He laughed quietly. “Maybe that’s what Austin’s thinking. It would draw in a crowd, and after a while, I wouldn’t be such a big deal like I am onstage. I can do low-key.”
“Is that what I am? Low-key?”
His eyes dragged down, and he shifted so that we were facing each other. “My favorite keys on the piano are the lower keys. They have the most depth and soul. Same with the guitar; the high strings are sweet, but the low ones will break your heart. Maybe it’s time I tone things down. But fair warning—I still like to party and have a good time.”
“Me too.”
“I like to hang out at the bar and get rowdy.”
“So do I.”
He licked his lips. “Sometimes I have a little weed. Not often, but I usually have a few hits when I’m partying with a crowd.”
“Does it still feel good?”
“Not so much.”
I circled my finger on his clavicle. “Then maybe it’s not a big deal if you just stop. I don’t want to see you go back to that life again.”
“Done deal.”
“No, I don’t want you to hold that against me.”
“Same old Isabelle,” he said, kissing my forehead. “I can drop the weed without blinking, but I can’t quit smoking.”
“I don’t care, sweetheart. I’m not trying to change you. But when I ask you to put a mint in your mouth, you’re going to obey.”
He rocked with laughter and grabbed my thigh, giving it a firm squeeze. “What if you took a job helping Lexi out in the new shop when they open it? She’s going to need experienced staff because she’ll be too busy working the register and making pastries. Austin talked about hiring a couple of girls.”
“She should have table service. Why be like everyone else? People like to be seated and waited on. Sometimes they don’t feel so important in their daily life, and having someone take care of them is a big deal.”
“You always had a sweet heart,” he murmured, kissing my forehead again.
“I can always spot the lonely ones. I spend more time talking to them so they feel like someone cares. It’s not just about slinging beer.”
“I know that, baby. You think I don’t respect what you do? That’s why I asked about the pastry shop. Nobody keeps a cool head in chaos better than you. It’s not about all that hip-shaking you do in the bar for tips, but damn, Isabelle. You shine, and it’s infectious. That’s the effect you had on me when we first met. You made me feel like somebody.”
“You are somebody. You always were; you just didn’t see it.”
He smoothed his hand down my arm. “That’s what I mean. You have a gift. I’ve seen you work your magic, and it blows me away. You pick out the meanest bastard in the room and make him feel like he just might have a heart.”
My lip quivered, and I turned away. “It’s not true, Jericho,” I sobbed. “You can’t say that to me.”
All the emotion I’d kept bottled about Hawk began to seep out.
“Hey, now. What’s going on? Shhh… Baby, talk to me,” he said, whispering against my shoulder.
With my back to him, I sniffled and tried to keep my voice level. “How could I have been with such a monster? What does that say about me? I can’t bring out the best in anyone, Jericho. Maybe I bring out the worst.”
He propped up on his arm and his voice darkened. “Why the hell would you say that?”
And then it came out. “Because look what I did to you!”
He turned me onto my back. “You think you’re the one responsible for me shooting up? Do you?” He sighed hard and tenderly brushed my hair away from my face. “I never had a purpose in life like my brothers did. Reno was the bounty hunter, the twins were good with numbers, and then I came along. I carried that with me my whole damn life. When the fame hit, I wasn’t ready for it. The drugs were recreational at first, but eventually I needed them.”
“Why?”
“Because I felt like a dirtbag. I wanted to be numb. What good was I as a Shifter? I toured with humans, lived in the human world, and for what? To have women thrown in my face and drugs shoved up my nose. That downward spiral that you seem to think is your fault was me trying to forget what a loser I felt like. You were the best thing I had, Isabelle. You’re the best thing I’ll ever have.”
Jericho wiped the tears off my cheeks and lashes.
“Don’t ever talk that way again. It’s not you,” he said in a softened voice. “Hawk was a deceptive sonofabitch who got what he had coming. You’re trusting, and you gravitate toward people who need help. Maybe he looked like he had all his shit together, but you must have sensed he needed someone. You look for the best in people. That’s not a fault, Isabelle. It’s not a weakness. It’s what makes you the best damn woman I know. So go ahead and let it out.”
“I don’t want to cry anymore,” I said decidedly, pulling the sheet to cover my waist as I sat up.
He smirked. “Your hair looks like a Pomeranian caught in a tornado.”
I smiled sweetly at him. “But you still love me.”
“Yeah, baby, I still love you,” he said, kissing my lips.
“Even though I don’t have a tattoo?” I said jokingly.