“You’re leaving?” I ask him, butterflies swarming crazily in my stomach.
“I’m a third wheel, and won’t understand your inside jokes anyway.” He brushes his hand down my face, leans in and whispers in my ear, “You’ll be fine. I love you. Call me if you need me.”
“I love you too,” I murmur and watch him walk out of the restaurant.
“Have a seat,” Leo gestures to the other side of the booth, and I automatically plop down in it and just stare at him. His beanie is pulled low across his forehead, covering his eyebrow piercing. His grey eyes are happy, but guarded as if he doesn’t quite know how I’ll react to him.
He’s gripping onto his coffee with both hands.
“You have new tats on your fingers,” I murmur.
“You have a new tat on your arm,” he returns.
I smile. “I’ve had it for a while.”
“What song?”
“Dare You To Move.”
He nods, understanding why. “The floor line?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
He nods again.
“How long are you in town?” I ask, trying desperately to start conversation. It’s never been hard to talk to Leo. I hate that it is now.
“A while. The tour is done, and we’re taking a hiatus.”
“I thought you lived in L.A. now.” I frown.
“I have a place there, but I miss home.” He shrugs and offers me a half smile and I can’t help but zero in on that silver hoop in his lip. It actually looks really hot on him. “I miss you, Meg-pie.”
“I miss you too,” I sigh and nod at the waitress as she offers me coffee and sets menus in front of us. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“No, it’s not. I have your number. I never called you either.”
“Why?” I ask.
“I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me.”
“I guess we were both wrong,” I murmur and smile at him. “So you’re gonna be here a while, huh?”
“Yep. Gonna work on the next album, and just regroup.”
“Good.”
“So, Will Montgomery?” He sits back in the booth and narrows his eyes on me.
“Yeah.” I smile shyly and look down at my coffee.
“You love him?” he asks, cutting to the chase.
“More than anything.” I confirm.
Leo nods, watching me. “He makes you happy.” It’s not a question.
“Very.”
“Is Sylvia still around?”
My eyes shoot to his in surprise. “How did you…?”
“I’m not stupid, Megan. I knew you were paying her. Is she still around?”
“No, Will paid her off.”
“Looks like he makes me happy too.” Leo takes a sip of his coffee, and I laugh, my stomach finally settling.
“What about you? Settling down with any groupies?” I ask sweetly and he throws a sugar packet at me.
“No settling down. Sex, fine. Relationships, no.”
“Leo…”
“No.” His face is hard, and I know the subject is closed.
“Stubborn ass.”
“Just like the rest of the women in the country, you adore me,” He gloats and takes a swig of coffee, smacks his lips and smiles smugly.
“I’m glad to see you’re still modest.” I shake my head at him, so happy to be with him again.
“So, tell me about Will, and why I shouldn’t break his throwing arm for touching my sister…”
Epilogue
Will
Two months later…
“Why didn’t we hire a moving company again?” I ask as I carry the four-thousandth box off the moving truck into the spare bedroom.
“Because, they aren’t careful. I don’t have much, but what I do have I don’t need getting broken and ruined.” Meg is sitting on the floor in the guest room, going through a box.
“Can you help us finish unloading the truck before you start unpacking boxes?” I ask her, hands on my hips.
“Hey! Where are you guys?” Caleb and Leo both come into the guest room with scowls on their faces.
“You guys do not get to go have sex while we unload your truck,” Caleb says, pointing at us.
“Dude, that’s my sister,” Leo crosses his arms over his chest and Meg laughs.
“Come on,” I hold my hand out to her and pull her to her feet. “Let’s go, lazy bones.”
All of the brothers are unloading the truck, the girls are directing us on where to put the boxes, as if we’re all illiterate and can’t read bedroom written in black sharpie on the side of the box.
Women always need to boss us around.
I love them.
Megan joins Nat in the kitchen, merging her things with mine, and my chest swells with happiness. It took me six long weeks, but I finally talked her into moving in with me.
“You know,” Meg announces to the room at large. “You didn’t all need to come help. I don’t have that much stuff. Leo and Will could have handled the big stuff.”
“Thanks so much for volunteering me,” Leo mutters. “Why didn’t we hire a company again?”
“That’s what I said,” I agree, and we both earn glares from Meg. She looks so hot when she’s irritated with me.