stated bluntly. “Anyone can see it.Everyonecan see it.”

He grimaced.

“That’s why you started avoiding me,” I said. “That’s why you were running away. But you don’t have to be scared.” My heartbeat sped up and my whole body felt like it was vibrating, an odd sort of excited tension running through me now that we were finally speaking openly with each other. “You don’t have to be scared, not of this. Not of us.”

He ran a hand through his hair again, dropping his head and mumbling something under his breath, too low for me to hear.

“I can’t read minds, Micah,” I said, pleading. “Stop shutting me out. Talk to me. Use your words.”

“You’re right,” he bit out, as if it had been forced from him. He ran a hand over his face, his lips parting as he took in a shuddering breath. “You’re right.”

His eyes were wide and lost. A stab of pain shot through my chest at that look.

“I’m scared because we’d be messing with our friendship,” he said without looking up. “I’m scared because we could end up ruining the band. I’m scared you’ll end up feeling pressured. I’m scared because people are going to say shitty things about us. I’m scared because I already—” He cut himself off with a choked grunt.

I took his hand in mine, pulling it away from where he’d been hiding his face in it.

“You already what?” I urged.

He lifted his head to stare at me, wild and frenzied.

“I’m scared because I’m already in love with you,” he said desperately.

If my emotions had been a confused mess before, they were a wreck now. How could he say something like that while sounding both reverent and anguished at the same time?

“Then it’s too late,” I said with a waning smile. “Because I’m in love with you, too.”

His gaze shot up to meet mine, devotion and despair warring in his eyes.

“And denying it is what’s going to mess up our friendship,” I continued. “That’s what going to ruin the band. You told me you would stop avoiding me, and here you are telling me to leave. Eventually you’re going to have to deal with your feelings. Your fear.”

He flung his hands away from mine and jumped up from the sofa.

“Aren’t you scared?” he asked insistently. “You can’t tell me you’re not scared of all the things that could go wrong.”

“I’m willing to risk the consequences for the things that could go right,” I said stubbornly, staring him down. “Are you?”

“I—” His mouth opened and closed, a look of defeat on his face. “You shouldn’t have to—” He cut himself off.

“I’m not going to force you into a relationship,” I said, standing back up to face him on equal footing. “But I want you to think about this carefully.”

I waited until he met my eyes.

“What are you willing to risk for me?”

EIGHT

MICAH

Kaylee’s words haunted me.

What was I willing to risk?

I obsessed over those words for days, turning them over in my mind again and again.