Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Laney

I should take a picture of Sophie's face right now.

She's sitting at the top of my bed, her legs crossed under her, her mouth hanging open in what can only be described as absolute shock.

I just showed her the video Ivy took of Adam singing beside the campfire, the rest of Midnight Rush adding their harmony in what will always be, for the rest of eternity, one of my favorite moments of all time.

"Wait, wait," Sophie says, reaching for my phone. "Did he lean over and kiss you after he finished the song?" She tracks back about twenty seconds to watch again, then she looks up at me, eyes wide. "He did. Deke Driscoll kissed you right on the mouth."

" Adam Driscoll," I say. "It's been a long time since he's gone by Deke."

She swallows. "And you met Freddie Ridgefield," she says. "Like, he knows your name and stuff. "

"Yeah. He does. He's a really nice guy, Sophie. You'd love him."

This morning, when I showed up at Mom's, Sophie was at an all-district orchestra thing. She didn't get home until this afternoon, so she's only just now getting the full story.

Miraculously, she hadn't even heard the news about the reunion show, even though it's been all over social media, and she definitely didn't see the cybersleuth video that identified me as Deke's fiancée, so she's getting all of this firsthand, directly from me.

Which, honestly, it's better that way. Now I get the joy of seeing all her reactions in real time, and after the last six hours, I'm overdue for some joy.

Dad was the first one I talked to. He called while I was en route to Hendersonville, asking why he just had a client congratulate him on his daughter's engagement. When I explained the situation, the conversation did not get better.

I don't fight with my dad. He's the easiest person on the planet to get along with. So it stung when he said, "Elena, I'm a business owner and a member of this community, and you're asking me to lie to people I care about."

"I know, Dad," I said. "And I'm sorry about the lies. But we just have to keep it up until New Year's. Once the concert happens, everything will go back to normal."

"And what do we do in the meantime? Lawson Cove is a town built on kindness. When people find out you're engaged, they want to celebrate by helping . Sheri Pruitt already called and offered to do your wedding cake, and her offer won't be the only one. What are you going to tell these people?"

I sighed into the phone. "That we're planning a really long engagement, and I'll keep their offer in mind? "

He was quiet for a beat before he said, "Well, I'll let you say that then. Because I won't cater to the idea that what people on the internet think is more important than what your neighbors think."

I hung up the phone feeling chastened but also a tiny bit indignant because the one thing Dad didn't seem to consider was how I'm feeling.

My conversation with Mom was a little better. She was mostly concerned about my emotional state and whether there is potential for heartbreak in my relationship with Adam. It was comforting to realize that even with everything that's happened, I'm not worried about getting my heart broken.

Adam and I feel solid in a way I've never experienced before. Which was probably the only thing that got me through all the other phone calls and conversations that consumed my afternoon.

The only one that made me smile was Percy, calling to tell me Mimi and her friends at Shady Pines want to throw me a bridal shower. Even though Mimi was in on the secret when we borrowed a ring to fake the engagement, when she came across a local entertainment news headline about the local vet engaged to a popstar, she decided fake had turned into real and shifted her brain into planning mode.

I'm not worried about Mimi, but the rest of the calls and messages made me want to chuck my phone out the window by dinnertime.

Apparently, lots of people saw the local news article and decided now was the time to reach out. I've gotten dozens of messages. From college friends, high school friends, even people who claimed they went to high school with me but I don't actually recognize their names. Five different people have asked me to get them tickets to the concert, one has asked if she can be a bridesmaid in my wedding, and three others have asked if I can set them up with a member of Midnight Rush.

So that's awesome.

Even though it was the thing that disappointed Dad the most, the lie doesn't bother me as much because I'm not lying about how I feel about Adam. I can easily imagine us dating for six months to a year, then getting engaged for real. So a long engagement just feels like a slight exaggeration more than an outright lie.

But having so many people interested in my life is completely exhausting.

I have learned to protect my social battery over the years, and today, I was completely depleted by noon. Plus, I hate disappointing my dad, and if I'm annoyed hearing from people I actually know, I can't even begin to think about the strangers who are talking about me without wanting to crawl out of my own skin.

I thought getting away from the hustle of concert prep at Stonebrook would help me feel better, but it's actually made me feel worse. All I want to do is wrap myself up in Adam's arms and forget that any of this craziness is happening.

If not for Sophie, I might drive back to Stonebrook right now.

My sister lifts her hands to her cheeks. "I can't even with this," she says, her voice low. "How are you breathing right now? Elena! You're freaking engaged to Deke Driscoll! I mean, sort of engaged to Deke Driscoll. But still! That kiss was real!"

I laugh, and it feels so good to focus on the happy, even just for a second. "Pretty wild, right? "

She grabs a pillow from behind her and squeals into it, then seems to realize exactly what is on the front. It's the kind with sequins that push both ways, either hiding or revealing a picture depending on which way each individual sequin is flipped. Adam's face is on the front, and Sophie spends a minute brushing all the sequins to reveal the entire photo. She holds it up. "Laney, it's your boyfriend. His face is on a freaking pillow!"

