Even Xayden, who’s usually too wrapped up in his own world, pauses mid-spin of his drumstick to give me a once-over. He smirks, his leather-and-pepper musk flaring slightly as he leans back on his stool. “Let me guess—Ashlyn?”
I don’t answer right away, just drop my bag onto the couch and plop down beside it, still grinning like an idiot. “What can I say?” I finally reply, my tone deliberately vague. “It was a good night.”
That gets their attention.
Todd straightens in his chair, his grin widening as he sets the notebook aside. “Agoodnight, huh?” he asks, his voice laced with amusement. “Care to elaborate, or are we supposed to read between the lines?”
West sets his guitar down carefully, his arms crossing as he leans against the wall. His eyes flicker with something unreadable, but he doesn’t press. Not yet.
Xayden, of course, has no such patience. He hops off his stool, his smirk turning cutting as he crosses the room to lean against the edge of the couch. “Come on, Jake. Don’t leave us hanging. Did something… interesting happen with our girl?”
I shake my head, but the grin doesn’t falter. “It’s not like that.”
Todd snorts. “Bullshit. You’ve got that look—like you just won the lottery and found a golden ticket in the same day.”
“Or,” Xayden cuts in, his smirk turning downright wicked, “like you spent the night with someone you’ve been waiting years for.”
That hits too close to home, and I feel the tips of my ears heat, but I don’t let it show. “What can I say? Things are looking up.”
West finally speaks, his tone quiet but firm. “Does she know?”
The question makes the smile falter—just for a second. “Know what?”
“You,” West says simply, his gaze steady. “What this means to you. What it’s always meant.”
The room goes quiet, his words settling between us.
“She doesn’t need to know,” I say after a moment, my voice steady but lower now. “Not yet. Right now, she needs space. Time. I’m not going to push her.”
Xayden rolls his eyes. “You’re a saint, Jake. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it.”
Todd claps me on the shoulder, his grin morphing into something almost approving. “You’re doing it right, man. One step at a time.”
I nod, leaning back into the couch as his words sink in. One step at a time. That’s all I can do.
But as the guys start bickering about the setlist and hashing out plans for the day, my mind drifts. I can’t stop thinking about her—about last night, about the way she looked at me when I whispered her name. Or the way her body felt curled into mine later, her breathing evening out as she let herself relax in my arms.
She didn’t push me away. She didn’t make excuses. She let me stay.
Granted, when I woke up, she was already dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed with her hair perfectly done and her keys in hand. She didn’t even let me pull her back down for a proper kiss—just a quick brush of her lips before she muttered something about an early meeting and walked out the door.
Still, none of that can bring my mood down.
Because she didn’t run. And she let me stay long enough to feel like I had a place with her again.
And if that’s not a win, I don’t know what is.
CHAPTER 30
Ashlyn
I needed to escape.
The moment I woke up in Jake’s arms, his steady breathing warm against my neck, panic started clawing its way up my chest. It wasn’t him—it was me. The way I felt, the way I wanted more, the way my heart betrayed me by opening just a little too wide, a little too fast.
So I left.
Now I’m walking aimlessly through the city, my thoughts spinning so fast they’re impossible to untangle. The morning air is crisp, biting against my skin, but it’s not enough to ground me. My legs carry me without direction, and I don’t stop until I’m standing outside a coffee shop I used to frequent—used to, back when my life was simpler. Back when I thought running away from them was the right choice.
