Page 65 of Hung Up
“You don’t have to explain yourself, Sorrel. I get it.”
“Yes, I do. You deserve to know why. Emily, she was right?—”
I practically growl when I hear her mention her name.
“Don’t you dare listen to a fucking thing that chick says. I fired her before the show tonight.”
Her brows fly up to her forehead. “You did?”
“Yeah, I wanted her gone the first day she stepped foot on our bus. We’re out a tour manager now but we’ll make do. I’ll just have a little more on my plate.”
She shakes her head in disbelief.
“If that’s the reason you’re leaving?—”
“It’s not,” she says, cutting me off. “Well, it's part of it, but it’s not the only reason. I’ve loved being here with you but I miss my simple life back at the ranch. I don’t want to hold you back or be a distraction.” She pauses, then continues on. “Denton, these people love you. Your shows get bigger each city we’re in. You're a star and I’m just a cowgirl who lives a quiet life and that’s all I want.”
“I want that too. I mean I’m grateful for all of this and it’s what I’ve always dreamed of, but now that I have it, I’m not sure anymore.”
“You can’t just walk away from this.”
I run my hands through my hair in frustration. “No, I can’t, but there’s gotta be some middle ground.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure just yet but I’ll figure it out. If going home is what you need, Sorrel, don’t let me hold you back.”
She purses her lips. “Okay, so I guess that’s it then. I’m going home.”
I bite my tongue. It’s not fair of me to ask her to stay. I don't want to say the wrong thing either and make her feel worse than I know she already does.
“Let’s head back to the bus,” I tell her, taking her hand in mine as we stand up.
—
The next morning Johnny and Charli come rolling into the bus—smiles beaming and all over each other. Well at least someone had a good night.
I let Sorrel have the bunk to herself and I slept on the couch. She had been distant once we got back on the bus and I wanted to give her space and time to think. I needed the same. Just because she’s leaving doesn’t mean this is over between us. It will just take a little more effort on both our ends. Relationships are give and take, right?
The rest of her bags are sitting by the door and Dash is curled up on top of one of them. There’s no way he’s getting left behind. I’ll miss that little guy. I enjoyed having our little mascot while we were on tour. He even got to come out on stage at one of the smaller shows when we were in Oklahoma.
Sorrel is already dressed and ready to leave. Her hair is in a long braid and she has on a ball cap, tank top, and her usual jeans. She looks gorgeous as always in an effortless kind of way.
“You about ready to hit the road?” Charli calls out to Sorrel. She’s sitting on Johnny’s lap, sipping on an iced coffee.
“Yeah, just about—Denton, can we talk before I leave?”
I rush over to her. “Yeah, of course. Let’s go outside.”
She follows me out and we sit in the two lounge chairs set up. She has already taken down Dash’s pen. Rubbing her hands down her pants, she says, “I’m sorry this didn’t work out, Denton.”
I take both her hands into mine. “Hey, look at me.”
Her blue eyes are glossy as she does. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay. We’ll make it work,” I tell her.
“What do you mean? I thought last night—you said—I mean I thought we were done.”
“What? No, I mean I’m not done. Unless you are?”
