Matt’s POV

Every since this morning, nothing could shake the smile off my face. I had the best fucking dream about Maya and I and it was playing over and over again in my mind. We were lying in bed, cuddled up together and she was finally telling me how she felt in her own special way. She didn’t say those three little words but what she did say was enough. I knew that she loved me by what she said and that left me soaring on a brand new high.

The dream was carry me through the morning but after we stopped for breakfast and we regrouped back on our bus, reality started to hit. After her outburst last night and our little fight, I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right things for her. I mean, I never wanted Maya to feel pressured or cornered, like she had told me in the dream. But then again, that was just a dream, and now that I’d thought about it, I didn’t really know what to make of it. Did Maya really feel that way or was I fooling myself? How could I make her see that it was safe to talk to me? What would I have to do to get her to admit her feelings to me? Last night had been a good start when she cried with tears of joy, but I selfishly and secretly wanted more. I would never admit that to her, but it was the truth. I wanted her to love me too and I knew it took time—I would wait for her and make her fall for me. That was the only option.

I watched as she played some video game with Jimmy and Jess, the three of them laughing and throwing their heads back. I usually would have been the first one on the gaming action but I wasn’t feeling it right now. My brain was too busy trying to sort through what was the dream and what was reality.

With a light sigh, I stood up from the bench and headed toward the front of the bus and sat in the passengers seat. I didn’t know what to do right now. My brain was reeling and I wished that we were at our next destination so that I could take a run. Running always seemed to help me settle my thoughts or at least feel a little better about myself.

“Hey, are you okay?” A soft voice said as a small hand landed on my shoulder.

I looked back over my shoulder to meet a pair of stunning blue eyes and I instantly knew who it was. Avery looked at me with concern written all over her face. Was it that obvious that something was bothering me or was she just that good at reading me? Fuck, not even the guys picked up on my mood changes as well as she did. I never understood why she was so good at knowing when something was bothering. It was almost like she was my littler sister who always knew what to say to make things better.

I shrugged my shoulders and Avery gave me a knowing look. Damn her and her sixth sense for whatever the fuck you wanted to call it! “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked and there was that little smile. Now I knew exactly why Gates couldn’t say no to her—Avery just had that cute and innocent look about her.

I ran my hands over my face and let out a groan, looking back over at Maya. She was still laughing her life away with the goon squad. “Wont you get in trouble if Gates finds you over here?” I teased and she just giggled and rolled her eyes.

“He’s passed out on the couch,” Avery jerked her thumb in his direction and sure enough, he was leaning against the wall with his mouth open. Though I couldn’t miss the loving look on her face when she looked at him. Did Maya look at me like that? I glanced back over at her and smiled. Damn she had a spell over me.

“Is it something to do with Maya?” Why did she have to hit the nail on my head? Had Avery followed my gaze to her gorgeous best friend or did she just know? Had Maya talked to her?

“I just don’t understand her sometimes,” I admitted with a half smile.

Avery chuckled and took a seat on my knee. “Welcome to the world of Maya Brandon. She is a mystery to us all,” she teased, obviously reliving some memory in her mind. “I’ve known her for over ten years so maybe I could help?”

I sighed again and looked out the window, watching the world fly by us. “Maybe.” Could Avery be the thing I needed to help me figure out the dream and what happened last night.

“I’m all ears, Mr. Sanders,” Avery shifted on my lap and looked at me with a knowing smile. She had to know more about what was going on then she was telling me, right? The girls were best friends and if I knew anything, girls talked.

“Fuck,” I groaned, knowing that I needed to get this off my chest but not really knowing what to say. “Well last night we got in an argument about your secret mission and she took off. When I caught up with her she told me that I was trying to change her when all I wanted to know is where she was. Gates and I were fucking worried, you know?” Avery nodded with a small frown.

“And then I had this dream this morning where she told me she was sorry and that she wasn’t used to having someone worry or care about her. She said something about feeling cornered because she never had someone to look out for her. She also basically said that she loved me but I more words….but that was just a dream and I don’t know what to fucking make of any of this.” I signed and ran my hands over my face again. To my surprise, saying it aloud only frustrated me more.