Ha. On the pillow...and on the wall in three different places and all over the memory board that's hanging above my bed. My high school bedroom is basically a time capsule. I have no idea why Mom hasn't turned this room into a gym or an art studio or even just a normal guestroom. But she hasn't touched a thing since I moved out. Maybe she's waiting for me to do it? Actually, that's probably a reasonable assumption. It's my stuff. I probably should do it.

In fact, I should do it sooner than later before Adam comes to meet my family. I can just imagine Sophie leading him upstairs to see my childhood bedroom.

"Are you hungry?" Sophie asks. "I want snacks."

"Sure. But then you have to update me on your love life. What ever happened to the guy you texted me about?"

Sophie's cheeks flush a deep pink as she smiles wide. "He's a very good kisser."

"Sophie!" I grab the Deke pillow out of her lap and toss it back at her face. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you were busy telling me about your new boyband BFFs." She stands. "You want a soda too? I think Mom has some of that zero crap you like."

"No caffeine for me this late. I'll never sleep."

Sophie rolls her eyes. "You're so old."

My phone vibrates against the desk as Sophie disappears into the hallway, but it's a number I don't recognize, so I ignore it and pull up Instagram before leaning back on my bed. But then a text pops up that has me sitting back up again, heart pounding in my chest.

The text reads: Laney? It's Freddie. Can you answer?

The phone immediately starts to ring again.

"Freddie? What's wrong?" I say as soon as the call connects. "Is Adam okay?"

"Hey," he says. "Sorry to scare you. He's fine. As far as I know. But…he's gone."

"What?"

"He left. Left Stonebrook. Backed out of the concert."

I press a hand to my chest. "Freddie, what happened?"

He spends the next five minutes walking me through the argument that broke out when Kevin showed up at the farm and unceremoniously announced their one-time reunion show was now three shows.

At some point, Sophie comes back in with soda and popcorn and Twizzlers, but she must sense something is happening because she sets everything down, then slowly backs out of the room.

"It's my fault," Freddie says. "Or Kevin's fault, mostly. But Kevin is my agent, so I still feel responsible. But I swear, Laney, I didn't know they were going to book more shows. They said they might, but I thought we would have the chance to talk about it first. That I could convince Adam?—"

"Freddie, you know how big it is that he agreed in the first place."

"I know. But I just thought once we started singing again, he would realize how much he loves it. He's so good at it. Why is he so against it?"

I hesitate before answering. Adam and I have talked around the issue enough that I feel like I have a pretty good idea. On the surface, it's easy. He doesn't love the attention. But in ordinary circumstances, I think he'd deal with that to be able to sing. He loves the music enough that he would. But as long as he blames the fame for keeping him away from his mom, he won't want to. I'm not sure if it's fear or resentment, but I'm sure the feelings are deep and tangled and more complicated than either Freddie or I can sort out in one phone call. "Freddie, he lost his mom. You know that's a part of what's going on."

"I know. Geez. I know you're right. But if I could have just talked to him before Kevin showed up. Tried to explain."

"Did he leave in his car? Or did he just walk off into the woods?" The question sounds stupid when I say it out loud, but given Adam's track record, it feels like something I have to ask.

"No, he drove. Packed up all his stuff and just…left."

I sigh. "I hope he's okay."

"Jace said some stuff," Freddie says, his voice softer now. "He's clearly going through some stuff with his marriage, but…it wasn't good, Laney. I doubt he meant everything that came out of his mouth. I have to hope he didn't. But I'm not surprised it made Adam run."

From the floor beside the bed, Goldie perks up, ears lifted as she stands and turns toward the door.

Voices sound on the stairs, my mom's, then a deeper one I immediately recognize.

"Freddie, I have to go. I'll call you back."

I hang up just seconds before my mom knocks once, then swings open my bedroom door. "Hey," she says, eyes wide. "You have a visitor."

Adam comes into the room, and Goldie rushes over to him, tail wagging. He crouches down to greet her. When he stands and finally looks over at me, I have no idea what to say. How to act. Should I tell him Freddie called? Should I act like nothing happened?

No. I can't do that. I can't lie.

Behind Adam, Mom slowly closes the door, leaving us alone in my bedroom.

I swallow against the knot in my throat. "Adam, what happened?"

He doesn't say anything, he just moves across the room and drops onto the end of the bed, leaning forward so his elbows are propped on his knees.

"Did someone call you?" he eventually asks.

"Freddie. Just now. He didn't say much. Just that you…left."

He nods, but he doesn't look up. "Sorry to show up like this," he says.

I scoot closer on the bed and lift a hand to his shoulders. "It's fine. Of course it's fine. Actually…how did you find me?" He knew I was in Hendersonville, but I didn't give him an address.

He tilts his head toward Goldie. "She has an AirTag on her collar. I can trace it with my phone."

Huh. I guess that's one way to find me.

"I would have given you the address," I say.

"No, I know. I was just kind of in a panic and wasn't thinking right." He presses his forehead into the palm of his hand. "I'm still not thinking right, actually. I just came to pick up Goldie so I can go home."

