Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Laney

The oversized dining room in the farmhouse, which I think they call the ballroom and use for indoor weddings, has been fully converted into a rehearsal space. Tables and chairs have been shifted to the back and hidden behind a wall of mirrors that reach almost to the ceiling. There's a piano, a couple of guitars, a bass leaning against an amp, and stools and microphones for each of the guys.

Adam leans over and presses a quick kiss to my lips. "Please don't laugh at my dancing."

"Why would I laugh?"

"Because I'm twenty-six doing a dance that was choreographed for a bunch of teenagers?"

"‘Curves Like That' dance moves are timeless, Adam," I say in a serious tone.

"Yeah, says the person who doesn't have to do them on stage."

"I could if I had to," I say. "I know every move. "

He takes a few backward steps and smirks. "You shouldn't have admitted that, Laney." He finally turns and walks to where Jace is standing in the center of the room while I find a chair near the wall. Leo and Freddie soon follow, and I have yet another pinch me moment. I can't even begin to explain what it feels like to see them standing together like this.

They all look older. Broader shoulders. More facial hair. But they're still Midnight Rush. Standing right there. It's completely surreal.

"All right, let's do this," Jace says. He looks at a sound technician across the room. "Hey, Trav, we're doing full vocal this run through. Can you bring over headsets for us?"

The tech runs over and helps them connect their mics, then they move into position, forming a diamond, Jace in the front, Leo and Freddie on either side, Adam directly behind Jace.

Adam glances my way, grinning and giving me the tiniest eye roll as he picks up his arms and positions them in front of his face for the start of the song. A tiny thrill shoots through me at the sight. I recognize this. All of it.

Jace nods once, then the opening notes of "Curves Like That" pipe into the room.

Before I knew he was also Deke, I'm not sure I ever would have looked at Adam in his flannel and baseball caps and thought, I bet this guy can slay on the dance floor. He's so mild mannered, it just doesn't fit the idea of him in my head.

But seeing him like this, surrounded by his bandmates, it's clear Deke is still in there. He doesn't dance as well as Jace. But he holds his own, and it's so fun to watch .

Especially because he's watching me watch. And he can't stop smiling at me.

They make it all the way through the song, and the eight or so people scattered around the room clap and cheer. "Sounded great, guys," Trav says.

Adam leans forward and says something to Jace, who immediately looks my way.

"All right, Laney," Jace says. "Let's see what you've got."

My eyes widen. "Um, what?"

"You know all the moves, don't you?" Adam calls. He jogs over, stopping right in front of me. "I did warn you," he says, reaching for my hand.

"Come on," Freddie adds when I hesitate. "It'll be fun."

"You are in so much trouble," I say to Adam, but I let him lead me into the middle of the room anyway. He positions me right in front of him, his hands on my hips as he leans close to my ear. "Ready?" he asks, his breath fanning across my cheek.

"Absolutely not," I say, but I'm grinning as I lift my arms, mimicking the position the other band members have already assumed.

When the music starts, muscle memory kicks in and I hit every mark through the opening sequence of moves. I am not a dancer by any stretch, but I did this dance a million times. Always alone, usually in my bedroom while wearing my Deke shortie pajamas. Which, I'll be honest, it kinda makes this whole moment feel full circle.

This time, when the song ends, the guys all clap for me. "You know what, you should just take my spot," Adam says.

"For real, Laney. You knew every move," Leo says.

Adam grins. "Laney might have had a tiny thing for the band when she was in high school. "

Freddie gasps. "Were you a Midnighter?"

"Okay, now we're done here," I say. "Don't you guys have another song to practice?"

Adam wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses my cheek. "That was fun. Thanks for being a good sport."

I move back to my chair while the guys shift to the other end of the room. Leo sits down at the piano and Adam picks up his guitar while Freddie and Jace settle onto a couple of stools.

I am very excited about the possibility of Midnight Rush playing as well as singing, and I pull out my phone, turning slightly so I can take a selfie with the band in the background.

I'm about to send the picture to Percy, but then a woman with short dark curls and a stern expression drops into the chair beside me.

"So, I hate to be that person, and I totally trust you ," she says, offering me a kind smile, "but I don't trust whomever you might want to send that selfie to, so I would super love it if you didn't share."

"Oh! Right. I totally get it." My face heats with embarrassment. I do trust Percy, and I doubt very seriously he'd ever send the photo to anyone, but I'm pretty new to all this. Like, less than an hour new—so what do I know? I quickly pocket my phone. "Sorry. I won't send photos to anyone."

"It's so annoying," she says. "It's just life, you know? But any little thing we can do to help them maintain their privacy is worth it." She holds out her hand to shake mine. "You're Laney, right? Deke's fiancée? I'm Freddie's assistant, Ivy."

