Chapter 9

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JOANNA

A light strumming of an acoustic guitar greets me as I wake up. Reaching for my phone, I quickly glance at the time to find it is nine-thirty in the morning. I was out like a light after all the wine-drinking Gabe and I did last night, and now I can hear echoes of our laughter reverberating through my thoughts.

Did I really agree to write a couple of songs with him?

Pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes, I rub the sleep away before getting ready for the day. I have no idea what Gabe has planned for us today with this writing-a-couple-of-songs-together thing, but I can't say I'm not curious to find out what he's up to.

The moment I close the door of my bedroom behind me, I come to a halt. Loud angry voices are coming from the living room and for a second, I'm not sure what to do.

"Lower your fucking voice," Gabe hisses. "Joanna is sleeping down the hall."

"You brought a woman here?" Another man gasps, making me frown.

"It's Jo, Maria's best friend," Gabe says, and I snap out of it to go see what is going on.

"What the hell?" The man asks just as I step into the living room.

"Josh," I say, recognizing the band's lead singer. Like the rest of the band's members, I've known him for a long time. It's been years since we last saw each other face to face, but like Gabe, he only got more attractive over the years. His longish black hair falls messy around his ears, and his piercing blue eyes are sharp and wiser. He's the definition of a rock star with his tattooed body and husky, sexy voice. And differently than Gabe, he has never seen me as his baby sister's friend.

"Well. Well. Well. If it's not the woman who broke my heart." He walks to me, pulling me into a hug. I can't help but snort at his silliness.

"How in the world did I break your heart?" I shake my head, laughing when he lets out an offended gasp.

"The fact you don't remember how you ignored my proposition to go on our last tour with us hurts, Jo." He pulls away to look at me, and I roll my eyes.

"Excuse me if I had to work and couldn't leave my life behind to follow you." I get out of his embrace, only to find Gabe's eyes fixed on his Josh.

"You invited Jo to the tour?" Gabe asks, his eyes narrowed and his voice low.

"I commented on one of his Instagrams stories, and he replied, saying I should leave Jaxon and become a groupie." I look at Josh with a smirk on my lips, and he tosses his head back, laughing.

"I never said you should become a groupie," Josh says. "Just that you were wasting your life with that guy and that I could show you a good time in Europe."

"What the fuck, Josh?" Gabe barks, startling me a little. "She's off-limits, and you fucking know it."

"Oh, and does that rule still apply to you?" Josh tilts his head to the side, studying Gabe. I don't miss the way they seem to have a silent conversation.

"I'm not fucking kidding, J." Gabe hisses, and my eyes widen at how pissed he seems to be.

"Hey, I'm not a possession." I turn to him. "And you don't get a say in who I spend time with or not."

"Jo..." The scowl on Gabe's face lessens, but I'm already annoyed.

"I'm going to get some breakfast." I head to the kitchen, but can still hear their now-murmured voices. Sighing, I get a mug and fill it with coffee before heading down to the patio.

The sound of the waves makes me company as I sit down on a big lounge chair, trying to understand what has just happened. I had no idea Josh was coming to spend some time here too, and neither that Gabe would pull this big brother bullshit again. I thought something had changed in our relationship last night, but it looks like maybe I was just a little drunk and misinterpreted his signs.

As I glance down the beach, I see a man and a woman playing with a baby, and my heart warms. They look like the perfect little family. Sighing, I allow myself to imagine what their stories are as I drink my coffee. How did they meet? What made them fall in love? What struggles did they have to face to build a family?

I'm so deep in my daydreams that I jump when I sense Gabe beside me. In his hands, he is carrying a plate with a delicious combination of eggs, bacon, and toast made exactly the way I like it. I take it from his hand with a gentle smile and a slight shake of my head.

"I'm sorry." He lets out a sigh.

"Thanks." I look at him, but he's staring at the sea.

"I didn't mean to come off as a jerk. It's just that Josh is finding ways to test my sanity, and I hated he used you to get to me."

"He was just being friendly, Gabe." I shrug. "We talk from time to time on Instagram and last year, he joked about me leaving my problems behind and joining you guys on your last tour."

"Oh." I feel his eyes on me as I eat my food. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah... No need to be overprotective."

"Do you-"

"Are the rest of the guys coming too?" I speak over him, and the answer is clear in his eyes.

"They are on their way here. Yeah."

"Oh..." I look down, feeling suddenly weird that it won't be just the two of us anymore.

"I should've talked to you yesterday when I came back from that walk on the beach. The band is drifting apart. I needed to get them all together and away from the public eye so we could figure things out, but..." he says, and I'm sure I hear a bit of remorse and resentment in his tone.

"I totally understand." I force a smile on my lips. "I'll pack my stuff-"

"Please, don't go." He touches my knee, turning his body so he's fully facing me. "I called Maria, and, and she's coming tomorrow too..."

"Gabe, you didn't need to call her. I'm a big girl. I can find another place to spend the summer."

"But I want you here," he whispers, his eyes filled with some emotion I can't quite understand.

Or maybe I can.

And I'm just scared to admit it to myself.

Taking a quick deep breath, I pull my gaze away from his. He's looking all shades of handsome with the cool wind playing with that sexy hair of his. And his eyes are all soft and pleading in a way that it's hard for me to think straight.

"How long is Maria staying?" I lean back in my chair, realizing how close to each other we are. Gabe has always kept me at arm's length, but since fate brought us together, he's been more affectionate and more attentive. Now, my heart is having a hard time believing he's interested in me and not just only being friendly.

"She's arriving tomorrow." He smiles. "She said she would stay here until Sunday."

"Four days off the clock? That doesn't sound like her."

"Well, I might have told her I needed her here so you wouldn't leave." His eyes shine with a little mischief I love.

"Oh, I see..." My brows raise and my heart skips a bit.

"Besides." He leans closer, his fingertips touching my shoulder slightly. "You have a book to finish and we have a couple of songs to write."

"Right." I feel my eyes rolling at his teasing tone.

"So... Are you staying? We can work on our songs in the mornings and you can work on your book in the afternoon or... "

"I don't want to intrude." I feel like I have to say. He's going through a lot with the guys right now. I don't want to be in the middle of anything.

"If anything, they are the ones intruding on our plans." He winks, his lips curling into a sexy smile that goes straight to my lower belly, filling it with butterflies. "And for what it's worth, they'll be gone in a week," he adds.

"Well, if you say so..." I grin, and he lets out a wicked smile.

"So, let's get going." he stands up and offers me his hand. "I know the perfect spot for us to start our musical partnership."

"Oh, I thought we would be working here in the house?"

"Now, where is the fun in that?"

_______

A/N: Who is excited about their partnership? hehe

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XOXO

Celeste


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