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She shrugged. “Both. He’s been my cornerstone and my confidant for years, but I’m slowly starting to realize I need more than one person on my team.” She looked at me and my sister. “I need all of you.”

“We’re a three-legged table,” Joel said with a laugh, causing me to do the same. “I know you’ve threatened to throw me into the back of your van, but surely I’m more important than a piece of furniture.”

“Very important,” Cassidy agreed. She brushed my hair from in front of my eyes and caressed my cheek. “I know I’m asking a lot, but I can’t do this without you.”

“What about me?” Bridget asked, standing beside me. “If you need an extra bouncer, just say the word.”

I laughed at the thought of my sister kicking folks out of the audience. “That’ll be the day.”

Cassidy smiled, then said, “I want you close by for support.

For Evie. She’ll need you while I sing.”

“I’ll be there,” Bridget promised, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

“We both will,” Joel agreed, standing between them. “And if anyone gives you the side-eye, they’ll get a nice shot of my

bum.”

“Now I see why Cassidy likes you,” I said with a smile.

“You have such a way with words.”

“I try.”

“You okay?” Cassidy asked once Joel and Bridget stepped away to give us some privacy. “If I’m asking too much—”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just unexpected.”

“I know, and if not for that article, we would’ve had months to prepare for something like this. You need to know I never want to push you into anything. I hate what they wrote about me and Joel, but I can handle it if you’re too uncomfortable to go up there with me. If this causes us to move things along too soon, just say the word and I’ll back off.”

She was giving me an out, one I’d gladly take if not for our current circumstances. Taking her hands in mine, I managed a smile, then lay my head on her shoulder.

“I’m ready.”

The thought of getting in front of thousands of people was unnerving at best. Standing backstage with Joel at my side, I had a feeling he was just as nervous as I was.

He hadn’t said more than a handful of words since we left the hotel room, and each time he did, it was just so he could check and see how I was doing. No doubt he had the same fears running through his mind, ones involving the rumors that had already spread and what Cassidy planned to do in order to fix them.

One shot of him and Cassidy was all it took to turn our worlds upside down. Out of all the years I’d wanted to go backstage with a celebrity, this wasn’t what I had in mind.

The floorboards under my feet shook from the vibrations of Cassidy’s opening act. The cheers and applause outside made me half-sick, and the fact Cassidy’s manager was stalking somewhere nearby only made matters worse.

Cassidy managed to put him to the back of her mind, but she wasn’t the one standing backstage, just outside his

peripheral vision.

“Forget about him,” Joel said, placing a kind hand on my shoulder. “He has no say in this.”

I managed a small laugh. “You should’ve seen how he acted in my store.” I shook my head at that, dismissing the topic altogether when I heard Cassidy mention Joel’s name. Any minute now, she’d call me out on stage to… what? I honestly wasn’t sure, but a public show of affection probably wasn’t it.

Bridget would’ve died if it was, but I had a feeling Cassidy would give her announcement, maybe take my hand, then go on with her show. That’s what I hoped she’d do, anyway. I honestly couldn’t stomach more than that. Not with so many people watching us.

It wasn’t that I was ashamed. It was the complete opposite, but I’d never done well in front of a large group. My hands shook at the thought. I shoved them in my pockets and hoped no one noticed.

“You’re probably wondering about the article that’s been going around this morning,” Cassidy’s voice radiated from the stage, pulling me from my thoughts. “I want you all to know it isn’t true. The man in that photo is a very good friend of mine, but I also know it’s hard to believe me when there are rumors spreading all over the place. Because of this, I’m putting my girlfriend in a very uncomfortable situation, so you’d better thank her for it. Evie, come on out, hon.”

My cheeks burned at the mention of my name, my heart pounding in my chest as I slowly looked around the curtain. A thousand eyes were looked onstage, some of them spotting me before I had a chance to move from my hiding place.


Tags: Natalie Brunwick Romance