Yes, we even talked about starting a family. After my health scare, I went to several specialists and got myself straightened out. At this point, there wasn’t any obstacle keeping us from starting a family.
When the time was right.
Which wasn’t right before we went on an international tour, but it was on the five-year plan.
Along with committing our lives to each other.
I didn’t need the piece of paper to know he loved me, but we talked about it.
“You guys ready?” I stepped into the room where Fatal Knockout stood, dressed and ready.
“Ready.” Ginger bounced up and down on her toes. “We’re so excited. And I may throw up.”
“I understand that,” I said. “You’ll start heading toward the stage in five minutes, okay? You’ll see me waiting there and then I’ll give you the signal to go out.”
“Thank you, Natalie. Someone pinch me and tell me this is for real. We’re here right now.”
“You’re here.” I looked around the room at the nervous women. “You’ve got this. It’s only the beginning of our sold out crowds. New York will love you. The world will love you.”
I shut the door behind me and was just about to open the door to talk to my band when I heard my name through the headset.
“Natalie, can you come here for a minute?” The voice belonged to Riordan, the manager of the arena.
I cursed under my breath before hitting the button to respond. “Where is ‘here’?”
He laughed almost immediately. “Sorry. Can you come to the pit?”
The pit was an area in front of the front rows where people paid top dollar for the chance to touch one of the rockers. They were also usually the craziest, but it was the most fun.
“Sure thing. Be right there.” I turned and ran back down the hallway. Jaded Regret would have to wait. They were old pros at this anyway. I was sure they were ready.
Kai and his friends would sit in the front row for our first concert, and I couldn’t wait to see him. I wondered if he was here already. The way my schedule was the past week, getting ready for tonight, I missed him. Our quality time was much less than usual.
“What’s going on?” I stopped in front of Riordan and looked up at the stage. The signage for Fatal Knockout was in place, as was their setup for their instruments. “Everything looks fine to me. Is something wrong?”
We talked through our headset since the crowd was already chanting and screaming.
Before he could answer me the lights went out, and the crowd came unglued, jumping and screaming behind me.
“Riordan, what am I doing out here?” I couldn’t even see him it was so dark.
I knew he still stood there, but he didn’t answer me. Before I could ask again, the lights flashed three times and then stayed on.
And that’s when my heart walked out onto the stage.
No, really.
He did.
The crowd settled, and murmurs went through the audience as they caught sight of Kai. He looked delectable in a dark pair of jeans, a white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, his dark, more-than-five o’clock shadow, and hair slicked back. He made my mouth water.
Not many people knew him unless they were super fans and caught some photos of him and me over the last several months, but there were a few screams in the audience.
“What is he doing up there?” I knew no one would answer me, but I voiced it anyway.
Kai stepped up to the microphone and his gaze zeroed in on me. “Hello, everyone. I have something special for you tonight. Would you like to be part of something special?”
The crowd screamed and hollered, and I felt my heart jump into my throat trying to figure out what he was doing.
“In case you don’t know me, I’m Kai Pierson. I work for No Limits Recordings, the label that brings you Fatal Knockout and Jaded Regret. Who’s excited about tonight?”
My throat dried out as I stared at him, my mouth agape. I saw movement behind him, and that’s when I saw Tate, Ian, and Sebby come up and go to their instruments.
Oh my God. What were they doing?
Kai turned and saw his friends behind him. “Can you say hi to my friends?”
The crowd screamed behind me, and the lights went out. I fought through the darkness to find Kai. I saw him walk back to his band and then the lights came back on. My headset was quiet, which meant someone turned me off. It was never quiet during a concert.
“I would like to ask my girlfriend, the beautiful, wonderful manager of Jaded Regret, Natalie Anderson, to join me on the stage.”
In the past, doing this would’ve caused nothing but anxiety for me. While I wondered what in the world he was up to, my shaky hands were from anticipation, not fear. I moved quickly to the side of the stage.
The crowd went wild when I stepped up next to him. He reached for me and wrapped his fingers in mine.
“Isn’t she amazing? She’s the brains behind this wonderful band. Say hi to Natalie.”
“Hi Natalie,” the crowd echoed.
“Now, Natalie is part of the special surprise tonight, even though she has no idea what I’m doing up here right now. Can I get the rest of my special friends out here to help?”
I saw movement behind me, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Kai. His eyes sparkled, and his mouth quirked up in that adorable way I loved so much.
But when the fans started going crazy, I had to turn. Fatal Knockout and Jaded Regret took the stage behind us.
