by Tess Keeler
“Me too. Hopefully, you don’t recognize Henley for any reason,” Mason laughed again. Nixon looked just as confused as I was.
“Why do you say that?” I asked, my eyebrows low.
“He was as bad as I was, if you can believe that,” Mason was so amused, but I felt Nixon’s entire body tense up. “Everly tamed him, though.”
“I’m sure I don’t know him, Mace.” I hoped I didn’t know him.
Once we pulled up, I immediately noticed a cute mini cooper sitting in the driveway, alongside a black sedan. We exited our taxiing vehicle and approached both cars. Before I took in many of the details, I asked Mason if I could talk to Nixon alone for a second. “We can meet you inside.”
“‘Course,” he said, taking the last few steps to the front door.
There was no knock as I pulled Nixon out of sight from the family we were meeting.
“Are we okay?” I asked, needing to clear the air before we were forced to be social.
He raked his fingers through his hair, pulling the curls straight for a second. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
I pursed my lips, deciding I would just dive right in, “I’m sorry about the airport. It was friendly, nothing more.”
There was silence between us as he stared at me for a few seconds. “I know that.” His face softened as he reached down for both of my hands, intertwining all of our fingers. “I think it just caused a little insecurity to surface. I’m sorry if I’ve been weird.”
Shaking my head, I reassured him that he wasn’t being weird. “I understand, Nix. I’m all yours, remember?”
Nixon leaned forward and captured my lips with his, our mouths open with a passionate exchange, lingering there as my heart attempted to beat out of my chest.
“Alright. Enough of that. I’m already tired of standing here awkwardly,” Mason said.
Our lips broke with a smack, and I growled at him playfully, “I thought I told you to go inside.”
Mason laughed as I looked back to Nixon, his cheeks turning bright red. He had moved his hands to my hips at some point, so I ran my hands over his arms. “Ready to go inside?”
With a nod, Nixon led the way. We always reconnected, no matter what. Mason knocked a few times before turning the doorknob and walking in. “’S everyone decent?” he hollered.
I looked around at the living area, so tidy and neat. It didn’t look like a pair of 20-year-olds lived there, but it was really nice. I heard footsteps stomping down the stairs before a demanding voice, “Mason Thomas, get over here and give me a hug.”
She slammed into him instead, pushing his small frame backward in the process. The laugh he let out was short and sweet, his arms wrapping around her and squeezing. “I’ve missed you,” she said.
“I’ve missed you, too,” Mason said, holding her tight. “Where’s that annoying boyfriend of yours?”
Nixon and I observed from near the door, letting them have their reunion. I moved my free hand to his forearm and rested against him. It wasn’t awkward; I just had no idea who anyone was. Henley included. Thank god.
He walked down the stairs, already smiling at Mason. His teeth were as straight as Nixon’s but almost sharper. “I don’t like the blonde.”
Everly let him go just in time for Henley to hug him, a way shorter one. “Good thing I don’t care.”
They were a gorgeous couple. Seeing them standing next to each other was kind of intimidating. Everly’s long brown curls fell well beyond her bust, framing her slender frame. She had a good two or three inches on me—same height as Mason. Henley was closer to Nixon’s height, but a few inches shorter. His shaggy black hair had a generous side part that was flipped to one side, the length fell in line with his lips.
“You should…” I heard Henley start before his eyes found us hiding in the corner. “Oh. Uh.”
Nixon smiled, only our hands connecting as I stood up straighter. I could see a sort of wave in my peripheral. I smiled too. What else could we do?
“Where are my manners?” Mason asked.
“Non-existent,” Everly almost scolded. “Hey, Nixon! It’s been forever!”
We advanced toward the group now that we were doing introductions. “Hey, Everly. Yeah, it has.” Nixon paused a moment, holding our hands up to bring attention to me. “Everly, this is Harper, my girlfriend.”
