by Savana Jade
“Nenna” Dani yells running toward me with her arms wide open.
“Come here Love Bug.” I scoop her up into my arms once she makes her way to me.
“Nenna, Nenna, Nenna.” She says patting my head multiple times before Gabe takes her hand and pull it away from another attack to my face. She rests her head on my shoulder while he distracts her hand by playing peek-a-boo over my shoulder. “Abe” she says pointing toward him with her other hand.
“Is Gabe being silly?” I ask, she simply smiles, showing her little dimple. Her eyes begin getting heavy and a yawn or two may have escaped her little mouth. But Gabe continues to play with her until her eyes completely shuts.
“She is too cute.” He says gently, kissing her little hand and releasing it on her belly.
“I can’t believe how big she’s getting already.” I whisper, not wanting to wake her.
“I know, it seems like it was yesterday when we were all sitting in the waiting room waiting for her to get here.” He kisses my shoulder. We both stare at her innocent little face for a few more minutes before I rise to put her in her bed.
“Don’t forget her monitor.” Matt directs when we walk past the kitchen.
“Yes, daddy.” I say sarcastically. He laughs and gives me a wink. Her makeshift room is still up in Patty’s room, so I make sure to take extra care making my way up the stairs. All I need is to trip and fall with her in my arms.
As I make my way back down the stairs, I meet Gabe coming up. He looks so tired.
“Hey. Why don’t you get some rest?” I ask resting my hands on his shoulders once I meet him half way. Immediately, he pulls me into a kiss. But I back away before it deepens. “I’m serious Gabe. You look beat.”
“I feel it. I haven’t slept much since I was resting on moms lap.” He answers honestly, resting his head on my shoulder.
“I told you to get some sleep.” I scold him by pulling his hair.
“I know, but it was too hard. I couldn’t keep my mind off you.” He holds me tighter. “Do you realize, in the almost eight years since we met, we haven’t spent more than a few days apart?” He scoops me in his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck immediately. “Except when you were in rehab. But even then, I tried to see you every day.” Carrying us back down stairs toward our wing.
“This was just as hard for me.” I admit. “I was so angry at you at first. But after the drugs were gone.” I drop my head in the crook of his neck in shame. “I’m sorry about that, too.”
“No Jenna.” He kisses the top of my head. “Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry for pushing you over the edge. I wanted to follow you when you left, but Matt and Drew stopped me.”
“But I should have known better. I wasn’t even craving it.” He walks into the great room and looks around in confusion. I point to my room and he proceeds to carry me there. “If I would have just listened to you, none of this wouldn’t have happened.” Once we enter the bedroom, he pushes the door shut with his foot, makes his way to the bed and lays me on the center of it.
“I’m sorry I put you through all that. I can’t help but blame myself for this whole mess.” He removes my shoes before taking his off and climbing on the bed himself. “I know I have a lot of making up to do.” He says with a yawn and lays down on the pillow facing me. I roll over to do the same. “But for now.” Pulling me in closer and kissing the tip of my nose. “I suggest we follow Danika and try to get a little sleep before dinner.”
As I get myself situated alongside him, I reach up and trace my fingers along the side of his face. “I think that’s an excellent suggestion.” I whisper, kissing his lips softly before continuing with my fingers until he is sound asleep.
~~~
Brennan
“Where’s Jenna” Matt asks walking into the living room drying his hands with a dish towel. “She was supposed to bring back Dani’s monitor so we can hear her when she wakes up.”
“I’ll go see. She probably got distracted with Gabe.” Quickly I give Ashley a kiss on the cheek and stand. “Gives me a chance to break the two up again.” Chuckling as I walk toward the room.
“That’s wrong bro.” Matt says laughing. As I make it to our section of the house, I notice her bedroom door closed. Expecting to hear noises from behind the door as I get closer to it, I’m surprised to not hear a thing. Cringing with the thought of seeing my baby sister in a position that I never want her to see, I slowly turn the knob and gently push it open. What I saw next is not what I imagined I would see. Both Jenna and Gabe, facing each other, sound asleep.
