EPIC (Book 1 of the Soundcrush series)

Chapter 59: Rock Stars Do The Sweetest Things

Trace

A hundred pounds of grilled ribs later, the crew meanders in, with giant coolers of beers—as if we didn't have enough alcohol already—and a case of Sonos speakers, and somebody starts to DJ, and the party is lit.

It's been a minute since I've had a minute with Kat, what with the commotion of grilling and greeting. She came out of her little tete-a-tete with Leed looking serious, so I figured they had a get-real moment about Ashlynn, and maybe I should give her some space. But I simply can't leave her alone for long. We don't have much time together, and I want as much as I can get.

She's eating with Row and Mac. No surprise there. The Hell Raisers Club. I chuckle to myself. Kat is the sweetest of those three by far, but damn, my girl has a temper. Worse than mine, I think. I knew that, from when she was a kid and we scrapped like junk-yard dogs,but it's different now. Our love makes it more...urgent, when she is angry.

She has to stop pushing me. I don't know if she can't help herself, or if she's trying to make me see that I won't respond with violence, but when she hits me or throws things at me, the disrespect makes me furious. I've given her my heart, my soul, my trust, and she's slappin' me around with it. It's going to be one of our struggles—her learning to respect my boundary. I have to believe we will get there.

I watch her, laughing with Mac and Row, her flannel shirt and beautiful long brown hair whipping in the beach wind, and her gorgeous cheeks appled in a smile. I love her so much, and I'm asking a lot from her, too—refusing to tell the world how much I love her.

I know she wants to go public. I know it bothers her that I put a ring on her sister's finger and I won't even put a hashtag on her Instagram.

I'm just so over serious. I feel like we waged a war and won, and I just want to enjoy the easy spoils. I need the old-school familiarity of me and my KitKat, shady partners-in-crime. As kids, we were always hiding how close we were from the world. Secret friends before we were secret lovers.

She never knew that she was my rock. All that time I was watching out for her, she was saving me, making me the man I am, not a man like Ross. I need it like used to be between us, at least for a little while. And she wants us to move ahead. She needs the security of being an official couple.

I know it's about compromise. She'll have to reign in her temper, and I'll have to be the guy that can give her a future. My therapist says it's about baby steps. The first step being...I tell Kat I'm in therapy over my relationship hang-ups. Yeah, still working on that first step.

I take my plate and plop down beside her.

"Hey." I run my hand to the inside of her thigh. She squeezes her legs together, trapping my hand. Okay, she's not too mad at me.

"Hey. Great job on the ribs," she smiles as she reaches for a napkin. I immediately pull her fingers into my mouth and I hear her breath catch as I lick the sauce from them.

Row groans. "Jesus. Did you guys ride a horse here from your country love story?"

"Fuck you and your city cynicism. I'm Team TrayKat," Mac says with complete nonchalance, as she gnaws on a rib like a wolf that hasn't eaten in days. I watch Mac, fascinated. I don't know that I've ever seen her eat anything I would consider food. Her and Leed and their damn health food. 

"I wouldn't expect any less, Madam." Row shoots back as she swings up from the deck table. "Christ, I'm hanging with a bunch of lightweights. Riley! Tequila! Shot for shot! Now!" she yells.

Riley's smile fades as he leaves whatever conversation he was engaged in with Andy and a couple of the sound guys. He barely gives Row a glance. "No. You have to sing tomorrow. You need to hydrate. But if you'll switch to water—and no more cigarettes—" he shrugs, "I'll smoke a bowl with you." He puts a finger in the air. "One."