Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“Give yourself some credit. You’re a star,” she reminded me. Her smile then slightly faltered. “But what now? Ryder said you guys were only contracted for that one song. Are you heading back to New York?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I shrugged.
“I mean, I should. My label is there. My apartment. Everything is there,” I replied. “That… makes sense, right?”
Brianna tapped her fingernails against the table before nodding subtly.
“Well, of course. New York was your dream. You had that tacky city poster on your wall,” she teased me, making me shake my head in embarrassment. “Have you told Ryder and the band that you’re going?”
“I haven’t really talked to them about it,” I admitted as I lowered my eyes for a moment.
“Why not?” Brianna replied as she lifted an eyebrow at me.
I found myself at a loss for words. I knew the reason, but I didn’t want to bring up the fact that I had fallen for all of them and would be devastated to leave them behind. But I had no choice, right?
“We’ve just been so busy working on the song, and I figured it was a given that I was leaving,” I replied. The label hadn’t officially confirmed that an album would be in the works, and I figured they were waiting to see if the song did well first.
“I’m sure they’ll miss you. Especially Ryder,” Brianna commented before sipping on her drink.
Did she know that Ryder and I had feelings for each other? It seemed like she was insinuating that, and Ryder breaking up with Kerrie was probably a big clue.
“I’ll miss them too, but New York is my home now,” I told her. “I can’t just leave all the work that I’ve been doing there. I don’t think my label would allow that.”
Brianna suddenly leaned forward with a hopeful look in her eyes.
“So, you’ve thought about staying here?” she asked.
I couldn’t get anything past her. Maybe talking to her would help me make a decision.
“A little. I’ve never felt so connected to this place as I do now, and I’ve never had so much fun making music before,” I said. “Back in the day, you and Ryder were the only things great about this place. Now… there’s even more.”
Brianna beamed at me.
“You do seem happy around the band from what I’ve seen,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve seen Ryder this happy since you lived here, and he’s been moody as hell since then.”
A bittersweet feeling filled me as I laughed a little. She wasn’t making this decision any easier for me. But there really wasn’t a decision to make anyway. I had to go back to New York no matter how I felt for the guys. I couldn’t give up my career for possible heartbreak.
“I’ll probably come back and visit,” I told her, but I didn’t believe my own words. It would be dangerous for me to visit. I would get hooked on them again and leaving once more would tear me in two.
Brianna’s smile simmered down slightly.
“I want you to be happy, Delilah. Whatever you decide to do, I’m with you,” she said.
Another wave of guilt struck me, and I had a feeling that she wanted me to stay too. Everyone wanted me to turn my back on New York and accept a new life in Chalice Falls, but I didn’t know if that was possible or even a good idea.
“You’ll be the first to know,” I promised her before bringing my glass to my lips and downing a quarter of my drink. If only a few drinks were enough to wash away all of my problems, but no amount of alcohol could help me escape the choice that I had to make.
I ended up cutting myself off after my first drink, telling Brianna that I was getting tired and needed to get some sleep. An old friend of hers started to chat her up as I was on my way out of the bar, so I didn’t feel too guilty about skipping out early.
I called an Uber to take me back to the ranch house, my eyes lingering on the backseat window the entire time. Chalice Falls whipped past me, and a heavy sensation settled in my chest. Could I really leave this behind after becoming so attached to it and the people here?
The closer I got to the ranch house, the warier I felt. Ryder would probably want to talk. I managed to dodge any alone time with any of the guys over the past few days, using tiredness and focus on the song as excuses. I couldn’t do that any longer, but I wasn’t ready to talk yet.
When the Uber stopped in front of the house, I placed my hand on the car handle and prepared to step out, but I paused when I saw an unfamiliar white Toyota Highlander parked in front of the porch. My eyes shifted up to the kitchen window that faced the front of the house, and my heart sank at the sight of Kerrie wrapped up in Ryder’s arms.