Maya’s POV

I woke up in Matt’s arms, I got so used to it, that I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
He made me feel safe and secure, and even if we still had some times we were both struggling I knew I could count on him, the feeling was getting stronger and stronger…

But still I haven’t told him about the way I felt… not with clearer words, I was still too afraid to say them out loud to make it real and be shoved away again.
I think one more time and I would finally break.

I tried to shake those thoughts of me when I crawled out of bed. I took a long hot shower and tried to clear my mind.
Soon we would head down for breakfast and both Matt and I were agreeing on the fact that we should meet there with Brian and Avery beforehand. So we could make a final battle plan before Larry arrived.

I washed my hair and let the water run through it, when I suddenly felt big hands cupping my breasts, the smell of Matt was wavering to my nose making me sure it was him.
“How could you slip away from me, babe?” Matt’s deep still sleepy voice growled in my ear, making me shiver right away.

“I thought you needed some more sleep after that night” I told him chuckling and he began to let one hand run down my stomach until he cupped me between the legs.
“You know I would have jumped out of the bed if I knew you were naked and wet somewhere… especially in the shower” I heard his deep chuckle and his hand began to stroke me.

“We don’t have that much time… we wanted to meet Brian and Avery for breakfast.” I murmured, my voice not as determined as it should have been, but how could it, when his hands were trailing over my body so deliciously while his chock was already at my entrance, only inches away from entering me from behind.

“Ahh babe… I know you like hard and fast as much as you like slow and sweet. We can do one now and one later.. after everything is settled… but now I want you. I want you to remember me when we sit there and talk. I won’t let you go, Maya. Not one way and not the other” With that he slammed into me from behind making us both groan while the water ran between us, his hands were now holding my hips, while I tiptoed to give him better access.

He was making me weak in the knees and with him murmuring those words in my ear, with his deep and sexy voice I was lost. I could only surrender to him and he was making me scream and moan until I finally tumbled over the edge and I knew I would have fallen if it weren’t for Matt’s strong arms that kept a hold on me.

I heard him groan my name, his seed spilled inside me and then he began to stroke me lovingly, he washed me as I did him.
When we were done we quickly dressed and went down to meet up with Avery and Brian.
They haven’t arrived yet, so Matt and I chose a table and grabbed some coffee.

While we sat there waiting I looked at Matt and he seemed a little nervous, I haven’t seen him like that often.
“Are you okay, big guy?” I asked and he nodded “Sure, why wouldn’t I be? Because Larry is coming over wanting so snatch you and Ave away?” He snapped and then sighed, shaking his head.
“Sorry, babe. I’m a little… confused. I’m afraid something he says or does will bring you to go.” He finally said and took my hand in his.
“I couldn’t stand that.” He let his thumb run over my palm and I smiled at him.
“Nothing he says could make me go, believe me.” I said honestly and he nodded “I know… but what if Ave does?”

“What if Ave does?” I frowned not getting what he meant.
“What if Ave asks you to go with her? Let’s face a fact, Maya. You were miserably missing your best friend while you were here with us. Don’t try to deny it. I saw you.. I fucking saw you. You were struggling between happiness and sadness. You might think you were hiding it well, but you weren’t and I could see it and it hurts me to see you like that. So what if Ave needs to leave and asks you to come with her, would you? Would you go?” He asked and he had thrown me off guard with that one.

He was indeed right, I had been somewhere between happiness and sadness. I was happy cause I had Matt, cause we were spending time together but I was also sad, because I missed Avery. But that he had noticed that, I haven’t been aware of it.

“I would stay.” I said what came to my mind first. I didn’t want to go, I knew it would be hard for me again, but I would want to stay with him, with Jimmy… with all of them.
“Maybe I could find a way to visit Avery, and then go back to you. I don’t have the money then anymore like Larry had provided us with, but I do earn some money, while jobbing here for you, so I could make that work.” I told him and he nodded.
“I just hope we won’t have to let it come this far. Where the fuck are Brian and Avery anyway?” Matt got up and we heard some commotion coming from the lobby.

When we arrived there I didn’t want to believe my eyes, Brian, Ave, Jess, Jimmy and Larry were lying on the floor.
And then everything happened at once, Larry commanded us into the next free conference room, while Matt tried to get Zack and Johnny on the phone so that they would come down here as well while Larry was raging with fury. This was really not the best way to tell him what we planned.

