Page 44 of Shy Girls Can’t Date Celebrities (Shy Girls Sweet Romances #6)

There’s only one document I know Wyatt was mulling over signing.

Emancipation papers.

I murmur under my breath, “Was it?”

He nods slightly.

I blow out a breath.

Whoa. This is huge.

Erika keeps her glass lifted, cheering, “To Wyatt getting back in the studio.”

Richmond lifts his glass of dark red liquid. “And to Portia being by his side.”

Everyone around the table cheers. Portia sends Wyatt an encouraging look, and he replies in a small, hesitant smile.

As everyone else clinks their glasses together, Wyatt shrugs, lifts his water glass, and tilts it toward me. He then turns as Portia raises her glass toward him .

“Congratulations, baby,” she says sweetly. “You’re becoming you again.”

As they clink their glasses together, my stomach sloshes like a half-empty water bottle, rolling around the backseat of a moving car.

Erika looks down her nose at me with a wry smile. “We need to get Josie a glass. She’s not looking happy.”

Wyatt looks back at me, his budding enthusiasm dwindling as he views my frown.

I can’t help panning around all the faces and feeling a heavy dose of ick. “Wyatt’s still in recovery,” I say in a small voice. I sniff and gulp down the sourness lining the back of my throat. “You’re not going to push him, are you?”

Wyatt’s eyes shine and he smiles at me with appreciation.

“We had meetings with his physical therapist and speech therapists, who are both onboard with Wyatt pursuing his singing career,” Erika states.

“Savanna will have a conference call with the guys at the studio to work out the ergonomics. All that’s to say, Josie, you don’t need to worry about Wyatt’s health and safety. We have it at the front of our minds.”

“I’ll be okay, Joze,” Wyatt says, brushing back one of my curls. “Portia says she’ll help me get reacquainted with all the studio equipment.”

Portia leans forward to make eye contact with me. “You don’t have to worry, Josie. I’ll protect our boy.”

My teeth grit and I bite the inside of my cheek. Our boy ?

I force myself to smile. “Thanks.”

“It would be so nice to hang out with you before we leave,” Portia continues. “Did they put you on the same floor as me? I’m in the presidential suite.”

“Oh, my old room,” it blurts out of me before I can catch it.

Portia blinks at me. “Excuse me? ”

Wyatt mumbles a laugh, clutching my hand. “Yeah, I stole her. Once I got out of the clinic, I insisted Josie take one of the bedrooms in the penthouse. I mean, there’s four of them and only one of me.”

Portia flashes a smile. “Aw, cute. You got some company.”

“Portia,” Richmond interjects across the table. “Have you given Wyatt the song lyrics yet?”

Impatience streaks across Erika’s expression. “Yes, he needs that. Get in some practice tonight before the recording studio tomorrow.”

Portia turns to Jenna. “You’ve got it, right?”

Jenna plucks a folded piece of paper out of her bag. “Here it is.”

Portia takes it, unfolds it, and places it in front of Wyatt. “These are the lyrics to our song.”

Wyatt blinks at the stanzas before him and his jaw flexes. “Oh, thanks.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll pick it up,” Portia says. She then unlocks her phone and taps a few buttons. “I have a few soundbites from when we were working on it during breaks on set. Do you wanna hear it?”

Wyatt shrugs, bracing himself. “I guess.”

A snippet of ‘Summer Glow’ plays from Portia’s phone before she stops it. “Sorry,” she mutters, becoming flushed. “It’s one of your songs. I was listening to it while freshening up in my room.”

“I know that one,” Wyatt tells her.

Portia brightens. “You do?”

Wyatt nudges in my direction. “Josie, played it for me.”

Portia bobs her head, as she scrolls on her phone. “Oh, that’s nice. So you’re okay with hearing some of your new stuff?”

“Took sometime.” He squeezes my hand under the table. “It was easier once I had Josie by my side.”

Portia smiles, leaning forward to look around at me. “That’s great. I mean it.”

Richmond clears his throat. “Hmm, Portia? The song? ”

Portia goes back to her phone. “Ah, yeah, right.”

Jenna reaches for the phone. “Do you want me to find it?”