My heart sinks. So he tracked Goldie instead of calling because he didn't come here to see me. He only came here for her .

When I don't respond, Adam finally looks over. I'm not sure what he can see on my face. Fear? Confusion? Uncertainty? Maybe all three? Whatever it is, it prompts him to reach over and pull me into a hug. I sink into his embrace, but there's a stiffness to it that feels different. He's hugging me because he realizes he should, but he isn't present. It feels like his mind is a million miles away.

When he leans back from the hug, he looks around the room, as if realizing where he is for the first time.

"This was your bedroom," he says, a statement, not a question, as his eyes move from one wall to the next.

A wave of embarrassment washes over me, which is silly. I've never hidden my fandom from Adam. I told him I wrote fanfiction and admitted to kissing his poster before I went to bed every night. Nothing in this room should surprise him.

Still, imagining what it must feel like for him to see it like this all at once, in all its pink and sparkly glory, makes me feel foolish in a way I never have before.

"I know it's a lot," I say.

"It's definitely something. "

"I'm going to tell my mom she needs to redecorate," I say. "She can turn the room into an office or something."

He nods. "Good idea." His expression shifts the slightest bit. "Pack up the past for good."

His words give me pause. What does that mean? Pack up the past for good? And what on earth happened in the past twelve hours to shift his thinking so completely?

"Adam, please tell me what happened," I say.

He shakes his head. "I just need to get home. Clear my head."

I want to protest, to beg him to stay with me, but I would be asking him to stay for me, and I'm not sure that's what he needs. It's definitely not what he wants.

So I swallow my protests and nod. "Okay. If you're sure you'll be okay."

"It's going to be better now," he says. "The drama, the attention. We won't have to deal with that anymore. No more feeling like spiders are crawling all over your skin."

Even though I've been stressing about the attention all day long, his words don't bring the relief I think he wants them to. Not if saying them means he's quitting.

But I know Adam well enough to realize we aren't going to get anywhere trying to have this conversation tonight, so when he stands and holds out his hand, I let him pull me to my feet, then I gather up Goldie's things.

Sophie and Mom stand side by side in the kitchen, backs to the refrigerator as we walk through to get Goldie's food and bowl. I load everything into the bag Adam packed it in this morning—was it really just this morning?—and hand it to him before crouching down to say goodbye to Goldie.

A beat of awkward silence passes before he takes a hesitant step toward the door. He pauses and looks over at my family. "Sorry to come and go like this," he says. "It's nice to meet you both."

Mom manages a tight smile and Sophie blinks and nods, but neither of them say anything.

I follow Adam to the front door and out to his SUV. He opens the back door for Goldie, who jumps right in, then turns to face me, hands tucked into his back pockets.

"When are you coming home?" he asks.

"Tomorrow? I think? I have to work on Monday."

Adam nods, then holds my gaze before lifting a hand to my face. "Six seconds," he whispers, then he presses a lingering kiss to my lips.

As soon as he pulls back, he lets me go, then climbs into his car and drives off into the darkness.

I sigh and sink onto Mom's front stoop. His six-second goodbye kiss was a gift after everything else—a message that says he's still in this with me.

But I still don't like feeling so helpless. Whatever is hurting him, I want to help. I want to make this better for him.

I pull out my phone and text Freddie.

Laney

Sorry to hang up so quickly. Adam actually showed up here.

Freddie

For real? Did you talk to him?

Laney

Not really. He just wanted to pick up Goldie, and he definitely didn't want to talk.

Freddie

What do I do here, Laney?

I tap my phone against my palm. The problem is, I don't actually know the right move. On the one hand, I know how much Adam loves to sing, how important music is to him. But he shouldn't be forced to play more shows than he wants or feel manipulated because Freddie's agent seems to lack even a modicum of human decency.

Actually, maybe that is something Freddie can do.

I'm not sure I can suggest it. I only know of Kevin what Adam has told me, so I'm chasing a gut feeling more than anything. But Freddie did ask .

I close out my message thread with Freddie and find Ivy's contact.

Laney

Hey. Honest reaction. Is Kevin a good person?

Ivy

He's toxic on every level. Freddie is loyal by nature and assumes the best in people and thinks Kevin is great at contract negotiation. Which, fine. He's good at that one thing. But he only has dollar signs where he should have integrity.

Why?

Laney

Just checking to see if my intuition was right.

Ivy

Was it?

Laney

Dead on.

I switch back to my message thread with Freddie, which has lengthened in the time I was talking to Ivy.

Freddie

I need you to believe me, Laney. I didn't trick Adam on purpose.

I really did think I could work all of this out.

I thought I had more time.

Laney

I believe you.

But Freddie, your agent is screwing you over, and now he's taking advantage of your friends.

If you want to do something for Adam, start there.

It takes Freddie a very long time to reply and involves countless dots appearing and disappearing and reappearing before a single word pops up.

Freddie

Noted.

A second message follows a few minutes later.

Freddie

Watch out for him for me?

I drop my phone into my lap and lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

I would love nothing more than to watch out for Adam.

I just hope he'll let me.