Pulling away, he said, “Let me take you home, Salem. Let me show you how much I love you tonight.”
I looked deep into his eyes and knew that despite his mistakes, despite his flaws, I loved him. Nodding slowly, I said, “Okay.”
Together we walked side by side, with his arm firmly wrapped around me, back to his car. Before I knew it, we were pulling into my driveway. My stomach fluttered with anticipation of what was about to happen.
We spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms, sharing our love for one another through the unity of our bodies. I lay beneath him, quivering from the power of his stamina, while my body trembled, completely fulfilled by his sexual prowess. It was a night to remember. A night I would never forget. The night I gave my whole heart and soul to Chris.
Like a thief in the night, deeply satisfied sleep robbed me of my time with him.
“Wake up, sweetheart,” he whispered into my ear.
“Hmmm,” I moaned, trying to jostle my conscious mind. Glancing at the clock, I saw the bright red, digital numbers that read 5:06 AM.
“I gotta go, baby,” he said, regretfully.
Pouting, I mumbled, “I don’t want you to leave.” I nuzzled against his chest, not ready to let go of him yet.
“I don’t want to leave either, but I have to,” he said, squeezing me tight and kissing me gently on my forehead. “Don’t worry. This tour is almost over. Then we can spend all the time in the world together.”
I wasn’t ready. Just a few hours at a time was never long enough. “I’ll miss you,” I said softly.
Holding me, he wrapped his arms around me. Kissing my temple, he breathed, “I’ll miss you too.”
We reluctantly pulled ourselves out of bed, grabbing clothes off the floor and getting dressed.
Standing at the doorway, knowing it could be weeks before I would see him again, I tried my best to hold my emotions together. Chris cradled me against his chest, gently swaying back and forth.
“Just a few weeks,” he said as if he were trying to convince himself more than me.
I nodded. “Just a few weeks.”
Chris cupped my face in his hands. I lifted my eyes to look at him, tears pooling in the corners. “I know life on the road is hard, Chris…” I struggled to hold back my tears, remembering the sucker-punched feeling I got when I saw the photos of him going into the hotel with another woman. I knew what I was trying to say, but I just couldn’t finish my sentence. I hoped he’d understand my fears without having to hear the words.
“Shhh,” he assured me, brushing strands of hair away from my face. “Salem, you are the only girl I want. You’re all I need. You are it for me.”
We stood there, staring at each other like that for several seconds while I silently thanked him for knowing exactly what I needed to hear.
Shaking his head, he whispered, “I don’t know what you’ve done to me, baby.” Then, slowly leaning toward me, he pressed his mouth to mine.
I succumbed to the softness of his lips against my skin, welcoming it. We kissed as though it would be our last. I couldn’t help the frightening feeling welling up inside of me that it very well could be. After all, Chris King was a rock star. Celebrity status. What would happen to us when word leaked out about who I was to him? I figured it was only a matter of time.
Chris pulled away, searching my eyes. His pained expression mirrored mine. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I said as tears trickled down my cheeks. “See you soon.”
With that response, Chris kissed my forehead and disappeared through my front door. I traipsed back to my bed, falling into it, and curling myself around the pillow he’d slept on that night. Breathing in his familiar masculine scent, I felt comforted—especially knowing I’d be seeing him again in just a few short weeks. I closed my eyes, remembering how he felt beside me, and drifted back to sleep. I wasn’t ready to face reality yet.
I honestly don’t know how people lived without technology. Just being able to see Chris on one of the face-to-face talk apps on my phone helped get me through each day. My heart ached like it had never ached before. I just wanted to be with him. I missed him so much.
The final weeks of his concert tour were coming to a close, and we could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Between work and Alexis’s after school activities, the days seemed to fly by at a record breaking pace.
Before I knew it, Chris was standing on my front porch the day after his last concert in Memphis.
“I’m so glad you’re finally here!” I wrapped my arms around him, vowing never to let him go again.