Page 89 of Rock Bottom

I went in past the auto bays and took the stairs up two at a time, only to pause outside the door. A smile touched my lips as I listened to the music coming through it. Dante and his bandmates were on the other side, working their way through some familiar bars of music. He was teaching them to play the song he’d been working on, the same one he’d been singing when I found him half drowned in the mine.

I pushed open the door and leaned against the doorframe, watching Dante lost in the music. He’d removed most of his heavy bandages. Even all the cuts and scrapes on his fingers couldn’t stop him from playing like he was meant to. Eyes closed, his fingers moved expertly over the strings of his guitar while his bandmates followed along on the bass and keyboard. The drummer tapped out a melody on Boone’s desk with his sticks, all of them nodding along as Dante sang through the chorus.

As the last notes faded, Dante opened his eyes and caught sight of me standing there. A grin spread across his beautiful face.

I couldn't help but return his smile. His smile was infectious.

“Guys, this is Christian.” He gestured to me. “My boyfriend.”

I tensed, though hearing him call me his boyfriend sent a flutter of joy through me. The others might not be so happy about his casual coming out.

But to my surprise, the band members all greeted me warmly, flashing friendly smiles.

The other guitarist was the first to get up and offer me his hand. “Remi Cordell,” he said as we shook.

The drummer chimed in, “About time he found somebody decent to keep him on the straight and narrow. I’m Gabe Teller.” He passed his drumsticks to one hand to shake mine.

“I’m Trevor. I hear you pulled our little mermaid back to shore.” The keyboardist leaned back and gave me a lazy smile and a wave.

The bass guitarist elbowed Dante and whispered, “He’s adorable. I want one. Tell me he has a younger brother.”

Dante wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to his side, his eyes never leaving mine. “Sorry, Jake. He’s one of a kind, and he’s all mine.”

Trevor grinned mischievously at me before turning to Dante. “Seriously, man, he’s a keeper. Treat him right or I might have to steal him away from you.”

“Watch out for that one,” Dante nodded to Trevor before pressing a quick kiss to my temple, making me blush.

Remi kicked out another chair. “Pull up a seat, boyfriend material.”

Dante’s eyes went wide, and he snapped his fingers. “That’s it!”

“What is?” I asked with a frown.

“The name! For the song! I’ve been trying to think of one all day and that’s perfect! I mean, we’ll have to change around a few of the lyrics, but it still fits and I like it even better.” He was practically vibrating with excitement while the others laughed.

“I haven’t seen Dante this excited since we signed him,” Jake offered with a smile.

Remi snorted. “Not sober anyway. Are you sure he’s not on something?”

Dante chuckled. “Nope. Church and music are the only drugs I need now. I’ve been clean and sober for over a week thanks to this big, beautiful Brit.” Dante sat in my lap, guitar in hand. “Mind if we play through it again?” he asked me.

I nodded. “Please do.”

He beamed, and they started playing, pausing occasionally to adjust the lyrics, which Jake diligently made note of. Dante’s passion was infectious, and I found myself getting caught up in his excitement. The way his face lit up when he talked about his music made my heart swell with pride and renewed adoration for this man. He was a wonder, and I couldn’t imagine myself ever not looking at him in awe. Dante was everything I wanted, everything I hadn’t even known I was missing in life, and he was right here. Best of all, he wasn’t going anywhere. He was mine, and I was his for as long as we could stand each other, and I hoped to God that would be forever. I could do with a lot more of his infectious joy in my life. If I saw that smile all day, every day for the rest of my days, it still wouldn’t be enough for me to grow tired of it.

The doors to the office suddenly flew open, and the band stopped playing as a short, stout man in a Hawaiian shirt hurried in, his face scrunched in worry.

“Dante!” exclaimed the man in the Hawaiian shirt and he darted across the room to hug Dante, sending a surge of jealousy through me. Just who the fuck did he think he was putting his hands all over my man? “Thank God you’re all right.”

Dante squirmed away. “I’m fine, Sam.”

Ah, so this was Sam, the manager responsible for Dante being miserable and in the closet for so long.

“What the hell were you thinking, kid? And you…” Sam turned on me and marched over to stand toe to toe with me. “How can you call yourself a bodyguard after everything you allowed to happen to Dante while he was in your care? You can expect to hear from his lawyers, Mr. Bishop! I hope, at least, your boss has had the sense to fire you on the spot.”

I met Sam's accusatory stare, jaw clenched. The tension in the room was palpable, a storm brewing just beneath the surface. I was ready to pommel this jackass so hard, he wouldn’t need a plane to fly back to LA.

Dante placed a calming hand on my arm, his touch grounding me.

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