I take a small bite and moan in delight.

“I know, it’s so good.” She rests against my headboard and it’s the best vision I’ve seen in all my life. Her naked in my bed, eating something I picked out and drinking the coffee I got her. All of this right after we just explored one another’s bodies.

“Did you want more?” she asks, interrupting my appraisal of her naked body.

“No, I have more in the bag,” I say.

“Oh, you’re heaven sent. Let me see.” She snags the bag from my hand and I chuckle. The childlike behavior she’s exhibiting is adorable.

We sit on the bed, drinking our coffee and eating the Danishes while we talk about last night, when my phone rings.

“Shit!” I yell. I pick up the phone remembering what I forgot. “Sorry, man, I’ll be there in fifteen.” I hang up. “Practice,” I tell Jessa.

“Oh yeah,” she says and stands up, starting to get dressed.

“No, take those off,” I demand as she’s about to pull her panties up. She gives me a quizzical look. “I’ll clean you first,” I inform her and wait for her to follow me into the shower.

The warm shower is entirely too short, but we have to go. Jessa puts her clothes back on, shoving her bra and underwear in her purse. By the time we get to the house, I already hear the instruments downstairs.

“I have to change.” She stops me at the bottom of the stairs.

“Okay, you coming down after?”

“Of course.” Jessa kisses me chastely and I pull her into me, wrapping my arm around her waist. My tongue explores her mouth while her fingers entwine in my hair. As much as I don’t want to tear myself away from her, the guys are waiting on me.

“Hurry.” I give her one more kiss before descending the steps.

“Man, Bishop, who did you fuck last night?” Trey jokes when I get downstairs.

“Yeah, you look like a happy shit,” Dex adds.

“Whatever,” I say, attempting to nonchalantly shrug it off. I’m not sure how Jessa wants to handle this, so I attempt to keep it quiet until we have that conversation.

“Oh, you’re one of those that doesn’t kiss and tell,” Dex states as he tunes his bass.

“She must be awfully good. I wish I could look like that,” Trey says, sitting contentedly behind his drum set, twirling a stick in his hand.

“So the bar didn’t pan out for you guys?” I laugh, thankful I didn’t go with them last night.

“I didn’t say that. We got what we were looking for.” Dex strums his strings a couple times, and I take out my guitar.

“Where the hell is Brady?” I ask. “He just called me.”

“Upstairs with Sadie, of course. Promise you won’t end up that whipped,” Trey jokes, smiling wider when he notices Brady coming down the stairs.

“I heard that, dipshit,” Brady calls out from the other room.

“He’s not whipped, guys. He likes to do things for me,” Sadie chimes in, lying on the couch. “Hey, does anyone know where Jessa is? She never came home last night.”

I keep my head down, unable to face anyone and certain that if they see my face, they’ll know the reason for my chipper mood this morning. After everyone answers that they don’t know, Trey turns to me and instantly notices my beet-red face. I should have expected him of all people to put two and two together.

“No…really?” he knowingly questions me and I lift my head, staying silent. “Well, it’s about fucking time.”

His response sets me back a little; I thought Rob was his friend.

As Dex and Brady stare my way in disbelief, Sadie smiles behind them, obviously pleased with the outcome. I hear Jessa bustling down the stairs before she appears in the doorway. She stops, looks at all the faces, and then surprises the hell out of me. “Yes everyone, Grant and I are a couple. Rob and I are finished. We all know what an asshole he was to me. If anyone has a problem with it, keep it to yourself because I don’t give a shit.” She smiles over at me and I laugh, shaking my head at her ‘take no prisoners’ attitude.

“No problem.” Dex lets his bass hang from his neck and holds his hands up in defense.

“I love it,” Trey adds, winking her way.

“I only have one word, Jessa.” Sadie walks over to her and wraps her arm around her neck. Jessa looks at her from the corner of her eye in apprehension. “Awesome.” Sadie leads her to the couch, where I’m sure she’s expecting to hear all of the sordid details.

Brady remains quiet and I wonder if he’s not happy with the revelation. “Hey man, you okay?” I walk over to him while he gets his guitar.

“Yeah, he’s my friend, but you and Jessa are too. He has always treated her with little respect and probably already cheated on her a zillion times while on tour, but he wasn’t always like that. Bottom line though is that you’re good for her and I think she’ll be good for you.” He gives me a small smile and the hesitation in his voice tells me he’s holding something back.

“What is it?” I ask.

“She’s been hurt, Grant. I don’t know everything, but Sadie has mentioned a few things here and there. Don’t fuck her over, okay? I know you have a hard time with your emotions. So…just don’t shy away from your feelings.” Brady looks at me, waiting for my reply.

“I won’t, I promise.” He gives me a small nod and picks up his guitar. His words ring in my head; I need to find out what happened to her. I want to know what that tattoo on the back of her neck means. I only hope that she doesn’t ask me too many questions, because I’m not sure I’m ready for her to know just how damaged I am.

Jessa

What an amazing feeling it is to tell all of them I’m with Grant. Watching him on the other side of the glass, joking around with the guys and playing music, brings a warm feeling over me that he’s mine. Sadie keeps asking me questions and I’ve been polite, but I’m not ready to share what happened between Grant and me with anyone else…not just yet.

The boys finish practicing and we all decide to go over to a bar in downtown to eat. I hop into Grant’s truck, while Dex and Trey climb into Brady’s Camaro along with Sadie. I scoot all the way over and Grant leans in and gives me a kiss. “I love your roommates, but I’m happy to have you to myself, if only for the drive,” he says before his lips crash into mine again. As our tongues tangle together, I place my hand on the back of his neck and interlace the soft strands of his hair through my fingers. We stay wrapped up in each other until Brady starts honking his horn. Grant slows the kiss and when we look up, we see Dex and Trey’s faces staring back at us from Brady’s back window.

Grant puts the truck in reverse and we back out of the driveway. His hand doesn’t leave my thigh the whole five minute drive, and for the first time in so long, I’m truly happy. All that shit from my past doesn’t matter anymore. Jason doesn’t matter, the pictures don’t matter. All that matters is that I have Grant. He squeezes my thigh and I glance over to see his smiling face. “What are you thinking about?” he light-heartedly asks.

Fortunately, before I can answer with something that would most likely scare him off, we arrive at The Loft. We park our cars along the street and walk into the bar. It’s dark and dingy with wooden booths where people have etched derogatory sayings or their initials, but they make the best pizza in town. We end up splitting the group between two booths while Grant and Brady get the first two pitchers. Grant pours a beer for me and then himself before settling in close to me.

The beer flows easily over the next hour and we devour the pizza. Brady, the only sober one at this point, tells stories of him and Grant as kids and the crush they had on their sixth grade teacher. Trey jumps on the table and starts singing Hot for Teacher by Van Halen and everyone around us joins in. I’m laughing so hard that I don’t notice Emily sneak in next to Grant.