Quietly walking over to the edge of the bed, I take the baby monitor off the night stand and silence it by turning down the volume so it doesn’t wake them, incase Danika happens to wake now. I pick up the throw blanket that lays on the bench at the end of the bed, and cover them both with it. Bending down, I give my sister a light kiss on the top of her head. Suddenly Gabe stirs, but doesn’t wake. He unconsciously brings himself closer to Jenna. I can’t help but let out a silent chuckle. Even in their sleep, they can’t seem to stay apart from each other.
As I make my way out of the room, I hear Jenna whimper. I turn around immediately but she stops. I can’t help but wonder what’s going on in that beautiful head of hers. As I lean against the doorframe to her room, she whimpers again and ever so softly she cries for mom. Drew mentioned she had a dream or more like a nightmare about mom, but I didn’t know it was a reoccurring dream. I run my hand through my hair as I watch them sleep, not knowing what to do about this situation with dad around.
“You do know you’re spying on them?” A soft hand rests on my shoulder. I reach across my chest to rest my hand on hers.
“Not if they don’t know I’m doing it.” I whisper back. “I’m a pro at this. Trust me.”
“What are you talking about?” Ashley asks curiously.
Reaching for the door, I close it as quietly as I can to let them sleep. I know Gabe hasn’t had but may be a few hours of broken sleep this past week or so, so I can imagine Jenna hasn’t had much either. Taking Ashley’s hand in mine, I walk us to the couch. “For years, those two have played this game. Sometimes they would get too close to each other, and when they did, I was right there to stop them.” As I pull her closer to me, we settle comfortably.
“Gabriel told me he had fallen hard for her a few months after he moved in with you two. He also said he was scared that you would kill him.” She runs her hand over my chest.
“That’s because I threatened him the moment they made eye contact with each other. That first day they met, I knew my life was going to be a living hell. That’s when he fell for her. He only hid it for a few months, probably to save his testicles.” She slaps my chest.
“Oh, come on. He’s not that bad.” She leans into me.
“No. He’s not.” I kiss the top of her head. “He was the only one I trusted to take her to Prom. Of course, it did help that I paid a few neighbor kids to keep tabs on them.” She looks up at me in shock. “What? I would have done it with anyone who would have taken her.” I give her my most innocent face. Once she rests her head on my shoulder again, I continue.
“At first, I thought it was just an attraction that they had with each other. Until a few years ago when we were doing a show in New York that I realized it was getting serious. Jenna had gotten dressed up and we all decided to match her. Well, anyways. I left the greenroom to check out our equipment and when I went to go back into the room, both Will and Matt did their best to keep me occupied and away from the room.” I chuckle at the memory. “I knew what was going on in there. They left Jenna and Gabe alone. But what I knew nothing serious had happened. No. Will wouldn’t allow it.”
“So what happened?” Ashley asks as she runs her fingers over my arm.
“After our set was done, He sat her down on a stool, right on stage and sat beside her. They sang a song they had written together, but not before giving her a kiss in front of everyone in the audience.”
“That d
oesn’t sound so bad.” She says
“Well, it was after we were on our way back to the hotel that had me wanting to strangle him. She went back to the hotel immediately after with a few of the guys from some of the other bands we played with that night to kick off the after party. Gabe kept talking and wouldn’t shut up while we were packing up our equipment up. It continued when we were on our way back. It wasn’t until I told him to just spit whatever he wanted to get out, out. That’s when I realized how serious he really was about her. Of course that’s the night I had to lie to her when we made an excuse why I gave him a black eye.”
“I remember that.” She sits up and turns toward me. “What happened?” I take a deep breath and take her hand and begin playing with her ring finger. “Brennan?”
“He showed me the ring.” I finally look up at her. Her face softens with understanding. “He asked permission. To one day take her hand.” Ashley smiles so sweetly, I almost forgot what I was talking about.
“Go on.” She insists.
