Questionable Love (A Love Beyond Labels #2)

by Danielle Rocco

  “Didn’t Jace just ask you if you had faith in his word?” he asks sincerely. I stand, one hand on my hip, staring up at my brother. “Sit down and have faith in him.”

  DUMB ASS LABEL

  I SWING OPEN THE heavy metal door to the alleyway, head down the one concrete step, and turn around with my arms folded over my chest.

  As Cole steps down, the door slams shut, reminding me of the metal bars I was locked behind every day for over a year. Same stance as me, he breathes heavy while I breathe steady.

  “I’m glad to see you’re out of prison.”

  “I’m glad to see I didn’t kill you.” I take a deep breath through my nose. “I could have, so you have Shay to thank for that. Her screaming for me to stop saved you that night. If she hadn’t done that, I probably wouldn’t have stopped.” I’m fucking dying inside, standing in front of the one person who put me behind bars. That fight could have gone either way that night. It just so happens I’m a tough motherfucker.

  We stare at each other, no words spoken after I spill my truth—just two guys eye to eye.

  “You wanted to talk? Say what you have to say,” I tell him, breaking the silence.

  “I always loved, Shay.”

  “I don’t want to hear how you always loved my future wife.”

  “I was the boy she hung out with until she met you,” he says. I lock my arms, fisting them under the weight of tight muscle when he says he loved her.

  “I met her when she was in elementary school, Cole, and I can appreciate the fact that you grew up with her. But when I met Shay, she was only twelve, and as far as I’m concerned, she was the only girl I ever hung out with, too. So, if all the shit you threw at me over the years was from jealously you had festered from a childhood crush, well, then I was part of her childhood, too.”

  “You weren’t playing in a playpen in diapers with her like I was.”

  “I don’t give a shit. Just because you met her first doesn’t mean you had some type of ownership on her. You were never the guy she was supposed to be with. I was always going to be that guy!”

  “See, that’s the thing, Jace. That cocky ass bad boy thing you have really fucking blinded Shay.”

  “If anything blinded her, it was love, not some dumb ass label you tried to pin on me. I might have come from the east side, Cole, but that never made me a dick. You just didn’t like me because you knew Shay was in love with me. I never acted like some hard ass. You had it in for me the second you met me.”

  He unlocks his arms and runs his hands through his blonde hair as he rages, “I lost my fucking football scholarship because of that damn night!”

  I walk up to him with caution, trying to keep myself in check but needing to let everything go. I stand in front of him, making sure he hears me loud and clear.

  “I was locked away in prison for a fucking year away from Shay because of that night. I will live the rest of my life with a damn record because of the shit you started, shit you couldn’t let go of over a girl that was always going to be mine. So don’t try to act like you lost more than I did. You were so damn delusional, always making jabs at me, making sure I knew that I was the boy from the hood and you were the one she should be with—that I wasn’t good enough for her.

  “And look, here we are a year later, and she has my ring on her finger. You were never going to tear us apart, not as kids, not as teenagers, not with me behind concrete walls and metal bars. You will never tear Shay and me apart. Do you get that now?” I seethe with a fierce hold on my promise and tight fists at my sides. With love on the other side of these walls waiting, I loosen my grip and step back with my hands in my hair.

  “And the worst part, Cole, is the amazing girl inside that building lives in absolute fear because of our choices. She had to watch the two guys she loves the most practically kill each other over what? I blame myself for that night. I should have walked away from you. I should have ignored your constant belittling and just fucking left, but instead, I reacted, leaving Shay to watch us do that to each other. Now, she fights fear that I’m going to be taken away from her, even if a cop pulls up next to me at a damn gas station. The difference between you and me is your life was always going to continue without Shay, and I’m sure you do just fine without her. Not me, my life was always going to be with her from the moment I met her. There would be no other girls to fill a void. She was always the one for me.”

