Page 85 of Creed

For a second, Creed looks like a deer caught in headlights, but he quickly brushes it off and smirks. “Obviously. You think your brother’s taste in music is as fucking divine as what you got to listen to?”

“I…guess not.” She huffs a small laugh, but she looks at Creed with a bit more emotion than before. She told me about the mp3. She thought it was her brother that had gifted her the mp3 player that helped her mental escapes at home. I can’t imagine how she feels finding out that it was the one person she’s harbored feelings for her entire life.

I clear my throat and rub at the back of my neck, “There’s more in there.” I nod toward the bag, shifting in my seat. “I wouldn’t gift you a cassette player and nothing to listen to.”

She wastes no time in diving back into the bag, pulling out several cassette tapes ranging from ZZ Top to the David Bowie tape I know she loves. The cutest little squeal leaves her lips as she fumbles to open the case and pops the cassette into the Walkman that I’ve already added new batteries to and plugs in the old school headphones that have neon orange foam pads to cover the speakers.

She hits play and starts singing along. Her voice is…shockingly adorable. She can sing on key, and actually has a bit of vibrato when she hits those lower notes, but it crackles and dissipates into a whisper when she tries to belt out the words. She doesn’t skip a beat while Creed and I watch her in awe.

She’s absolutely amazing and I’m mesmerized by her. God, could Creed be any luckier to call her his? The way he looks at her tells me that he finally knows exactly what he’s got and how much he’s going to cling to it. I want something like that. I can admit to myself I’d want it with her, considering I’ve never had feelings for anyone before—never wanted to even try— but that’s never going to be an option now. But that’s okay. As long as she’s in my life and allows me to spoil her? That’s enough for me.

The song comes to an end and she hits the stop button, the tiny machine pausing with a click. No sooner does she set it aside that she throws herself across the couch and wraps her arms around my neck, squeezing me tight. The weight of her forces me back and she ends up half sprawled over me. She’s too excited in giving her rapid fire thank you’s that she doesn’t even realize how we’re currently entangled.

I forget myself for a moment and wrap her in my arms and squeeze her back. For a moment I want to keep her here. For a moment, I want to tell her how she makes me feel. Just blurt it out and see what the hell happens. For a moment, I forget that she belongs to Creed, and he’s still in the freaking room.

Because six days. Six. Days. Is all it took for me to be completely dragged into the orbit that is Collins Weston.

I open my eyes to see him staring at us.

At me.

More specifically, my hands that are currently hugged around his girl.

Fuck.

I let her go and she releases me at the same time, her cheeks a little pink when she scoots back to her seat and reaches out to play with Creed’s hair.

He’s still staring at me with an unreadable expression. I have no idea what he’s thinking, but I’m taking it as a warning to never touch his girl. A heavy guilt settles in my stomach, causing it to drop.

It’s going to be a really long tour because I’m really and truly fucked when it comes to Collins Weston.

Chapter 31

Creed

He’s touching her. My best friend has his arms wrapped around the woman I’ve just claimed as mine. The woman which I just had my fingers buried inside. The one who came on my hand and tasted like sweet, sweet sin.

To be fair, she tackled him like a heat-seeking missile, knocking him back and hugging the life out of him while thanking him for the gifts. But still. He hugged her back.

I watch them closely, searching and trying to dig deep to find that feeling of deep anger or jealousy that should be boiling up and over the edge. I just got her. Literally. Not only has she been home for less than a week, but I’ve claimed her as mine in fewer days than that.

Should be weird as fuck to do something so big so fast, right? But these emotions have been bubbling within me for two years now, and I know she’s wanted me for even longer, so why fucking wait?

My eyes move to where Riley’s fingers are gripping her tight and notice how far her little crop top has ridden up when she raised her arms to wrap them around his neck. Riley doesn’t dare touch her skin, though. His hands stay firmly planted on the soft cotton of her tee, and just clings to her.

Why the hell is my brain so calm about this? Shouldn’t I be raging over another man touching what’s mine? Yeah. I should be.

But Riley isn’t just some random asshole. He’s my best friend. My brother. My family. There’s a lot to unpack about my lack of reaction because I can see how he feels about her and I know he knows that Collins and I are together without him even having to confirm anything. I won’t embarrass him or Collins by doing so either. It’s only been a few days since he’s even met her, but I’ve never seen more spark in his dark eyes than I have this last week.

Collins has that effect on people.

I respect Riley and I know he respects me back.

Exhibit A? When he opens his eyes to see me watching their little embrace and his eyes start swimming with panic but he’s smooth in ending the hug and Collins scoots backward to her spot on the couch and starts playing with my hair.

Fuuuuuck. I could get used to that.

We have a third gift for her that we’d picked out together and ordered last night but before either of us can give it to her, a knock sounds at the door of the bus. Riley jumps like his ass is on fire to answer it, clearly feeling some type of way about the whole hug encounter.

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