“Um, well. Before I knew it, I was being pulled off him by Will and Matt. I literally saw red Ashley.” I admit. “I wanted to kill him. But after I calmed down and he explained himself to me. I finally understood how he truly felt toward her. I still said there was no way in hell that he would ever get my permission. Until…” I drop my head and focus on our hands as we interlink them together.
“Brennan?” She asks. “Babe?”
“It wasn’t until the accident when I thought I was going to lose her. That’s when I realized, I have been holding her back. We are supposed to live for today. Live with no regrets, but here I was doing the exact opposite, Ashley. I was trying to keep her from what she really, truly wanted.”
Ashley shifts to sit on me, wrapping me in her arms. She doesn’t speak, giving me the chance to continue. For some reason, I feel I can say anything to her, just like I used to do with Will.
“She was in and out of consciousness for so long. I swore I wouldn’t hold her back any longer. Until I overheard Will talking to Gabe. I didn’t want to hear them Ashley. But I couldn’t help it. I was sitting in the hall between the two of them. Gabe didn’t leave her side until Will insisted on talking to him, alone of course. Will told Gabe what I should have told him all along.” A tear runs down my face and onto her shoulder.
“Will said that he wanted Gabe to keep trying. He said that even though he knew I wouldn’t give permission anytime soon, that eventually I would, but he had to promise that he wouldn’t ever stop loving her. Gabe insisted on giving the ring to her when she woke because he didn’t want to go another day without her. That’s when I couldn’t help but tell him that regardless of Will’s blessing, he wouldn’t have mine. He insisted that he wouldn’t stop loving her, no matter what I said.”
“And now?” She asks curious.
“How can I not tell him yes? After all they’ve gone through? Every day, every day he went to the rehab center to see her, and every God damned day he would come home with that damn ring in his hand and zombie out until the next day, to do the same thing over and over again. And now…” I shrug in defeat.
“Now, knowing that you’ve finally let go and allowed them to be together?”
“More than that Ashley. Who the hell saves themselves for one person anymore?” I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “All these years, I thought he was just as much as a player as I was. Never in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined this.”
“So, what’s holding you back?” Her question affects me harder than it should.
“Me.” I answer honestly. “I’m holding myself back. Jenna is my life. It’s been me and her for as long as I can remember. How do I let go?” I rest my head on her shoulder in defeat. “How? And now that we’re here, don’t even get me started on dad.”
She lifts my face in her hands, forcing me to look at her. “Do you want to know what I see?” I shrug, then nod, looking into her golden brown eyes. For some reason, I want to know everything about her. What she sees, what she feels, her favorite things, everything.
“I see someone who adores his little sister. Someone who loves her til the end of the world and back. And as much as you deny it, I think you’re jealous of Gabriel.” My brows scrunch up and before I begin to argue, she puts her finger on my lips. “Just listen.” She places her lips on the other side of her finger.
“Her world revolved around you, even before your father left. And then when Gabriel came into the picture, you didn’t realize you would have to fight for her attention.” I close my eyes as reality hits me hard. “He has shown you in more ways than one that he can be the one she wants and needs. And now you don’t know how to let her go. But what you don’t realize Brennan, is that you don’t have to fight for her. You’ve always been, and you’ll always be just as important to her as you were from the day she was born. I have no doubt that she loves you unconditionally. Like a sister is supposed to love her brother. She loves Gabriel too, but in an entirely different way. She loves him in the same way he loves her. Only they can understand it. I for one would give anything to have that kind of love.”
I take her chin between my thumb and finger and pull her lips toward me. Before she deepens the kiss, I pull back. “I think I know how he feels.” Pressing my lips to hers again. “Getting there slowly anyways.”
“Oh really?” She asks. Before I can answer, she runs her tongue over my bottom lip before attacking my mouth with hers…
~~~
Jenna
“Angel.” He says softly in my ear just before kissing below it. “Jenna, my beautiful girl. It’s time to wake up.” I curl up tighter.
