by Rose, Amali
“Right after we had sex you told me you wanted to make me come every day for the rest of my life, so we should probably get married.”
Wyatt and I look at each other, both trying to stifle a laugh. Although, honestly? She is trying a little harder than me.
“Not romantic and not a story I could tell anyone.” Mel pouts before patting his arm. “It’s okay, babe, you have other qualities. It doesn’t matter if you’re not romantic.” She offers him a consolatory smile which causes me to lose my last little bit of self-control and a loud laugh rolls through me.
“Shut up, asswipe,” he grumbles. “Didn’t you propose at the age of ten or something. I highly doubt your story is more romantic than mine.” He turns to Mel with a ridiculous pout. “Which I still say was totally romantic bee tee dubs.”
Mel and I groan in unison, used to Brax’s theatrics, but we are cut off by Wyatt.
“Well, actually,” she begins, her face lit up teasingly. “Flynn’s proposal was pretty freaking romantic.”
“Oh my God, tell us! I bet he was all sullen and moody as a teenager, but with the heart of a poet.” Mel kneels up, her body leaning toward Wyatt expectantly while Brax scowls at me across the room.
“You’re about to show me up, aren’t you?”
“Yup.” I smirk at him unapologetically.
“Okay, so there were a few swamps near where we lived and one of them had this rickety-assed wooden pergola alongside it. It was so old and practically falling down, but it was covered in wisteria and every year, without fail, it bloomed these beautiful flowers.” She closes her eyes and inhales as though she can smell the scent that used to permeate the air on the nights we lay under it. “It was my favorite spot in the entire world. We would take a blanket and just talk for hours. I fell in love with him under that pergola, breathing in those flowers. It felt…” Her voice trails off and she blushes. “Magical. It sounds corny, but that’s the only way I can describe it. Anyway.” She shakes her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “One day we were there, it was just an ordinary day. I was sketching, and he was on his guitar, writing lyrics and playing around with a melody.” Her eyes meet mine and I know that we’re both back in the moment, remembering the moment I made the smartest decision of my life.
“The sun started to set so I began to pack away my stuff when he hands me the piece of paper he had been writing on all afternoon. When I read it, it was a song about us. About us getting married and taking on the world together. It was called ‘Partner in Crime’ and down the bottom of the page he had written, I love you. Marry me. Today, tomorrow, or five years from now, I don’t care. But say yes.” She looks at me and smiles so big, she reminds me of that girl beside the swamp, under the wisteria, who hadn’t tasted the bitterness of tragedy yet.
“Anyway.” She shakes her head with a laugh, turning back to Mel and Brax who are hanging on her every word. “It was the most romantic moment of my life, so I’m pretty sure he has you, Brax. Sorry.”
Mel turns to her husband and slaps his arm.
“What was that for?” he shouts.
“For not being more like him!” she declares, pointing at me. “No sex for you tonight.”
Wyatt giggles as she watches the two of them, but a booming laugh bursts from me when I see the look on his face, like a petulant child who has just been told he can’t have any candy.
He looks around the room, slowly taking each of us in, and when his gaze lands on me, his eyes narrow and he glares with the strength of a thousand suns.
“You are dead to me.”
Wyatt
“This is incredible!” Layla’s voice is all squeaky and high, the way it gets when she’s excited and her eyes are bouncing all over the place, watching the backstage action that is unfolding around us.
“Bubs.” Cassidy nudges her little sister. “Take it down a notch, okay? Let’s try and play it a little cool, ’kay?”
“Hell, no. I’m with Lay. This is freaking awesome!”
“Balls!” Cassidy scrunches her nose up as she chastises Skye, who simply shrugs her shoulders and grins.
I look at the three women sitting on a large speaker opposite me, who have become my family since I moved to New York. I cling on to Charlie’s hand, who is sitting beside me, grateful that she flew in from Chicago for tonight. I am so fucking lucky to have women like this in my life. Friends who champion me and cherish me, as I do them. I will never take that for granted.
