Love Song Series Box Set (16 page)

Chapter 18

Julie

The phone rings, dragging me out of my sleep. It takes a second for the sound to register. I reach onto the nightstand and grab it. ”Julie, you need to get over here right now!” Uncle Mack says without giving me time to say hello.

I feel movement beside me and look over
. Seeing Jase in my bed brings back everything that happened last night. Am I really going to do this? Am I going to give us another chance? He rolls toward me and places his hand on my stomach. He rubs my little baby bump and smiles in his sleep. A smile spreads across my face, and I have my answer. Yes, I’m going to give us another chance.

“
Did you hear me? You need to get over here,
now
!” Uncle Mack shouts into the phone, interrupting my thoughts.

“
What’s going on?” I ask, my voice still groggy with sleep.

“
Your brother’s been hurt. We don’t know much. He’s in surgery right now, and the doctor is supposed to call as soon as it’s over.” Mack keeps talking, but I’ve already dropped the phone. My brother. No, this can’t be happening.

Fear spreads through me as I jump
out of bed. The sudden movement causes my stomach to roll. Placing my hand over my mouth, I will myself not to be sick. I have no time for this right now. My brother is hurt, and I can’t be sick.

“
What’s going on, babe?” Jase asks as he sits up in the bed, his voice gravelly.

“
Brandon’s been hurt.” The words taste like poison on my tongue. This can’t be happening. I can’t lose my brother.

Climbing from the bed, he grabs his boxers from the floor.
“What happened?”

“
I don’t know. Right now, I’ve got to get to Uncle Mack’s…” I say while pulling on a pair of jeans. I grab a shirt and turn to see Jase buttoning his pants. He grabs his t-shirt from the floor and walks toward the door.

“
I’ll tell Bethany what’s going on. I’m sure she’ll want to ride with us.” Pulling the shirt on, he looks back to me. “Meet you downstairs in a minute.”

“
Uh hum.” I mumble out, unable to say more. Words just won’t form in my brain. My head is a mess. I can’t think; I don’t want to think. Not Brandon.

Pulling a shirt over my head, I fight back my tears.
I can’t break down right now. That will have to wait for later. As soon as the shirt clears my face, Jase is standing right in front of me. “It’s going to be okay, baby. I promise.”

I gladly go to him
, letting him pull me into his body and wrap his arms around me. I rest my head on his chest and concentrate on how good he feels. I need this moment before I allow myself to feel the pain and panic of my brother being injured. “I’m scared, Jase. I can’t lose Brandon.”

Instead of giving me meaningless words, he just holds me as sobs wrack my body.
“Shhh, baby.”

As my tears fall, I look up at him and see the man I
’ve loved nearly my entire life. “I love you, Jase.”

“
It’s always been you,” Jase says as he takes a deep breath. “When we were apart, I felt like I was missing a piece of myself. Last night was the first time I’ve felt whole since you left me.”

Warmth fills my stomach, replacing the fear I
’ve been feeling for my brother. How does he know exactly what I need to hear? “It’s always been you for me too. I just got lost for a while. Thank God, you found me.”

Jase
’s arms tighten around me, and he kisses the top of my head. For just a moment, I feel peace for the first time in nine years. Please God, please let Brandon be okay.

Jase

We’ve been here for over an hour before I decide to let Pop know what’s going on. I walk out of Mack and Angie’s back door and place the phone to my ear.

“
What’s wrong?” It’s three in morning, so Pop knows that me calling means something bad has happened.

“
Brandon’s hurt. I don’t know any specifics, but I know it’s bad.” It must be real fucking bad for the Army to call in the middle of the night.

“
We need to get over to Mack and Angie’s. Where are you now? I’ll pick you up on the way,” Pop offers, immediately ready for action. It’s times like these, that despite my past with my pop, I know I can always rely on him.

“
I’m here already.” I tell him. “I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for you to come. You got Jenny, and I don’t think she needs to be here for this.”

