“You left your guitar on the bus.”
Holy shit. “I did.” And I didn’t even notice until he said it.
KENLEY
“I think we need to have a little chat,” I tell Sloan, patting her mattress beside me for her to come and sit.
She sighs, rolling her eyes ever so slightly. Enough to make her point, not enough for me to tell her to stop being a yucky teenager. “Is this about Knox?”
“Yes.”
She plops down beside me as I requested. “You can relax,” she says calmly, like she’s suddenly the mom and I’m the kid. “I know you just met him and he’s not my new dad and I promise I’m not getting carried away with some silly fantasy about afuture where you marry a rock star, and we all live happily ever after.”
“Good.” At least one of us is keeping their wits about them here. “I just wanted to make sure. You two seem like you’re getting along really well, and I know it’s totally crazy that he’s staying here at Frieda’s with us while he’s in town, and I don’t know, a reality check seemed like a smart idea for both of us.”
She arches her left brow. “Areyouhaving silly fantasies about a future where you marry the rock star, and we all live happily ever after?”
“No.” I had those plenty before I met him, but I haven’t allowed myself to even consider taking a peek at old daydreams since he showed up in my reality. “The truth is, that I don’t know what’s going to happen. All I really know right now, is that I want to keep being in the moment, however long the moment lasts. I just want to enjoy it. And not worry. And not daydream. Just be.”
She nods but stays quiet.
“But what about you? What do you want?”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, are you okay with him staying here? Is it freaking you out seeing me with him? Does any of this make you uncomfortable?” Sloan may be a teenager, but she’s never seen me date and I doubt she has any recollection of seeing me and her father in this way.
“Ma,” she says, leaning in and bugging her eyes out at me, the way she does when she wants me to know she’s super serious. “All he does is make you smile and laugh andrelax.He helps you cook and clean and he takes us for ice cream when we’re upset. I’d be like the crappiest daughter ever if I told you I didn’t want him here.” She smirks. “I’d also be a liar. Because I think he’s awesome.”
I can’t help but mirror her sentiments. “He kind of is, isn’t he?”
“You really think he’ll be back after he leaves to go back on tour?” she asks the question I’ve been asking myself ever since he assured me the answer was yes. Why I can’t seem to believe him when he’s given me no reason to doubt him, is annoying as shit. But even as I sit here, telling her I think he will, feels irresponsible. Foolish, even.
“I think right now, he has every intention of coming back,” I say slowly, choosing my words carefully. “But I also think, it’s too soon for any of us to get attached to any plans. We’re all just getting to know each other. And as perfect as today was, it was also a Sunday. No work. No school. No regular life stuff.” I make a face. “Or regular rock star stuff.” Whatever that is. “But whatever happens, I do believe he genuinely cares about us, even if it turns out his life and our lives can’t continue to overlap after he leaves to go back on tour.”
She twists her mouth back and forth trying to hide her disappointment. “I kind of thought you might say something like that.”
“You know me pretty well.” I smile, reaching over to give her a
hug and kiss the top of her head. “And, since that’s a mutual level of knowledge, please don’t stay up until two in the morning working on some sketch or another.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says, feigning innocence. “I was just going to go brush my teeth and go straight to sleep.”
“Yes.” I get up from her bed, casually pointing at her notepad and pencils already sitting on her nightstand. “I’m sure that’s exactly what you had planned.”
She just grins and watches me leave, waving me along at the end when I linger in the doorway too long.
I pause when I reach the stairs, taking a moment to anticipate what this night still has in store for me. I can’t get tooliteral about things. Stripped of all the feelings and gut knowing, the basics of this whole thing still sound a little too daunting. A strange man is staying in my house. Not just any strange man. A famous one. A musician. One I’ve witnessed women throw themselves at in many a YouTube video. Not to mention, the antics I saw firsthand at the show last night.
Last night.
Was it really only twenty-four hours ago?
It feels like it should be longer. Forever even. Because being with him feels like I’ve always been with him. Likewe’vealways been.
But we haven’t.
It’s only been one day.