Avery took in a slow deep breath and then set her hands on top of mine. “Look Matt, I don’t know how much Maya has told you about her past but—“

“She really hasn’t told me anything besides things about living with you,” I muttered, picking at the plastic on the armrest. I couldn’t look up and meet those eyes when I could already tell by her tone that I wouldn’t like the sadness lurking there.

Avery bit her lip and nodded her head. “Maya…” Avery sighed, looking for the right words to say. “Maya has had a hard life growing up. Both of her parents died when we were in sixth grade and she was living with her older brother before she moved in with us. Her mom and dad weren’t the best parents and were rarely around while her older brother dappled in drugs. She never had anyone to look out for her and when they did, they always vanished. Every promise made to her, besides by my dad and I, has been broken,” she whispered, moving her eyes into my line of vision. She was dead serious and I could tell by her expression that this information couldn’t leave this area. “So she struggles with opening up and letting new people in, especially guys, because they’ve always hurt her in the past.”

I opened my mouth to tell her that I would never do that but Avery held up her hand. “I know you wont do that, Matt. Hell I’ve seen the way you look at her; we all have. She just needs some time to figure out how to put what she is feeling together.”

“So that dream was real?” I asked, feeling angry with myself for being so selfish. It now made perfect sense why she was having such a hard time being open with me. I just wish Maya trusted me enough to tell me this information herself. Hadn’t I proved it to her that I was in this for the long haul? Was I being selfish again? Fuck, I didn’t know. I just knew what I wanted.

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Avery said, putting her hand on my cheek and making me look back up at her. “It sounds like something she would say but just give her some time and keep showing her how you feel about her. I can tell that she feels it too but is afraid to let herself fully feel it. I don’t blame her. I mean if as many people hurt me as they have her, I wouldn’t be able to tell Brian I loved him either.” A small smile came over Avery’s face and I knew she was right. “If you push too hard you’ll lose her though. Last night with the drugs and alcohol could have been her thinking that you were pushing too hard, even if that wasn’t the case. Just go slow. She will come around.”

I nodded, feeling better after talking to Avery. So I would just have to continue showing her that I loved her and making her feel like the most important girl in the world. Maybe I could arrange something for us when we got to the hotel? I bet she would like that.

“You’re a good guy and I see how happy you make her, Matt,” Avery continued, her eyes meeting mine again. “You’re good for her and she knows it. Just keep doing what you’re doing but remember not to push too hard.”

“Thanks, Ave,” I pulled her small frame into a hug just as I heard someone clear their throat behind us.

“I shut my eyes for five minutes and you’re already trying to steal my girl, Shads?” Gates asked with a spark of amusement in his eyes. “What the hell?”

“You caught me,” I laughed. “I wanted both of these beautiful women for myself.” Avery’s cheeks flushed bright red and Brian just chuckled and shook his head.

“Please, you and I both know that you couldn’t handle both of them at once. Besides, this little number over here,” Gates said, scooping up Avery from my lap as she let out a squeak. “Has a dominatrix side.”

“Brian!” Avery squeaked, her face now magenta. She slapped him on the chest as he cradled her in his arms but he just laughed.

“We should be arriving at the hotel in about twenty minutes,” the drive interrupted to our right, obviously getting annoyed with our shenanigans in the front of the bus.

“Thank fucking god!” Jimmy suddenly appeared next to us, his eyes wide with excitement. “I cant wait to show the girls all the secret passage ways in this hotel!” he shrieked, running back over to Jess and Maya, tackling them to the ground in the process.

“What is talking about?” Did I really even want to know what that guy was planning? Would he even share this time?

Brian set Avery back down on her feet as he rolled his eyes, laughing lightly. “The last time we stayed in this hotel, we got so drunk in the lobby that we were convinced that we had take a new path to the room every time we went back and forth. I honestly don’t remember if there were or not.” Brian’s hand snaked around Avery pulling her into his side.

“Just as long as he has tells us where he’s going I don’t care,” I said, recalling the mess from last night.

“Yeah,” Brian agreed. “But I have plans for us tonight, love, so don’t get any ideas.” He told Avery just as Maya jumped into my arms.

“What are you ladies gossiping about over here?” That smile right there lit up the entire bus and I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around her. She felt so fucking good there and it’s where she belonged.

“Our plans for the night,” I whispered in her ear, lightly nibbling on her lob.