Everly’s smile showed off all of her teeth, so big with her mouth open. She hugged us both, forcing a laugh from my lips. “It’s so good to see you and to meet you!” She let us go and displayed her boyfriend with her hand. “This is Henley.” She held Henley’s hand, her smile unfaltering. “Henley, this is Nixon and his girlfriend…” She let out an excited squeal. “Harper.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” I finally said, admiring the color of their eyes up close. Hers brown and his blue-green. “Your home is beautiful.”
“Thank you!” I really enjoyed Everly’s energy. I was feeding off of it. “How long do we have the pleasure of your company?” she asked.
Mason cracked a beer open and plopped down on the couch. He answered her first, “Depends. Are we expecting Pierson?”
His eyes cut to Henley, and so did mine. I wanted to see the twin. Were they identical? How was a group of people so attractive?
“I warned him that you would be here,” Henley said.
“But did you tell him to stay away?” Mason pushed before chugging some of his drink. “I don’t want to see him. I can barely stand to look at you.”
“Mace,” Everly began, and Mason lifted his hand to stop her.
“I’m serious, Eve.”
Nixon and I shared a glance, his lips pursed. He was telling me that he felt bad for Mason; I could see it in his striking hazel eyes. I was thinking about how intense he was when he was home, not as carefree angry. Still angry.
Henley apologized, “Sorry, Mace. I can’t promise anything.”
“Aye. Let’s play some games.” Mason turned on the TV. It was like he had never left—like he still lived here every single day. “Nix. Harps. Come sit with me.”
We spent many hours playing JackboxTV and eating pizza. I had a lot of fun with all of them, leaning on Nixon most of the night. Unfortunately, we needed both hands to play most of the games. After the millionth horror trivia game, Mason excused himself for a cigarette. I stood with him, “May I join you?” I had an idea for Nixon’s birthday, and I needed an ally from the inside.
I noticed Mason look at Nixon first, and then me, “Of course.”
“You smoking now?” Nixon teased, his fingers touching the back of my thigh.
I turned and caught his falling hand, caressing his fingers with mine. I wore a soft smile, reassuring him that he still had nothing to worry about. “Definitely not. I just need to talk to him. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”
“Sure, babe.”
I mouthed a thank you to him before following the slender Brit out the back door. There were a few chairs just outside of the sliding glass door, the yard extending out to the fence keeping them secure. I sat down in the one he didn’t, already putting a stick between his lips and lighting up. “’S on your mind?” he asked me as I wet my lips.
“October 13th,” I replied. Nixon’s birthday. He was playing Austin that night, but from the look of his schedule, he had the day before it off and the day after.
He took a huge drag and cocked his head to the side, “Aye, your boy’s birthday?”
I nodded. “I want to surprise him, but I’m going to need your help. Are you in?”
“Absobloodylootely.”
1
Make You Mine
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nixon
Mason tapped his foot as I packed my book bag. “Mate, you are really lost over this girl, aren’t you?”
I continued to stuff what I thought I’d need into my bag, only offering him a smile in return. He didn’t need to know that we had confessed our love for each other, nor did he need to know that we had taken the mos
t intimate step in our relationship. All he needed to know was that I was crazy about her, and wanting to do something to put in some effort. She deserved that. Hell, she deserved more than that.
“You could say that,” I finally replied as I zipped up my grey bag and threw it over my shoulder. With my guitar in my hand, I extended my hand for a fist bump, receiving one with a small laugh.
“Go get her, bruv.”
I was elated to be surprising Harper in Nashville, and while I knew she had accommodations, I still made sure we had a backup plan. Besides, I had some things I could take care of while I was there. It sweetened the deal when I told Blake that I was flying out for my two days off to see my girlfriend. I think he was finally getting to a point when he didn’t get angry when I mentioned Harper, but I still wanted to have his approval. So, I kept lines of communication open so that he felt more involved. That seemed to help. I felt like him and I were finally at a breakthrough. After letting him know that I needed a ride to the airport, Blake told me to be safe and to let him know if I run into any issues. Maybe, just maybe, he’d eventually give us his blessing. I wasn’t trying to push him though.
