GABRIEL

"Oh!" I gasp, my eyes widening as I struggle to swallow. I'm sure I didn't hear her right.

"I mean." She shrugs, focusing on the sea as she takes a long sip of her wine. "That's clearly what you've been doing your whole life, so I guess it's obviously working."

My eyes are having a really hard time leaving her face. "I'm not-"

"It just crossed my mind as we were leaving Ed's place, you know." She cuts me off, taking another sip of her wine. "It's clear men nowadays are just looking for a good time. So, maybe that's the route I should take too, you know?"

Taking a deep breath, I wonder how the fuck I'm going to navigate this conversation. Imagining Jo with another guy has never been a pleasant thought. "I'm sure there are some men out there who are looking for a serious relationship," I say, even though the words taste bitter in my mouth.

"Do you know someone you can introduce me to?" she says, and the little smirk on her lips makes me scoff.

"I'm just saying it's okay to wait for the right guy..." I gulp my wine before refilling our glasses.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not a virgin, Gabe."

Jesus Christ!

"But you do value your body enough not to be sleeping around, remember?" I give her a pointed look, reminding her of the conversation we had yesterday.

"Maybe it's a social thing, you know?" She looks back at the sea. "Boys are raised to conquer the world and have as many girls as possible. While girls are raised to wait for a prince charming."

"Maybe. But..."

"But?"

"You deserve someone who respects you enough to treat you like a queen," I say, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest at the thought of her finding someone. What in the world is wrong with me?

"I think I should join a dating app."

"And I think you're not listening to me." I let out a long breath, trying to keep my frustration in check. I'm not the guy to give her the world. But I am the asshole who thinks no one deserves her either.

"Come on, Gabe." She gets her phone from a pocket in her dress, and I realize her words are a bit slurred. "Don't be a party pooper."

"How about we call it a night and think about it tomorrow, huh?" I ask. We both had a little too much wine at Ed's, so I'm sure she'll feel different about joining a dating app in the morning.

"Those app algorithms are racist as fuck, so you're probably right..." She sighs, her eyes sad as she takes another sip of her wine.

Damn it, if it doesn't break my heart to see how hopeless she feels. I want to say something. Lift her mood. Coming from mixed raced parents, she's dealt with her fair share of bullshit over the years. Now, learning that this shit is also one of them makes me want to punch something.

I've known this woman my whole life, but since she crashed here yesterday, something weird is happening to me. I've always found her attractive, but being around her alone is bringing me new layers of feelings.

"I should go to bed." She makes a move to stand up, but I hold her hand to stop her.

"Wait." I blurt and she looks at me curiously. "My turn to ask you a question."

"All right..." she says, her head tilting to the side as she sits back.

"So, there's a saying in music that all great love songs come from a person with a broken heart," I say, smiling at how cute her confused expression is. "How about you use all that energy to help me write a couple of songs?"

"What do you mean?" she whispers, her head shaking. "I'm no songwriter."

"But you're a writer full of pent-up energy ready to be released." I raise my eyebrows, and she chuckles, her eyes shining beautifully under the moonlight.

"What the heck are you saying, Gabe?"

"Among many other things, Josh is thinking about leaving the band," I say, and her eyes widen. "Yeah... The reason I came here is that I'm pissed at him and everyone in the band, myself included."

"Why? What happened?"

"We lost ourselves over the years. As hard as it is to admit. That's what happened." I explain, omitting the fact that those suckers are probably on a plane and on their way here right now.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She pulls my hand to her lap, squeezing it a little.

"I just... I'm not ready to deal with my problems right now, but I need something to ground me, and music is it, you know? I'm pissed and frustrated and I think I'm right to say you feel the same way. But under different circumstances, of course."

"So, what are you trying to say?" she whispers, and I see a little spark in her gaze. She knows I'm right and that in some way, we are both dealing with a bunch of ugly feelings inside.

"I'm saying that... In the past, when I felt like this, I turned to booze, weed, and meaningless sex." I let out a short breath, never so open with another woman before. "At the end of the day, it doesn't help with the fucked up feelings life throws our way from time to time."

"And what does? What helps with dealing with all these feelings?" she asks.

"Music, baby." I touch my fingers to the tip of her nose and the heartfelt laughter that leaves her lips will be enough to brighten my mood for days.

"Am I drunk or did you just ask me to help you, freaking rock star Gabriel Morales, write a couple of songs?"

"It's called co-writing."

"It's called being crazy." She rolls her eyes, but I can see she's curious about it.

"Did you know the guy who wrote Someone Like You has made over eight hundred thousand dollars in royalties?"

"Shut up!" She gasps, her mouth hanging open.

Playfully touching her jaw, I shrug. "Just saying..."

"You really think I can help you write a song?" she whispers, her eyes searching mine.

"Your debut book is a fucking best-seller, Jo! Excuse me if I think you're talented." I smile, loving how she's looking at me with a mix of wonder and disbelief.

"But..." She looks down.

"But?" I ask, touching my fingertips to her chin so she's looking at me.

"I came here to write a book..."

"Look around us, Jo. We're both stuck in paradise with enough time in our hands we could write the next Grey's Anatomy show."

"I wouldn't even know where to start." She lets out a quick breath, her eyes telling me she's nervous but considering this.

"Isn't it great you'll be doing it with a professional musician?" I slide my fingers to her jaw, allowing them to caress her for a quick second.

"I still have to deal with my work on top of everything. There are a couple of manuscripts waiting for me that won't edit themselves." She studies me, and I want to kick myself in the butt for inviting the guys to come over. I know I shouldn't. But I don't want to share this moment with anyone but her.

"We can work around your schedule." I clear my throat, pulling my hand away.

"Can I sleep on it?" She gives me a smile that I know will be the death of me one of these days.

"Only if the answer tomorrow is a yes."

"Stop, Gabe!" She slaps my chest playfully.

"Think about all the money and exposure you'll get."

"Ha! The fact you think it will make us money!"

"Come on, Jo! What do you have to lose?"

"Argh... Okay! But if you make fun of anything I write, I'll kill you."

"You got it!" I offer her my hand so we can shake it, and after a second or two, she's touching her hand to mine.

"I still think you're out of your mind, by the way." She pulls her hand away, but the smile on her face lets me know she's really up to it.

It's when she makes a move to stand up that my brain kicks in, telling me I really have to talk about the guys arriving tomorrow... "Hey, I need..."

"I'm happy we end up together here." She blurts, her eyes widening after a second. "I mean... I was having a really shit week and being here made me forget things for a while."

"Yeah..." I swallow, my chest swelling with a bunch of feelings I don't recognize. "Me too."

"I'll see you tomorrow then. Let's see what we can come up with."

"You got it," I say, lost in her beautiful smile.

_____

A/N: How cute are these two together? :)

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XOXO

Celeste