First Chance Book 5

“Welcome to our place,” I say, unlocking the door to our house.

Gage, Zepp, and I bought this house together, just outside of Los Angeles, years ago. We used the money from the sign-on check our label gave us. It’s about an hour drive from Ryan’s beach condo.

Ryan and Abby managed to get us a two-week break during the tour. Natalie having Temperance is what made it possible.

We all decided to head back to California for the break. It made sense since we were all in the same area when the break ended. Plus, Ryan had some stuff to sort out, so California was the perfect choice.

I figured I’d see my family while we were here, and Zepp’s too. Gage would keep working on his new relationship with Abby.

She’s staying with us during our mini vacation.

“Your house is beautiful,” Abagail says, her mouth hanging open in awe.

I have to admit, it’s pretty nice, especially for a bachelor pad.

We all knew it was the one when we first saw it. We’d looked at a few other houses before this one, but none of them were as good.

“How many bedrooms are in this place?” Abby asks.

“Six. Three are guest rooms,” Gage answers for me.

“Why so many bedrooms? There’s only three of you,” she questions.

“Abagail, when we’re home, people often stay over. It’s handy to have an extra bed for them.

“Or in my case, maybe the person you plan on sleeping with is only around for one night. You don’t want to take her back to your own bed. The guest rooms are perfect,” I explain.

“Oh,” she says, giving Gage a hard look.

“Gage never uses the rooms, in case you’re wondering,” I quickly add before she says something she might regret, defending Gage.

“Let me show you around, ending with my room,” Gage says to her, his voice soft.

A pang of jealousy hits me. Not because I want Abagail, because I don’t. It’s because Gage has found happiness.

The kind of happiness I’ve been searching for, the kind that always seems to slip through my fingers. The kind I don’t think I’ll ever find.

I’ve tried to lower my expectations. I’ve accepted that I won’t ever find love like my parents have, the kind of love that completes you. The kind of love that Gage, Liam, and Ryan have found.

When women look at me, it’s not with pure intentions of true love and lifelong happiness. It’s instant-love, unreal and twisted, eyes filled with lust for rock stars.

It’s not about me, but who I am. It’s something each one of us in Steele’s Army has dealt with.

We’ve all been on the edge of crazy, causing mistrust and confusion when it comes to finding what we long for.

Love and happiness, to replace the loneliness of a cold bed and an empty heart.

Abagail and Gage come back to me before ending the tour in their bedroom.

“I was thinking about calling my friends and inviting them out for a week. If that’s okay with you and Zepp. Gage already said he’s fine with it,” Abagail says to me.

I don’t mind if she has friends over. I don’t mind it any more than I mind the guys having people over.

“No problem here, and I doubt Zepp would mind either. Go ahead and call. I’ll book their flights if you want, just give me their information.”

“Are you sure? You would do that for me?” she asks, smiling.

“Of course.” She throws her arms around me and pulls me into a hug.

What’s with these girls and their touching? Natalie, Layla, and now Abagail too. As soon as they fall in love, they become touchy-feely.

Angry, sad, happy, excited, they touch to express what they’re feeling and their partners don’t seem to mind.

I wish Gage would get upset, maybe jealous, to stop the touching.

But it seems like he encourages it. He knows I have boundaries when it comes to touching and he enjoys making me uncomfortable when someone else touches me, innocent or not.

Jerk.

I give him a knowing look, letting him know I’m onto his game. He winks at me. I slowly peel Abagail’s hands off me, “Not a problem. Like I said, just give me the information and I’ll book it.”

“I’ll call Selena now. Thank you,” she says, smiling.

I escape to the kitchen.

It’s not that I’ve had some tragic thing happen in my past with touching, no one’s abused me or anything.

It’s just that because of what I do, what we do for a living, everyone always feels like they have a right to touch me. To pull me into a hug, kiss my face, often grabbing my ass.

If they asked me for a hug, I wouldn’t have such a problem with it. Then I would know to expect the touching.

Instead, it’s forced on me and I don’t like it.

“I got a hold of Selena, she’s going to call Raven and they’ll fly out as soon as you can get them a flight,” Selena tells me.

I’m sprawled out on the chaise that’s part of the large black sectional we have in our living room, one foot hanging off the edge and my laptop lying on my lap.

“I was just looking at flights, I can get them a red-eye today if that works. I mean if you think they can pack fast enough.

“I can even have a car pick them up and drive them to the airport to save time.”

“Jason, that’s really sweet of you. They’ll be okay with whatever you can arrange. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Okay then. I’ll get on the phone with the airline, maybe even snag them first-class seats. It’ll make the flight smoother.”

“Thank you. They usually drive to wherever I am if they can.

“They’d come to my shows or stops that weren’t too far away. I can’t thank you enough,” she says as I slide my laptop to the side and grab my cell phone to make the call.

“As long as Gage is happy, that’s all the thanks I need. I could never repay you for being that person for him.”

“You’ll find your happiness too, Jason. It might be sooner than you think, but it will happen. You’re too good of a catch for it not to.”

“Alright, alright, enough with the emotional stuff. You’re wearing me out,” I tell her.

“Okay. I’ll let you make the call and arrange the tickets. Let me know so I can give Selena the details.”

“Will do, Abby.”