  “I get that now,” he says, looking up at the dark sky. “I loved her, and I always will, but you’re right. If I felt the way you feel about her, I would not be with other girls, and I’ve been with plenty.”

  “So, where do we go from here? Because I don’t want Shay to ever worry about us having a problem again. We both fucked up that night and have to live with the consequences.” I sigh. “I’m sorry you lost your football scholarship.”

  “I’m sorry you lost a year of your life away from Shay, and now have to live with a record.” Cole looks down at the dirty alleyway and shakes his head while pacing and kicking at broken glass. As I stand, arms crossed, he says, “I love Shay, always will. She’s the best person I know, and I mean that with sincerity as a friend. I just miss her friendship and wish I wouldn’t have ruined it.” I rub my jaw, staring at him as he continues, “I just want you to know that I’m sorry for always making you feel like you weren’t good enough for her, when clearly you’ve been the only guy she’s ever been with. That says a lot about the kind of person you are. Shay has always been a good person, so if she loves you that much, then you must be a pretty great guy.” He starts to walk over to me right when the metal door pushes open.

  “Jace,” Shay says softly, peeking her pretty little head out from the door, Beau over top of her rolling his eyes.

  Cole walks up to me and puts his hand out. “I want Shay to get past all that we put her through, too.” I look back over his shoulder and see her standing there. Without hesitation, I put my hand out to meet his and shake it. “Maybe someday we can be on friendly terms,” he says, looking back at Shay.

  “Maybe.”

  “Congratulations on getting engaged. I really do mean that.”

  “Thanks.”

  He gives me a tight smile, and I nod. As Cole walks away, Shay moves out of the doorway so he can pass her.

  “Sorry, Jace. I tried to hold her off as long as I could,” Beau says as Shay wraps her arms around me.

  “No problem, bro,” I tell him, kissing the soft wavy hair pressed against my chest.

  “Is everything okay?” Shay asks, peering up at me.

  “Did I tell you it would be?” She nods with her head resting on my chest. I rub her back and add, “Everything is fine. We said what we had to say, and now we can all move on.” She takes her head off my chest and looks at me. “You don’t ever have to worry about Cole and me having problems again. We can’t change the past. What happened that night will always be there, but we can move past it. I just want you to move past your fear.”

  “Can we go home now?”

  “Yeah, let’s go home.”

  SOMETHING LYRICAL

  THE NEXT MORNING a text message wakes me up. With my boy wrapped around me, I lean over and grab my phone off my nightstand to see who it’s from.

  Hunter: Heard you’re getting married! I guess the friends with benefits relationship is out of the question now.

  I start to message him back with aha not funny, but my boy getting up out of bed and quickly putting his jeans on has me throwing my phone down.

  “What are you doing?” I ask him.

  “I’m going to pay Hunter Daniels a little visit.”

  “He’s just kidding, alpha boy.”

  “Not funny right now. Who does this guy think he is? Does he know I was in prison for beating someone up who tried to mess with my girl?”

  “Yes, he knows that, and he’s joking. He knows he was in no danger of having any friends with benefits with me. He was just kidding.”

  “I’m not into that kind o
f kidding, baby.”

  I sit up, letting the sheet fall away. “The only one that will ever benefit from this body is you.”

  He smiles as I show him my bare chest, and then his jaw clenches when another text comes in.

  Hunter: You better delete that message. I was TOTALLY kidding, and I don’t want your very tough-looking fiancé to see it. Congratulations and I’m really happy for you. I hope we can still work on my song, and you can help me with guitar.

  I hand my phone to Jace so he can read the message.

  “He just lived another day.”

  “Don’t even kid around. You made me promises.”

  “And I will keep them forever, baby. Don’t worry about that, but he’s lucky his next message said what it said.” He sets my phone down and runs his hand down my bare stomach. “I want to hear this song he’s talking about,” he says, lowering his hand, surrounding his finger with my warmth.

  “I’m not going to do it.”

  “I want to hear it.”

