Lily stared at me, finally understanding. “You, it was you he hurt. Only someone he broke could understand all of that.”
I nodded. “I was young, stupid, naive. I thought it was amazing that someone like him was showing interest in someone like me. I fell for him hard. Next three years he fucked me up really good. When I eventually left, the band was all I had. They saved me. It took a really long time to be okay again. Real long time. Even now I miss him sometimes. Not that him now, but the man I first met. The one who could change my entire day with a single text message. I tried to stay friends with him, but it was so complicated. When I saw him doing it to you, I knew you didn’t have anybody else. I wanted to see that you were okay. That you had money and a place to stay. A friend to talk to through the dark times. I felt drained after my confession, only the band and my team knew what had happened. I never wanted you to know about me and him. It is over, long over, long before he showed interest in you. It will never happen again; I don’t want it to.”
“Why did you stay? Give me a home with you, not just a random place? Was it all a joke? Another game like he plays?” Did you want to break me, too?” she demanded.
I looked tearful. “No darling. I fell in love with ye that first night in the bar. When we were dancing together. I knew that if I was ever to open my heart and try again. It would be you who showed me how to love again. I think we were meant to meet. And I want to call that asshole and thank him for hurting us both. Because now, we know what is real and what is worth fighting for. And we are worth fighting for. This is real, it’s love, and we both deserve it.” I broke off, embarrassed. “Or something like that.”
Lily kissed me pulling me back onto the bed, whatever I had said. It clearly had worked.
Chapter 34
Lily’s POV
I kissed Adrian goodbye at the hotel room door. “Go, we need to go down separately so no one knows.”
“Is it such a big thing if they do?” he whined.
“Yes! I would much rather be dating you again longer than forty-eight hours before we bring anyone else into the picture.”
“Okay, that I will grant youse this once, but I don’t want to hide you or us,” HHe promised, kissing me.
“I don’t want to hide you either, but give us more than two days please.”
“Okay darling, I love ye.”
“I love you too, my Irish Prince.”
“Since when youse did start calling me that?”
“Since I stopped wanting to kill you in your sleep.”
“Fair point, well played.” Adrian pushed me towards the lift to go to breakfast first.
I edged into the breakfast room, grabbing a juice, yogurt and a newspaper, hoping we were in a country where we had newspapers I could read. Sitting on a small table at the edge of the group, near Levi and Harry’s table.
“Want me to get you a coffee? You look tired,” Harry asked.
“You know I don’t drink coffee, H.”
“Oooh, must be rough sans coffee after so little sleep.” Levi winked.
“I have no idea what either of you mean,” I said, flicking through the paper, pretending to read something.
Adrian came in glowering at my choice of breakfast, before filling two plates with fried food. Dropping one of them in front of me. “Ye need to keep your strength up.”
“You will certainly be needing it later on.” Levi smiled.
Adrian looked between us. “What did youse say?”
“Dude, her room is right next to ours.” Harry laughed. “You two are nasty!”
“I still have no idea what you two mean, and I am going to eat so shh.” I blushed, forking a mushroom into my mouth.
“Fuck this shit,” Adrian sighed, kissing me. To the cheers of everyone in the room.
“About time you two, I was ready to lock you both in a room until you fucked it out,” Shelly commented. “Now, today’s schedule.”
Chapter 35
Adrian’s POV
Our last night alone together before the final show of the tour, it would be weird to just go back to Dublin after all of this. Although I missed my city terribly, I knew Lily did too. The band was out partying, but I decided on something a little more romantic. Wining and dining with my beloved. These last few months we had rebuilt our relationship stronger than ever. I barely drank anymore; I rarely felt the need to other than the odd couple of beers with the band socially. Tonight, for example, I was on my third light beer with a virgin cocktail to follow with desert. I felt better for it, not being bogged down in all that crap all the time.
I eyed Lily’s glass of rose, she was taking her time over the wine. I thought she was drinking less; she certainly didn’t have breath smelling like mint covering up rum. She was eating better, even gained a little weight, not in a bad way. More that