“Will we get to see Flynn before the show starts?”
Cassidy laughs at Skye’s question causing her to blush a deep rose red, which then has Layla and me in a fit of giggles.
“What am I missing?” Charlie asks.
“Skyeballs has a crush on Flynn. It’s equal parts adorable and awkward.”
Skye whacks Cassidy on the arm. “I do not!” she argues. “I just really love his music. It makes me think of Ben and...” She trails off, her face lighting up once again, setting us all off this time.
We are getting a lot of curious looks from the roadies rushing past us, so I try to compose myself.
“No, he’s with the band right now, but there’s going to be a small after-party at Silhouette afterward, so you can see him then.” I wink at her.
“Oh, I would love to, but I have to get home straight after. Ben’s on a business trip so my mom has the girls.”
“Ugh, I’m in the same boat.” Cassidy groans. “Mason is sick with the manflu and I promised I would get home as soon as possible. Our kids are like lemurs, they can sense weakness.”
Layla wiggles in her seat, biting her bottom lip. “I’m out too, I have a ton of paperwork I need to do tonight.”
“Nooo, can’t you do it tomorrow?” I throw her my best puppy dog eyes.
“I wish I could, but it’s Ethan’s mom’s birthday, so we’ll be at their place all day. Adulting blows.” She huffs.
“Alright, well then, I guess it’s just us.” I turn to Charlie. “It’ll be just like old times!”
Charlie pulls a face and I immediately know I’m not going to like what comes next.
“I’m sorry, Reeses. I have meetings tomorrow, I need to be on the red-eye tonight.”
“But tomorrow is Sunday!”
“I know.” She grimaces. “But if I want to make partner, I need to put in the hours.” She lays her head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I look around the group. “I might just need to find some new friends though.”
“Speaking of new friends, do you remem—”
“Ladies.” Charlie is cut off by the arrival of Campbell. “Our suite is ready, shall we?” He motions to a long hallway and we all excitedly jump off the speakers we had parked our asses on.
“So, when does the tour actually start?” Skye asks.
“Why, are you planning on coming back for another go-around?” Cassidy jokes.
“The tour officially kicks off next month in Manchester. But we wanted to do a few early performances here in the States,” Cam answers. “He’s already done The Hollywood Bowl, tonight’s show and then a week before we fly to the UK, he’s doing a show at Fenway Park.”
Layla sidles up to me, nudging me with her shoulder. “How long is he going to be away for?”
“Oh, uh, the tour goes for three months. He’s going around the United Kingdom, Asia, and Australia before he comes home and tours around the US.” My hand finds its way into the long strands of my hair, twirling it nervously.
“That’s a long time.” She frowns. “I don’t think I could go that long without seeing Ethan.”
“Oh. My. Fleeking. Gooseberry.”
A giggle bubbles in my throat, as it always does when I hear Cassidy’s kid-friendly cursing, and I can’t blame her for her outburst. We have all stopped in the doorway to the luxury suite where we will be watching the concert, our eyes wide in excitement.
There are two rows of golden-brown leather couches facing the floor-to-ceiling window. Two couches
on each row, separated by a small aisle, and each one providing ample seating for two people. The leather looks so soft I briefly contemplate rushing over and rubbing my cheek along it. Just for a moment until I come to my senses.
A fully stocked bar stands at the back of the room, just behind a lounge area with more leather sofas and a small coffee table. To the right of the room is a long table holding four covered serving dishes that are providing the most delectable aromas.
Campbell moves confidently into the room, settling himself on a seat and immediately pulling out his cell phone and making a call.
We all look at each other for a split second before we race inside oohing and aahing over everything. When we have cooed over everything in the room, we take a seat at the lounge area, laughing at ourselves.
“We really need to calm down.” Skye giggles. “We should be acting like mature adults, not a bunch of tweens who have just spotted BTS.”
“Who the fuck are BTS?” Cassidy furrows her brows.
