Page 24 of Rebel

“Shit, sorry, Beck,” Trav says, his tone laced with embarrassment. “I was aiming to kick Chase.”

“Mean.” Chase pouts and leans in. “I had a dream about you last night. You were singing to me while I fucked you.”

“Chase, Jesus Christ!” Trav barks.

“He’s going to regret this so much,” I comment as I stare into his bright eyes. He’s almost fun, almost nice, and definitely more relaxed and open. Was this what Chase was like before drugs? Before fame?

He’s almost . . . cute.

“What?” Chase covers his cheeks, which are flushed. “Did I say something bad? Am I a bad, bad boy? Will you punish me, Beck?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

I laugh and turn away, trying to stop myself.

“I made her laugh,” he whispers loudly. “That’s good. Girls like funny men. That’s why Kolt never gets pussy.”

“Hey,” Kolton slurs. “There’s the neighbor’s cat. She really likes me.”

Chase laughs. “Not that type of pussy.”

When I look back at Trav, he has his hand over his face. “God save me,” he begs.

“I’m your god.” Chase hiccups. “Beck, you should call me God from now on.”

“Hmm,” I hum as we pull up outside. The door opens, and Trav helps Kolt out, while I help Chase out. Both seem to have sobered up a little, but they are still drunk as hell, and when I turn to get my stuff, I hear Trav swear. Glancing back, I see Chase and Kolt chasing each other around the driveway.

Trav stomps after them. “Damn it! Stop! Come on, man,” he says. I lean against the car, just watching him chase them until he throws his hands in the air.

Putting my fingers to my lips, I release a loud whistle, and they all turn to face me. “Alright, boys, time for bed. Come on, if you’re good, I’ll tuck you in.”

Chase and Kolt share a look before darting inside, giggling as they fight each other to get upstairs.

“Thank you,” Trav mutters.

“You’re welcome. Come on, help me get them into bed so I don’t find one of them in mine or something.” Inside, I find Chase’s shoes on the stairs, his jeans at the top, and a shirt just inside his open door. When I step into his room, he’s face down with his bare ass in the air, half hanging off his bed as he snores.

“That isn’t something you see every day,” I whisper, pulling my phone out and snapping a picture.

Trav snorts, tossing a blanket over him before shutting the door. Kolt is in bed and already asleep, so we just shut the door. Sighing, we lean against the wall.

“If this is what it’s like having kids, I don’t want any,” I admit.

“You handled them well.” Trav grins. “How about a drink?”

“I could use one. Chase’s bare ass is burned into my brain.” Barking a laugh, he takes my arm and steers me downstairs. In the kitchen, I leave him to make drinks while I kick off my shoes and drop my stuff on the chairs. I slide the patio door open and head out to the huge, curved chair. Crawling onto it, I settle back. Trav appears and hands me a drink, then he disappears again, but when he comes back, he tucks a blanket around my legs and climbs in next to me with his own drink in hand.

“Thanks,” I murmur, looking at the starry sky, unsure what to say now that it’s just us. With the others around, there’s always a buffer between us, but here, in the dark, as the quiet of the night wraps around us like a spell, I feel like he’s too close.

The buzz of city life seems far from here now, and I can just imagine that we are a normal couple—I mean friends, not rock stars, enjoying the quiet night.

“I like this time of night. It makes anything seem possible.” He smiles softly, and it transforms his whole face. Trav is truly beautiful, one of the best-looking men I’ve ever seen in that friendly, comforting way. “It changes every minute, but the comfort of it always remains. The night is the same, no matter what city we are in, and I like that.”

I smile, taking a sip. “That’s a nice way to look at it. I’ve always liked the night because it’s quiet and I can just be alone.”

He chuckles. “That too.”

We lapse into comfortable silence as I snuggle into the blanket he brought. My hands get cold from holding the icy glass, and I blink when he takes it from me, wraps his jacket around it, and hands it back without a word.

Trav is a huge green flag, unlike Chase, and if I were a different person in a different life, I would want to fall in love with a man like him.

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