Fall (Seaside #4)(60)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

“I know we need to go through all your parents’ belongings. I know it would be too hard to stay there right now, so I kind of thought you and Dani should stay with me.” He gulped. “At my beach house.”

“Why are you sweating?” I touched his forehead.

“Holy shit, I feel like I’m fifteen,” Jaymeson muttered. “I don’t want to ever, ever, ever, sleep without you. Ever again…” He coughed. “Ever.”

“Say ever one more time, man.” Demetri walked between us and laughed. “I don’t think she heard you.”

Jaymeson flipped him off.

Somehow, Demetri could read minds, because his middle finger was already hoisted in the air toward Jaymeson even though he hadn’t turned around.

They were helping us unload our bags and Dani, while they packed up for the next leg of their tour.

“Okay.” I licked my lips. “But with Dani there, we can’t… you know.” I put my hands in front of me, and twisted them in the air.

“Mime?”

Demetri walked back between us. “Wow, your guys’ communication skills need work.” He patted Jaymeson on the back. “Oh, and if you didn’t catch that, she means you can’t have sex. Sucks to be you.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jaymeson snapped.

“No.” Demetri beamed. “I’m quite happy. Do continue.”

Within seconds Alyssa had Demetri by the ear and was dragging him away from our conversation.

Jaymeson turned his full attention back to me. “I’ve controlled myself for how long? Pretty sure I can wait, love.”

“Famous last words!” Demetri shouted from the other side of the plane.

Chapter Forty-Six

Jaymeson

I was staring at her — hard.

I may have snuck into her room once Dani fell asleep, and now I was being the creepy boyfriend/fiancé that stared at his girl as if she held secrets to the universe on the pillow of her lips.

Pillow of her lips — bloody fantastic. There I went again, getting all sentimental and wanting to slap myself in the face.

Pris moaned in her sleep. I tucked her body into mine and watched the waves slowly cascade across the white sand beach. Her room was on the top floor, giving her the perfect view of the beach.

Two months ago I’d hated Seaside.

Now? I would live here, if that meant keeping her — and keeping what we had solid. Yeah, I’d put down roots or whatever the hell people called it.

Dani hadn’t lasted more than three seconds in her old house before she’d burst into tears. I could tell Pris wanted to cry too, but she was trying to be strong. They’d packed a bag for Dani and now they were at my house indefinitely.

Funeral arrangements sucked balls. And that wasn’t me being insensitive. It was the cold hard truth. Just when I thought the girls were doing better, they’d break down.

I ended up helping out of pure desperation. I hated seeing Pris cry and that immediately transferred to her sister.

The funeral was small, but the entire freaking town showed up, giving the girls their support.

I was thankful for that, thankful for the small community that stood behind the girls like they were family. Thankful that I was witness to what community and family really were about.

By the time we finally got settled into my house, I think the shock was starting to wear off, but I knew it would be months, years even, before the girls would stop feeling that empty hole in their hearts — the empty hole of loss.

For a guy who’d once whored himself around and hated the idea of marriage and a family — I was sure jumping the gun.

But I’d never wanted anything so desperately in my entire life.

“Jaymeson…” Pris mumbled. “Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?”

“I am in my room.”

“You’re in my room,” she clarified without opening her eyes.

“My house. I own all the rooms.” I patted her head. “Sleep, love.”

“Am I going to suck?” She yawned and sat up, blinking a few times before her eyes seemed to focus on me.

“What are we talking about?”

She rolled her eyes and backhanded me in the shoulder. “When what’s his face flies in to Portland and we do that read-through — am I going to suck?”

“Of course not.” I tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her lightly across the lips. “You’ll be with me. So everything’s going to be fine.”

“I’m worried.” She held her lower lip hostage between her teeth.

“About acting?”

Her head shook slowly. “About Dani.”

“She has us,” I vowed. “And we won’t let anything happen to her. She just needs time.”

Pris nodded and then offered an excited smile. “And we have that.”

“What?”

“Time.”

“We do.” I chuckled. “We have all the time in the world.”

“I love you,” she whispered, tears pooling in the depths of her deep brown eyes. “So much.”

“I love you too.” I brushed another kiss across her mouth. “Now, go to sleep. The sooner you sleep, the sooner you wake up and I make you pancakes.”

“Deal.” She snuggled back into the bed and held out her arm. I didn’t need a second invitation. I grasped my girl as tight as possible and fell asleep with a grin on my face.

Not because I was having sex.

Or because I was whoring myself around.

Not even because I was the luckiest bastard in the world.

But because, I had the heart of the girl I loved — and I wasn’t ever letting go.