“
This is family, boy. She needs to be there. I can guarantee you that just seeing her will make Julie feel better.”

I think about his words and nod to myself.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.  Just get over here as quickly as you can. The girls are all falling apart, and Mack’s not much better.”

“
I’m on my way,” he says before the line goes dead.

I slide my phone
off and put it back in my pocket, hoping I’ve made the right decision. A large part of me thinks we should shield Jenny from this shit, but another part thinks Jenny needs to be part of this. It’s her family too, and she’s not a baby, even though I think of her as one. She’ll want to be here for her momma. She’ll want to take care of Julie. Right now, Julie needs all the care she can get. Just as I turn to walk back in the house, Mack walks out the door.

“
Son, we need to talk.” I hate that he always talks to me like I’m a damn kid. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’m not his fucking son. I sigh a little, but figure I deserve whatever shit he’s getting ready to throw at me.

“
I know you love her. She loves you too. I think you’ll do right by her this time. With that said, you need to know that if you hurt her again, I’ll cut off your dick and shove it up your ass.”

I
’m not really sure, but I think that was Mack’s ass-backwards way of saying he trusts me. “I won’t hurt her again. I promise you that. I can’t. If I lose her this time, it’ll kill me.”

He looks at me for a moment then sticks out his hand.
“Enough said. Let’s get inside and take care of our women.”

We walk through the back door just as Matty com
es through the front door. Kristen goes right to him, and he wraps his arms around her. He places his mouth near her ear, and I can see him whispering to her. Then he raises her face to his and places a soft kiss on her lips. What the fuck?

Julie comes over and puts her arms around me.
 She leans forward on my shoulder and whispers, “See, I told you there was never anything between Matty and me.” She’s right. If I ever had any doubt in my mind about Matty and Julie, it’s gone now.

I stay quiet, wrap my arms around her, and give her a little squeeze.

Julie looks up, her face full of concern. “What do you think is taking so long?”

“
I don’t know, baby, but I do know that Brandon’s strong, so don’t worry yet. Just wait for them to call. We’ll worry then if we have to.” I kiss her on the forehead and hope to God that it won’t come to that.

Pop a
nd Shane arrive a few minutes later, with Shane carrying a sleeping Jenny in his arms. We all spend the next four hours pacing, drinking coffee, and trying to keep the women calm. When the phone rings, everyone goes still. I think we’re all afraid to pick it up, terrified about what we may hear.

Finally
, Angie answers, ”Hello?”

Chapter
19

Julie

Brandon will be in the hospital for a while. After he’s released, his military career is over. He’s coming home with a piece of metal floating around in his chest, but at least he’s coming home. The doctor says one wrong move and Brandon could die. A big part of me wants to cry, but I know what could have been, and I’m just thankful he’s coming home at all.

There were five other sol
diers in the Humvee with him. All of them were friends of Brandon’s, and all five of them died. My brother is just lucky that he was tossed from the vehicle, away from the majority of the devastation of the bomb. So right now, I’m thanking my lucky stars that my brother is alive.

Jase and I le
ft Uncle Mack’s a few minutes after the military representative called. I just couldn’t stand to be around everyone. I felt like I was being smothered. Everyone kept asking me if I was okay. Did I need anything? Could they get me something to eat or drink? They kept hugging me and telling me how much they loved me. It was all just too much. I wonder if this is how Jase felt after his mom passed away.

“
Is this how you felt?”

He cuts his eyes to me before looking back at the road.
“What are you talking about?”

“
After your mom died, did you feel like I was smothering you?”

Instead of answering my question, he asks one of his own.
“Is that what I’m doing? If it is, just let me know. I want to be here for you, but I don’t want you to feel boxed in.”

Boxed in, yeah
, that’s a good way to describe it. “It’s not you, but everyone else was treating me with kid gloves. They have been since I got home, but tonight was worse.”

“
They love you, Julie. They just want to be there for you.”