"Adam," I correct. A fiancée would do that, right? "And yes! I am Laney. It's good to finally meet you. I feel like I already sort of know you after all the logistical texts and things you've had to send over. You are juggling a lot."

"Right! Adam. Sorry. I have to make that click in my brain."

"How long have you worked for Freddie?" I ask.

Ivy looks up at the ceiling like she's counting back in her head. She has to be close to my age. Her skin is flawless, and her eyes are big and brown. "Four years…going on four hundred?" she says, and I grin.

"That long, huh?"

She smiles. "I swear, that man has taken years off my life. I mean, don't get me wrong. He's amazing. Just completely insufferable."

"That bad, huh?"

She waves a dismissive hand. "Not really. I'm too hard on him. He's just very good at getting what he wants. The man could convince a dairy farmer to buy manure. He's that charming."

"He seems to use it for good, though." My eyes shift to Adam, who is laughing at something Freddie said. "Everyone loves him."

She turns her gaze to look at the men. "Yep. Everyone does."

Her tone makes me wonder if there's something going on between them, but then she gives her head a little shake. "Especially women. Which is why I'm so protective of his privacy. If they can find out where he is, they literally show up in packs. Ready to do or say or be anything he wants."

"Really?"

"It's the ugly side of show business," she says with a shrug. "We get annoyed when celebrities are spoiled or entitled, but then we obsess over their every move, give them anything they want, and demand so much that paparazzi are literally willing to ignore every ethic to steal a photo. It's a wonder anyone stays in this business."

I suddenly feel very uncomfortable with my level of devotion to Midnight Rush through my teen years. But then, my fandom was very private. I might have made one too many scrapbooks full of band memorabilia, but I wasn't lurking outside of hotel rooms.

"Sorry," Ivy says. "I probably sound so cynical. I love Freddie's fans. He couldn't do what he does without them. I've just been doing this long enough to see the downside. But enough about me! How long have you and Deke been together? Wait. Sorry. I mean Adam."

"Uhh—" I breathe out a nervous laugh as I think back to the conversation Adam and I had the night before I drove down. The plan is to keep the story simple. Be vague on timelines. Stick to the truth regarding how we met. And lie as little as possible.

I'm honestly surprised Ivy doesn't know the truth already. Adam told Freddie. Shouldn't he have told his assistant? I'm tempted to walk onto the dance floor and kick him in the shins for not telling her, because now I'm having to juggle uncomfortable questions with lies for answers.

"It's still pretty new," I say. That feels safe. New can mean all kinds of things.

Ivy studies me. "Okay, I almost buy it, but you're gonna need to deliver with a little more conviction."

I freeze. "What?"

She leans a little closer. "Freddie told me everything," she says. "Don't worry, because your secret is totally safe with me. I'm just saying, your delivery could use some work. Confidence, right? You have to talk like you don't question at all what you're doing here or why the two of you are together."

I huff out a laugh. "That means I would have to not question what I'm doing here in the first place."

"Oh, please. You're here because the guy is totally in love with you. Everyone is going to buy that part because it's true. Claiming you're a little more serious? Easy peasy," Ivy says with a casual wave of her hand.

My stomach bottoms out when Ivy says the word love. She's so casual about it. Like it's no big deal. Like it's how Adam actually feels even without our fake engagement.

It's too soon for me to believe it's true. But the hope that flares in my chest at the thought says a lot about where my feelings are headed.

"Honestly, it's a smart move strategy-wise," Ivy continues. "Some women won't care. Engaged, not engaged. They'll throw themselves at whomever like it does not matter. But most will respect the love story. I know it was all accidental, but I'm glad you're keeping it going. You'll create a little bit of a buffer for Adam, which, based on what Freddie has told me, is only going to help him."

I know Ivy is trying to be encouraging, but hearing her talk about the complications of Freddie's fame, and now, Adam's, at least until the concert is behind us, leaves me feeling queasy and unsteady on my feet.

I've thought a little about what it means to be dating Adam. But I haven't considered at all what it will mean if the entire world thinks I'm his fiancée. Will people know my name? See me at the concert? Will I just be some faceless, nameless idea of a fiancée that no one ever sees?

Keeping up the charade so industry people don't talk and start unnecessary rumors is one thing. But broadcasting the engagement to the world, to fans—is that going to happen too?

It makes sense that the information might become public. And that suddenly feels like a very big deal.

Maybe it doesn't have to be. Maybe I can just go back to Lawson Cove after this week and Adam can do the Deke part of his life without me. But is that what he'll want? What would be best for him?

Knowing what I know about what he's been through, I feel very protective of him. I want to be around because I want to make sure he's okay. I want to be able to hold his hand at the end of the night and listen if any old feelings get stirred up. I want to be a safe place for him.

