“Yeah, I know, but I don’t want to mess with your mojo. I’ll wait till you guys have it down pat.” She gave him a fairly chaste kiss before bouncing out of the studio. And even though the walk from there to the entrance of the house was just a few feet, I imagined the cold would sink in before she got back in the house. This particular February was the coldest we’d had in a long time and I wouldn’t have stepped foot outside without extra layers, much less dressing for summer. At least she’d worn sneakers so her feet were half-protected from the cold.
“She seems nice,” Braden said after she left.
“She really is,” Zack said, standing up and pulling a guitar strap over his head. “You guys ready?”
I was grateful that I already knew my parts well so I could spend our practice time reflecting on how to be a better person…because I didn’t like that green-eyed monster inside. Not one bit.
CHAPTER 20
An hour later, we took a break and headed over to the house. When we stepped outside, I said, “They did a great job with the heating.” The temperature outside still felt below freezing and I could see my breath as it escaped my mouth.
“I’m really happy with the job they did.”
“It’s even better than I imagined,” Braden said.
“Thanks. It’s good to go. We need to start thinking about when we want to have Jeff visit so we can start using it to its full potential.”
Once inside the house, we hung up our coats on the hooks by the door—and when we entered the living room, I could see a woman’s touch. Zack and Cy had never been slobs, but there had been visible clutter. I’d noticed more recently that there had been some changes, and now I knew why. Today, it was even more evident. The room looked very tidy—and there were coasters on the coffee table, doilies on the end tables, and pillows on the sofa with inspirational sayings. Gabisat on the floor cross-legged as she watched a YouTube video makeup tutorial, a notebook and pencil in her lap.
When she heard us enter, she hopped up, grabbing the television remote and switching it off. “Are you taking a break now?”
“Yep.”
“Okay. Give me a sec.” She darted over to Zack, got on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek, and started to leave, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a soul-melting kiss. I looked away, turning my eyes to Braden and forcing a smile that almost felt genuine. He smiled back, obviously very pleased that his friend had found a woman he was serious about.
I needed to get into that space too.
“Get crackin’,” Zack said, and I turned to see him swat Gabi on the ass playfully. She yelped and, still carrying the notebook and pencil, hustled out of the room and headed upstairs. “You guys need to use the restroom?” Braden and I declined. “Be right back.”
Braden asked Cy, “You like livin’ here?”
“It beats the price I’d be paying somewhere else—but if our royalty checks get bigger with this next album, I’ll probably move out.”
“Yeah. Me too. I think I’ll buy us a house,” Braden said, looking at me.
The blood drained from my face as his words hit me. If we moved in together…that meant we were serious. But we already were, weren’t we? We’d been dating for almost two years now. Did anyone date another person casually for that amount of time? So I smiled again, hoping it hid the turmoil inside. Fortunately, the rational part of my brain took over. “We could buy it together, you know.”
Braden’s eyes softened, giving his face that smitten lookthat appeared often. “Yeah, of course. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you’re not an equal partner here.”
So fucking sweet. “You didn’t.” And, with that, I gave him a quick peck on the lips, not wanting to make Cy feel awkward with something more.
We heard Gabi before we saw her bounding down the steps, her hands free. “Come to the kitchen, guys. I made snacks!”
She really did seem like a sweetheart, and I admitted to myself that I’d always had an over-the-top hatred of cheerleaders, and that was probably partly due to Ava. Another part I knew had to do with how I disliked women putting themselves in positions to be ogled and objectified. But how could I hold that against someone who’d been a teenage girl at the time, trying to figure out who she was and what she liked?
We followed her into the kitchen, Zack joining us seconds later. On the table there were several platters full of food—mini taquitos, potato and tortilla chips in bowls, salsa, queso, and French onion dip in smaller dishes, and crackers topped with slices of pepperoni, small squares of mozzarella, and what looked like tiny fresh basil leaves. Although I knew the taquitos were microwaved and much of what she’d prepared had come from bags and jars, she’d gone all out like a regular Martha Stewart.
She was taking care of Zack…how could I not feel some gratitude to her for that?
And then it hit me like an out-of-control semi—Gabi was probably perfect for him. I was nothing like this girl and Zack and I had clearly been incompatible. We’d fought all the time and…had that caused some of his drinking? Gabi wanted nothing more than to make him happy—and, judging by the look on his face, he was. I’d instead spent our relationship fighting for equal ground, for my needs to be met, but Gabi seemed to want exactly what Zack wanted.
She and I were exact opposites. No wonder Zack and I hadn’t worked.
That was probably the wake-up call I’d needed…and it made me completely re-evaluate my relationship with Braden. Just like Gabi was perfect for Zack, Braden was perfect for me.
Why couldn’t I just fucking accept that?
I vowed from that moment on to give it my all—because we all deserved the best.
