String Me Along (Learning to Love Series), page 29
Neither of us had the money to replace the furniture or do any serious renovations, but we were making it ours, slowly but surely.
I pretended to ponder it. “I feel like that’ll just confuse everyone around you when you yell it across the bar to get my attention.”
“Baby?”
“Yeah?”
“Shut the fuck up and kiss me.”
I did. Again and again, not caring at all where we were or who was watching.
Adrian and I would never be the sweet, loving couple that Madison and Garrett were, nor did we have the years of silent pining that Harry and Sarah had, but we were perfect all the same.
Some days I hated his guts, like when he’d finally convinced me to quit my job, and I’d panicked for a solid week. Some days he wanted to strangle me in my sleep because I was a raging bitch during shark week.
Other days I couldn’t breathe over how much I loved him, and he’d browse through engagement rings on his phone when he didn’t think I was looking.
We had a hate-love relationship that was more chaos than anything, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. He was mine, and I was his, and that was all that mattered.
You’re gonna be the death of me, but baby I can finally see that this kind of love ain’t no mistake…It’s just a little bit of hate.
Epilogue
Five little blue dots stared back at me from my neighbor’s spot at the table. I glared at her card and then dropped my eyes to my own. To my sorry, fourth-in-a-row, losing Bingo card. Minus the Bingo.
“I want a different card. This one sucks,” I mumbled under my breath, poking at the edge of it with my finger. Maybe I could swap hers and mine out before she was back without her noticing.
“Don’t be a sore loser,” a voice whispered to my left, thick from the effort of not laughing. I only grumbled in answer, and a large hand curled above my knee and squeezed.
I turned my glare on my boyfriend, who wasn’t even trying to hide his smirk. “I’m not being a sore loser. Nan’s just cheating,” I whispered back. “She has to be. She’s kicking my ass.”
He chuckled, losing his valiant battle with holding it back, and trailed his hand up higher. “That’s not exactly hard to do, baby. Have you seen your ass recently?”
I shot my hand out, and he reared back, barely avoiding the pinch I’d aimed at the soft spot of his arm. I wasn’t a sore loser. I just hated losing. Especially a million times in a row from an adorable grandma who was impossible to be mad at. It was completely different.
The hand on my thigh tightened, and Adrian leaned in close, his breath coasting over the shell of my ear and sending goosebumps all the way down my arm. “If you can’t behave, Davis, I’ll have to—”
“Oh, leave the poor girl alone. The size of her derriere has nothing to do with it. I’d still kick her ass even if it was tiny.”
We both whipped around to look at Doris—the adorable, cheating grandma in question—who’d finally returned from collecting whatever prize the non-losers got. In her case, a few skeins of yarn.
Adrian leaned back, his eyes comically large as he choked out a surprised, “Ms. Waters.”
“What?” she snapped, reclaiming her seat. “Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I’m blind. And don’t you dare tell me not to curse, young man. Being old means I can speak however I want to. I’ve earned it,” she added, organizing her stuff on the table, already ready to go another round.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, dropping his still-wide eyes on me, his expression partially hidden behind his hair as he mouthed, “This is your fault.”
The sound I made as I attempted to keep a straight face made me sound eerily similar to a dying hog. Doris might be dragging my competitive side out by the collar, but she’d quickly become one of my favorite people in the world. She said what she wanted and did what she wanted, and the more time I spent with her, the more I could see exactly how Adrian had turned out the way he had.
Adrian’s lips pressed together, and he shook his head, eyeing both of us one last time before turning his attention back to his own card.
We’d been coming to see her together every weekend for a year now, both to perform and just to visit, and she never failed to make each trip memorable. Even if not always for happy reasons. Some days she recognized Adrian, and on those days, I swore my heart would burst from the strength of joy in his smile. But more often than not, she didn’t.
And even after a year, as we sat here playing Bingo next to her as nothing more than friendly visitors, I knew it was still hard on him. But he was doing as well as anyone could in this kind of situation, and I was proud of him.
Adrian had simply put his entire focus, and that arrogant determination he’d used on me, into his music, his bedroom capabilities, and the house. And I wasn’t complaining a single bit. Well, except for his focus on renovating the house. That one I could have done without.
If I had to sweat and suffer through one more DIY project, I’d either lose my mind, or he’d lose his head. Whichever came first.
However, with each bicker-filled project we completed, the house Doris had given him when she’d moved to Young Souls was beginning to look more like us with each month that passed.
We’d both agreed to keep the kitchen the same, as a memento to her, but the rest was coming together to feel like our home. And not only because living there gifted me the joy of seeing a half-naked Adrian cooking me breakfast every morning.
But that was a huge bonus.
My phone silently lit up on the table between us, and I glanced over, expecting it to be Madison reminding me for the twentieth time about her bridal dress appointment tomorrow.
Although she and I no longer saw each other as much now that we weren’t living together, we still talked most days, which had recently turned to every day since her engagement to Garrett.
My heart swelled in my chest at the memory of her telling me. The pride in her eyes, the undying love in Garrett’s, and the pure fucking elation in Jamie’s. It seemed silly now that I’d ever been so worried about this inevitable future.