  “I want to hear our music,” I say, biting down on his very toned arm.

  “You want to hear our music, huh?” he asks, replacing his finger with his… “Get ready to belt out something lyrical, baby.”

  SOME BIG DECISIONS

  WE WALK INTO STARK Records for our first meeting with Mr. Standsen and Shay’s dad. “Shay, how are you?” he says to her when we walk into Steven’s office.

  “I’m doing well, Mr. Standsen.” She then turns to me. “This is my fiancé, Jace James.” God, I love hearing her say that.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I tell him, giving him a firm handshake.

  “Nice to meet you as well, Jace.”

  “Let’s get started,” Steven says as I shake his hand and then scoot his daughter into her chair. “As you’ve been told, I have the exclusive rights to a popular book series. It’s scheduled for three movies, and is a three, possible four-year project.” He adjusts his fancy watch on his wrist.

  I might just be turning twenty-one, and have no idea what the hell I’m doing right now, but I know I’m about to make some big decisions for Shay and me and our future family. “What are you wanting Shay and me to contribute?” I ask, rubbing my jaw.

  “I’ve heard your song ‘Moon and Stars’ and love your sound, Shay. You have that indie vibe that the series calls for, and you aren’t mainstream. Even though your song is a hit, and it’s brought a name for yourself in the business, your dad has already informed me you aren’t looking for a solo career,” Mr. Standsen says.

  “Thank you,” Shay responds, holding my hand tight. I rub small circles on her soft skin.

  “You are a very talented songwriter, Shay, and Steven has told me that you are really strong on the guitar, Jace. We want a duo that can both write and play. This book series is heavy on romance, and we want songs that reflect that.”

  I look over at Shay, and she smiles. By the look in her eyes, I know this is what she wants for us. We will be low-key, and most of our time will be working on songs. We can do that on the beach. I’m sealing this deal, but not until Mr. Standsen knows where I stand first.

  “Are we going to be working with other artists?” I ask him.

  “There will be other artists that will be a part of the soundtrack, but the songs you two write will be the backdrop of the story,” he replies.

  “I work exclusively with my fiancée, okay? I won’t work with any other female artists—just want to make that clear now.” I look over at Shay’s dad, and he smiles. “I just don’t want that to be something that comes up later that can pose a problem. I make music with Shay only, but I can assure you I will give one hundred percent in doing that.”

  Mr. Standsen looks at Shay. “Does that apply to you, too?”

  “Well, that depends on the song. I’m not opposed to working with female artists, if a song calls for that. As for a male artist, it just depends on the nature of the song. If it’s backup, I’ll consider it. Jace and I are committed in every way to each other, and if something gets in the way of our relationship, we will always choose each other over a project.”

  “I can appreciate your honesty and can tell you it will be noted. I don’t foresee any reason to work with others, but I’m glad we have that on the table now so nothing comes up later.”

  “Thank you for respecting our request,” I tell him.

  “By chance, have you read the books?” Mr. Standsen asks Shay.

  “Yes, I have.”

  “So, you’re already familiar with the storyline?”

  “Very much so, and I can already start working on some lyrics.”

  I glance at my girl, seeing little pink fingernails as she strummed her guitar under our tree that first time, and, damn, I want to kiss her right now.

  Mr. Standsen stands up. “Well, I have to tell you I’m excited about this. I can’t wait to get started.” He looks over at Steven. “I’ll get the contracts sent over for you all to go through together.”

  “Sounds good, Ben,” Steven says, shaking Mr. Standsen’s hand.

  “Shay, Jace, can’t wait to hear what you come up with. I’ll send over some scenes that we need songs written around as the script continues to develop.”

  “Looking forward to it, Mr. Standsen,” I say, holding my hand out for him.

  “Call me Ben, please,” he says, shaking mine, then Shay’s hand. “Oh, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.”

  “Thank you,” Shay responds kindly.

