Page 43 of Love Notes and Late Nights
Harris didn’t know what to say and just stood there with his mouth open for several seconds. “I can’t wait to see them,” he finally said.
Wolf pulled the sheet off the easel on the left and revealed a painting of the Kia Forum, before it was the Kia Forum, when it was still owned by Chase. Harris couldn’t believe how much detail Wolf captured in the painting, but before he could comment, Wolf pulled the sheet off the easel on the far right.
“They’re a set,” Wolf explained, but an explanation was unnecessary. This painting was of Madison Square Garden. The giant light up display read, “Wolf Pack. The Rabid Tour. Tonight 8:00 PM. SOLD OUT.” This was Wolf Pack’s first arena tour. Playing Madison Square Garden and The Forum were dreams come true.
“They’re amazing, Wolf. I love them. They’re so vivid. I remember that tour.” A smile took over Harris’ face as memories filled his head and brought back the excitement of selling out arenas and playing for huge crowds of almost 20,000 people for the first time. They’d been young and crazy silly. Seeing the images also brought back the sentiment and closeness they shared, and warmth spread in Harris’ chest. He felt giddy, asif he were re-living the moment, and his face was alive with animation. He turned to look at Wolf, who was gazing at the paintings with a big smile across his cheeks, also reminiscing about that time in their lives.
Feeling Harris’ stare, Wolf met his gaze, and a soft spark made his eyes brighten.
“Thank you,” Harris said softly, suddenly feeling choked up. “It means so much to me that you painted these for me.”
“You didn’t see this one yet.” Wolf pointed to the center easel which contained a painting that was much larger than the other two. “I saved the best for last.”
“I can’t imagine it being better than—oh my God.” Wolf pulled off the sheet and Harris had to blink a few times because he couldn’t believe the sight in front of him. Wolf had painted Harris playing on stage, but not in the present. He painted Harris from the days of the arena tour. He knew because he was playing his old DW kit, which he bought specifically for the big tour, and his hair had been much longer back then. The details were remarkable. All of the hardware on his drum kit was visible. The expression on Harris’ face showed emotion and captured the love he had for his craft. His hair was flying, and there was a sheen of perspiration on his face. The muscles in his arms and shoulders were perfectly shaped, and his sticks were raised in the air, ready to strike his cymbals. Somehow, Wolf captured motion and movement, and Harris could practically hear the drumbeats in his ears. “Wolf, this is incredible.”
Wolf shrugged modestly. “It’s the image in my head whenever I think of you. I remember turning around on stage that day at Madison Square Garden and watching you. I always knew you were a great drummer, but that day you blew me away. The energy you displayed—the velocity and power—it was mesmerizing. I remember reading a write-up after that show, and it said that you were a stand-out drummer and one to watch.It said you were destined to be one of the greats.” Wolf nodded. “Youareone of the greats.”
The compliments were overwhelming and made Harris’ spirits soar, but he was focused on something else. “You think about me?”
“Of course, I think about you. Don’t you think about me.”
“Yeah. All the time. I meant . . . I don’t know what I meant. I can’t believe you painted this from memory and that you captured the adrenaline and sentiment of that day. I feel it in my bones. Seeing these pieces brings back the excitement and euphoria I think we all felt at the success of that tour. It pushed our career to the next level. I love these paintings so much. It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” He wanted to say, “I love you so much,” but he didn’t. “Thank you. Thank you so, so much.” He wrapped his arms around Wolf in a hug that was meant to be uncomplicated and express appreciation for a wonderful and thoughtful gift, but a tingle ran up and down Harris’ body as Wolf squeezed him tightly. He heard Wolf’s breath deepen and then felt it on his neck, causing a shiver to run down his back and goosebumps to rise on his arms.
“I want to tell you something,” Wolf said softly.
Harris pulled back so he could see Wolf’s face, but didn’t remove his arms from around this man, and waited.
“The reason I panicked and got mad that night you kissed me—the nightwekissed. It wasn’t just you. I kissed you too. I want to be clear on that. Anyway, the reason I reacted that way was because I got scared. I knew something was going on between us. I felt it. I feel it. But when we kissed, I knew it meant things were going to change, and I didn’t want to get my heart broken again. Trust doesn’t come easy for me. I can’t help it. I’ve been burned badly by people who were supposed to love me. That took its toll on me. I wish I was stronger, but I’m not. My heart is made of glass.”
“I would never hurt you, Wolf.” Harris wanted to cry for his friend. Wolf deserved everything, not the shitty parents who fucked up his head. He cupped Wolf’s face in his hands firmly. “You are strong. Stronger than you know. Look how much you’ve accomplished in life, despite what you’ve been through.”
Wolf shook his head. “I’m a mess.”
“No. You’re not. You’re a survivor. Do you have any idea how much I admire you?”
Wolf’s eyes were trained on Harris as he listened intently.
“I wish I had your courage. You don’t stand down for anything. You say you don’t trust people easily, but I’m telling you, you can trust me. I know you, and I care about you. I’m not going anywhere. I want to be there for you. I hope I have been there for you. That’s not going to change.” Harris gulped down the lump in his throat. “Unless you want it to. Unless you don’t want me around.”
Wolf seemed to melt as his entire body relaxed. He gazed into Harris’ eyes, almost looking into his soul. “I don’t want it to change. I want you here. With me. I want to take a chance. I trust you.”
Those were the words Harris longed to hear, and emotion quickly spread through his chest and landed in his throat. He swallowed it down and gave Wolf a tiny smile. “You won’t ever regret it. I promise. I’ll always be here for you. No matter what. You can always count on me. I’ll never hurt you.” He delicately placed his hand on Wolf’s cheek and slowly leaned in. Wolf did the same, and their lips met tenderly. Wolf deepened the kiss, and their tongues met and swirled together.
Technically, this wasn’t their first kiss. But it was the first kiss where they admitted they had genuine feelings for one another. This kiss meant the start of something new between them. As far as Harris’ hormones were concerned, it was the first kiss of first kisses. His stomach got all fluttery, and his head felt woozyas if slightly drunk. His skin tingled, and his heart raced. His breathing grew heavier as he realized they were still kissing and now Wolf’s hands were on Harris’ waist. He pushed his fingers through the hair at the back of Wolf’s neck and loved that it got lost in the soft tresses.
When their mouths separated, Wolf was smiling. “That was really nice.”
Harris responded by kissing Wolf again, this time with more passion and heat. He still couldn’t believe they were kissing, but instead of the wobbly knees and shaking hands, he held Wolf in place with possession and want. He pressed his body against Wolf’s and felt the hard erection against his leg.
“Do you want to go in the bedroom?” Wolf whispered.
Oh. My. God. Harris thought they were just kissing. He didn’t expect anything more tonight. He thought Wolf wanted to take it slow and this was first base. They weren’t in high school, he reprimanded himself. They were adults. But he was still afraid of rushing Wolf into something he wasn’t ready for. Even though the guy had a thick outer layer, Harris knew it protected Wolf’s sensitive heart. “Are you sure that’s what you want? I can wait. I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer if you’re not ready.”
An erotic chuckle left Wolf’s lips. He took Harris’ hand and placed it on his crotch. “Does this feel like I’m not ready?”
Harris’ mouth covered Wolf’s in an impatient kiss, almost knocking him over.
“The bedroom,” Wolf managed to say, and took Harris by the hand and led him through one of the closed doors in the hallway.
