AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He still loves her,” Charlie teased, causing his gaze to swivel back.
“What? No, I don’t.”
“Sure, you do,” Charlie sang. “Everyone can tell. You haven’t stopped moping for the last six months.”
Carter’s gaze delved into Caleb’s, studying him. “We should go.”
“What? Why?” Caleb repeated, shooting out of his seat. “She probably doesn’t even want to see me. There’s no point.”
“Because if there’s even a small chance… and if your instincts are telling you to do it…” Carter offered him a wan smile. “Then what do you have to lose?”
27
Emma
The lights surrounding Emma’s mirror blurred when she stared off in thought. Tonight was the night. Up until thirty minutes ago, the VIP passes hadn’t been picked up. She wanted to hate Jessica for convincing her to make the request, but she couldn’t.
Instead, she hated herself for getting her hopes up. She’d wanted so badly for Caleb to show up and give her another chance.
Boy, her wishes reeked of desperation. At least now she had her answer. All Caleb had wanted was for her to be honest with him, but she’d been too much of a coward to give him that. It was her own fault, really.
She sighed as she placed her head in her hands.
A knock on her dressing room door was quickly followed by it creaking open. “Em?” Jessica’s voice broke the strained silence in the dressing room.
Emma sat up and turned to face her sister. They’d decided to come to the venue together so Jessica wouldn’t have as much trouble getting backstage. She wore her own VIP pass around her neck, though she didn’t need it this time, as Emma had made sure the security guards knew who she was.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
Emma shook her head, fighting the emotion that burned like flowing lava—threatening to escape out any way it could. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Jess.”
Jessica closed the door behind her and moved into the room. “Are you getting stage fright?”
Emma snorted. “I don’t think I’m capable of getting that anymore.”
“Then… is it… Caleb?”
Emma waved her fingers at her face in a last-ditch attempt to keep the tears from ruining her makeup. “Yeah.”
“He didn’t get the tickets.” Her expression said it all. She was just as disappointed as Emma had been. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “That’s a bummer.”
“Yeah,” Emma’s voice choked in the back of her throat. “It’s a huge bummer. How am I supposed to go out there on stage and sing his song? How am I supposed to tell everyone about him when I know I won’t ever see him again?”
This time a tear did get through. It dragged down her cheek and jumped off the edge of her chin. She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and focused on her breathing. “I don’t know that my heart will be able to take it. I think there was a very small part of me that had held out hope that he was going to come.”
Jessica launched across the room and wrapped her arms around Emma. “Me too,” she whispered. “I should have never told you to?—”
“It’s not your fault,” Emma insisted. “I could have?—”
“Don’t do that.”
Emma gave her sister a sharp look.
“You can’t blame yourself, either.” Jessica’s sad smile did little to make Emma feel better about any of this. “Not every love can be like a sunset.”
Emma let out a devastatingly sad laugh. “It was with him.”
“I know,” she whispered. “And you’ll always remember it.” She hugged Emma tighter. “You’ll get through this.”
