Page 88 of Forever and Ever

“That implies I don’t alreadyknowhe’ll be a dick,” Adrian says, and the smallest smile creeps up on his face.

“Fuck you both.” Rome downs his shot. “You guys have fun shacking up with one pussy and I’ll enjoy the rest of them.”

I remember when that statement would have sounded appealing to me. After Kali broke my heart and I finally lost my virginity to a random groupie who didn’t even realize what she did for me, I was intent on never falling in love again. One chick wasn’t worth that much fucking heartache.

But then I met Merry, and all that changed. Even if she did put me through hell before I finally got to her, I was never the same. Now it’s not even a question of knowing that I’m giving up every other woman on the planet for one.

But looking up at Rome, who is standing there scrolling through his phone, I’m honestly not sure if that’s in the cards for him. The kind of shit that makes him not trust people goes deeper than any of the dark shit I’ve seen. And I feel bad, because even if he talks a lot of shit and pisses a lot of people off, deep down he’s the most loyal guy I know. He’ll go to the ends of the earth for the few people he cares about.

If only he’d let someone do that for him.

I don’t try to convince him of that though, because I know him well enough to know I’d be wasting my breath.

“Have fun with that,” I say instead.

At least there’s still one guy left in the band to keep the groupies happy.

27

Noah

Thisisprobablythelongest it’s ever taken us to record an album, and it’s almost more painful than when we weren’t recording at all. After Sebastian and Eloise finally agreed on the chorus for one of our new songs, Savage Ways, it took another four hours for me and Rome to get in tune with each other on the tempo.

But as torturous as it was at times, it was also cathartic.

Besides Merry, music is the only other thing that brings me sanity. It keeps my heart pumping in my chest. When I’m beating the drums, I might as well be trying to draw blood from them, because music is my faith, my clarity, my religion.

In the studio, I can lose myself for hours—days even. Hammering out the songs again and again. Tweaking, adjusting, seeking perfection.

By the time I finally get home, it’s almost two in the morning and I feel like I’ve been run over and emptied out. But also, the stress I’ve been carrying for days has melted away.

I find Merry asleep on the couch with the end credits of a movie playing, and I can’t help the feeling that blooms inside me at the sight of her. The large furniture dwarfs her tiny body, and she’s cuddled under one of the blankets so only her head sticks out. Her hair is up in a bun, with a few rogue waves falling around her makeup-free face.

Her face is relaxed, and she’s so soft that she almost looks breakable like this. I wish I could make it so nothing could touch her—nothing could hurt her. All I want to do is keep her safe.

“Are you just going to stand there and watch me sleep?” Merry’s eyes are still closed, but she’s smiling.

“Maybe.” I lean over her on the couch and peel away the blanket so I can replace it with myself. “I like watching you sleep.”

“That’s not creepy at all.” She shifts onto her back and wraps her arms around my shoulders, burying her face against my neck.

“Can’t help it,” I say, planting a kiss on the side of her head. “It’s the one time you actually look sweet and peaceful.”

“Ha ha.” She pokes my side with a finger, and I can’t help but laugh. “I’m always sweet.”

I lift my head up to look down at her. “Sweet as vinegar.”

She rolls her pretty brown eyes at me.

“But.” I lower my lips against hers. “As sour as you can be. You still taste like cherries.”

“Oh yeah?” I feel her heart racing in her chest.

“Yeah.” I run my tongue along her bottom lip, before taking her in a sleepy kiss.

Unlike when she’s amped up and feisty, everything about Merry right now is soft and gentle. Her hands wander over my body like she’s exploring them in a dream, and I soak it up.

I lift to kneel between her legs, pulling the waistband of her pajama shorts down as she slips out of her top, laying there naked and exposed in front of me.

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