And me.
“We need to start packing,” Jackson says much later, when we’re in bed and snuggled up together. We went out to dinner to celebrate, bringing everyone along with us. They were all happy over Jackson’s news, though I saw the faint judgment in Caleb’s eyes. The guy is still miffed he’s now the only single man standing. He can’t fathom how Jackson is going on tour, performing music for screaming women for months, and that he’s taking his girlfriend along with him.
Ah, poor Caleb. He has no clue what it’s like, to really love someone. He’ll figure it out someday.
“I have to get all of my stuff out of the apartment before we leave,” I tell him. The lease is up in July, but we’re leaving the beginning of June. I plan on paying the remainder of my rent before I leave the apartment for good. I never did really make friends with my roommates. They were nice enough; we just all had such different schedules and we never really saw each other. Plus, I didn’t spend much time there.
“What about your place here?” I ask him, my fingers skimming his bare chest, my head propped on his shoulder. “What’s Eli going to do without you?”
He chuckles, his chest vibrating with the sound. “Get this. Tony and Hayden are moving in together when school’s over. He told me that at dinner.”
“No way.” I haven’t talked to Hayden in a few days. Guess she’s been holding out on me. “What about Gracie?”
“She’s moving in with—are you ready—Eli and,” he pauses, “Caleb.”
“Noooo…” I close my eyes, pressing my face against his chest. “That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.”
“I already warned Eli that living with those two is going to be trouble. He’s game for it, though. He says they can squabble all they want, but he’s not worried about it.” Jackson slips his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in for a kiss on the lips. “Can you see the three of them living together?”
“No. It sounds like a nightmare.” I give a little shudder.
His expression turns serious. “You okay with going on tour with me?”
I smile. “Yes. Of course I am.”
“You sure? It’s going to be a grind, El. Lots of traveling. Sleepless nights. I’ll be on stage a lot of those nights, while you’re watching from the wings. You might get bored or pissed at me. I don’t want you thinking I’m ignoring you.”
“I know you won’t be ignoring me. You’ll be working. It’ll be fun. An adventure,” I tell him, shifting so I’m lying half on top of him, my face in his. He’s in his boxers. I’m wearing panties and a tank. Easy-to-get-rid-of clothes, since we do that a lot once we’re in bed together. Get rid of our clothes.
“I’d rather be bored out of my skull with you on tour, than all by myself, missing you and bored out of my skull.”
“I bore you?” he asks with a faint smile, though his brows are furrowed.
As if he really thinks he bores me.
This man sometimes still has doubts when it comes to me and our relationship. Like he can’t believe I’m in love with him, when I’m the one who harbored feelings for him far longer than he ever did.
Maybe he was experiencing them too, he just didn’t know how to label them. Or recognize them.
It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is we’re together. Our life is going to be good. Amazing. Epic.
Together.
It’s all that matters.
“That’s what you got out of what I just sai
d? That you bore me?” I roll my eyes before I dip my head down and kiss him. “What I’m trying to say is that no matter where I’m at, I’m going to be happy because I’m with you.”
“Oh. Yeah.” He wraps his arms around me, his hands landing on my butt, his fingers slipping beneath my panties. “That’s better. I can go along with that.”
“Figured you could.” I kiss him again, my lips lingering. He deepens the kiss in an instant, his tongue parting my lips, tangling with mine. “I’m so excited,” I say when we end the kiss moments later.
“So am I.” He thrusts his hips against me, so I can feel his excitement, literally.
I laugh. “I’m not talking about that kind of excited, though I suppose I am.”
He shifts, slipping his hand between us, his fingers diving beneath my panties to test me. “Yep. You’re definitely excited.”