“They’re that boyband.” Layla groans. “So many of my students are obsessed with them.”
“Aren’t your students, like, eight?” I ask, pulling down the hem of my blue shirt dress.
“Oh my God, I am dreading reaching that stage with Mack. I already feel like she’s three going on sixteen. Mason and I don’t stand a chance against her.” Cass covers her face with her hands and falls against me. “Hold me, Red. Or better yet, pray for me. I’m going to need it.”
“At least I don’t need to worry about Summer,” Skye pipes up before taking a sip of her soda. “She’s already planning her wedding to Seb.”
“Could you imagine?” I cry. “How wonderful would that be if they did grow up and get married?”
“Meh, I’m still not sold on being officially related to Spanky.”
Skye throws a pretzel across the table at Cassidy. “You should be so lucky to be related to my husband, you punk.” She laughs.
“Speaking of kids.” Charlie turns to Layla. “Wyatt told me about your news, congratulations!”
Layla looks at me apprehensively and I throw her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, Lay. You’re allowed to talk about it. I promise, I’m good.”
Her shoulders relax instantaneously, and she looks at me gratefully.
“Thank you,” she says to Charlie. “We’re so excited. I’m a little overwhelmed, especially since my sister insists on telling me what to expect in the birth, in graphic detail.” She glares at Cassidy, and Skye, Charlie, and I do the same.
“What? She needs to know! Knowledge is power and all that horsey poo.”
“That’s just cruel, Cass.” Skye takes hold of Layla’s hand. “You’ll be fine, it’s not that bad at all.”
Cassidy snorts. Loudly.
Ignoring her, Layla turns to me. “What about you? Have you and Flynn discussed your options for a family?”
After my meltdown when Layla told me about her pregnancy and once I felt like Flynn and I were on solid ground, I confessed my infertility to the girls. It was a difficult discussion, but one I wish we had had years ago. No longer needing to pretend I was okay all the time was life changing.
“We’ve agreed to look at our options. He wants to start the ball rolling now, but I don’t think I’m ready yet.” Charlie clutches my hand, offering her support. “It was only a couple of months ago that I had written off the idea of kids. I need a little more time to get my head around the idea that kids might be possible.”
My friends are all nodding in understanding and I can feel myself start to get a bit emotional, so I quickly change the subject.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw some live music, thank you all for coming with me.”
“Please, I’m husband-free, kid-free, and sitting in a luxury suite with a drink in my hand and my best friends by my side. Thank you.”
“Truth.” Skye raises her drink and cheers Cassidy.
“So, what are you going to do for the three months Flynn’s away? You two were never great with the separations.”
I raise an eyebrow at Charlie.
“I mean before the last ten years, obviously.” She rolls her eyes at me. “Although you both kind of sucked at it then too, if we’re being honest.”
I stick my tongue out at her, shaking my head.
“I’m actually going to go with him.”
My statement is met with silence. I look at each of my friends and their faces are all frozen in some version of surprise.
Cassidy is the first to speak, and she does so with wide eyes. “You lucky bitch.”
I laugh as some of my tension eases away.
“I know, I’m so excited, I never dreamed I would get the chance to see the world, especially like this.”
Layla jumps up from her seat and rushes around to wrap me in a huge bear hug. “I’m so, so happy for you. Nobody deserves this more than you, I hope you know that.”
Her whispered words make my eyes sting and I push her away with a big smile. “Don’t make me cry,” I mumble.
I sit back, sinking lower into the sofa, as my friends begin excitedly talking about the tour, asking questions, and making plans.
For the first time in forever, my heart feels completely free.
“Call me, okay?” Skye’s arms squeeze me tight. “We can go out for dinner next week. I want to hear more about the painting you’re working on.”
“Sounds good.” I smile, returning her hug.
“C’mon, Balls, Mason is sending me SOS messages.” Cassidy pulls me to her for a quick embrace before climbing into the Uber. “Call me, Red.”
