Page 166 of Fame & Rhythm

I miss him.

“I think I still love you, Aston,” I blurt, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

His eyes widen slightly, then soften. He leans in, resting his forehead gently against mine.

My breath catches.

“I think I still love you, too,” he murmurs.

My heart stutters.

That shouldn’t feel this good.

Not when he’s with someone else.

“What about Amber?” I ask, my voice barely steady.

He pulls back just enough to look at me. “I ended things with her after your dad’s party,” he says. “It wasn’t fair on her… or me. I was trying to fill the gap you left.” He pauses. “It didn’t work.”

A small, hesitant smile pulls at my lips, even as guilt flickers through me.

His hand comes up, brushing gently along my cheek, and I lean into it before I can stop myself.

“So what does this mean?” I ask.

He exhales, then leans back slightly, creating just enough space to think. “It means… if we do this again, it has to be real,” he says. “I need to know you’re all in. That you won’t push me away when things get hard.”

Emotion swells in my chest. “I won’t,” I say quickly. “I promise. No more running.”

He studies me for a moment, like he’s weighing it, then he nods. “I love you, Annie,” he says quietly.

This time, I don’t hesitate.

I lean in and kiss him.

It’s softer than I remember, slower, but it still feels like everything. Like something inside me is finally settling back into place.

For the first time in what feels like forever… I feel steady.

He eases back, his eyes searching mine. “But we take this slow,” he adds. “We do this properly. Go on a date. Make sure we can handle this… especially with the band.”

I let out a small laugh. “I think we’ve handled worse.”

“Still,” he says, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I’m not risking losing you again.”

My chest tightens, in a good way this time. “I’m all in,” I say.

“For real?”

“For real.”

He nods, leaning in to press a softer, lingering kiss to my lips before pulling back again. “You do believe me, right?” he asks, a hint of vulnerability slipping through. “About loving you?”

“Yeah… I do.” I smile, this time properly. “I know you love me, Ast. I can see it in the way you look at me. I might not deserve it, but I have it… and I think deep down, I always knew you loved me. I just didn’t understand how… or why.”

“Lennox,” he murmurs. “You’re one of the easiest people in the world to love. Yeah, you can make things complicated, but that’s just you. And even when you drive me crazy… I love you warts and all.”

I scrunch my face, frowning. “I do not have warts.”