pressure.
Kellan’s eyes searched mine as he nodded in my hands. Moisture pricked my eyes as I thought of the many lies that had speckled our relationship. Honesty, while painful at times, was the
best thing we could do for each other.
Before the emotion of the moment could sweep me away, I made my mood brighten and asked him, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
Kellan gave me a long, drawn-out sigh, reminding me that neither one of us slept last night. I stifled a yawn after that realization. “She wanted to meet here at the house, but I told her
I’d meet her around the corner. I wanted to beat her there so she didn’t show up here anyway, so I didn’t have time to go to a bank. I didn’t have enough cash, and she
freaked out when I wrote her a check for the rest. I offered to drive with her to a bank, but she smacked me, and I told her to fuck off. I went for a run after that to blow off some steam.”
Bitch
. He rolled his eyes while I narrowed mine. “She’s a touch crazy. I don’t know how I ever lived with her.”
I was more wondering how he’d ever slept with her. But he was already irritated, so I didn’t say it. Kissing my head, he murmured, “I just want to shower now, get ready to
go.”
I stepped back so Kellan could step away from the sink. I hated that he was leaving today and I wasn’t. I wished he could stay. I wished I could leave. But wishing doesn’t change
anything, and we would both have to be patient. Kellan turned on the water as I shut the bathroom door. I took over his spot on the counter and watched him adjusting the temperature of the shower.
Hopefully the hot water had refilled since my epically long shower earlier.
When the water was perfect, Kellan took off his shoes, socks, and T-shirt; the damp shirt clung to his skin as he removed it. Once it was visible, my eyes fixated on the tattoo over his heart.
It was a good thing Joey hadn’t seen my name etched into his skin. Kellan might have received more than a bloody line across his face. But Kellan didn’t often show his tattoo to the
world. It was ours, private. I would really miss seeing the scripted letters when he was gone. Just one of a thousand things I would miss.
Kellan’s fingers paused on his track pants. Roused from my melancholy thoughts, I glanced up at his face. He was frowning. “Am I making a mistake?” he whispered over the sound
of the shower.
With no frame of reference, I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Seeing my lost expression, Kellan clarified. “Making an album, going on tour . . . am I making a mistake?” The
room filled with steam as I hopped off of the counter. Kellan grabbed my hand when I stepped in front of him. “All I want is a quiet life with you,” he continued. “What I just
signed up for . . . isn’t exactly a quiet life.”
Wondering how to comfort him—when I often thought the same thing—I reached up and ran my thumb over his healing wound. “Kellan, your life will never be quiet, no matter what
you do.” He laughed at my reference, the confusion on his face lifting. I placed my hand on his chest and looked him square in the eye. “You belong on a stage. It’s what you were
born to do.”
Even though it was contradictory to the peace and quiet we both wanted, I knew without a doubt that my statement was true. Kellan was doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was living out
his destiny. But that didn’t have to mean that we would give up on a peaceful life together. It just meant we had to be flexible. Giving him a soft kiss, I murmured, “We will just have
to find moments of quiet in the chaos, and we’re pretty good at that.”
Kellan returned my soft kiss. “Yeah . . . we are.” Tilting his head toward the shower, he raised an eyebrow in question. I knew what he was asking:
Want to join me?
A large
part of me wanted to say yes, but we had important things to do today, and I had two ever-watchful parents downstairs that we were
Kellan’s eyes searched mine as he nodded in my hands. Moisture pricked my eyes as I thought of the many lies that had speckled our relationship. Honesty, while painful at times, was the
best thing we could do for each other.
Before the emotion of the moment could sweep me away, I made my mood brighten and asked him, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
Kellan gave me a long, drawn-out sigh, reminding me that neither one of us slept last night. I stifled a yawn after that realization. “She wanted to meet here at the house, but I told her
I’d meet her around the corner. I wanted to beat her there so she didn’t show up here anyway, so I didn’t have time to go to a bank. I didn’t have enough cash, and she
freaked out when I wrote her a check for the rest. I offered to drive with her to a bank, but she smacked me, and I told her to fuck off. I went for a run after that to blow off some steam.”
Bitch
. He rolled his eyes while I narrowed mine. “She’s a touch crazy. I don’t know how I ever lived with her.”
I was more wondering how he’d ever slept with her. But he was already irritated, so I didn’t say it. Kissing my head, he murmured, “I just want to shower now, get ready to
go.”
I stepped back so Kellan could step away from the sink. I hated that he was leaving today and I wasn’t. I wished he could stay. I wished I could leave. But wishing doesn’t change
anything, and we would both have to be patient. Kellan turned on the water as I shut the bathroom door. I took over his spot on the counter and watched him adjusting the temperature of the shower.
Hopefully the hot water had refilled since my epically long shower earlier.
When the water was perfect, Kellan took off his shoes, socks, and T-shirt; the damp shirt clung to his skin as he removed it. Once it was visible, my eyes fixated on the tattoo over his heart.
It was a good thing Joey hadn’t seen my name etched into his skin. Kellan might have received more than a bloody line across his face. But Kellan didn’t often show his tattoo to the
world. It was ours, private. I would really miss seeing the scripted letters when he was gone. Just one of a thousand things I would miss.
Kellan’s fingers paused on his track pants. Roused from my melancholy thoughts, I glanced up at his face. He was frowning. “Am I making a mistake?” he whispered over the sound
of the shower.
With no frame of reference, I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Seeing my lost expression, Kellan clarified. “Making an album, going on tour . . . am I making a mistake?” The
room filled with steam as I hopped off of the counter. Kellan grabbed my hand when I stepped in front of him. “All I want is a quiet life with you,” he continued. “What I just
signed up for . . . isn’t exactly a quiet life.”
Wondering how to comfort him—when I often thought the same thing—I reached up and ran my thumb over his healing wound. “Kellan, your life will never be quiet, no matter what
you do.” He laughed at my reference, the confusion on his face lifting. I placed my hand on his chest and looked him square in the eye. “You belong on a stage. It’s what you were
born to do.”
Even though it was contradictory to the peace and quiet we both wanted, I knew without a doubt that my statement was true. Kellan was doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was living out
his destiny. But that didn’t have to mean that we would give up on a peaceful life together. It just meant we had to be flexible. Giving him a soft kiss, I murmured, “We will just have
to find moments of quiet in the chaos, and we’re pretty good at that.”
Kellan returned my soft kiss. “Yeah . . . we are.” Tilting his head toward the shower, he raised an eyebrow in question. I knew what he was asking:
Want to join me?
A large
part of me wanted to say yes, but we had important things to do today, and I had two ever-watchful parents downstairs that we were
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