The ride to the Las Vegas airport didn’t take as long as I thought, and I was slightly relieved to not see any fans there. They wouldn’t know that I was flying out— it wasn’t a normal thing for me.
After I got through security, I was in a fairly calm area of the airport. It was pretty early, so that didn’t surprise me too much.
The non-stop flight I got would put me there in about four hours, which would be 3PM Nashville time. It worked out perfectly.
I had just gotten AirPods, so this was a great chance to try them out.
My playlist was ready to go as I boarded and got situated in the seat I’d be in for a handful of hours. All they had left last minute was first class, so I enjoyed a little more space and privacy as I flew to see my girlfriend.
My eyes fluttered open as the loud voice informed us that we were about to land. That gave me plenty enough time to wake up and pull myself together.
I hated the landing almost as much as the turbulence. Almost. My fingers held the armrests tightly as the wheels hit the ground and the loud noise of the wind hitting the wings as the brakes attempted to slow us down was distracting. Pulling my sunglasses down over my eyes, I was feeling the excitement of seeing my girl soon. It had been almost a week, and while FaceTime was nice, nothing compared to being with her in person.
Once I was in my car, I had texted her to find out what she was up to. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for us to talk about where she was or what she was doing, so I wouldn’t seem too suspicious asking.
I dropped by the recording studio that I wanted to work on my next album to kill some time before I heard back from her.
It’s going well. I’m eating dinner in the park. How’s your day?
I thought about her sitting on a blanket under a tree, a book in front of her face and her beautiful legs curled underneath her. I sighed. Running a few errands for work. Which park at you at?
The ellipsis popped up quickly. Centennial
I immediately told my driver to take me there. I kept texting with her to keep us both distracted. The anxiety I was feeling was unreal and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she saw me.
She was describing to me the life-sized replica of the Parthenon when I got dropped off. I tugged my book bag over my shoulders, pulled my guitar out of the trunk then surveyed the area until I found her. She was sitting on a bench near Lake Watauga with a small lunch bag next to her. Her phone was in her hands and she was looking down at it, probably waiting for me to respond. I hoped she was waiting for me to respond.
Deciding to surprise her, I waited for her to pick up her book after popping a few almonds into her mouth. I took a path that would circle behind her, and I hoped she didn’t look up before I got out of sight. That book must have had her attention, because I was able to successfully get onto the path unnoticed. But boy, was my heartbeat accelerating quickly.
Quietly, I stepped onto the grass and pushed myself across the small area separating me from her. Sitting my guitar down quietly, I took the few extra steps towards the bench before I cleared my throat.
“Is this seat taken?” I asked, feeling my heart expanding with my happy nerves.
“It is.” Her answer was quick, simply stated. I smiled as she looked up, doing a double take before registering that it was me. “Nixon!” Her arms wrapped around me, pulling me as close as possible with the bench between us. “What are you doing here?”
I pulled back, cupping her face in both of my hands. “I wanted to surprise my girl.” I gave her a sweet smile. “Surprise,” I whispered, my eyes dancing between hers.
“This is the best surprise. Ever.” Her bottom lip tucked between her teeth for a moment before she began shuffling her things around. “You want to sit with me?”
Laughing softly, I touched her chin with my bent pointer finger and lifted her face until our eyes connected. “Baby, I just flew in from Las Vegas. Of course I want to sit with you,” I paused, gauging her expression. “But first…” I trailed off as I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Leaning forward, I closed the distance between our lips for a sweet, lingering kiss.
The kiss broke, but we stayed close. Her eyes were closed, and I watched as she took in a deep breath and exhaled it out slowly.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” Her voice was quiet, and her lips were pulled into that smile I loved so much.
