Page 117 of Fractured Rhythm

“Well, get there, because I’m sticking to you like glue.”

“Jax and Tristan are okay with relocating? They never said anything, and I’ve been hanging out with both of them over the last two weeks.”

It killed me to know they were spending time with her when I couldn’t. They’d slipped in little tidbits about how she was doing, and every time one of them had said she was sad, I’d reached for my phone. But I’m glad I waited. It made it so worth my suffering for her to not push me away anymore.

“I wanted to tell you first. I didn’t know if you would ever speak to me again, but they agreed to let me tell you first.”

“So they’re fine with it?”

“Yeah. New York is our home state. Charlie’s from here. Our families live upstate. Plus, I’m pretty sure Jax has either slept with or alienated a large percentage of the female population in LA, so he needed a new coast.”

She barked out a laugh. “You’re going to inflict him on this side of the country? What did the women of New York ever do to you?”

“Funny girl. They had no issues relocating here. They missed you too, Cas. We were like a family before.”

“I know. Sometimes I missed that more than I missed you.”

Her small shrug, like it wasn’t a big deal, made me feel like the biggest asshole.

“Now you don’t have to miss any of us. Well, except when we’re on tour. Josh wants us out there as soon as the album drops in a few months. For a longer tour, maybe international. Who knows.”

“I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long until you were doing a full tour.”

“I’ll fly you anywhere you want to go if you can get the time out of work. Holly mentioned something about you never taking a vacation. I’d love to take you back to Paris. Maybe Venice and Rome.”

“Holly talks too much. But yes, I’d love to come to as many shows as I can swing. Be a proper groupie and all.”

“My own personal groupie,” I said, pulling her on top of me. “I’ve never had one before.”

“Who said anything about being your groupie? Tristan is super dreamy on stage. Maybe the dreamiest out of all of you.”

“You take that back. You always said I was the dreamiest,” I said, reaching down to tickle the spot that made her squirm the most.

She burst out laughing and tried to escape me.

“Fine, you’re the dreamiest, but know that I said that under duress,” she teased.

“Very funny. How about you not talk about my bandmates when you’re on top of me?” I said, running my fingers down her side.

She shifted on top of me, trying to escape my touch, but I held her to me.

“Are you saying sex on an amp is a possibility?”

She laughed. “You have a one-track mind.”

“You bring it out in me,” I said, abandoning her ticklish spots and reaching up to cup her face in my hands.

She turned and pressed a kiss against my palm.

“You bring out the best in me, Cassie. You always have. When I’m with you, I feel whole again. All the pieces fit back together again.”

She sighed, her eyes bright with love and happiness, and everything I wanted to see reflected in her gaze.

“I love you, Bash. I’m so happy we fought for this.”

“And we’ll keep fighting for it because nothing is worth more to me than you.”

Then I lifted my head and pressed my lips to hers, kissing her with all that I had, because she would always be my everything.

Roadblocks and misguided good intentions be damned.

---