Page 95 of Fame & Chaos

The rest of the night passes with me sitting at a table with the band while everyone celebrates the show. At one point, I catch Amber from one of the support bands openly checking out Aston, and my protective instincts immediately kick in.

That girl had better stay the fuck away from my cousin’s man.

Eventually, I head home alone. I’m not in the mood to fuck anyone tonight. Not unless it’s Indi. And honestly, Indi isn’t someone I’d just fuck anyway. She’s a beautiful woman you make love to slowly. Someone you take your time with. Someone you hold afterward.

Lying in bed later that night, I stare at the ceiling, wishing she were beside me. Or at the very least, wishing I’d gotten to talk to her after the show.

I need another chance to see her.

Tomorrow I’ll call her again and ask if she wants to meet up somewhere. We have too much history and too much left unsaid for her to keep running forever.

Right?

Chapter Sixteen

Caleb

For most of the night, I stayed awake, unable to wrap my head around the idea that Indi left because of “Saving Grace.” I hope she didn’t hate it, because every emotion I have for her was poured into that song. I wanted her to hear it and understand how much she means to me.

Rolling over in bed, I glance at the clock. Ten-twenty a.m. Definitely not too early to call her and figure out what last night was really about. So I grab my phone and dial her number, my heart racing while it rings. Every second stretches painfully long, and just when I convince myself she isn’t going to answer, she does.

“Hello,” she says softly, her voice still carrying that angelic sweetness I’ve missed like hell.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“I feel better, thanks. Think it was just a bad headache. How was your party?” Indi asks quietly, her tone restrained like she’s keeping herself guarded.

“It was okay, nothing to rave about.”

“Oh well, at least you finally got to perform on a stage.”

“Yeah, that was awesome. Best feeling ever.”

Silence settles between us for a beat before she clears her throat. “Anyway, I better go. I’m running late for work.”

Panic slams into me. I don’t want this conversation to end before it has even begun. I need to see her. “Indi, wait. Can I see you? Maybe take you out on a date?” I ask, trying hard not to sound half as desperate as I feel.

She pauses, and my pulse kicks into overdrive. Christ, maybe I’m pushing too fast.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Caleb,” she says gently.

My heart stalls before crashing back to life harder than before. “Why not?”

She exhales softly. “Because after seeing you perform last night, maybe you’re better off being single? Being a rock star will bring heaps of women—”

“I don’t want heaps of women, Indi. There’s only one woman I want, and that’s you.”

Another pause.

“Okay, how about this? If you don’t feel comfortable calling it a date, we can just catch up as friends. I feel like there’s so much that needs to be said and even more for us to catch up on. I want to know how you’ve been and see if we can build a friendship like we once had… before everything went so drastically wrong between us.” I swallow hard. “Give us another chance, Indi? Please?”

The silence drags on, and all I can hear is the blood rushing through my ears.

“Okay,” she whispers at last, and my heart launches straight into my throat.

“Okay?” I repeat, needing to make sure I heard her right.

“Yes, Caleb. I’ll meet up with you.”