“AVERY, you were lying to me? All week long? Tell me the truth right now!” Larry yelled again before shutting up Brian who wanted to explain the situation, but then before Avery could answer he turned to me.
“AND YOU! You were covering for her! You knew how worried I was about her, and yet you lied to me, too?! Do you both have no sense for right and wrong?” Larry yelled and Matt turned around, hanging his phone up.
“Larry, calm down. That’s why we asked for this meeting, we wanted to-” Matt started but Larry held his hand up apparently not wanting to hear what either he or Brian had to say.

The door opened and Johnny and Zack came in wincing when they saw Larry, they must have heard the yelling from him outside already.
“Mr. Jacobson, please.. would you listen to us.” I asked and tried to sound as reasonable as possible.
Again he turned, this time facing me, Avery was squeezing my hand hard, but I didn’t care. I knew she was scared to death of what would happen now and I saw Brian slowly inching further to her.

“Stop right there, Haner” Larry said, he must have noticed too.
“Actually, I want you to go. I changed my mind. All of you, get out of here. I want to speak with Avery and Maya alone.” Larry narrowed his eyes on us and I saw Matt and Brian shake their heads, while Zack walked up to Brian to get him to move.

“You don’t want to, huh? I won’t say this again: GET OUT!” Larry was yelling again, his mood swings between utter calmness and angry yelling were unpredictable by now.

I looked over to Matt and he was staring at me, when I slowly nodded he took a step towards the door, Jimmy, Jess and Johnny already gone. At the door Matt turned a final time around and begged me with his eyes not to give in, I could see it so clearly as if he said the words out loud and then he was gone.

“Haner, go.. you won’t make this any better like this” I heard Zack mutter under his breath and finally the door closed behind them, caging us in. Avery, Larry and myself… what would happen now?!

“I am disappointed, so disappointed in both of you.” Larry was clam his eyes were sad and I knew now the guilt trip would start and I had to prevent Avery from falling into it.
“Mr. Jacobson, I know what you must be thinking, but beforehand I want to reassure you, that Avery didn’t make this decision easy. She loves you, but she is a grown woman. She can make her own decision, and what this is between Brian and her, is something special. I know what you must be thinking, Syn Gates… you know him better…but he changed. He is changing for Avery, they love each other, I heard him say it. And if you would just let him explain you would realize it too.” I was speaking so fast, wanting to convince him so bad, that I didn’t know if he could understand the words at all.

“Of course you want to make me believe that, of course he wants to make you believe that, but Avery, I just want to save you from a broken heart. And you too Maya. Those guys aren’t the right choice for you. You know I love them, but not as a partner for my girls.” Larry kneeled down before us and Avery’s grip on my hand was now feeling as if she was crushing bones.
“You are my only daughter, Avery. You break my heart if you leave me like that, if you lie to me. You know what happened to your brother, right?” Larry asked and I really had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes.

Avery hadn’t said a word since Larry was here with us and I knew she was already on the verge to running back into Daddy’s arms, but I wouldn’t let her, we had to convince him, that it was the truth we were telling.
Larry was trying his best to convince us, guilt was starting to form so he was doing a very good job, but he wouldn’t get me… he wouldn’t get us.
“You only met the guys a couple of weeks ago, you only saw them since you joined them on tour. But I saw them before they were with you. The girls come and go, on the tour bus, on the party’s… I want to spare you from this. Maya, you as much as Avery… Matt, is a great guy, but he isn’t must better then Brian… they are just-”
He kept on talking and I knew, he probably had to get this all out before he would really listen to us, I glanced at Avery sideways and I saw the tears already filling her eyes, I squeezed her hand again, reminding her I was here with her.
We knew the reputation of Gates and Matt… Of course I didn’t want to hear, about all the women and party’s but we all had our past, and we couldn’t change what had been, right?

If Avery could just break through and finally tell her Dad what she felt and why she was here with us, maybe then he would listen?! He was trying and trying to change our minds, trying to distract us with different kind of tactics…

“Dad?” Avery’s weak voice sounded next to me and both Larry and I turned to her.
“Maya is right. We know about them… we knew it. But it is different now, if you want to believe it or not. I love Brian, and he loves me. If you would let us explain, we could finally tell you everything. I didn’t just leave because I wanted to punish you, or make you sad. I left, because I needed to be with my friends. I needed to follow my heart, and I know you can understand if you would just one moment see past the rock band image, especially you should do it.” Avery said and her voice got stronger with each word and I could say I was never prouder in my life of this girl.

“But Avery-” Larry stuttered a little and everything began from the beginning, he wanted to protect us but this time, both Avery and I wouldn’t give in. He turned, after guilt didn’t work, back to anger, but in the end, Avery and I were one front, he couldn’t breach and I think… it worked or better I hoped it did, because we didn’t have much of a choice!

