Unexpected

Chapter 9

JOANNA

A light strumming of an acoustic guitar greets me as I wake up. Reaching for my phone, I quickly glance at the time to find it is nine-thirty in the morning. I was out like a light after all the wine-drinking Gabe and I did last night, and now I can hear echoes of our laughter reverberating through my thoughts.

Did I really agree to write a couple of songs with him?

Pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes, I rub the sleep away before getting ready for the day. I have no idea what Gabe has planned for us today with this writing-a-couple-of-songs-together thing, but I can't say I'm not curious to find out what he's up to.

The moment I close the door of my bedroom behind me, I come to a halt. Loud angry voices are coming from the living room and for a second, I'm not sure what to do.

"Lower your fucking voice," Gabe hisses. "Joanna is sleeping down the hall."

"You brought a woman here?" Another man gasps, making me frown.

"It's Jo, Maria's best friend," Gabe says, and I snap out of it to go see what is going on.

"What the hell?" The man asks just as I step into the living room.

"Josh," I say, recognizing the band's lead singer. Like the rest of the band's members, I've known him for a long time. It's been years since we last saw each other face to face, but like Gabe, he only got more attractive over the years. His longish black hair falls messy around his ears, and his piercing blue eyes are sharp and wiser. He's the definition of a rock star with his tattooed body and husky, sexy voice. And differently than Gabe, he has never seen me as his baby sister's friend.

"Well. Well. Well. If it's not the woman who broke my heart." He walks to me, pulling me into a hug. I can't help but snort at his silliness.

"How in the world did I break your heart?" I shake my head, laughing when he lets out an offended gasp.

"The fact you don't remember how you ignored my proposition to go on our last tour with us hurts, Jo." He pulls away to look at me, and I roll my eyes.

"Excuse me if I had to work and couldn't leave my life behind to follow you." I get out of his embrace, only to find Gabe's eyes fixed on his Josh.

"You invited Jo to the tour?" Gabe asks, his eyes narrowed and his voice low.

"I commented on one of his Instagrams stories, and he replied, saying I should leave Jaxon and become a groupie." I look at Josh with a smirk on my lips, and he tosses his head back, laughing.

"I never said you should become a groupie," Josh says. "Just that you were wasting your life with that guy and that I could show you a good time in Europe."

"What the fuck, Josh?" Gabe barks, startling me a little. "She's off-limits, and you fucking know it."

"Oh, and does that rule still apply to you?" Josh tilts his head to the side, studying Gabe. I don't miss the way they seem to have a silent conversation.

"I'm not fucking kidding, J." Gabe hisses, and my eyes widen at how pissed he seems to be.

"Hey, I'm not a possession." I turn to him. "And you don't get a say in who I spend time with or not."

"Jo..." The scowl on Gabe's face lessens, but I'm already annoyed.

"I'm going to get some breakfast." I head to the kitchen, but can still hear their now-murmured voices. Sighing, I get a mug and fill it with coffee before heading down to the patio.

The sound of the waves makes me company as I sit down on a big lounge chair, trying to understand what has just happened. I had no idea Josh was coming to spend some time here too, and neither that Gabe would pull this big brother bullshit again. I thought something had changed in our relationship last night, but it looks like maybe I was just a little drunk and misinterpreted his signs.