“Oh yeah, and what are that, big guy?” Maya purred, leaning back into me and rubbing her hands down my thighs. I had to suppress a groan as Matt Jr. sprang to life down below.

“You’ll just have to wait and find out.”

Avery’s POV

“Brian, what are you doing?” I giggled as Brian carried me off the bus over his shoulder. His hand was running up and down my thigh before he spanked my ass, making it sting. I knew he was trying to distract keep me from worrying about the meeting with my dad but I couldn’t help it. I knew he would be furious when he found out that I was here but I also believed the guys when they said they would do whatever it took for me to stay. I just didn’t want to be the reason that everything fell to pieces for them.

“I’m checking in,” he replied like it was no big deal at all. He didn’t care that people were watching us and pointing.

“But what if someone gets a picture of us?” I was suddenly serious, not wanting to appear in the tabloids again. That would only stir up more trouble for us then we were already having with my father.

Brian suddenly flipped me in his arms so that he was holding me bridal style. “Let them,” he whispered, kissing my forehead. “I want everyone to know that you are my girl.”

“Will you stop whipping her around,” Zack said next to us, making me blush. “She’s not a doll and if Johnny was any taller you would have hit him in the head.”

“Stop you’re bitching,” Brian laughed. He had been in such a good mood since this morning that it was hard not to smile when I looked at him. I had seen his goofy side as he messed around goofed off with Jimmy and I had to admit I loved it. There was no denying that those two were best friends. “You’re just jealous.”

“That’s it,” Zack chuckled. “But if someone gets a picture of her before Larry knows she’s here, we are going to be in deep shit.”

My breath caught in my throat at Zacky’s words. He was right. If my dad found out that I had been lying to him for the past week, he would literally kill me. There would be no talking; he would only drag me out by my hair. “Please put me down…” I muttered, my heart sinking.

Brian sighed and did what I asked him, giving Zacky a dirty look. His arm moved firmly around my waist as we walked into the lobby and checked in. The whole time we walked toward our room I was thinking about everything that could possibly happen tomorrow in the meeting, ranging from my dad disowning me and dropping the band to him dying of a broken heart when I enter the room. There wasn’t going to be anything easy about this and I refused to be the reason the guys lost my dad as a manager. They had such a good thing going before I stepped in. I mean, I loved Brian and I really liked what we had going but…I didn’t know if I could live with myself if I was the reason their careers went down the drain. My dad was very good at his job and I don’t know if the guys realized how much he did for them.

“What do you think of that? Ave? Avery?” Brian spun me around, bring me back to my senses as his eyes met mine. “Did you hear me?”

I bit my lip and shook my head, feeling guilty for being lost in my own thoughts. I loved him but I didn’t want to be crush if I was forced to go back home. I know that the guys said they would protect me from my father, but I didn’t know if I could break his heart.

“No…sorry,” I whispered, turning away from him with a fake smile. I didn’t want Brian to know that anything was wrong and I would try to keep myself together for him. I really did want to stay with him more than anything but I also didn’t want to crush my dad. He would surely freak out.

“I was saying, that I want to take you out tonight to have fun,” his tattooed fingers gently took my face in his hands, those amazing dark orbs staring into my soul. “I don’t want you to worry.” He said with a frown over his lips. “There is nothing for you to worry about. We will talk to him and we will make him see what this is.”

I nodded my head but we both knew that it wasn’t that simple. He wasn’t going to willingly let me do what he specifically told me not to. Maybe if I told him and begged he would see reason, but that was definitely a stretch.

“Look at me, Ave,” I looked back at his eyes. “I love you and I’m not going to let you go. I promise you that. Now, you need to relax some…” Brian’s lips were suddenly pressed against mine and erasing the worry from my mind. He made me feel so complete and alive when he kissed me. I couldn’t give this up, it felt too right but what was I going to do about my dad.

Suddenly Brian’s phone started screaming from the dresser. “Fuck,” he hissed pulling away and moving to answer it. I bit my lip as he pulled away, my eyes watching his every movement. He was the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on and as he answered the phone, all I could do was picture his naked body in front of me. For the moment all thoughts and worries were gone, and all I could think about was him.

