Starting from Scratch (Starting from 2)

I might even share my chaise with my boyfriend if he got home soon to help with the last of the unpacking. Scratch that, I’d blow him on the balcony. I sighed as I turned to survey our modern two-story townhouse. I loved the high ceilings, the light hardwood floors, and ample sunlight. We had two bedrooms. The master suite was downright decadent, but the kitchen might have been my favorite. It was sleek and contemporary with a huge island and plenty of room to entertain. Allegedly anyway. It was a mess at the moment.

Caprice didn’t approve. She’d meowed unhappily at me when I stopped to pet her, assuring her I’d have everything organized in no time.

“Don’t you worry, sweet girl. Your other daddy is very distracting, but it’ll get done.”

Eventually. We had all week to put our place together in time for our housewarming party. Perfectly doable. I slumped onto one of the leather barstools and cradled my head on my arms, starting at the sound of a key in the door.

“Food is here!” Ky kissed me, then set the bag of In-N-Out down and grabbed a couple of water bottles from the fridge. “You hungry?”

“Yes, but I think I’m more tired than anything,” I groused, shifting to face him when he sat beside me.

“Then let’s take the day off.”

“Gasp! We can’t do that! We have a party to plan, a party to attend, a record to promote…and it would really be nice to have everything done before the tour starts next month. Did I tell you I saw the inside of the bus? It’s so cool.”

Ky grinned. He squeezed my knee affectionately before unwrapping his burger. “You did. You sound more excited than anyone else.”

“Maybe so. I want to pinch myself sometimes. I can’t believe we did it. Sure, we’re bleeding money at the moment, but not for long. We’re going places. I can feel it.” I stole a fry and flashed a mischievous grin to downplay my brag, but I was completely sincere.

The past six months had been unbelievably difficult, exciting, and rewarding at the same time. Zero officially launched Scratch Records in March along with their self-titled debut album. The first song they released was “Trouble.” It went to number ten in its first week and stayed there for a while. The guys were still deliberating which song would come next. They were saving “This Is Love” for last. I had no doubt it would be the song that propelled them to the next level. In the meantime, their music was on the radio, their album was selling well, and they were about to embark on a West Coast tour with almost all sold-out shows.

The timing was perfect. Declan’s band, Jealousy, was about to release the first cut from their debut album. And it was freaking fantastic. Great news for Scratch, but the boys in Zero didn’t want those details. Unless they sucked, of course. I’d misjudged the level of animosity between Zero and Declan. Gray had a calming effect on Justin, but Tegan made no effort to hide his feelings. I didn’t get it. Everyone was getting exposure and making money. We’d actually had to lease office space. That was as real as it got in my book.

I was proud of our professional achievements and very aware that Zero had a long way to go. I was determined to do my best work for the band, but my relationship with Ky came first. None of this mattered without him. He said I was his rhythm. And if that was the case, he was my harmony. He kept me balanced and reminded me to take a deep breath and not obsess over what I couldn’t control. We lived together, worked together, and shared a lot of the same friends, but we found new ways to keep “us” separate. Movies, travel, walks on the beach, or hanging out at the skate park with Oliver watching his idol wow the crowd. And yes, we occasionally spent time with his cantankerous father. It was a slow healing process that might never result in a full recovery. But Ky was willing to give him a chance.

The key was humor. If we could laugh after watching a marathon of game shows with Crabby Ed or hosting a science-meets-skateboard pool party for twenty ten-year-olds celebrating Oliver’s birthday, I figured we had the right idea.

Ky leaned over and stole two fries, chuckling when I caught his hand and bit his thumb playfully.

I pointed at the boxes nearby. “Shall we do those first?”

“Nope. Let it go for a day. We need a break. What do you feel like doing?”

“Taking a nap. A naked nap.”

“God, I love you,” he said in a serious tone.

I grinned. “I love you too.”

Every once in a while I wondered how we got here. It was hard to remember a time I didn’t love him. My skater boy, anchor, my best friend, my love. I just knew I was grateful to be part of his story, to know him and let him know me. I was grateful for the blank page and the chance to start from scratch.