“I’ve been playing in a band since I was a kid. These are my guys. But I know the real talent you came to see tonight is them. Am I right?”
My eardrums rang as the noise level got to deafening levels.
“They’re going to help me tonight. I mean, can you get any better than that? It’s their opening night for their new huge tour, and I have them up here to help me.”
I thought I might die if I didn’t figure out soon what was going on. I was a planner. I knew every second of what was supposed to happen tonight. This was not on the agenda.
“Everyone ready?” The bands took positions, extra instruments having shown up from out of nowhere. “This song is dedicated to my beautiful girlfriend, Natalie. I love you. The last year of my life has been the greatest, but I hope this is just the beginning.” He turned to the audience. “I hope you enjoy this song, even if it isn’t what you may be used to from these guys. Natalie and I have a mutual love of all sorts of music, and I needed this song tonight. This song is called ‘I Can’t Wait.’ She likes to tease me about country, but as I always tell her, it just fits.”
I heard someone counting off and then a soft melody began, the guitar and the cymbals starting the song. He got up on this stage to play a song for me. He never ceased to surprise me in the best way possible. Tears sprang into my eyes as Kai took my hands. Bex, Ginger, and Alleigh all began singing together while everyone else played. It was a grouping made in heaven as their voices lifted. I didn’t know the song, but it didn’t take much to figure out it was something heartfelt. It felt strange to hear the rockers singing country, but they put their own twist on it.
As the lyrics continued, I listened to the soft, soulful words and my eyes widened. Kai nodded, realizing I understood the lyrics to the song.
When they got to the chorus, and they sang about not being able to wait to be my wife and to live life together, Kai joined in and began singing. Tears streaked down my face as the song continued.
As the lyrics ended and the instruments faded out, Kai knelt on one knee in front of me and took my hand. “Natalie, I can’t wait for you to be my wife. I love you more than anything in this world, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me, and be part of my life forever?”
I covered my mouth with my free hand as the crowd went out of their minds. I felt the others gather around us, but I couldn’t look at them.
All I could do was stare into the eyes of the man I loved, who got on the stage in front of everyo
ne and declared his love to me.
He took a box out of his pocket and opened it, holding the ring out to me. It didn’t matter what it looked like because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.
“Marry me.” Kai’s voice boomed throughout the huge arena. “Make me the happiest man on earth.”
I tried to form the word, but a sob came out instead. I nodded my head yes while I cried. He stood and slipped the ring on my finger while I found my voice.
“Yes. Absolutely yes, Kai Pierson.”
He beamed and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me into the air. “I love you,” he whispered into my ear. “I’ll love you forever, Natalie. I can’t wait to change your name and tell the world you’re mine.”
I laughed, wiping the happy tears from my eyes. “I’m rather sure you just told the whole world.”
Kai grinned. “That’s true.” He let me go and faced the screaming audience. “She said yes. My fiancée, Natalie soon-to-be Pierson, everyone.”
The End of the Jaded Regret Series
Look for more emotional, heartfelt romances from L.L. Collins soon!
Acknowledgments
To all of my readers: It’s been three years since I published my first book. Thank you to those that have been here since the beginning, and those that this may be the first book of mine you read. I couldn’t do what I love without you.
To my wonderful betas: BD, JT, KK, MES, MR, JS, CB, LS. Your feedback made this book so much better. Thank you for not being afraid to be honest.
To Tracey: thank you for always being by my side and living this dream with me. You’re so much more than my assistant.
To Leddy: You’re my POS4eva, and I never want to do this without you!
To Joanne Schwehm: Thank you for being part of my life for the last three years. You are a true friend.
To Jennifer Steen: Thank you for being with me every step of the way during this book. You’re so much more than a reader; you’re a friend.
To my Reading with LL Collins group: Thank you for being part of my group and getting to know me!
Please consider leaving a review at your point of purchase after reading. It helps more than you know. Help support indie authors and if you loved it, tell a friend or two. It’s more appreciated than we can express. Support getting new books to choose from and purchase your books, don’t get them for free from a piracy site.
About the Author
L.L. Collins loves spending her days in the Florida sun with her husband and two boys, reading, and writing. LL has been writing since she was old enough to write. Always a story in her head, she finally decided to let the characters out and make her lifelong dream of becoming an author come true in the self-publishing world. She’s the author of the Living Again Series, Twisted Series, Back to the Drawing Board, and the Jaded Regret Series.