Brian’s POV

We wanted to make a bulletproof plan? And what did we get? A disaster…
I could sense it.
This was not how this should have happened!
I wanted to tell him how much his daughter meant to me, make him realize just how much I loved Avery and that no matter how he would think about it, I wouldn’t let her go.

And then… all came crumbling down… or we crumbled down.
I paced before the conference door, not able to let it out of my sight just for a second.
“Brian, they will manage… I mean, what can he do, huh?” Johnny asked and I whirled around to him.
“Are you freaking kidding me? What he can do? What if he already took them out of the fire door and we don’t even know it? What if he won’t allow them to stay?” I asked and Matt sighed.
“Calm down, that’s not gonna happen.” Matt said and sounded sure, but I could see the way he was eying that door and that told me he was as on the edge as I was.

Was he afraid Avery would leave and take Maya with her? Would they both leave?
Would Larry try to deal with them?
Shit, we haven’t really talked about that many possibilities…
Why was he even here already? He shouldn’t be!

I needed more time, I wanted more time with Avery, this was not right. I wished I could just run back into that room and haul Avery out of there, so I was sure she was with me and not able to be taken from me.
But I couldn’t do that, could I?

“I agree with Matt. Avery and Maya will tell him what happened, explain everything and then it will all be good, have faith in them.” Zack spoke up and I wished he was right.
But I couldn’t believe that before I heard it for myself.

“Do I need to leave if Avery and Maya are staying?” I heard Jess whisper and I felt bad for her that she was witnessing all this.
“No, no.. I mean, even if they stay, what they will of course-” Jimmy added “We need someone as backup. What if any of them gets ill? What if Maya and I or Matt” Jimmy winked at Matt and Jess frowned “Need to make a secret mission? Then we need you and Ave on the booth… So there is no way you gonna leave so quick, right?” Jimmy looked at us but I couldn’t concentrate on anything beside that door and what was going on behind it.
If he would just let me explain, let me tell him about Avery and me, about Maya and Matt, we could make him see that there was more to everything then what he thought.
I wasn’t the womanizer manwhore, they liked to call me. I had only eyes for Avery and so was Matt with Maya. Why couldn’t he believe that we could change?

“Did he yell again? It seems pretty quiet.. do you think that is a good sign?” Zack asked and inched closer to the door.
He carefully laid his ear on the door listening in, then winced and quickly moved away.
“What? What did you hear?” Both Matt and I asked and Zack shrugged.
“Not that important.” He didn’t meet my eyes and I closed the distance between us “WHAT-DID-YOU-HEAR?!”
Matt got between me and him but also kept staring at Zack “Fine, he talked about your reputations… and yes S, both of yours… Girls come and go, the end of the tour, they going back to college… then I heard footsteps” Zack shrugged and I stared back at the door.

“He can’t tell them what will happen after the tour. We all don’t know what will happen then… but I know I want to keep this, if she is going back to college or not, that doesn’t matter to me…” I said and looked over to Matt, did he look uncertain? Or was it just the situation in general that made him look like that?

“How about we go over to the bar, get a small drink? Or a coffee for the pussies of you… After all the action I could use a strong one!” Johnny announced and Zack nodded “Come on guys, this might take longer, let’s give it a break.” He tried to shove me away but I wouldn’t budge.
“Gates, come on.” Jimmy laid his arm around Jess’ shoulders and led her away, Matt looked at the door then at me, the others had already left and we were the only ones left.

“Coffee?” He asked and I nodded “Real quick, then I’m going back.”
Matt laid his arm around my shoulder and we had walked about three feet when the door behind us opened, Larry looking at us.
“Get in here, both of you.” He looked like he was about to rip our heads off, then Maya and Avery appeared in the door, they left and I tried to analyze Avery’s face, but I couldn’t read it.

I could see that tears had run down her cheek, did that mean I had to say good bye to her?
Did she make her decision already and now she was afraid to tell it to me in person? Would Larry take over now?

My heart was pounding faster and I took a step towards Avery, when I felt Larry’s eyes boring into mine “Haner, get in here, now!” I sighed and stepped back in line, following a frowning Matt, who probably could read Maya’s face as bad as I could read Avery’s from the two glances that I was allowed to get.

After Matt and I stepped into the room, Larry motioned us to sit on the couch, but Matt kept standing “I rather stand…” He announced and Larry lifted an eyebrow, “I recommend you to sit down before I tell you this.”

Both Matt and I plopped down into the couch, and my palms were so sweaty, I rubbed them on my jeans, what was this about and why did this feel like soon I had to say goodbye?!

Notes

Soooo?!
What will happen now? What will Larry have to say?!

Do they have to say goodbye?!