Out of the Shadow (22 page)

“
I love you, too,” he said. He kissed her again, quickly. He drew back to look at her and wink. “Ready to retire for the night?”

“
Yes,” she said as he pushed to his feet and helped her up. He enveloped her in his arms and guided her to the bedroom. Her heart pounded as he shut the door behind them.

***

She woke slowly the next morning, pressed firmly against him. The light filtering through the heavy curtains landed on his cheek and she touched it, just wanting to feel him. He shifted and mumbled, but stayed asleep. She smiled as she traced the fading circles under his eyes.

She had noticed the weariness in his face when he’d picked her up from school and although it worried her, she was glad that at least they were together and perhaps she could take care of him that weekend – make sure he ate decently and got plenty of rest.

She nestled her cheek against his chest and sighed as his hand came up and wrapped around her. His breath ruffled her hair as his heart thumped in her ear. She closed her eyes, content to stay as she was for the rest of the weekend.

“
You awake already, princess?” he mumbled in a scratchy voice.

“
Um hm,” she said.

He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. “Want to get some breakfast?”

She almost told him she’d rather not but remembered her vow to take care of him that weekend. She lifted her head, folded her arms on his chest, and rested her chin on her arms. “Sure. Do you want the shower first? I tend to take all the hot water.”

His eyes were opened just mere slits as a slow smile crept across his lips. “Yeah, fine. Do you want to do breakfast here or in town?”

“
Let’s go to town,” she said. “I want to check it out.”

He lifted his head to kiss her nose. “Fine. Let me up, beautiful, and I’ll get ready.”

***

The little town was full of tourists and he’d felt the need to hide in his meek disguise. He donned his favorite baseball cap, turned backwards of course, and a dark pair of sunglasses. He dressed down in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, doing his best to blend in, but most of the people strolling casually down the sidewalks, peering into the little shops, were older and most likely not fans.

It was another beautiful, fall day. The sun was shining and no clouds marred the sky. The temperature was still a little warmer than normal, but not warm enough to leave jackets behind.

He held her hand, ecstatic to be spending time with her, and listened as she chattered about school, her roommate, and her basketball workouts. She’d dressed down, too, and he thought she was absolutely gorgeous in jeans and a blue sweater, her ponytail bouncing from shoulder to shoulder.

“
I forgot to tell you something, Al,” he said as they stopped in front of a boutique so she could peek at the fall sweaters in the window.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, her smile stealing his breath. The sun hit her head, highlighting the reddish brown strands that hid in her normally dark hair. “What did you forget to tell me?”

He kissed her cheek. “RJ and I found a little house close to campus and we’re going to rent it for awhile.”

Her eyes grew larger than dinner plates and out sparkled the sun. She slowly turned toward him and grabbed his other hand. “Really?” He nodded. She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. “That’s fantastic.”

“
I know,” he said, prying her fingers loose as a passing older couple smiled sweetly at them. “We’re moving in Monday.”

“
And I can come visit you whenever I want?” she asked.

“
Of course,” he said. “I’ll give you a key.”

She hugged him again. “This has been the best weekend of my life.”

He cupped her face. “It’s just going to get better.” Then he kissed her.

***

That evening, they returned to the cottage, laden with shopping bags and cartons of Mexican food. He set the shopping bags near the door before exiting again to gather wood for the fireplace while she located plates and silverware.

Once he had a fire started, he sat at the table and watched with a half smile as she dished out the food and brought him a plate. She made one for herself and joined him, her brows dipping over her eyes. She stared at him for a moment then checked the table.

“
Did I forget something?” she asked.

“
No, princess,” he said as he picked up his fork and plunged it into his rice. She continued to eye him as she cautiously dug into her food. He chuckled and set his fork down. “Honest, it’s nothing.”

“
Whatever you say,” she said as she shoved a forkful of refried beans in her mouth.

He ducked over his plate, wishing he could share what he was feeling inside but not sure he’d be able to put it into words. He just liked what they were doing at that moment. He liked building the fire while she tended to the food. He liked watching her work in the kitchen after they’d spent the day together. Later, they’d sit in front of the fire and talk then go to bed. He’d wake up in the morning with her beside him. It was all so…domestic. And he wanted it for more than just a weekend. He wanted it to be like this every day.

But he had to wait. He had to be patient. He didn’t want to rush things and besides, they still had a few bugs to work out. They’d had a fairly large argument and they hadn’t really settled things. He planned to talk to her about that later, after dinner. He wanted to fix things before he had to take off again for L.A.

And he had to tell her about that, too.

