Chapter Twenty-Six
He asked her to move in after that.
For real—as in change her address with the post office, real.
As in permanently.
As in forever and always.
And while his blood was boiling, Matt kept his cool and remained civil. It didn’t matter what he was feeling at that moment. Rosemary would always be Gina’s mother, and Tony was still his friend.
There was one thing Matt couldn’t let slide, though, and he made it very clear. Rosemary didn’t have to like him or accept him, but Gina was his priority, and he wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect toward her. Ever. And that meant respecting her choices, from her career in nursing to loving him.
Chugging down a bottle of water, Sloan snickered. “Told you so.”
“Told me what?” And with a sigh, Matt cocked his head. The dude could be so annoying sometimes.
“She’d end up being your problem.”
“Nah, her attitude is her problem.” And with a half-hearted shrug, Matt began stretching his fingers. “It might take a helluva long time, but I’ll earn Rosemary’s trust the same way I earned Gina’s love.”
Sloan glanced up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, man, she’ll come around.” Sitting behind his kit, Bo stretched his fingers much the same way he had been, but then they’d been playing for hours now. “Eventually.”
“Are we finished with the idle chatter yet?” Taylor asked with a lift of his brow. “I promised Chloe I’d be home in time for dinner for once.”
Me thinks break time is over.
“Chillax, my dude.” Bo stood, raising his arms above his head.
They’d just signed that three-record deal, and being under a label again had everyone on edge. Striving for perfection—Taylor’s idea of it, anyway—they’d been spending twelve hours a day in the studio. Matt had Gina to get to. He wanted to go home, too.
“We’re recording,” Taylor announced. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Bo looked as genuinely surprised as he was.
“UMG wants the demos.”
“Well, all right.” Bo sat back down.
“And they want them now.”
“It’s all good, Tay. We’re ready.” And they were. Matt clasped his bandmate’s shoulder. “One more play through, and we call it a day. Okay?”
Picking up his guitar, Taylor nodded.
While the timeline wasn’t set in stone yet, UMG was looking to release the album in the spring, in time for them to headline at the European festivals, then following up with a North American tour.
A year had gone by since Venery’s last one, and Matt was itching to get back on stage.
But not without Gina. The thought of leaving her behind was unthinkable. She had to go with him.
I’ll make her my wife before then.
After they finished, Matt watched Kit mope on a stool in the corner, just plucking at the strings of his bass.
He was always quiet, but for the last several weeks, he’d been especially so, and he wondered what could be troubling him.
Must be nothing. If it were truly something, then he would know, right?
“I’m off.” And Taylor bolted for the stairs. “See you in the morning.”
“Can’t wait.” Rolling his eyes with a snicker, Sloan turned to follow him. “Later, dudes.”
“Sheesh, is Tay wound up tight or what?” With a slow shake of his head, Bo watched his ascent. “I sure hope Jesse and Chloe work some magic on him, so he comes back chill in the morning.”
“Cut the guy some slack,” Matt said. “You know how he can get when he’s anxious.”
“Yeah.”
“He’ll be all right once we’ve got the demos down.”
“You guys doing anything? Want to come over?” Using his T-shirt as a towel on his sweaty chest, Bo got up from behind the kit. “Ava has to stay late at school—parent-teacher conferences. We can order pizza. Have a few beers.”
“Thanks, man.” Matt grinned. His pizza girl was waiting for him at home. “I’ve got plans. I’ll take a rain check, though.”
Bo looked at Kit. “Another time, maybe. I’ve got plans too.”
That’s a damn lie.
Unless he considered taking a nap or blasting his music as plans.
“You’re not doing shit.”
“So?”
Nothing was definitely something. What concerned Matt even more was that he didn’t know what that something could be. When had Kit not come to him with his problems?
“What the fuck is wrong with you lately?”
Ignoring his question, Kit set his bass on its stand.
When he straightened, Matt was waiting right in front of him.
Turning away, Kit shrugged. “I’m just… it feels like I don’t have my brother anymore.”
What? The? Fuck?
“You’re wrong.” Grabbing him, Matt pressed into solid muscle. “I love you, man.”
“Yeah? Well, it doesn’t feel like it.” Kit cocked his head and snickered. “You even fucked Bo but never me.”
“Do you want me to?”
The words just tumbled from his mouth.
“I think I do.”
Shit.
He couldn’t have meant it.
Kit had to be talking out of his ass or something, because where in the fuck did that come from?
Except for, perhaps, an accidental groping during group activities, Matt had never known his friend to touch another guy.
And fuck one? Never. Hell, the dude plowed through more pussy than all of them put together.
He blamed Courtney for that. Ever since the eighth grade, Kit only knew how to love her, and then the bitch ripped the rug out from under him in the worst way imaginable.
Matt and the boys helped him pick up the pieces as best they could.
Being in a band gave him access to willing women.
A lot of women. And he’d been numbing the pain inside them ever since.
