Chapter 43
Belle
Arriving in Las Vegas, it is amazing. I swear it’s like our nearest beach on steroids but without an ocean. It’s insane. Tonight is the last stop on the tour and I can’t wait to go home for a break. The question is, is that Lattimore or Nashville? I’ve got one month off before starting to record and prepare for my very own headlining tour that I still can’t believe is actually happening.
“This is crazy, Bella Blu,” Chase says as the tour bus drives toward the arena. “Too bad we won’t have time to enjoy it.”
“Maybe we’ll come back for vacation or something.”
“Actually, I think this is the perfect time for us to come to this place. The national rodeo championship is going on.”
“Oh my gosh! I almost forgot. You think we’ll get to watch Oliver?”
He takes his arms and pulls me tight. “I hope we’ll get to watch him, but I understand why you’ve forgotten. Your life has been pretty chaotic over the past few weeks getting ready for this. It’s hard to believe that this is the end to the start of your career. Jake and I got us tickets, but not positive we’ll be there when Oliver’s riding.”
“What?”
“Yeah, get ready. We’re not riding back. We’re flying home.” He smiles at me and all I want to do is dance around the bus like a crazy girl. So I do exactly what I want to do. I stand, squeal and do a little happy dance while Chase laughs right in my face. “Now, don’t get all crazy on me, but I knew this could be fun.”
“Crazy? This isn’t crazy,” I laugh as I take a seat on his lap, wrap my arms around his neck, and kiss his lips.
Pulling into the back of the arena, the bus comes to a stop, forcing me to remove my lips from Chase. Stepping off the bus, we see Jake doing the same.
“Hey, Jake! I think I’m going to drop that four-letter word.”
“Don’t you dare!” he says as he walks toward a car approaching. Looking to Chase, he grins like he knows who’s in the rental car.
“It’s not,” I try to say without getting too excited.
“It is!”
A squeal escapes my lips and as I start to take off for her, Chase pulls me back. “Give them their moment.”
Jake
The moment I got a notification that Laurel was on her way, I was more nervous than I have ever been my entire life. Chase knows she’s on the way but Belle has no clue. For me, I haven’t seen her in three months. We’ve talked every day and we’ve tried to make a date work for her to fly out to visit, but it wasn’t doable with her work schedule and touring.
Without seeing her face to face, I’m unsure of how this will actually play out. We’ve gotten to know each other, and I’m hoping that everything will be like it was when she drove away.
As a car comes into view, my feet begin to walk quickly toward her as I'm trying my best not to take off in a full out sprint. The driver puts it in park and starts to open her door when I meet him, sliding him a tip. He nods and walks to the trunk to get her luggage. Opening the door, I’m met by the most perfect girl in the world. Her smile lights up the world and her eyes glisten when she sees me.
“Well, if it isn’t the country music god himself,” she says with a voice that sounds like honey as she smiles. Taking her hand, I guide her from the back seat and don’t say a word. Instead, I pull her to me and kiss her. Her body fits flawlessly against me and her lips are perfect as they dance with mine. Losing ourselves, we continue to make out in front of everyone without one care in the world.
With the sound of the trunk closing, we jump then pause for a moment, before I toss her over my shoulder, tell the driver to leave the bags at the door, and run toward my bus with her. “Put me down!" she yells as we step toward the bus, and I oblige once we’re on the bus away from everyone else.
Looking into her eyes, I get lost. “Gosh, I’ve missed you,” my hand slides behind her neck and my lips meet hers. This time they are slow, deliberate, and making up for lost time.
Chase
Watching those two makes me want to do the same with Bella Blu. Without thinking twice, I swoop down and toss Belle over my shoulder, and she squeals as we walk back on the bus. Putting her down, she doesn’t move; instead, she looks me in the eyes.
“Chase McSwain, I love you.”
“Bella Blu, I love you, too.” Pushing herself up on her tip-toes, she kisses my lips and I burn this moment in my memory. It’s the simple times like this that matter most. The ones where we are alone, just us, and the world doesn’t get to see.
As she lowers herself back away from me, she asks, “You think it’s safe?”
“Doubtful.”
“Well, let’s go.”
“Bella Blu, they ain’t seen each other in three months.”
“So,” she smirks.
“I’m gonna tell you right now. If we were in their place and got interrupted, I’d be fightin’ mad.”
“You, mad? You know if that was Laurel, you wouldn’t be that way.”
“You’re right. It might not look like I was pissed but on the inside, I’d be thinkin’ a lot of things.”
“Oh really? I don’t understand why that would be the case,” she questions with a smirk and I know exactly where this is going.
“If that was me, I’d want to be alone with you. Don’t get me wrong, I love Laurel, but not being able to touch you for three months…I’d have major withdrawals and you’d be the only fix. It’s pure torture.”
“You survived when I left.”
“That’s different.”
“We weren’t together then,” she says as if it’s no big deal.
“Maybe for you, but not me. Why do you think I called you every day or at least texted you until you were too busy for me?”
Sliding her arms around my waist, she looks up at me. “So, if we were Jake and Laurel, what would you have done when you saw me?”
Looking down at her, her eyes wait for an answer but instead of speaking, I show her exactly what I would have done. Moving my hand to the base of her neck, I bring her lips to mine and kiss them slow and sweetly before showing her exactly how I would have reacted. Without breaking our kiss, I scoop underneath her and pull her into my body.