Once they finished eating, he helped her wash up the dishes then took her hand and led her to the fireplace. He sat on the floor, his back against the sofa, and pulled her down between his legs. His arms wound around her and he rested his chin on her shoulder.

“
Did you have fun today?” he asked.

She leaned into him, smile on her face. “Yes,” she said. “Thank you so much, Cole. This has been perfect.”

“
I agree,” he said. “We’ll have to do this more often.”

She nodded and snuggled into him. He held her tighter and kissed her neck. He wanted to talk – to discuss what had happened between them after the article had come out – and he also wanted to tell her about his impending trip to L.A. But he wasn’t willing to break the serene mood that was enveloping them. He just wanted to hold her and kiss her and just be with her.

But, he couldn’t keep putting it off.

He sighed and pressed a quick kiss to her temple. “Al, there’s a few things we should talk about.”

She turned in his arms to face him. Her face had paled, lines appeared in her forehead, and he hated seeing them there. “What’s the matter, Cole?”

He chucked her under the chin and winked. “Nothing, princess. I just wanted to talk about that argument we had. I’d hate for something like that to happen again.”

She relaxed and laced her fingers through his, sending a thrill through him. It had been too long since they’d been together that every little touch felt like the first one.

“
Okay, let’s talk,” she said, tilting her head to smile. “Lay it on me.”

He took a deep breath and stared at their entwined hands. “Well, I really didn’t mean to cause you so much trouble, Al. Honestly, I didn’t. I guess I didn’t think.”

“
I’ll deal with it, Cole,” she said. “I think I overreacted and I’m sorry. But I wish we would have discussed it beforehand.”

“
Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “The problem was that the question just came up in the interview. Apparently, rumors have been ‘flying’ about us.”

She giggled and leaned forward to kiss him. He placed his free hand on the back of her head and returned the kiss fervently. He was tempted to lower her to the floor and continue kissing her until the fire died. But he still had things to discuss with her.

He reluctantly broke the kiss.

“
Um, Al, there’s something else,” he admitted.

Once again, fear crossed her face. “What?”

“
I have to go back to L.A. in a couple weeks,” he said with a wince. “Well, the band does. We’ve been working on new music while we were on the tour and we’re supposed to play it for Rhys. Plus, he wants us to shoot a few videos and do a couple appearances.”

She swallowed and took his hand again, pressing it between both of hers. She nodded, her head bent. “How long will you be gone this time?”

“
It won’t be as bad,” he said. He lifted her chin, bringing her eyes to his. “I promise. We’ll be out there on and off for a couple months. We’ll be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

He could see disappointed tears gathering in the corners of her eyes and it broke his heart. He eased her into his arms and rested his cheek on the top of her head. He hated that he’d broken the peaceful spell that had fallen over them, but he had to tell her. She needed to know.

“
I understand,” she said. “We’ll manage. And if you can’t come home for Thanksgiving, then I’ll fly out there on my break.”

He grinned and kissed her hair. “We’ll figure it out. I won’t put us through months of not seeing each other again, princess.”

She nodded. “Don’t call me that.”

***

Pale moonlight seeped through the break in the curtains but it wasn’t strong or bright enough to interfere with sleep.

No, Ally’s thoughts were interfering with her sleep.

She lay enclosed in Cole’s arms, listening to his even breathing and his light snores, and replayed his words. She hated that he’d have to leave town again but she knew it was his job. Plus, he wouldn’t be gone as long as he had been while on tour. She’d deal with it somehow.

What was tormenting her mind was the Robby kiss. Should she tell him? Should she not? She didn’t know what to do. She knew what she wanted to do – forget about it – but was that plausible? Shouldn’t she be honest with him? She loved him with her whole heart and never wanted to hurt him. But she didn’t want to lie to him either.

She turned, pressing her back into his chest. His arms tightened around her but he didn’t wake. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, trying desperately to push the matter from her head. She only had a few more hours left with him before they had to return and then she’d have to share him with their friends and their families. She wanted to cherish every second she had left.

“
Things will work out, Al,” Cole whispered, kissing the sensitive skin behind her ear. “Stop worrying and get some sleep.”

She smiled in the dark. “Okay.”

Her body relaxed as her heart kept time with his. He was right – things would work out somehow.

Chapter Fourteen

Cole strolled casually through the studio, taking time to note the minute changes that had occurred while he’d been on the road – the new framed posters on the walls in the corridor, the new furniture in the waiting room, and the shiny name plates on the office doors. He smirked when he stood before his father’s door, admiring the engraved plate that caught the recessed lighting in the hall, and knocked.

“
Yeah, come in,” Nate yelled.