The last one to leave, he locked the studio behind him and took in a breath of brisk October air. It helped clear his head. Then, feeling lighter, Matt walked home.
He opened the door of his once-empty house and followed the savory aroma of butter and herbs.
Bent over the oven in a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved, crop-waisted tee, Gina looked so damn delicious.
There was no better feeling in the world—even the stage took a distant second—than coming home to her.
“Hey, bunny.” Gina put the hot pan down, and he wrapped his arms around her middle. “It smells good in here.”
“I didn’t even hear you come in.” And she kissed him. “How’d it go today?”
“We’re recording tomorrow.”
“The demos, right?”
Tucking a wisp of silk behind her ear, Matt nodded. “Yeah.”
“What do they need those for again?”
Gina was always asking questions. Because she was interested, and he loved that she was. It meant she cared.
“So many reasons.” It would take hours to explain it all. “They help them decide who would be the best producer to make the record with us, for one.”
“You don’t get to pick?”
“We have a say,” Matt assured her, squeezing her waist. “And once they get a feel for the album’s vibe, UMG’s marketing team will get busy, too. A lot has to happen between now and when it comes out, so the sooner they can get started, the better.”
“I see.”
She didn’t. Not yet. But she would.
Little did Gina realize that once the hype machine was put into motion, she’d be riding on the crazy train with him.
“There’s going to be a lot of eyes on us between now and then.”
“I know,” she said, biting her lip.
“Remember that thick skin Chloe said you’d need?” He tipped her chin up with his finger. “Well, get ready for the parasocial pariahs because here they come.”
How Matt wished he could shield her from all that hurtful bullshit. It was impossible, though. Like Chloe and Ava, she’d either have to learn to ignore them or just get used to it.
“I’m going to be okay, you know.” Those chameleon eyes locked on his, and Gina smiled at him. “They can’t hurt me.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Because I know who I am, and I know who you are.”
This girl. How’d he get so lucky?
Then, changing the subject, Gina popped a morsel of deliciousness into his mouth. “Now, eat some of this mushroom bruschetta before it gets cold.”
“Fuck, that’s good.”
“I know.” And with a tilt of her head, she tipped her chin. “Just make sure to save room for the chicken, okay?”
“Don’t worry, bunny. You know I’ve got plenty of room in here for dinner.” Patting his belly, Matt winked. “And dessert.”
“Jesus.”
“That was pretty bad, wasn’t it?”
Nodding, she giggled.
The sound of it warmed his insides. Gina had to love him a helluva lot to laugh at his offhand jokes.
“God, I’m such a dick.” Here he was stuffing his face with mushrooms with the smell of rosemary chicken roasting in the oven. “Why didn’t I think of it?”
“Think of what?”
“Bo’s on his own tonight, so he asked me and Kit to hang out and have pizza with him.” I fucked up. “I should’ve had them come here for dinner instead.”
“You should have. I made more than enough food.” She fed him another piece of bruschetta, then plated the rest. “You can still call them over, you know.”
He could. And before Matt could swallow the food in his mouth, he pulled out his phone and sent them a text.
“Bo said thanks, but he’s already got Rossi’s coming.”
“Course, he does,” she said, and pulled the chicken out of the oven. “What about Kit?”
“No response.” Matt shrugged. “Something’s, um, I dunno… something’s going on with him.”
“What do you mean?” Her gaze held genuine concern. “Is he okay?”
“Kit told Bo he had plans, and that was a lie.”
He knew it must sound nonsensical, but that was out of character for him. The dude was truthful to a fault.
“Maybe he just didn’t feel like having pizza.”
“Nah, he’s been… withdrawn lately.” With a shake of his head, Matt got himself a beer from the fridge. “I even called him out on it.”
“What did he say?”
Telling her almost felt like he was betraying Kit’s trust, but Gina cared about him too. “That he feels like he doesn’t have me anymore.”
“Ohhh.” Nodding, she bit her lip, and took a seat beside him. “I get it. Kit thinks you’re abandoning him.”
“But I’m not.”
And he never would. They’d been inseparable since they both could walk, so how could he ever think that?
“No, but you’re not available as much as you used to be, either.”
Stroking her hair, Matt pressed a kiss to Gina’s forehead. “Well, I have you to think about.”
“Exactly.”
“Are you saying Kit’s jealous?” Ridiculous. “Of us?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but see, your dynamic has shifted because of me.” Gina had a valid point. “He’s going to need some time to adjust.”
“Yeah, that explains it.”
It makes sense, doesn’t it? Course, it does.
“Explains what?”
“My boy thinks he wants me to fuck him.” It sounded more absurd saying the words out loud. “He really doesn’t, though. Kit’s just feeling some kind of way, like you said.”
“You sure about that?” Rubbing the back of her neck, Gina wet her lips. “I saw—”
“I think he was licking you as much as he was me.”
“Positive.”
Only he wasn’t.