Nuzzling her nose with mine, I let my fingertips dance over her cheek. “You always come to me. It was about time I came to you.”
“You’re so sweet…” Her eyes opened to meet my gaze. “How many days do you have off?”
“Two. Today and tomorrow. I fly back into Vegas early Friday morning.”
Her features lifted even higher. “Really?”
“Really.” I smiled down at her, kissing her lips again before grabbing my guitar to bring it closer. “Where are you staying while you’re here? In the van?”
She watched me as I slid around the bench to be closer to her, and we sat down together.
“I’m staying in a small Airbnb downtown,” She was shifting her food around, bringing out a small bag of grapes. “Hungry?”
I was a little hungry actually. I didn’t even work out that morning so my whole routine had been thrown off, and I had barely eaten a thing. “A little, actually,” I answered, watching her pick up one of the green edible fruits and hold it out to me.
That was new— I had never had someone feed me before. Leaning forward, I took it from her fingers with my teeth before pulling it into my mouth.
“Thanks, baby,” I said after I swallowed, placing my arm over the back of the bench behind her. Resting my hand on her tricep, I pulled her closer to me until she swung her legs over mine. My other hand laid on her shins as I enjoyed the fresh air and the beautiful view of my girl sitting next to me.
She had moved the food into her lap so that I could reach it, and I proceeded to return the favor and offer her a grape, too.
“What were you reading?” I asked, respecting her by not moving her book. I wasn’t sure if she had a bookmark in and didn’t want to risk losing her spot.
She finishing swallowing the grape and held out another one for me as she answered, “Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell.”
“What’s it about?” I asked, thoroughly enjoying the fresh air and the sound of her voice as she explained it to me.
When the park began to get more crowded, we decided to relocate. She wanted to show me the place she was staying at. It was centrally located downtown, and I knew the area well. It wasn’t far from the recording studio I had visited earlier that day. I promised to show her the studio if I decided to record the next album there.
The loft she was staying in was almost wall to wall exposed red brick. There were colorful curtains separating the bedroom from the other rooms, and it was extremely o
rganized. I was impressed. The living area had a mounted flat screen on the only normal partial wall, and the couch was next to floor to ceiling windows. It was gorgeous, and so very much Harper. Maybe if I recorded in Nashville, I could get my own loft in this building and invite her to stay with me. I kept that thought to myself for now and enjoyed the tour she was giving me of the place.
“I’m glad to know you’re not sleeping in your van,” I turned, resting my hands on her hips. The smile on her lips was contagious, prompting my own to pull up. “Is it difficult to be alone all the time?”
“Before you, it wasn’t difficult at all. Now…” The breath she took was deep, and I heard the exhale from her nostrils. “I struggle more.”
My eyebrows furrowed together, feeling the odd pain that came with it. I know she didn’t mean to hurt me when she said it, but it did inadvertently.
“I’m sorry, sweets. It’s difficult for me, too. Except I’m never alone, and none of them are you.”
I wondered if my eyes admitted to the sadness I felt, because there was a sadness in hers, too. Moving to her tiptoes, she held my face gently before kissing me— long and sweet.
“We’re together now,” she said quietly, offering me a weak smile. I appreciated her for trying to make us both feel better.
I felt a wide smile playing over my lips, letting her words wash over me. She was right. We were together now, and now was all that mattered.
Leaning forward, I captured her lips again. My hands pulled her against me as they rested on the small of her back. Her hands moved to my neck, mindlessly pushing through my hair as my lips parted against hers. My heart always throbbed in reaction to her taste, and I wondered if that would ever lessen with time. Honestly, no matter what, I couldn’t wait to find out.
Moving my hands down over her ass, I picked her up with ease and she wrapped her legs around my waist as she gasped then giggled against my lips. I smiled at her, our lips still together as I held her up. It was in this moment I silently appreciated my upper body strength training. Holding her was easy, but I was worried about my gracefulness as I began to move towards the wall.