Chapter 14
Jett
More studio time this afternoon, and again I have Bryson roll up to the Morningstar house beforehand, yeah, the one I used to be welcome at day or night.
I’ve been knocking for a solid minute when Lola comes out lacking weapons this time.
Her eyes are ringed and her toxic sludge green hair is a fright.
She looks over my offerings and sighs. Today it’s brunch from their favourite restaurant and a stupidly huge teddy bear for Baby, bigger than Lola herself.
“Jett, five weeks ago Baby thought she was getting engaged. Her soul was crushed. What on fucking planet earth makes you a good rebound candidate?”
“What the fuck made that random actor named after a toddler that gets hit by a truck in a Stephen King novel a good candidate?”
She leans in like I’m completely daft. “Random, Jett. Ran. Dom. Disposable. NO STRINGS ATTACHED.”
“She doesn’t want him, Lola, she wants ME!
I’m not perfect like he is and don't you think she has a right to want something different this time ‘round? Yes, I’m messy, maybe she needs that right now! I want her and not just because she’s hot and I swiped her on a dumb fucking app!
I know her, and having a fling with a stranger will just make her feel worse. Maybe I want strings!”
“Jett, I love you, but why the hell would you want strings? Every night on tour might as well be your personal orgy! I know you. I know how pieces of ass are disposable to you. What makes you think we’d forget that because you’re horny for my sister all of a sudden?!”
“If I were still content with shagging strangers, I wouldn’t be standing here, Lo! All of a sudden?” I scoff. “You’re telling me you’re all really that daft?”
“What are you talking about, Jett?”
“You’ve never noticed me look at her before, Lola?”
She sighs, “May-I dunno! What?”
“Don’t tell the others because I want to tell you all one by one …
I-I’ve been in love with your sister since the day we met, all right!
I knew I wasn’t her type so I tried to move on!
That’s why I was miserable with everyone else, can’t you see that?
Matilda is all I’ve ever wanted and now that she wants me I’m never going back to hiding.
No fucking way I’m backing down. I need her, Lola. ”
“You can’t be serious!”
“And why the hell not?”
“There’s no way! I’ve never even seen you flirt with Baby!”
“I flirt with everyone!”
“Not her! Never with ...” She gasps. “Jesus Christ, Jett! That’s why you don’t flirt with my sister? You’ve been hopelessly in love with her this whole time? And what, you didn’t tell her because you’re scared of dad?”
“I was scared of her laughing in my face, actually! But apparently, I should’ve been scared of Dad, instead.
I never said anything because I was so far from her type, I thought she might hurl at the thought of me.
But some fuckin’ miracle happened at the pool party, and now I’m magically what she wants; suddenly, I am her type.
Bloody hell, I’m not gonna question that! ”
“If you’re her type, then her type is Dad! Jesus! This reeks of daddy issues. She’s gonna need years of therapy!”
“I’ll pay for it all, promise! Best therapist in Beverly Hills!”
“Jett! Why should I approve? This is insane!”
“Because I’ll never hurt her the way Asshole Archer did, I can promise that. I may have hurt the others; it wasn’t their fault, they weren’t her. But if I have her, I’ll never need them and I’ll have zero reason to ever hurt Baby. Does that make sense?”
“None of this does! Fuck!”
I grab her shoulders and make her really see me.
“What I’m saying is, I’ve had enough random sex to last me the rest of my life.
I’ve had my fill. Can’t you at least try to believe that?
The only thing I’ve ever wanted that I haven’t been able to have is Baby.
Please, don’t I deserve a chance to show you, to show her I can be what she needs? ”
Lola taps her little green toes on the stone steps, one hand raising up to shield her pale arse from the blinding LA sun. “So, you’re promising me you won’t fuck around on her?”
I squeeze her shoulder. “That is exactly what I’m promising. Cross my bloody heart.”