Portia waves it off. “No, I got it.”

We listen to the snippets from Portia’s phone, and they’re voices sound as good as always, but something is just... off. Wyatt glances at me and we share the same look. I rub my thumb in a circle on his hand. He feels it. Like there’s no soul in his voice.

Wyatt takes the piece of paper and folds it up. “I’ll get it. But right now, I wanna get upstairs.” He nods at me. “Ready to go?”

I nod vigorously, standing from my seat quicker than he does.

Portia looks up at him. “Did you want me to come up to your apartment and help run the lyrics with you?”

Wyatt shifts awkwardly. “Uh, no, umm. Josie’s going home soon, and I kinda just want to spend more time with her.”

Portia sits back. “I totally get that. How about I send these samples to your phone? You’ve still got it right.”

Wyatt pats his pocket. “Got it.”

Portia taps on her phone. “Sending them now. That way you can listen to them when you’re going over the lyrics. Hopefully, it helps you get the rhythm.”

“Thanks, Portia.” Wyatt then moves away from the table, waves to everyone and then clutches my hand. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Remember, we need to leave the hotel by eight in the morning to catch our flight,” Erika says and we pass by the table.

“Yeah, yeah,” Wyatt says, directing me away from the table. “I got it.”

Just before we leave the restaurant, I stop so we can talk in private. “I can’t believe you actually signed those forms.”

“I know. I’m just sick of everyone fighting about what I do.” He sighs, looking off to the side. “That’s why I signed it. I want to be in charge of my life. ”

“Okay,” I reply, placing my hands on his forearms. “I get it. It’s been a lot.”

Wyatt takes both my hands in his, and shakes them as he talks. “Hey, so I know I said I’d go home to Victoria Falls with you.”

“It’s okay,” I rush. “You need to go back to work.”

His eyebrows push together as he shakes his head. “No, I don’t need to. It’s just...”

“It’s okay,” I insist.

He sighs. “Joze, just let me get this out.”

I squeak in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. Go on.”

“It’s just.” His jaw rocks and he shifts his weight. “I just feel... Ugh, this is so tough. It just feels like I’ve got momentum. Like, things are coming back to me. I can’t risk losing this shot.”

“I get it,” I reply. “I don’t want you to miss the chance to get your memory back, no matter how slim the possibility is.”

“I just hate disappointing you.”

“ Wyatt .” I squeeze his hands tighter. “You’re not disappointing me. You never could.”

“I just don’t want to lose you.”

“You never will.” I raise our bundle of hands to the space above my heart. “You’ll always be in my heart, no matter what.”

There’s a gleam to Wyatt’s eyes and he sniffs hard. “I don’t want to just be in your heart, I want to be in your life. I hate the idea of going back to a life, that’s apparently mine, and not having you as a part of it.”

“I get it. It’s scary.”

“I was wondering.” He shifts awkwardly again, and his gaze drifts away. “Umm, it feels like a lot to ask, but would you come to Ferndale with us?”

“Oh.” My turn to fidget. “Well, I would, but my parents...”

“Just for the day,” he rushes. “Like, a layover?”

I giggle at his hasty suggestion. “What do you mean? ”

“Well, we’re taking the Circle 8 plane to Ferndale. What if it’s gassed up, ready to take you to Victoria Falls later on?”

I lean into him. “You really want to squeeze in more time with me, don’t you?”

The cutest smile graces his face. “Can you blame me?”

“Well, would that even work? I mean, Randall already booked my flight.”

Wyatt bats a hand. “He’ll cancel it. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

My heart thumps at the idea of extended time with Wyatt. “You really want me to come to Ferndale with you? What about Por—”

“Have I not been obvious enough with my feelings?”

I squeal and peck his lips. “I am really looking forward to going home. But once it hit me that I’d be apart from you, I was really dreading going on that plane.”

Wyatt grins. “So, you’ll come to Ferndale?”

“It’s just delaying the heartache, but yes. I’d love to.”

Wyatt cheers. “ Yes .” He then backtracks. “I’m going to tell Randall.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, then we don’t have to worry about seeing them again until eight in the morning.”

I send him a wink. “Good luck.”