“Four more months,” Chloe said with a smile.
“Four more months,” Josie echoed. “You have a show soon. Go get ready. We’ll talk soon.”
As soon as they said their good-byes, Reid walked into the room and wrapped his arms around her. “You okay?”
Chloe smiled. “I’m perfect.” And this time, she was completely sincere.
Reid rested his hand on Chloe’s thigh as he drove down the familiar roads of his hometown. The houses lining the streets were decorated with ghosts, spider webs, and jack-o’-lanterns. Children dressed in Halloween costumes played in their front yards even though Reid was certain trick-or-treating wouldn’t begin for several hours.
He looked over at Chloe, who wore a soft smile as she took in the scenery. Despite the fact Memphis wasn’t home anymore, he wanted her to love it. He wanted to share this part of his life with her. They’d spent the night before on Beale Street. He’d shown her his favorite bars and where he used to play. He worried it might be awkward, but witnessing Chloe’s excitement and genuine happiness at seeing this part of his life wiped away his fears. As much as he hated the pain he caused Jess, they’d never had the kind of connection he shared with Chloe.
Chloe let out a heavy sigh and tugged on the piercing in her lip. Reid couldn’t help but smile. “Stop being nervous,” he said, squeezing her thigh in reassurance.
“You’d have better luck telling me to stop playing my violin,” she groaned, leaning across the seat to rest her head against his shoulder. “They’re going to hate me.”
Reid kissed the top of her head. “They are not going to hate you. They’re going to love you.”
“Your parents love Jess. They are going to hate me for existing.”
“Chloe,” Reid murmured. “Above all else, my parents want me to be happy. Sure, they love Jess, but they will love you too. They’ll love you because I love you. Just like your mother loves me.”
Reid grinned at the memory of the night he met Chloe’s mother. They’d had three shows in New York with two days off, and after a little shuffling, they managed to get together for dinner. She was every bit the ice queen Chloe made her out to be, but after about ten minutes of Reid singing Chloe’s praises, thus complimenting her mother, it was smooth sailing.
“Yes, well, you used the Jedi mind tricks I taught you on her. Plus, I was single when we met. She’s just happy she doesn’t have to be one of those hip parents who are cool with their daughter’s girlfriend.”
Reid laughed and hugged Chloe to his side as he turned down the driveway to his parents’ house. “You’re ridiculous. And they’re going to love you. You’ll see.”
Chloe sighed and pulled away before twisting to the back seat and grabbing her jacket. Reid looked at her and frowned. “What are you doing? It’s not cold enough for a jacket.”
“I just . . . I want them to like me. Maybe I should cover up my tattoos. I should have taken out my piercings,” Chloe muttered, pulling her lip into her mouth.
“Oh, fuck this,” Reid growled, pulling the car off the road. Before Chloe could say a word, he had her face in his hands, his eyes locked with hers. “I love you, Chloe. Don’t you dare hide who you are, not for anyone. I love everything about you and so will my parents. And if they don’t, then it doesn’t fucking matter. Don’t you see how perfect you are for me? Because I do, and so will they.”
Tears clouded Chloe’s eyes as she pressed her lips to his. “I’m sorry. I’ve never freaked out this much about meeting someone’s parents. I just want them to like me. I don’t want them to think badly of me, because that would make the next sixty or so years really miserable.”
Reid’s expression softened. “You plan on sticking around that long?”
Chloe let out a choked laugh. “I want to be with you until our skin sags so much our tattoos are unrecognizable.”
“That’s nasty.” Reid grimaced. “But I’m down with that plan. Now let’s go to my parents’.”
“Okay.”
Just as Reid said, his parents loved Chloe. By the time they left, his mother had Chloe in a hug, making her promise to come back soon. It was exactly how Reid expected. It was impossible not to love Chloe. He would know. After the show in Memphis on Halloween, the days began to blur. That was the thing about being on tour, the days were either the longest moments of your life, or they flashed by in the blink of an eye.