“Go away.” He chuckles before kissing his way down my jaw. “Don’t go away. This feels too good.” He rolls me onto my back as he continues his wake up call.
“It’s time for dinner.” He begins a trail of kisses down my neck.
“I don’t mind a cold dinner.” I flutter my eyes open to look down at him. He raises his head and arches an eyebrow. “I don’t mind skipping dinner altogether.”
“You do realize, we’ve been sleeping for nearly five hours?” I reach my hand up to caress his cheek.
“You do realize that you made a promise to make love to me no matter what, when or where?” Reaching my hand behind his neck, pulling his face toward me. He stops just before our lips touch.
“Hmmm.” He pecks my lips just one kiss. “I don’t quite remember that promise.”
“Gabe?”
“Angel?”
“If you don’t kiss me right now, I promise you that I will kick your ass before dinner.”
He barks a laugh that makes me giggle in response. “One kiss. But I hope you remember your promise to me…” He holds his mouth away from mine.
“I don’t remember promising anything.” I say struggling for my kiss.
“Oh no?” He tries to pull back again, but I won’t let him. He smirks. “Well, I distinctly remember you promised to make sure that if we get interrupted by my promise. You would make sure it gets completed immediately after.” He says before dropping his lips onto mine. Running my fingers through his hair, he groans as I invade his mouth with my tongue, eager to make up for time lost this past few weeks. He runs his hand under my top just before the bedroom door opens.
“Thank God I didn’t miss the show.” Ugh, Matty. “Go on, don’t mind me.” He says laughing, leaning against the wall. Gabe huffs and rolls onto his back taking a few deep breaths.
“Something we can help you with Matt?” He says with a slight hint of anger in his voice.
“Um, I do believe I tried the easy way to tell you that dinner was ready.” He says holding his phone up.
“And I told you I had to wake Jenna up, didn’t I?” Gabe sits up quickly, pulling me up with him. I grunt immediately.
“That’s some fucking wake up call. Jems, you can wake me up anytime you want.” He teases.
“I really was sleeping Matty.” Stretching my arm, yawning.
> “Well, wake up then.” He pushes himself off the wall to leave. “Be at the table in five minutes, or I’m sending Brennan in here.” He barks a laugh.
“Why do they all insist on interrupting us every time we are together?” I ask. Gabe pulls me onto my feet and kisses my neck before answering.
“Just be fortunate we got a good nap in.”
“I’d feel more fortunate if we just stayed here.” I try to pull him back toward the bed, but he isn’t having it. “I’m really not hungry anyways.”
That seemed to have sparked a response in him. He stops and rests his hands on my shoulders. “Jenna, when was the last time you ate?” His eyes run over my body.
“I eat.”
“Don’t bullshit me Angel. I mean a real meal.” I drop my head to think. “Look at you. I swear you’ve lost at least five pounds since I last saw you.” I honestly don’t know when I ate last. I do know Drew forces me to eat at least a few bites during meal times.
“I’m just not hungry lately Gabe.” I admit. He pulls me into his arms and holds me.
“Please try to eat. I worry about you. I don’t need you disappearing on me again.” He kisses the top of my head. “Please Angel?”
Nodding as I hold onto him tighter. “Okay. I’ll try.”
~~~
“Oh my goodness woman, you sure can cook.” Bob says patting his belly.
“I can’t take full credit. Your son helped prepare your dinner dear.” Patty replies honestly.
“I’ll give credit to whoever made this fine meal.” He argues. I stand immediately to remove some of the plates before a hand covers mine. “Nice job son.”
“Miss Munson, please allow us.” A server says. Immediately I apologize and sit back down.
“That’s something to get uses to, isn’t it?” Brennan says sarcastically, nodding to the server that took my plate. I shrug my shoulders. “Are you feeling well?” He leans in and asks.
“Fine. Why?” I ask as if I don’t know what he’s talking about, but apparently my food consumption is a hot topic lately. Ashley pats his leg under the table, apparently shushing him.
