JOANNA

The shining rays of sunshine coming through the window stir me from my sleep. Lying on my stomach with my pillow hugged close to me, I can feel the weight of Gabe's broad chest against my back. His leg is protectively tucked around mine, and his nose is buried in my hair. We're so perfectly locked together, it takes me a moment to understand I'm not dreaming.

Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I see it's six thirty. "Shit," I murmur, getting out of Gabe's hold.

"What is it?" He mumbles.

"Your sister is probably up." I sit up, brushing the sleep from my eyes.

"I assumed you had spoken to her about us yesterday." He opens one eye and I grin at how cute he looks with his sleepy face and mussed-up hair.

Not resisting, I pull him into a quick kiss. "We didn't have a chance to talk yesterday. I'll talk to her now."

"Alright, I'm going to get dressed so I can join you." He shifts his position to get up, but I hold him back with a gentle squeeze on his shoulder.

"Let me talk to her first." I run my fingers through his hair, not missing the way he leans into my touch. "I'm her best friend, and I'm sleeping with her brother. I should be the one talking to her first."

"She's always said she'd kill me if I tried anything with you." His eyes shine as his lips curl into a smile.

"I'm sure she'll have a word or two to share with you." I kiss his jaw before standing up. "But let us girls talk first."

"Whatever you say, baby." He rolls his eyes playfully, and I rush to get dressed.

******

Taking great caution to be as quiet as possible, I tiptoe my way into the hallway like a thief, carefully trying not to make a sound when I shut Gabe's door. Since everyone moved to the rented house, we switched to different rooms yesterday. Glancing quickly into Maria's bedroom and finding it empty, I sprint to my own room.

Only to come crashing into her in the process.

"What the hell?" She holds my shoulder so I don't fall.

My heart stops beating for a second. "Wh- What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Where were you?" She looks at me, her eyes narrowing curiously.

"Uh..." I open and close my mouth, trying to think. "I was... Uh..."

She can see right through me. "Was where?" She asks, and I shut my eyes closed.

Taking a deep, fortifying breath, I slowly open my eyes and reluctantly meet her gaze. "Gabe's room," I whisper.

The deafening silence that encompasses the hall is so profound it could fill up a football stadium. I feel my heart thumping against my ribcage as her gaze shifts toward Gabe's room. The wheels are turning in her head. She is trying to come to a conclusion, and the surrounding quiet as she put two and two together is overwhelming.

"Say something," I whisper, and her eyes lock with mine. She's got her poker face on. Shit!

"Is it serious?" she asks.

"I..." My breath hitches. "I'm not... We haven't really talked much about what comes next for us, but..."

"But?" She raises her eyes, her eyes softening when she sees the answer on my face.

"I'd like for it to be. You know, serious."

Her eyes shut, and the sound of the sigh leaving her lips speaks much more than any words ever could. But as her eyes come back to meet mine, the powerful emotion I witness in there causes me to frown.

"You're worried." My eyes narrow. "I know you've always got weird out when your friends hit on Gabe, but... I will not make things awkward or..."

"I'm not worried about Gabe." She gives me a sad smile. "I'm worried about you, Jo."

"Oh..."

"Gabe is..." She shakes her head. "His life is a mess right now."

"Yeah, he mentioned Josh is thinking about leaving the band."

"Right." She lets out a humorless chuckle. "You guys should talk."

"What does that mean?"

"I've always seen the way he looked at you." She rolls her eyes. "The way he's treated you."

"I've always had a crush on him too," I whisper, my cheeks getting hot.

"You and basically any women out there." She sighs, looking down for a second. "But you never mentioned anything, so..."

"I didn't want him to come between us," I say.

"You're in love with him." She smiles. "God, how did I miss that?"

"I'm..." I shrug, helpless. "I guess I am."

"Jo..." She rests her hand on my shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. You're both adults, after all. But Gabe's world... I love him with all my heart, but... I'm not sure he's boyfriend material."

I can feel the weight of my heart as it sinks into my chest. Hearing her say it so bluntly makes me come to terms with the hard truth that I have already known. Gabe is a world-known rockstar who has achieved an incredible level of success. It seems like the world is his oyster. He has the power to make any woman swoon with a single glance.

God, he's had a legion of women at his beck and call since before he was famous. It's obvious I'm just one among many.

Stuttering, I mumbled something incoherently, feeling a wave of embarrassment coming over me. For all the reactions I expect from her when I told her about Gabe, this is not one I saw coming.

Seeing the confusion on my face, she pulls me into a hug. "I love you. I'll always be here for you, no matter what. But please, talk to him."

Yep. She knows Gabe wants nothing more than a casual and fleeting affair. And that when this is all said and done, I'll be left heartbroken once again.

*****

After talking to Maria, I needed a few minutes to get my head around everything we discussed. I told her I had to take a shower and make some work calls, so I would need to have a few hours to myself. She obviously didn't believe me, but still gave me some space.

A while later, I tuck myself into bed. I know Gabe will come to see what I'm up to soon, but I just need a minute. My mind keeps replaying my conversation with Maria repeatedly, and the pity I saw in her eyes makes me cringe. Am I being a fool for thinking Gabe could give me more?

Damn...

A gentle tapping on the door breaks me away from my thoughts. I don't need to guess to know who it is.

Gabe.

A soft sigh leaves my lips when he pushes the door open. He's also freshly showered, looking all kinds of yummy. His eyes widen in surprise when he sees me, and soon he's kicking off his shoe and joining me in bed.

The mattress dips as he sits by my side. "You and Maria talked." He cups my neck, caressing my cheek.

Why does he have to be so caring?

Why does my heart have to skip a beat every time he focuses his attention solely on me?

"I'll talk to her." He runs his fingers through my cheek. "She has no reason to-"

"She thinks I'm setting myself up for another heartbreak," I cut him off, feeling a lump in my throat when his eyes widen.

He looks away, and my heart squeezes hard in my chest when he sighs. "The last thing I want is to hurt you, Jo."

What do I say to that?

Things happened so fast between us. As a bomb waiting to explode, our attraction for each other was always there, just waiting to be explored. It's been boiling for far too long. It makes sense it combusted the moment it was only us alone in a paradise-like place.

I don't want to be that girl who asks what the guy's intentions are right after they sleep together. Especially when said guy never even had a relationship, as far as I'm concerned.

Nodding, I force a smile on my lips. "What are your plans for today?"

"Jo..." He tries, and I sit up, pulling him into a kiss.

"I'd love to write some more songs..." I say, and he searches my eyes before nodding.

"Me too." He uses both hands to cup my cheeks. "I'm not ready to put an end to us."

Pressing my palms to his chest, I feel how fast his heart is beating. And in a weird way, it soothes me. 

_____

A/N: Gabe, baby...

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XOXO

Celeste