  As he walks out of Steven’s office, Shay jumps into my arms, causing him to laugh out loud. “Oh my God, Jace, we are making music for the world.”

  I hold her close and whisper into her ear, “I just want to make music with my girl.” I pinch her butt and laugh. She knows exactly the kind of music I’m talking about.

  JUST THREE REQUESTS

  WE POP INTO JULES’S office, and she’s sitting at her desk searching craft and food sites on her computer. “Do you know how many different things you can do with a marshmallow?”

  “No.”

  “I mean, I don’t even like marshmallows, but I want to try to make one of these little ballerinas. All you have to do is put pink sprinkles on top and pink cupcake liners on the bottom, then place it on a stick. It actually looks like a ballerina. Look, Shay.” I peek over her shoulder.

  “That is so cute,” I say loudly.

  “I know, right? We can’t make them for the wedding, but…” She looks at Jace. “We could make them for a baby shower someday. I hope you have all girls so we can dress them up in cute clothes.”

  “My girl wants boys that look like me,” he says, chuckling. “Right, baby?” I shake my head.

  “Don’t you want girls, too?” I ask him, all pouty-faced.

  “I want it all with you.”

  “National Swoon Day,” Jules singsongs. Laughing, Jace sits in the chair across from her and puts his feet up on her desk. “So, have you set a date?” she asks, serious.

  “No, we haven’t,” I tell her sadly.

  “Yes, we have,” Jace counters.

  “And what date is that, Mr. Wedding Planner?” I ask.

  “October fourteenth.”

  I smile big and jump on his lap. “The anniversary of the day we met,” I say softly.

  “Yes, I want to marry you on the day that I first looked into your eyes.”

  “It’s so perfect, Jace.”

  “It’s going to be perfect, baby,” he says as I run my fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes. “Just three requests and then you girls can do what you want for our day.”

  “What are your requests?”

  “Well, you already approved the date—that was one. The others are, I want you in a pretty white dress walking barefoot in the sand, and I want heart-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches served.”

  “It’s a wedding, Jace. You can’t have PB & J served!” Jules blurts out.

  “Yeah, I can. It’s my wedding day,” he says.

  “That s
ounds meant to be,” I tell him, running my finger over his scar.

  “Those are our things. The day we met, and our wedding date falls on a Wednesday—that was always our day. Our heart-shaped sweetness, the sand between our toes, I want our day to be about us.” He cups my face. “I might even throw in my own personal touches, too.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “You’ll see on our wedding day.”

  I KNOW WHO YOU ARE

  I WALK OUT OF Jules’s office with personal touches on my mind when someone who got in my personal space turns the corner. He stares at me, intimidated as hell. He should be; he drove Shay away from me, kept her gone, and left me seething for an entire night. If you think I’m a fan of Hunter Daniels, especially after that text he sent Shay, you would be mistaken.

  “Jace, h-hi,” he stutters, reaching his hand out.

  I’m not proud I’m being an ass right now, but I need him to understand who I am. He plays it off and lifts his baseball hat, adjusting it so he can look me better in the eyes when I don’t offer him my hand. I’m taller and bigger than him, and he’s got to look up at me, not by much, but enough to know who’s the dominant one.

  “We didn’t really meet on the best terms. I’m Hunter Daniels.”

  “I know who you are. You’re the one who told me to back the fuck off and then drove off with my girl.”

  “Well, I was doing what I thought was best for Shay at the time.”

  “I’m always what’s best for Shay,” I say, cracking a smile. He looks scared. “Shay’s told me you’re a cool guy, and I appreciate you taking guitar lessons from her. I’m cool with that, but I’m telling you right now, if I ever see a message on my future wife’s phone again like the one you sent, I will not be a very nice guy to deal with,” I say, staring at him, expressionless. He takes his hat off and pushes his hair back, then puts it back on nervously. I smack him on the back of the shoulder. “Other than that, bro, it’s cool to meet you,” I say with my best don’t-ever-fuck-with-me grin.