He starts slowly, but quickly picks up his pace. Each thrust is more urgent than the last. The room fades away until there’s nothing but Dylan and me, tangled together in a moment that feels infinite. Each slide of his cock sends me spiraling higher, the tension coiling tighter with every second. His name falls from my lips like a prayer, and when he finally drives me over the edge, the release is shattering.
Dylan follows moments later, his body trembling against mine as he groans my name, the sound reverberating through me like an echo of my own pleasure.
We collapse together, our bodies slick with sweat and our breaths mingling in the quiet aftermath. Dylan shifts to his side, pulling me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me protectively. The steady beat of his heart is a soothing rhythm, grounding me in the peace of the moment.
“Stay with me,” he murmurs, his voice soft but filled with certainty.
“Yes,” I whisper, my fingers lazily tracing the patterns inked into his chest as I let my eyes drift closed.
CHAPTER 21
LINGERING UNCERTAINTY
DYLAN
The soft morninglight filters through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the bed. Lily is curled up against me, her warm body pressed into my side. Her blonde hair is a messy halo around her, tangled and carefree, framing her face. She possess an effortless kind of beauty. Even in sleep, she looks stunning.
I lie there for a moment, listening to the rhythm of her breathing, my thoughts swirling. The weight of everything—the band, the label, Jax—it settles heavily on my chest. The uncertainty gnaws at me.
We’re teetering on the edge, and no one can deny it anymore. What happens if the label decides to drop us after everything with Jax? What the hell do I do then?
Yesterday was fun, but can we replicate it? Can we work together again? Can we finish this tour in one piece?
I run a hand through my messy hair, frustration bubbling up. The band has been the center of my life for so long, taking the place of my family and becoming part of my identity. Now it feels like we’re walking a tightropeover an active volcano, and I’m not sure how much longer we can balance. Jax is getting better, sure, but progress doesn’t erase what’s already happened.
Lily stirs beside me, tightening her arm around my waist. I glance down as her eyes flutter open, bleary with sleep. A sleepy smile tugs at the corners of her lips, and it makes something inside me tighten.
“Morning,” she murmurs, her voice low and thick with sleep.
“Morning, beautiful,” I whisper back, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. Her warmth, her softness, pulls me out of my head, if only for a moment.
She leans up and kisses me. A soft, sweet kiss that keeps me in the present.
“Are you okay?” she asks, her voice laced with concern, even as she fights off the haze of sleep.
I hesitate for a beat, then nod. “Just thinking about the band, the label... what we’re going to do if they drop us.”
Her expression softens, and she cups my cheek, her thumb brushing over my stubble. “We’ll figure it out. You guys are too good to let this ruin you. There’s always a way.”
Her words, simple yet filled with confidence, spark a flicker of hope in my chest. I kiss her forehead, grateful for her steady belief in us, then climb out of bed, stretching my achy, unused muscles to prepare for the day.
Lily slips out after me, heading to her room to get dressed. A few minutes later, I exit into the hall and head towards the kitchen.
The smell of fresh coffee hits me first, followed by the sizzle of bacon in a pan. Marcus is at the stove, flipping pancakes and bacon with a calm, methodical focus. Enzosits at the table, coffee mug in hand, scrolling through his phone. Jax is across from him, quietly eating, with more color in his cheeks than he’s had in days.
Lily enters, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of shorts. She grabs a cup of coffee and slides into the seat beside me, her bright smile cutting through the gloomy silence of the room.
“Good morning, boys,” she says cheerfully, her voice lifting my mood instantly.
Enzo grunts something that could be interpreted as a greeting, still engrossed in his phone, but I catch the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Marcus, as usual, is steady as a rock, his calm energy radiating off him as he stalks over to place a gentle kiss on Lily’s forehead before returning to the stove.
“Marcus, these pancakes almost make up for how bossy you are sometimes,” I tease, grabbing a plate and serving myself.
He glances over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “If my cooking’s what keeps you around, I’ll stop making breakfast.”
Lily laughs, the sound light and infectious. Even Jax cracks a smile, and just like that, things fall into our normal rhythm from before. We eat together; the conversation flowing easily, though it inevitably circles back to the band. The reality of what we need to do still hangs heavy in the air.
“We should spend the day writing,” Lily suggests, taking a sip of her coffee. “You’ve been talking about new music for a while, and now’s the perfect time to start.”