“Bye, Wyatt! Talk to you soon,” Layla calls from her spot behind Cassidy and Charlie and I wave them all off.
“Miss Reed, the car is ready,” Zane interrupts us.
“You really can’t stay?” I try to hide my disappointment.
“I’m sorry, I can’t.” Charlie tucks her long, wavy hair behind her ear and I notice it’s darker than the last time I saw her.
I can feel the frown fix on my face. “Am I going to see you before we leave?”
She levels me with a look that tells me everything I need to know.
“You need to stop working so hard, you know that, right?”
“Right.” She scoffs. “Nobody makes partner working less than a hundred hours a week, so I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
I take her hand, pulling her close to me and then linking our arms as we follow Zane to the waiting car.
“There’s more to life than work, Charlotte Reed.” I use my best mother hen voice. “You should try and remember that.”
She tilts her head until her temple is resting against mine. “Yes, Mom.”
We reach the car and Zane opens the door. I pull Charlie to me in a hug, clutching her to me tightly. “I love you, Pieces.”
She holds me with an equal amount of fervor. “Love you too, Reeses.”
Pulling back, she shakes her head at me. “I’m so glad you two got your shit together, I mean, you took your sweet-ass time, but better late than never, I guess.” She smirks at me as she climbs into the SUV and then blows a kiss before Zane closes the door.
“Miss Monroe?”
I watch the car pull into traffic and a wave of sadness washes over me when I realize I don’t know when I’ll see her again.
“Please call me Wyatt.” I turn to Zane. “What’s up?”
“Flynn asked me to make sure you were taken to his dressing room.”
“Of course, he did,” I reply wryly. “Okay, let’s go.”
Zane leads us back inside and I follow him through the hallways that lead to the dressing rooms in silence. The man is definitely not a talker.
We’re halfway there when Zane’s phone goes off. He checks the message and his brows knit together, lips pursed, stopping in the middle of the corridor.
“Are you okay to go the rest of the way by yourself? There’s a situation I need to deal with.”
“Of course, is ev
erything okay?” I can’t help asking because he looks pissed.
“Nothing you need to worry about.” He points straight ahead. “Keep going that way and make the next left. Flynn’s room is the last one at the end of the hall, he shouldn’t be much longer.” With that, he turns and strides away in the direction we just came from.
I start walking back toward the dressing rooms, noticing how eerie it feels in here. Where the hell is everyone?
I reach the corner and am just about to turn when a hand wraps around my waist from behind and I scream, as though I have just come face-to-face with the biggest, hairiest spider imaginable.
I start to struggle, but I’m quickly spun around and pressed up against the wall, Flynn’s body flush against mine.
He brushes his nose along mine. “Hey, Cherry.” His voice is hoarse, as it always is after a show, all gravelly and sexy.
“You scared the shit out of me!” I slap a hand over his bicep. He’s shirtless, the grey t-shirt he wore during the performance slung around his neck, a sheen of sweat sticks to his skin.
My hands itch to touch him, so I do just that, because why would I resist? I glide my hands down his chest, lightly scratching across his nipples and continuing down to tease my fingertips through his happy trail.
His eyes fall closed and he groans, pressing his hips forward so his cock creates the perfect amount of friction in the most perfect spot.
Flynn’s mouth glides along my jaw, his tongue teasing, and I press my thighs together, my panties becoming uncomfortably damp.
“You want me to fuck you right here, baby?” He palms my breasts and pinches my nipples sending the most glorious sensations rioting through my body. “Fuck you where anyone could find us?”
I’m incapable of speaking at this point, so I answer in the only way I can. I drop my hands to the button on his jeans and quickly free him, wrapping my hand around his shaft and jerking him off.
He thrusts into my hand and his mouth takes mine in a ferocious kiss. A kiss that leaves me breathless and wanting. My tongue tastes him, demanding more, while I savor the feel of his fingers that have found their way into my panties, circling my clit.
