Page 167 of Fame & Rhythm

He huffs a quiet laugh. “It’s a saying. It means I love you, flaws and all.”

“Oh.” I relax, smiling up at him.

“Oh, indeed,” he says, leaning in to kiss me again, soft and slow. When he pulls back, he brushes his thumb along my cheek, catching a tear I didn’t realize had fallen. “Happy tears?” he asks.

I nod, sniffling as a smile tugs at my lips.

I can’t seem to stop smiling.

It’s strange… how everything can feel so broken one moment, and then, somehow, start to come back together again.

Maybe people really can love me.

Maybe I am worth loving.

Just because my birth parents didn’t want me… doesn’t mean I’m unlovable.

The thought settles deep, steadying something inside me.

I wish the last couple of days had never happened. I wish I could erase them completely. But… if they hadn’t, would we even be here right now?

I don’t know.

All I know is I don’t want to lose this again.

“So…” Aston hesitates, glancing at me. “About that guy—”

I raise a brow. “Did you and Amber?”

He pauses, then lets out a breath, shaking his head slightly. “Maybe some things are better left alone.”

I nod.

Because I don’t want to know.

Not really.

“I just want to focus on us,” I say quietly. “Make new memories. Forget the last two years and just… be with you.”

“Me too, baby. Me too.”

I slide my arms around his neck, threading my fingers through his hair.

God, I’ve missed this.

“I missed you,” I whisper.

“I missed you, too,” he says, pulling me closer. “And I’m not letting you go again. So you better be in this for the long haul.”

“Forever,” I murmur. “I think I was always yours.”

A small smile tugs at his lips. “I knew you were always mine.”

We both let out a soft laugh at the familiar words.

“Come on,” he says after a moment, glancing toward the door. “We should go back in there. See what they’ve come up with.”

My stomach twists instantly. “What if they say I’m out of the band?”