“What if you get tempted, Jett? Please tell me you’ll free her, you’ll let her go before that happens? I just, after what Ace did, I-I can’t—”
“Lo, I PROMISE! But I won’t be tempted, all right? All the people I’ve slept with over the last eight years? I wished they were her! So if I actually had her, after waiting so long … why would I possibly fuck that up?!”
“Because that’s what rockstars do best! I would know!”
I squeeze her around the middle. “I love your family more than my own, you know that! Trust me. Please?”
Lola shakes her head but pats mine. She can't stay mad at me, none of them can. “Looks like you’ve passed the sibling test. Jude told me last night he thinks we should give you a shot. Now I can see why. You already care about her more than Ace did, and they were together two years.”
“I’ve cared more than Ace and then some, before she even knew who that asshole was. Thank you, I mean it.”
I hug her goodbye and try not to burst out laughing, watching as Lola, ’bout five three like her sister, drags in a bear that’s clearly six feet or taller.
* * *
That night, the window to Baby’s room is cracked open for me, and I’m getting in ridiculously good shape from climbing that drain.
The first thing I see is the enormous teddy on her bed.
She’s lounging with her back against the bear’s fuzzy chest, and she’s got the bear’s arms wrapped around like he’s cuddling her.
I take my phone out of my pocket to snap a pic because it’s the cutest freaking thing I’ve ever seen.
The first thing that comes to mind to say is I wrote a song about you today, Baby, but that’s only half true.
I also recorded the whole thing. But it doesn’t feel right to tell her till she’s truly mine.
Her downtrodden, adorable face brightens to a full grin as she hears me sing her name through the window.
“Baby … Your goodnight snog service has arrived,” I say, drooling as she practically skips across the room, wearing the tiniest, laciest pink nightie, tits so full and bouncy as she quickens her steps to get to me.
“Although you look so fuckin’ hot in that, it should be illegal. Should I go get my handcuffs, darling?”
“Only if they’re the pink and fuzzy kind.
” She looks at me like she’s fucking starving.
It takes all the willpower in the world not to jump into the room and spread her legs apart for me.
She can’t fist my T-shirt tonight because all I’m wearing is a leather vest that she zips down to stare at my chest and abs.
Has she been thinking about me naked all day?
My cock hardens at the thought, at the sight of her, until my length presses painfully against the zipper.
“May I count those abs with my tongue? Wanna make sure you weren’t lying about the number eight…”
My sly grin hopefully hides how desperate I am to be buried inside her. “I would never lie, especially about that number … closing in on eight years since I dropped to my knees at your feet … eight abs … eight inches.”
“Aww, you ditched the metric system for me, I like that.” I snicker until she ducks her head down, and my dick jumps like he thinks she’s coming for him.
We’re not that lucky! I self-remind. She darts her tongue out and bumps it down each ab on one side, then the other.
“Mmm, you weren’t lying. Can I check the other claim? ”
My dick throbs against my fly. I want her so bad.
Her fingers rest delicately on the button of my leather pants.
“You have no idea how badly I want you to do that,” I whine.
No one’s ever made me whine, made me needy like this.
Something about the girl I've never once seen act horny, wanting me like this?
It somehow validates every stupid ass decision I've made in my life to be here, now, single and ready the moment she needs all her worries fucked out of her. Jackpot.
“Oh, look! I’ve found Thor’s hammer! I know this is an ancient collectible, but it would look great smashed into the front of Bry’s car! Don’t you think, Jewels?”
I jolt backwards at the sound of Max’s threat booming through the bedroom door. “Maybe tomorrow, Baby. Fuck, I want you! I’m sorry.” My lips envelope her plush pink ones, my tongue sliding hot against hers. My fingers hold her jaw, wanting to keep her lips on mine permanently.
“Nothing bad will happen to the hammer, Dad! And Jett can buy Bry a new car! No problem!” Jewels yells. “Let’s go give it a whirl!”
We sigh, and Baby gives me one more peck before it’s back down the drainpipe for me. I don’t know why they’re being such assholes, but I’m not giving up, not by a long shot.