To contact me
@authorllcollins
llcollinsauthor
www.llcollinsauthor.com
authorllcollins@gmail.com
Also by L. L. Collins
The Living Again Series:
Living Again (Living Again #1)
Reaching Rachel (Living Again #2)
Guarding Hearts (Living Again #3)
Finding Forever (Living Again #4)
Breaking Free: A Living Again Novella (Living Again #4.5)
The Twisted Series:
Twisted Souls (Twisted #1)
Twisted Paths (Twisted #2)
Standalones:
Back to the Drawing Board
Jaded Regret Series
SENTENCED (Jaded Regret #1)
Snared (Jaded Regret #2)
Hartstrings (Jaded Regret #3)
Exposed (Jaded Regret #4)
Playlist
Spotify Playlist
One Republic- Secrets
Rihanna- Stay
Sam Smith- Stay With Me
The Script- Six Degrees of Separation
The Script- The End Where I Begin
Thriving Ivory- Where We Belong
Maroon 5- She Will Be Loved
The Smashing Pumpkins- Perfect
Lifehouse- Between the Raindrops
Sarah McLachlan- Sweet Surrender
Vaults- One Last Night
Christina Perri- A Thousand Years
Meghan Trainor- Like I’m Gonna Lose You
OneRepublic- Counting Stars
James Bay- Let It Go
Nothing but Theives- Tempt You
Bruno Mars- It Will Rain
Nothing But Theives- Graveyard Whistling
Foo Fighters- Learn to Fly
Fiona Apple- Criminal
Oasis- Wonderwall
Lana Del Ray- Young and Beautiful
Garbage- I Think I’m Paranoid
Echosmith- Cool Kids
Christina Aguilera- Beautiful
Christina Aguilera- The Voice Within
Crossfade- Colors
Coldplay- Fix You
X Ambassadors- Unsteady
The Script- Breakeven
Christina Perri- Jar of Hearts
Papa Roach- Gravity
Christina Aguilera- Hurt
Christina Aguilera- Blank Page
Breaking Benjamin- Break My Fall
Breaking Benjamin- Sooner or Later
Alessia Cara- Scars To Your Beautiful
Christina Aguilera- Just a Fool
Christina Aguilera- Empty Words
The Script- Hall of Fame
Fort Minor- Remember The Name
A Great Big World- Won’t Stop Running
David Guetta- Titanium
Daughtry- Waiting for Superman
Demi Lovato- Skyscraper
Andra Day- Rise Up
Theory of a Deadman- Wait for Me
Linkin Park- Numb
Linkin Park- Shadow of the Day
Linkin Park- What I’ve Done
Gavin Rossdale- Love Remains the Same
Mazzy Star- Fade Into You
Ed Sheeran- Kiss Me
Jay Z- Empire State of Mind
Dan + Shay- Already Ready
Berlin- Take My Breath Away
Josh Abbott Band- Oh, Tonight
Kip Moore- Hey Pretty Girl
Chris Young- Who I am With You
Chris Young- What If I Stay
Chris Young- Heartbeat
Brad Paisley- She’s Everything
Brantley Gilbert- Fall Into Me
Chase Rice- Gonna Wanna Tonight
Luke Bryan- Strip It Down
Luke Bryan- To the Moon and Back
Thomas Rhett- Die a Happy Man
Cassadee Pope- I am Invincible
Ne-Yo- Let Me Love You
Bruno Mars- Just The Way You Are
Ariana Grande- Dangerous Woman
Blake Shelton- God Gave Me You
Switchfoot- Learning to Breathe
Switchfoot- You
Ryan Adams- Desire
Broken Iris- Beautiful Girl
Christina Aguilera- Bound To You
Colbie Caillat- Realize
Queen- You’re My Best Friend
Bruno Mars- Count On Me
Jason Mraz- Lucky
REO Speedwagon- Can’t Fight This Feeling
Scott McCreery- I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend
Charlie Puth- One Call Away
Hailee Steinfeld- Starving
Incubus- Stellar
Florida Georgia Line- H.O.L.Y.
Chase Bryant- Change Your Name
Ben Rue- I Can’t Wait
Boyz II Men- I’ll Make Love To You
Thunder- Love Walked In
Puddle of Mudd- The Only Reason
Kat Graham- Secrets
James Arthur- Certain Things
Cloves- Frail Love
Thirty Second to Mars- Alibi
James Bay- Running
Boy Epic- Tell Me You Love Me
The Sweeplings- Always Been You
Kaya Stewart- In Love With A Boy
Lady Gaga- Perfect Illusion