Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“I never told Maddie—or my cousins—how I felt about you. But I should probably tell you that Maddie asked me straight out if I had feelings for you.”
“You mean before we went on the tour?”
“Yes. When I was trying to talk her into coming, you know, trying to talk her out of going back to school for her last semester.”
“I get the feeling, Brianna, that your wanting Maddie along on this tour was not completely altruistic.”
He’s not wrong. And if he truly loves me, and because I truly love him, I must confess.
“Yes,” I say. “I’m not proud of it, but that was the initial reason why I wanted Maddie to come along. But it didn’t stay that way, Jesse.”
“Oh?” His voice is tight.
He has the right to be pissed at my initial reasoning for wanting Maddie to come along. But I no longer feel that way, and I need to make that clear.
“No. I had no idea Maddie felt so left out of the little group with my cousins and me. We’ve always tried to include her. Please believe that.”
He caresses my shoulder with his lips. “I believe that. Family is family. Family always trumps friends.”
“So you do get it.”
“Of course I get it, Brianna. Everything I do is for my family. This concert is for my family.”
“I know that. And I’m going to try to never to forget it again.”
He sighs. “That’s the thing about you, Bree. And it’s part of why I fought so hard against you. Not just your youth but your privilege. There are things about my family that you’ll never understand.”
“Donny and Brock understand.”
“But do they? Perhaps Donny understands better than Brock. After all, Donny wasn’t born into riches, and he remembers what his previous life was like.”
A brick hits my stomach. Unless Callie told Jesse, he has no idea what Donny’s previous life was really like. At least the last several months of it. It was way worse than anything any of the Pikes could have possibly been through.
I’m silent for a few moments, until, “I won’t fault you that statement, Jesse. I do come from incredible privilege, and I know that. And yes, money is never a worry I’ve had. But I love you, and your worries are now my worries. Let me help you.”
“See?” He exhales sharply. “This is why I fought these feelings, Brianna. As much as I want you, want to be with you, now is just not the optimal time. The band is taking off. This is my dream. Just like your dream is to work on the ranch alongside your father. My dream is only beginning. It’s to make a living as a rock and roll singer. It’s to be one of the great ones like Jett Draconis. It’s to make my own living, take care of my family doing what I love to do and doing it well. My dream has never been to take money from someone else—even someone I love as much as I love you.”
He still feels I’m immature. And in some ways, he’s very right. So I will be mature. I will try to understand his feelings and know that they’re valid. As valid as my own. Perhaps even more so. Even though a huge part of me wants to give him my fortune and take away all his troubles forever.
“I understand. I should not have offered to help you. I only wanted—”
He covers my lips with his fingers. “Don’t say it. I know what you’re going to say. You only want to help. Use what you have to help the people you love. Don’t you think I’ve heard Brock and Donny say the same things to Rory and Callie?”
I simply nod. My family may be rich, but we’re also generous, and we gladly give to those we love.
“You see,” he says, “I understand you think you love me, and God knows what I feel for you goes beyond even that—”
I open my mouth to respond, but again he quiets me.
“Yes, I know exactly what you’re going to say. You’re going to say you love me as much as I love you. And I want to believe that, Brianna. I do. And someday maybe I will. But my point is that my career and the band may finally be taking off. And you…” He shakes his head. “You… Well, you don’t really fit into the plan.”
My heart drops to my stomach, and a chill skitters down my spine.
It’s not just sadness.
It’s fear. Fear that Jesse may pull the plug on this whole thing.
“Yet I can’t give you up,” he goes on. “You’re as essential to me as oxygen now. As the blood that runs through my veins. Without you, I’m a shadow of a man. At the risk of sounding very cliché, you complete me, Brianna.”