But instead of seeing my best friend’s name pop across the screen, I saw a random number. I didn’t know the caller, but I did recognize the area code. Raleigh. I let it go to voicemail, my lips curling when Adrian saw it and winked. Whatever venue it was, they’d leave a message. Just like every other one he and I had received over the last few weeks.
Business had been steadily increasing for the both of us over the last year, but even more so over the last three months. And although I had no proof that it was because we’d cut ties with Larry three months ago and had begun making our own calls and choices, my gut was saying that was exactly why. Call it intuition.
It turned out, most of the venues weren’t all that happy when they learned how big of a cut Larry took from his musicians’ pay. They cared a whole lot more about keeping Adrian and me on their line-ups and paying us fairly than they did about the convenience of Larry’s services.
They’d rather have to handle a few more steps themselves to reach out and book us, than not have us at all. And that was more than okay with us.
Adrian and I didn’t have the perfect meet-cute story, and we didn’t blossom from a beautiful friendship like Madison and Garrett had. We weren’t quite ready for marriage yet, nor would we ever go all Hallmark and form a band and name our firstborn child after it or anything, but I was pretty sure neither of us had ever been happier.
Sure, I didn’t completely abhor the idea of having a little girl one day with icy blue eyes who’d love with her whole heart and vocally demand respect, but I’d be happy even if that particular adventure never made it onto our game board.
For now, Adrian and I kept ourselves busy with other things. We still played together every Friday, but every other day we played apart, building our own brands and names and supporting each other individually, every step of the way.
I still missed my family, some days so much it physically hurt, but I’d finally accepted the shitty reality that I couldn’t have everything I wanted in life. I knew Adrian would move back with me in a heartbeat if I truly wanted to, but I’d never ask him to leave Doris. Even if she cheated at Bingo.
The truth was that no matter where I lived, I’d have to give someone up. And as much as I hated it and wanted to rage against the world for it, I’d be okay.
My music and my career were here, and the more I played and got booked in the surrounding cities, the more I was financially capable of traveling to see my family more than once a year.
Over the summer, Adrian had actually flown back with me to officially meet my mother and stepfather, and months later, it was still one of my favorite memories of all time. Especially the wide-eyed stare he’d given me across my parents’ house when he’d realized my mother wasn’t a sweet, demure woman, but exactly like me.
He hadn’t stood a chance.
But he didn’t run. No matter how much my mother teased and poked at him, and no matter how bitchy I was for a solid week after the trip when I couldn’t handle how much I missed them. He didn’t balk. He just brought me ice cream and cuddled me in bed while we watched a second-rate sci-fi film, and then rewarded me with two mind-blowing orgasms.
“If you stare at your card any harder, Davis, it’ll go up in flames and you’ll never win.”
My eyes shot up from where I’d been zoning out, and instead narrowed on the man I was idiotically determined to marry one day. “Want to bet? If this catches fire, everyone will run out, and I’ll have a perfect opening to grab all the prizes for myself.”
He blinked at me and then released a low chuckle, combing his hair back out of his face. “Good Lord, woman. Only you would think about stealing Bingo prizes from an assisted living facility.”
A throat cleared on my other side. “If you take the heavier stuff there on the left, girlie, I’ll snatch the stuff on the right.”
Adrian leaned forward until he could see past me to Doris, an incredulous look on his face. “And how do you plan on running out of here with an armload of stolen items, Ms. Waters?”
She didn’t bother looking up as she said, “I don’t.”
He nodded, a yeah, that’s what I thought look on his face, and sat back to grab his water bottle, only to choke on his next drink when she continued.
“You’re going to carry me and all the stolen items out of here.”
There was a beat of silence, and then Adrian was wiping the back of his hand across his chin, and hovering his mouth over my ear. “Davis.”
“Yes?” I whispered back, fluttering my eyelashes.
“I think you’ve officially corrupted my grandmother.”
“Seems like it,” I agreed, twisting my head just enough to give him a shit-eating grin. “What are you going to do about it? Spank me and tell me to be good?”
He smirked and reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, locking eyes with me the entire time. Holding it up to his mouth, he alerted the phone’s virtual assistant and said, “Add batteries to my ‘to-buy’ list.”
I gaped at him, a mixture of shock and something much headier swirling in my chest, as it confirmed his request. And then he quietly tucked it back into his pocket and slid his hand high over my thigh. “I think I have a few ideas.”
Oh my God.
Yep. I was going to marry this man. Not tomorrow or the next day. But maybe the day after that. We’d see.
It’d depend on how much of a good boy he was tonight.
Bonus Content
Wish you knew what was going through Adrian’s mind that first night at the bar when Layla approached him? Keep reading!
When you’re done, if you haven’t already read Meet Me Halfway, make sure you check it out to see how Garrett and Madison found their own happily ever after!
Find it here: Meet Me Halfway
Chapter Two 1/2
ADRIAN
I stared at a spot on the far wall of the bar, eyes unfocused as I knocked back the last of my beer, chasing an alcohol-infused calm I knew wouldn’t come.