I have a very easy time imagining myself in a relationship with Adam.

But imagining myself in a relationship with Adam when he's Deke feels like a different matter entirely. I am not boyband girlfriend material. I'm not sexy sweaters and thigh high boots. I'm hoodies and jeans. Even when I dress up, it's in basic wrap dresses made out of enough fabric to keep the girls and all my lady bits fully contained at all times. No accidental nip slips for me, thank you.

I don't think for a second that Adam would expect me to change to look the part.

But the court of public opinion can be brutal, and I don't think any of the guys, especially Freddie, want anything but positive press surrounding this concert.

"Freddie had the sweetest things to say about the two of you after he came home," Ivy continues. "At least he did once I murdered him for disappearing in the first place." She rolls her eyes. "The man hasn't traveled without security in years, and he just up and left. Drove out of Nashville like it was no big deal and left me to explain to his security team, his agent, his mother . It was a complete mess. But that's—" She pauses, her words dropping off mid-sentence. "Oh. Oh, gosh. I freaked you out, didn't I? I did. I can tell by your face."

"No, no, it's fine. I think I just hadn't thought about everyone believing we're engaged. Like, the whole world everyone."

"Ohhh. Right. Adam told you about the TMZ article?"

My eyes widen. "What? There's a TMZ article?"

Ivy clears her throat and grimaces. "Did I say TMZ article? I don't know what I was thinking."

"Ivy, please tell me," I say, pressing a hand to my stomach, like the gesture alone might calm my growing nausea.

She breathes out a sigh. "I'm sure Adam will mention it, but honestly, it wasn't that big a deal. It didn't mention you by name, just announced that Deke is engaged."

"Who would have leaked the news?" I ask.

"Definitely Kevin," Ivy says. She then goes on to explain the way Kevin's PR brain works , the way he's likely trying to build buzz before the concert news drops later this week.

Logically, I get it. It's just weird to find myself at the center of it. And it feels impossible not to worry about how my personal life would be impacted if the news of my identity did leak.

Pretending here, when I'm surrounded by people I don't know, doesn't feel stressful. But lying to my dad, my coworkers, clients. That feels so much worse.

Ivy loops her arm through mine like only an extrovert can. "Listen. Consumers of entertainment news are like goldfish. They gobble up what's right in front of them, and then five minutes later, they completely forget about it because they've already moved on to the next most sensational thing. This TMZ thing is a tiny blip, and it doesn't say anything about you. Don't stress about it."

I smile and nod, even if I'm still dying on the inside.

"Here," Ivy says, holding out her hand. "Give me your phone. I'm going to give you my number. If you need anything or just get freaked out by any of the craziness that's going to happen the next few months, just text me."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"Okay, I'm off. I have to call the photographer for tomorrow's photoshoot. But I'm serious, Laney. If you need anything, I'm your girl."

I absolutely believe her. If Freddie is capable of getting everything he wants through charm, I think Ivy could probably do it through sheer force of will.

After another hour of rehearsal, I wander off in search of water bottles for the guys. I find an enormous spread of snacks and beverages in a dining area on the opposite side of the house and grab what I need, then head back into the rehearsal space just as they finish the chorus of "Memories of Yesterday."

"What if we take the harmony there up instead of down?" Adam says. "Leo, can you hit that note?"

Leo finds the note on the piano. "I think so. Let's try it."

They sing the line together, Adam taking the melody and Leo harmonizing. "That's it," Leo says. "So much better."

I hand the water bottles over one at a time, saving Adam's for last. When he takes his, I lean close, pressing a kiss to his cheek just beside his ear. "You're sexy when you talk about harmony," I say.

I move away, but he catches my hand, tugging me back for another kiss. "Hey, can you go let Goldie out for me?" he asks .

"So that's why you invited me here," I say.

He kisses me a third time. "Actually, that's why I invited you here."

"Okay. You like each other," Jace says dryly. "We get it."

"Be back soon," I whisper to Adam.

Goldie and I end up taking a gorgeous walk around the grounds of Stonebrook Farm. We visit goats and chickens and wander through the apple orchard and meet a goldendoodle named Toby who decides to join us for the last half of our walk, like it is his personal responsibility to show us all the best parts of his home.

By the time we make it back to the farmhouse, the guys have finished for the day, and Ivy is briefing them on what we can expect for tomorrow. Absent a band manager, it appears she has become the one in charge because no one is questioning anything she says.

"The photographer will be here at two," she says. "So that means you have to be downstairs for wardrobe and styling by noon. And Adam?" She lifts a hand to her face and strokes her chin. "It's time for the beard to go. People are going to think we replaced Deke with someone else if you don't shave."