Staring out the window, I try to think of a way to explain how I
’m feeling. “I know they do, but I need for them all to treat me normal again. I just want to be the Julie I used to be, not the woman they all feel sorry for.”

“
Yes, it is.”

“
Huh?” I ask, looking back at him. “What?”

“
That’s how I felt after Mom died. I felt like everyone was watching me, waiting for me to break. I fucking hated it.”

“
I’m sorry I treated you that way.”

He ignores my apology, turning the
truck right when we should have turned left. I figure he’s probably taking me to get something to eat, but that’s the last thing I want right now. “I’m not hungry, Jase. I just want to go home.”

“
We’re not going to get something to eat. I’m taking you to our place. You need some rest, and you’re not going to get it at your house with Jenny running around all over the place.” I want to correct him. I want to tell him that he’s taking me to his apartment, not ours, but I’m too tired to argue.

“
Jenny went back home with your dad.”

“
Yeah, but he’s going to bring her back after he takes her to get something to eat, so I’m taking you to get some sleep. I already talked to Bethany. She’s heading back to the house, so, she’ll watch Jenny when Pop drops her off.”

Right now, sleep sounds
amazing, so I just close my eyes and lean my head against the window. Within minutes, I’m out.

I wake up in the bedroom I use
d to share with Jase. Everything’s the same, absolutely the same. The book I was reading the night before I left is still sitting on the bedside table. The picture of us at my senior prom is still on the wall. It’s all too much, bringing my past back at me full force. I shut my eyes for a second, trying to block out my thoughts of Jase and me together in this very room.

After a moment, I realize shutting my eyes isn
’t helping. The memories are still playing in my head, so I open my eyes and take the room in once more. Then I notice the sunlight bouncing off something on the dresser. I get out of bed and walk over to it. It’s Jase’s grandpa’s dog tags. Picking them up, I run the cool metal across my cheek.

“
I never put them back on. They weren’t mine anymore, so it didn’t feel right wearing them. I’ve kept them right there, waiting on you to come back,” Jase says from the doorway. He walks over to me, takes the dog tags from my hand, and slides them over my head. “This time, they stay on forever.”

I place my hand on the
cool metal of the dog tags and smile. I love the way they feel around my neck. The weight of them makes me feel whole again. “I’ll never take them off again.”

Jase brushes his lips against mine lightly, then deepens the kiss as he lifts me into his arms. He carries me to the bed and lays me down gently, covering my body with his
, while his lips glide across my cheek and down my neck. He flicks his tongue out, gently teasing the sensitive hollow at the base of my neck. I tilt my head back, giving him better access, which he takes full advantage of, covering every exposed inch with tender kisses and gentle nips with his lips and teeth.

While his mouth is busy tantalizing my senses
, his hand slips up my shirt until his fingers cup my breast, kneading the weight of it in his work rough hand. The scrape of hard earned callouses adds an extra layer to the pleasure he’s coaxing from my body. Quiet moans fall from my mouth, and I rake my nails down his bare back. Just as my hands skate across his shoulder blades, he pinches my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, causing my nails to dig into his muscle.

Jase pulls my shirt from my body
, leaving me in my barely there panties. His lips find my sensitive nipple and pull it into his mouth with gentle suction, while his hand continues itsassault on my other breast
.

“Oh, Jase,” I moan. My nipples are so sensitive I can hardly stand the pleasure. I thread my fingers through his hair, both pushing his mouth closer and pulling him away at the same time. I desperately want more, but the pleasure is just too much.

After what feels like an eternity, Jase leaves my breasts with one last lash of his tongue against my peak then licks his way down my body, dipping his tongue into my belly button. Lightly, he runs his finger across my
C-section scar and looks up at me a question in his eyes.

“
I had to have a C-section with Jenny. Our girl was stubborn from the start. She was breech, and nothing the doctors did could convince that girl to flip over.”

Jase
’s eyes fill with sadness and regret, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” His tone is full of apology, and the guilt I feel for denying him that right fills me with grief.

