Back To Back, стр. 52

“You are in so much trouble, Redhead,” he says and I know it’s the kind of trouble that means I’m going to be very satisfied in bed tonight. He can never seem to stay mad at me for very long. Our relationship is far from perfect, and we’re still working on our trust issues, but we’re getting there.

It takes until dessert before I finally win over Row and Hardy, but the chocolate cream pie I make from scratch finally does it.

“If you break his heart, we’ll break everything you own,” Row says, pointing at me with his fork. Hardy just nods in agreement because his mouth is full.

“Fair enough,” I say and Sylas jumps into defend me. The evening devolves into a lot of cursing and male posturing. I just sit back and watch. It’s a good thing I have a big (and sturdy) table and enough chairs for them all.

The night turns out well and we plan another one. Somehow, it turns into a weekly event and soon Lo joins us. It’s awkward introducing the guys and they have to be careful what they talk about when she’s around, but I see Cash watching her and she’s definitely giving him the eye.

I get a text from her about five minutes after she walks out the door begging me to tell her anything I can about him.

“It’s obvious when you think about it,” Sylas says, as if he knew they were going to get together all along. He says he did, but I think he’s a liar.

My relationship with my father is still on shaky ground. It’s going to take time to build it back to where it was. He’s kept his word about having the guys legitimately working for him and it’s turned out better than I think he expected. He’s had two more visits with Lizzy and someday we’re going to tell her that he’s her father. She definitely likes him, but then again, she likes everyone.

Now that I’m not working for Dad anymore, I can concentrate more on school. I decide I want to spend a few weeks abroad in Italy studying and Sylas is fully supportive of it and I want him to come with me.

I still have the nightmare, and now it’s in full color, with all the details intact. But Sylas is there when I wake up and I’m getting better at dealing with it. Therapy helps. Talking helps. I’ve accepted that I’ll probably always deal with this memory, but Sylas has to deal with the same thing and there’s comfort in that.

The two of us have been through so much in a few short months. From conning each other, to pretending to be in love, to actually being in love, to becoming a couple. It’s fast and it’s confusing and it’s so, so right.

I never question whether I belong with Sylas. We were meant to find each other, one way or another. Our path was littered with pain and blood, but somehow we got to the good part. The happy.

“Luck,” he’ll say when we talk about how we got together.

“Fate,” I argue back. It’s something we’ll never agree on, but fighting about it is fun and always ends up with the two of us being naked.

I start looking at apartments and I definitely want one with at least two bedrooms. I would love for Lizzy to come and stay with us overnight since Sylas doesn’t have to protect her like he used to. He’s considering moving her to a facility that’s closer, but she’s settled there, so he’s going to wait and see how she feels about it.

I’m clicking on a new listing when Sylas walks through the door. I minimize the window and get up to give him a hello kiss.

“So, I’ve decided.”

“Decided?” I ask, rubbing my palm along his newly growing beard. I’ve begged him to grow one just to see what it looks like and he’s humoring me, at least for now.

“What I’m going to do with my life.”

“And?” He’s been very cagey about what his interests are and I find it amusing that he doesn’t want to tell me.

He holds up a hand.

“Wait here.” He goes back out the door and comes back, something behind his back. I can see what it is before he shows it to me.

“A guitar?” I ask.

“A guitar. My mother played and I always wanted to. So I’ve been taking classes and it just feels… right.” I’m getting emotional and I bite my lip to stop myself from falling over the edge and losing it.

“Like fate,” I say and he rolls his eyes.

“Like I have a talent and I’m lucky to have it and I should be using it.” I sigh and he goes to the couch and takes out the guitar. He strums a few chords with so much ease, I’m suspicious.

“Are you sure you’ve only been learning for a few weeks?” I ask. He starts to play a little tune I don’t recognize.

“Yes, but I used to watch my mother play and maybe some of that just stuck with me. I don’t know. Anyway, I was wondering what you were doing tonight.” I narrow my eyes, but he just gives me a smile that says he’s got something up his sleeve.

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me what I’m doing?” I ask with a sweet smile.

“You’re coming to see me play at the coffee house. Our coffee house.” I squeal with glee and throw myself at him, but the guitar is in the way. He puts it aside as I kiss him all over his face.

“I’m so proud of you. So proud. And your mother would be. Is.” He holds my face and raises his eyebrows.

“You think? That she’s watching me? Us?” I nod.

“I have no doubt. She wouldn’t have left you alone in this world. You or Lizzy. She loved you too much.” I don’t need to have known her to know that’s true.

“I think so too.”

Sylas is mesmerizing. There are only about three people (including me) who are actually listening when he starts to play, but soon every head in the coffee shop is turned to watch him and before I know it, the place is packed with people who are just as entranced with him as I am. I have to fight to get close to him when he finishes. He gives me an embarrassed smile, as if he has no idea the effect he has on people. The effect his unbelievable voice has. Ten minutes later he’s booked for the next week and at two other venues.

“It’s fate,” I say. “Fate, fate, fate.” He gathers me in his arms after he puts his guitar in the case. He recently had it painted red and the word “Marina” carved into it. It makes me smile whenever I see it.

“Luck,” he counters. “Luck, luck, luck.” He gives me a kiss each time he says it. I pull back and hold his face so he can’t kiss me again.

“Fate.”

He just shakes his head.

“Whatever you say, Redhead.”

Epilogue

Less than a month later, a former rock star who was trying to get his brand new record label off the ground walks into one of Sylas’ shows and offers to sign him.

He’s hesitant at first, but I tell him I will never have sex with him again if he doesn’t at least consider it.

“Well, we can’t have that,” he says.

We’ve found the perfect apartment and moved into it together, along with Leo, the burned coffee table, my terrible drawings and a few other knickknacks from my old place. It’s the perfect combination of the two of us and I’ve never felt more at home.

I wear my septum ring all the time and still enjoy that my mother flinches every time she sees me with it in. I also colored the bottom part of my hair black and that got me a great reaction as well. Sylas loves it and I love it and that’s all that matters.

Cash, Track, Baz, Hardy and Row have become a huge part of my life. I know that if something breaks, or I have an emergency, any one of them would drop everything to come and help me. They’ve adopted me into their group, as well as Lo. I catch her kissing Cash in my bathroom during one of our “family” dinners.

“Hey, I walked in on you with your pants down, so don’t judge me,” she says before slamming the door in my face. I tell Sylas and he just laughs. As long as they’re both happy, then that’s all that matters.