Page 133 of Keep Me Close

At the center hangs a small charm. It’s a star with a sparkling diamond set into the middle.

I look up at him. “It’s stunning.”

His gaze never leaves mine. “Flip it over.”

My fingers shake as I turn the star over, and my heart clenches. Etched into the back in tiny script are the words No more cages.

For a second, everything around me falls away.

The noise.

The lights.

The chaos backstage.

It all fades beneath the weight of those three words.

My vision blurs as I swallow hard, but it doesn’t stop the thick emotion from rising in my throat. “Knox.”

He reaches up and brushes his thumb just beneath my eye before the tears can spill. “You said once that when you were a teenager, you used to look up at the stars and imagine a life that was yours. A life where nobody else got to decide who you were.”

I can barely breathe now, but for an entirely different reason.

I did tell him that late one night while we were curled up in bed. How I used to lie awake and stare out the windows, wishing for something bigger than the life everyone kept trying to push me into. Something that was mine alone.

I never thought he’d remember the exact words.

His hand slides to the side of my neck. “When you walk out there tonight, I want you wearing a reminder.”

“A reminder of what?”

“That no one and nothing owns you. Not your mother, the cameras, or even the past.” His thumb strokes my skin. “You go out there because this is what you chose. It’s the life you were brave enough to create for yourself, and I want you to fully embrace it.”

Another tear slips free, and I let out a watery laugh, pressing the heel of my hand against my cheek. “I think you’re trying to ruin my makeup right before I go on stage.”

His mouth twitches. “Totally worth it.”

I laugh again, handing him the necklace. “Would you mind putting it on for me, please?”

Tenderness flashes across his expression as he steps behind me. I lift my hair, and his fingers brush the nape of my neck as he fastens the clasp. His touch is careful, and the chain settles against my skin with a cool, delicate weight.

His palms slide lightly over my bare shoulders before he turns me to face him again. The star rests just above my heart.

Knox’s gaze drops to it before lifting to my face. “Perfect. Just like you, baby.”

I shake my head, smiling through the sting in my eyes. “You do realize I’m supposed to be focusing on my performance and not the fact that I’m hopelessly in love with you, right?”

He leans in until his forehead can rest against mine. “I guess it’s a good thing you can multitask.”

A shaky laugh escapes me as he angles his head. The kiss is gentle, exactly what I need to quiet my racing thoughts and remind me where my center is.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” I whisper.

His gaze darkens. “We both know I’m the one who got lucky here.”

The stage manager appears at the corner and gestures. “Places.”

Nervousness flares within me again.