MARRYING THE ROCKSTAR (#3 ROCKSTAR SERIES)

♪ four ♪

After three coffees, an unknown number of scones and other pastries, a few sips from Daphne's rose-gold flask, and surprisingly only one session of hyperventilating—I was convinced.

Marrying Leo was the right choice.

Daphne's vibes were put off by my attitude, but she ended up conceding that lately, I'd been bolder and moving forward with my dream career, and she attributed it to Leo's involvement. Sapphire wasn't as forthcoming, but she trusted me when I said my heart wanted this and insisted that I continue to follow that. She didn't give any further details on what Cameron may or may not have told her, and I opted not to push.

As much as I probably should have.

But Cameron was my past. Feelings or no—he'd made the wrong choice by walking away from me, and it was too late to take that back. I was with Leo, now. I was marrying Leo, the rockstar.

And that, in the long run, would be for the best. I loved him, and it was all still a lot to process, but my mind was made.

I didn't give Leo this run-down when I got home. In his mind, I'd gone to meet with my friends to tell them the news, not to ask them if I'd made a mistake. In any case, they'd spoken in his favor...but he didn't need to know that.

The next day, we met with Petra, as planned. She was a little surprised to see me sitting in on their meeting—downstairs in Leo's studio—but didn't dismiss me. We sat in the living space, coffees and snacks on the coffee table, comfortable on the lavish couches near the studio door.

"What's this?" Petra stacked her paperwork, peering between us. "I mean, you joining our gathering, Emma. Not that you're not welcome, but Leo is normally more...private about his process."

"She won't be attending that part of the meeting," Leo said, brushing down his t-shirt for the fifteenth time since Petra had gotten there. "She's only here for the little announcement we have to make."

"We?" Petra's glasses lowered over her nose as she raised her eyebrows. "Oh, wait, don't tell me—you lovebirds did something while you were in Paris, didn't you?"

I gawked at her, then at Leo; he chuckled nervously. "If by something you mean I got down on one knee, then you're spot-on." He waved at me to lift my left hand, that I'd been purposely hiding. "And she said yes."

I flashed my ring at Petra, who clapped excitedly at once, but quickly swept a hand over her forehead as if in relief. "Okay, you scared me for a second. I thought you'd gone and gotten married over there, which would require so much paperwork for me. But you're just engaged?" She deflated, a huge smile on her lips. "Ah, that's lovely. Congratulations, you two."

My cheeks heated as she took my hand to get a closer look at the ring. "It's perfect, isn't it?"

Petra nodded. "I did give him a few hints to choose it." She looked up at me, eyes narrowed. "He didn't pressure you, did he? Rose petals, champagne to get you tipsy, chocolate to get you all turned on? You said yes because you wanted to?"

I overheated as Leo shot up and ripped my hand from Petra's. "Come on, now, Petra, don't be like that."

She glanced at me insistently as Leo started to drag me off. "Did he, though? How did he do it?"

"Eiffel Tower," I said hurriedly, before I was shoved up the stairs. "Top floor, for us alone."

Petra whistled, but I didn't get a chance to hear any further reaction, as Leo hefted me away.

"Okay, your role is done, young lady," said Leo, almost slamming the door in my face. "I'll see you later, for dinner?"

I huffed in fake offense but acquiesced and scampered back upstairs to work on some new article ideas.