We missed so much because of our mistakes. The feel of his lips moving across my scar, kissing every inch of the mark that gave us Jenny
, causes my breath to hitch and tears to burn behind my eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you the chance to be there,” I confess.

“
It’s done now, baby. Time to live in the present and build our future,” he says, kissing his way down to my core.

I can tell he
’s determined to savor this moment, but I don’t want slow and gentle. I need him deep inside me, consuming me. I need him to chase away the past, and to do that, I want his cock. I tug his hair gently, urging him back up my body.

“
Come here, Jase.”

With a shake of his head
, he states, “No, baby. I’m going to taste you first. I’m going to lick this pretty pussy, and you’re going to come on my face. Then and only then will I fill you with my cock.”

“
But, I want you.”

“
No. First you come in my mouth, and then you can come around my cock.”

Before I can respond
, he sucks my clit into his mouth as two of his thick digits push into my wet heat. I push myself up into his mouth while desperately riding his fingers, seeking the pleasure only he can bring. He alternates between nibbling my clit between his teeth and laving it with his tongue, his fingers a constant massage against my walls. My entire being is overwhelmed. I know I won’t last at this rate, and from the way Jase is skillfully working me over, I can tell he’s just as desperate for me. He hooks his fingers, so each push and pull rubs against my g-spot, and redoubles his efforts on my clit, sucking it harshly. My hips push into his mouth desperately. My moans of pleasure have turned into nonsensical pleading.

“
That’s right, baby. Come for me. Let me taste you.”

I
’ve never been able to hold back when Jase talks dirty. My orgasm barrels down on me, my entire body stiffens as wave after wave courses through me. While I’m lost to my release, Jase loses his jeans and is over me once again. The heat of his length rubs through my slick folds, causing my body to jerk from the sensation when his cockhead makes contact with my over-stimulated clit. I lift my mouth to his and take his lips in a passionate kiss. Finally, he lines himself up and sinks into my pussy. After a few languid thrusts, he flips us so I’m on top. I push myself up so I’m sitting, the motion pushing his cock deeper than I can ever remember feeling him. My mouth drops from the intensity in a soundless moan.

“
You feel so fucking good. I swear your pussy was made just for my cock.”

His words entice my hips to rotate, grinding him deeper still
. I lean back, using his thighs to hold me up, while I ride his cock.

“
Fuck, look at how you swallow my cock.”

My eyes follow his line of sight
, and my walls clench from the erotic view of seeing him disappear inside of me. Seeing how our bodies meld together amplifies my pleasure, and I rotate my hips faster, starting a rhythm that will have us both tipping over the edge quickly. I throw my head back, losing myself in the moment. He pulls me back in the moment by pushing his thumb against my clit, and the pressure has my eyes rolling into the back of my head and my breath hitching.

“
So fucking hot,” he proclaims as my pussy starts fluttering around him, indicating my release. Suddenly, the world is tilting and spinning off its axis. When it’s stopped moving, I realize it was Jase flipping me to my back.

He thrusts into me hard and fast, his lips on mine
, devouring me. I’m holding onto his arms for dear life, terrified that if I let go, this moment will fade away like a wonderful dream. I know my nails are probably hurting him, he’ll have marks for sure, but I can’t let go. With one last thrust, he empties himself inside of me, and the warmth from his release tips me over the edge into bliss. Pulling away slightly, he rests his forehead against mine while we both attempt to catch our breath.

“
I love you, Jules. I love you so fucking much.”

I hold him on top of me, wrapping my leg around his so he isn
’t tempted to move away yet. My pussy still clenches around his cock as I come down from the heights of my orgasm. He grinds his hips, causing me to groan. “Baby, you keep doing that shit with your pussy, and you’ll kill me for sure,” he teases.

The look on his face is priceless
, and I burst out in a fit of giggles. I haven’t felt this free in forever. No matter what we have to face, I’m certain we will be just fine.

“
I love you, Jase.”

“
And I love you, baby. Always.”