Nan didn’t remember me.
She’d smiled so big when I’d first shown up, that I’d thought nothing of leaning in and giving her a hug. She’d smelled like she always did, like lemon cleaner and the strawberry lotion she put on her hands. She’d smelled like home.
But when I’d pulled back, her smile had faltered and she’d blinked at me, brow furrowed and eyes darting side to side like she’d just entered a room and couldn’t remember why.
Whether she’d recognized me at first, or whether she’d just been smiling at a stranger because she was just that wonderful, I had no idea. And I swore I could hear the crack that canyoned my heart and echoed off each of my ribs.
I swallowed hard, remembering how I’d immediately made the entire situation worse by trying to remind her of who I was. The more confused she got, the more I’d tried, desperate to help her remember so I could comfort her. And when she’d burst into tears, I’d felt my cracked heart shrivel and die, leaving only a black smudge in its place.
I’d never hated myself more.
The nurses had been nicer to me than I’d deserved and had taken me to the side, explaining what I should do the next time it happened. To just go with the flow of whatever truth Nan believed and let her lead the conversations. It’d crushed me.
There’d already been days where she’d thought I was my dad at first, or it took her a few seconds and several long blinks to remember, but I hadn’t expected it to escalate so quickly.
How many good days did we have left before she never remembered me at all? Hell, maybe we were already there.
I wasn’t sure what I’d do if that was the case. When she didn’t know who I was, or who she was.
She was all I had.
Grimacing at the dark thought, I forced myself to take a deep breath and pin my mind to the present. To what I could control.
I tipped my head to the bartender, Fran, a petite, dark-haired individual I was pretty sure was older than they appeared. They nodded, understanding my silent request in the way all good bartenders could, and immediately returned with another beer, sliding it across to me.
Fran’s lack of small talk was appreciated. That was the best thing about sitting at a bar. Bartenders had a knack for reading people and could usually tell which patrons wanted to chat and which ones did not. I fit the latter category.
Too bad fucking Bosenet hadn’t gotten the memo. The obnoxious man was lucky I was desperate to settle in town and put more cash under my belt for Nan, or else I’d have told him to fuck off after the first five minutes of talking with him.
The only reason that man was good at his job was because venues agreed to book through him just to get him to shut up. I was sure of it.
A soft whoosh of air brushed past me, and the faint smell of lavender teased my senses, preceding the outline of a woman a mere second later, stepping up to the bar beside me. Her smell was intoxicating, and even without laying an eye on her, she had a presence about her that made it impossible not to be aware of her.
An acquaintance of mine back in Raleigh had whistled and waggled his eyebrows like an idiot when I’d announced I was moving, going on and on about how gorgeous and freaky the women were in the smaller towns.
I couldn’t have cared less. Not when my mind was a fucking mess as it was. I didn’t have the space to fit in wooing a random woman at a bar. So, I didn’t bother glancing over, blocking her smell from my senses.
She ordered a drink—straight vodka with limes—and turned toward me. With only my peripheral to go off of, I couldn’t be sure she was staring at me, but I swore I could feel the heat of her gaze as it settled on me. The same heat I’d felt earlier that’d crawled up the back of my neck and sent shivers down my spine.
“Hey, it’s Adrian, right?”
Damn. Definitely looking at me. I bit down on my tongue. The last thing I needed was to deal with a fan tonight. I wasn’t in the mood, not after the shit with Nan. I’d just end up being a complete dick. I couldn’t help it. I had no control over my tongue when my emotions were a wreck. Hell, I barely had control over it when I wasn’t upset.
The few friends I’d had over the course of my life always said it was my curse. To blurt out whatever came to my mind, no matter how fucked up it was. And I knew it would happen tonight of all nights.
So, I did the only other thing I could do. I ignored her.
She leaned in a little closer and repeated herself, raising her voice above the crowd. There was something about her voice that had me almost turning toward her, like a siren song crafted specifically for me. It was smooth yet somehow raspy at the same time.
Ignore her. Don’t be a dick. Scratch that, don’t be more of a dick than ignoring her already makes you.
“I’m Layla. I saw you earlier when you were talking with Larry Bosenet. Do you work with him?”
Wait, what? She knew Larry? I barely held in my scoff. I wouldn’t put it past him to send a woman to try to seduce me into taking a few of the weekday gigs he’d been pushing my way. He wanted me to travel back to Raleigh, not even trying to hide the fact that he wanted to use me to get his foot in the door there. It wasn’t going to happen. Not anytime soon, at least.
I was here for now. With Nan. Whether she knew it or not.
I cleared my throat, uncomfortable under her steady gaze, and accepted that I couldn’t keep blatantly ignoring her existence forever. Maybe if I just kept it short, she’d be off sooner than later. So, I answered, “No.”
The tension was practically pulsating from her. One look at her face would quickly tell me whether it was secondhand embarrassment at being shut down, or whether it was anger at being shut down so pointedly. But I didn’t dare steal a glance to see.