“Hello? Is this really the best time?” I heard Brain chuckle into the phone. “I’m sure you have someone else you’d rather be doing…” I frowned and furred my eyebrow. Who was he talking to? “Okay, okay…I’ll meet you down in the lobby. Yeah, see you soon. Oh, and you now owe me.”

“Who was that?” I asked as he hung up. Brian just shrugged and grabbed his leather jacket.

“I’ve got to go help the guys with something really quick. When I come back I want to see that gorgeous smile and this hot little body in that blue lace dress,” He ordered, pulling me over into his arms and kissing my lips. “Tonight, we are having fun and you are all mine with no distractions. That is a promise.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I smiled at him before he pecked my lips one more time and headed out the door.

“Remember, me and you…no distractions. Take a bath and clear your mind.”


Jimmy’s POV

I anxiously flew around my hotel room, my mind working a mile a minute. I was starving yet I didn’t want to eat at all. I just couldn’t slow down and my heart was racing as I ripped through my suitcase, trying to find something comfortable to wear. The last three shirts I put on made me feel so contained and I wanted freedom to do whatever the hell I wanted to. If that meant standing on my head and eating a bag of Doritos, then fuck, that’s what I was going to do. But what I really wanted to do involved being with the blue eyes sorceress. She had a hold on me and I needed to find a way to see her.

“How can I see here without the other’s finding out?” I muttered to myself, kicking and punching the shadow ninjas that lived on the walls. If I was going to sleep in this room, I had to make sure that no one was watching me and I mean no one—unless it was my queen.

“Jimmy open your fucking door!” Johnny’s voice called as he wrapped on the door. What did the short one want? Was he working for the Berry’s to spy on me? Did JB and MB figure out how much I knew about their secret society and hired the gnome to spy on me? “Let’s go!”

I sprinted over towards the door and threw it open, looking down at him with narrow eyes. I picked him up and pulled him into my room before throwing him down on the floor and checking him for a wire or a hidden microphone.

“Dude what the fuck are you doing? Get off me!” Johnny protested, trying to wrestle away from me. I quickly pinned him to the ground and pulled his arms behind his back.

“Who do you work for?” I yelled, pulling hard on his arms and making him groan.

“I don’t work for fucking anybody!” Oh, sure that’s what he wanted me to think. “Let go!”

“Liar!” I pulled the little shit to his feet, punching his arm. I knew that if I harassed him enough that he would crack. “Do you like that?” I asked him, punching him again and again.

“No thank you, I don’t want another!” Johnny kept pulling away from me and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was hiding something. What did he want and what was he doing in my room? He never just showed up, unless he wanted to go drinking or was starving. He couldn’t be either of those, right? It was too much of coincidence that he came right now. Christ was working for someone.

“You’re working for someone you better spill before I beat it out of you!” I threw him back down the ground, straddling him as my hands flew over his sides again, trying to find that wire. Come on, I knew it was there somewhere!

“Am I interrupting something?” I looked up to see both Zacky and Jess standing in my doorway. What the hell were they doing here? Why were they together? I didn’t like that. Had they been there the entire time?

“Get him the fuck off me, he’s lost it more than usual!” I could feel someone hitting me and pushing me but I couldn’t move. I was locked with those eyes again. Damn she was beautiful. “Get OFF!”

The next thing I knew, I was on the floor looking at those eyes sideways. “I just came to ask if you wanted to go get fucking drinks with us and you fucking assaulted me? What the hell is your problem?” Was Christ still bitching? He had me at drinks and Jess.

“I’m down for drinks,” I said like nothing had happened and jumped to my feet. “Let’s go!” Running towards the door, I grabbed Jess and Zacky by the arm and dragged them down the hallway, my master plan forming. I would get these two fools drunk off their ass and then sweep my queen away without anyone noticing. Yes, that would be perfect.

“What the hell is going on?” Johnny called behind us.

“We are going drinking, get up here before you miss the elevator, short shit,” Zack laughed as the door started to close. Johnny flew in the door at the last minute, leaning against the wall and breathing heavily.

“I cant fucking believe this…” he huffed, leaning forward and holding his knees. “What the hell has gotten into?”

I looked at Jess out the corner of my eye and smirked wickedly. “Just planning my next secret mission and I didn’t want you to fucking ruin it.”

Notes

Where did Brian go? Will Jimmy's plan work? Will Matt keep trying to win over Maya? Comments please! :)