She was using the pad of her finger to trace the face of the angel that sat over my heart.

“You need it. The fire is your passion, it’s your creative drive. You feel strongly about things, and care deeply about the people you love. I can handle the fire in you, Jet. It’s just part of you.”

That’s why I loved her. It was just like Rule had said, I would move mountains for her, just so that in the end, it was only me and her.

“As much as I would love to keep you in this bed all day, I’m sure you want to check in on Asa.”

She nodded under my chin and wiggled off me. She pulled on my T-shirt and scrambled around to find her phone. I pulled my jeans back on and scrounged up the menu for room service. I figured the least I could do after going at her so hard for the last hour, was feed her. I ordered a bunch of stuff that probably was going to cost as much as my plane ticket back overseas, and hung up when she scooted up behind me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

“He’s in and out. They aren’t going to pull the ventilator yet because he’s so unstable and they can’t really tell how he was affected by the brain trauma yet. They said he’s responsive, which is a good sign, so I’ll take it.”

“I ordered some food. We can chow and head over there if you want.”

Her hair was silky against my cheek as she shook her head in the negative.

“No. You have to leave in the morning and this is important, too.”

“I’ll be back in no time. I don’t want you to worry about him.”

“I’m still working on forgiving him for being an awful person most of the time. I hope this is some kind of divine intervention, but there’s a good chance Asa will still be Asa. When you leave, you’re taking my heart with you, Jet, and that is never going to change.”

I leaned farther back so I could kiss her, and it was just getting good, when there was a knock on the door. I ordered her to get those legs covered up and went to let the guy in with the food. I gave him a pretty hefty tip because he didn’t even so much as flutter an eyelash in her direction, but when I mentioned it to her she laughed so hard that tears actually leaked out of the corners of her eyes. She told me that the dude’s eyes had been glued to me since I hadn’t bothered to fasten my jeans.

I just rolled my eyes and we set up on the bed to feast. She told me a little bit more about growing up in the trailer, about how small towns worked, and, oddly, it reminded me of how my mom ended up under the thumb of my old man. It made me even more proud, more impressed by her that she had fought back, and found her way out to a place of awesomeness. She was just damn impressive all the way around.

We spent the rest of the day in bed, and by the time the sun went done, we were both exhausted and raw in the best way possible. I fell asleep with her curled into my side, and the thought that she was going to be there from here on out put something in me at ease that had never been still and quiet before.

The next morning I woke up with her hands and mouth doing things to me that were designed to make leaving her here damn near impossible. When she was done, I was convinced I had done my best to ruin her for anyone else who might try to press up on her while I was away. We were both breathless and running late when we climbed into the rental car to go to the airport. I had to fly to New York and sit around for two hours before flying to Amsterdam, and the idea of being away from her for two months flat-out pissed me off. I was still worried about her brother, but I had obligations I needed to fulfill and this was just going to be part of our relationship.

The ride in the car was quiet so I found myself humming “Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson. She cast a sideways look at me and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.

“How do you know every old country song on the planet, but can’t sing me Tim McGraw to save your life?”

I rolled my eyes a little and settled back in the passenger seat.

“My mom. She loved country. She used to sing it to me when I was little. She actually has a pretty good voice.”

“And your dad was a rocker?”

The irony was suddenly right in my face. “Yeah, but he was also a sadistic bastard, so history will not be repeating itself with you and me.”

She reached out and put her hand on my knee. “I know that. Plus, I hate to admit it, but the house was almost too quiet without all of that racket you call music blaring from your room.”

That made me snicker and before I knew it, we were pulling into the passenger drop-off area and we had to say good-bye. She came around to my side of the car and leaned against the door. I put my hands in the back pockets of her shorts and pulled her so we were flush. She put her hands around my neck and I kissed the tip of her nose.

“I’ll be thinking about you all the time.”

“Don’t. Just go have fun and be a rock star. You being here was everything I needed.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“I’ll always need you. I’ll just call you because.”

“Fair enough.” I pressed my mouth to hers with enough intensity to let her know she would be missed. When I pulled back there was moisture in her eyes and I was ready to rip up my plane ticket on the spot until she gave me a half smile.

“I really do love you.”

“Good thing I’m going to marry you, then.” I winked at her as she smacked me on the arm.

We said another good-bye and this time she kissed me. Saying good-bye sucked, but it was bearable because unlike the last time I had left her behind, this time I knew she would be there when I got back. She had on my ring, and she gave me her heart and her trust. I was her future and she was my entirety. Damn, I might be in the first metal band that sang love songs after all.

Epilogue

Jet, A Few Months Later, The Fourth of July

I can’t believe you have a yard with grass, sprinklers, and a barbeque. That is some serious adultlike shit.” I handed Rule a cold beer good-naturedly even though he glared at me.

“I’m not the one rocking a wedding ring.”

I absently looked down at the wide titanium ring on my left hand. The same topaz that sat on Ayden’s finger rested on mine. I had told her we could wait until she was done with school, that I could wait until I had the new business up and running, to actually get hitched, but after being gone and apart for two months that wasn’t something either of us wanted or had the patience to wait for. As soon as I got back to the States, I packed her up and hauled her to Vegas for a long weekend. It had turned from a simple ceremony between the two of us into an epic party weekend, when all of our friends had decided to crash the event. I knew she wanted something more formal, more traditional, but every time I brought up doing a reception or some kind of ceremony here for everyone, she would roll her eyes at me and tell me that she had to pay Shaw back and that Asa’s hospital bills weren’t going anywhere. I was going to let her get away with that excuse for a little while, and then I was just going to plan one for her anyway.

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. The house is awesome and this yard is badass. I just never pictured you manning a grill and being all domesticated.”

Those pale eyes of his were still as sharp as ice shards and he still mixed it up with his hair; today it was his natural dark brown and a startling lime green that was spiked up in a hundred directions. Now, though, there was just something inherently more settled about him. I wondered if Ayden did that for me, wondered if it was so obvious to other people that with her, I had found my place and had been able to put out most of the bonfire that used to burn me alive.