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Why couldn’t the answer come to her as easily as the music notes she used to compose her latest song?
Deep down she knew the answer to all her problems. She couldn’t just continue with the charade she was hiding behind. She couldn’t let Caleb believe that she was just Emily Hartford. He needed to know the truth. He needed to know she was here in Colorado to hide away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi and adoring fans.
He would understand, right?
Caleb would be able to see that the life she’d led was actually closing in on her and she didn’t have any other choice than to become someone else.
And once she told him, then she’d be set free, much like he’d likely felt when he told her about his mother.
Emma’s eyes flew open.
The twisted, knotted, bramble-like sensation in her gut relaxed for the most part. For the first time since she’d arrived in Copper Creek, she felt at peace with sharing this side of her. Caleb had earned the right to know who she was. She could trust him.
She turned around and scrambled for the knob before yanking it open.
A squeak tore from her lips. Caleb stood at her doorway, one arm lifted over his head and resting against the doorjamb. He was staring down at the floor, his chest heaving as if he’d run a marathon. “Caleb? How long?—”
He lifted his face, and his eyes drilled into her. She could already feel the judgment coming off of him in waves—but it wasn’t a bad sensation. Strangely enough, it only added to the heat emanating from her stomach. “You didn’t let me finish what I was trying to say.”
Emma’s mouth had long since gone dry. She’d known where he’d been planning on going with his conversation. It hadn’t been hard to decipher. She could feel it much like he’d been able to. The emotions and feelings that continued to grow between them had gotten out of hand, much like the vines that grew and covered old buildings.
Just like those vines, these sensations were full of life and vitality—one more reason she needed to clear the air and tell him who she was.
“Caleb, I?—”
He took a step into the doorway, his arm dropping to his side as he placed a gentle finger to her lips. “I wanted to help you understand where I’m coming from. That’s another reason why I needed to come clean. My parents abandoned us so they could live out a life they thought they deserved in other parts of the country. They gambled away our money. They partied in some of the biggest cities. They weren’t fit to be parents and yet they had twelve children. Living with that knowledge paved the foundation I grew up on. I don’t like to give people my trust or the benefit of the doubt because they almost always let me down.”
Her confession died on her lips as she continued to listen to him give his speech.
Caleb gently placed his hand on her cheek, preventing her from breaking eye contact with him. “I thought I knew everything about the world and the people living here. It takes a lot to surprise me and… well… you did it in less time than themoon takes to run through a cycle. Do you know how rare that is?”
She shook her head slightly.
“The feelings I have for you aren’t like any I’ve ever experienced before, and I’ve met plenty of other people in my life. I’ve gone on my share of dates. None of them compare to you. Emily, you’re honest. And kind. And somehow, you’re more down to earth than ninety-nine percent of the people I’ve met in my life.”
Emma’s insides tightened unpleasantly. It didn’t sound like he was describing her. At this point, telling him who she really was would be a death sentence. It would take away all the allure that he’d found and replace it with something truly ugly.
She didn’t want to be the source of his bitterness.
Besides, there was no telling where their relationship might go. What if Caleb grew tired of her after a few more days? What if he refused to move to LA? Emma definitely had to return eventually. Her fans might live all around the world, but the people of that city were like family.
If there was no guarantee of a future, then why should she hurt him? She would just have to keep her secret under wraps for the next few weeks, and that was it.
“Emily?” his quiet voice dragged her, kicking and screaming from her rationalizations.
Her eyes widened, and she stared into his hopeful eyes. “What?”
“What do you say?”
She racked her brain for any clues as to what he’d said when she’d been lost in thought. Guilt plagued her for not listening intently to every single word he’d said. It would be nicer if she just agreed with him. She had a feeling he’d been confessing his feelings for her anyway.
Emma forced a nervous smile. Nothing bad was going to happen. She had faith, and that was all she needed. “I feel the same.”
His brows shot up. “Really? I thought—” His brows furrowed, and he shook his head.
“What?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s just that women don’t usually admit how deep their feelings run this early.”
