This Could Be All I've Waited For

I woke up slowly coming into consciousness feeling well rested and so calm that if I would have been fully awake I would have questioned it. I felt the cool thin sheets against my bare skin, my cheek was pressed against Jack’s bare chest and I remembered last night. My lips stretched into a sleepy smile and I felt Jack’s fingers running up and down my back lazily.

“Good morning,” Jack mumbled sleep still apparent in his voice before he kissed the top of my head.

I attempted to roll over to stretch but Jack’s arm moved to hold me against him firmly. I chuckled and moved so that my face was buried in his neck instead. “This is as close as a morning comes to being good,” I mumbled against his skin.

He hummed in agreement and his fingers began traveling up and down my spine again.

“Things aren’t going to be weird and awkward now, are they?” I asked after placing a small kiss under his jaw.

Jack chuckled and turned onto his side and looked down at me, “Cady, you and I are masters of weird and awkward at this point,” he told me smiling.

I smiled back, “That’s not what I meant you douche bag,” I complained.

He chuckled and started to lean forward to press a kiss to my lips when the room door opened and Alex’s voice called through the room about it being time for us to get up. I wasn’t paying enough attention to Alex or Jack because I was busy yanking the sheet off the bed with me as I ran jumping on the spare bed and running across it before ducking into the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind me… knee jerk reaction.

I leaned against the glass shower trying to catch my breath and calm myself down. I hadn’t meant to get so worked up… I just did the first thing that came to mind… I panicked.

“Alex you idiot,” I heard Jack complain.

“Holy fuck you’re naked!” Alex exclaimed.

“No shit,” Jack muttered, “Cady was perfectly calm and okay with everything and then you come waltzing in here like you own the place and scared her.”

“Oh my God did I win?” Alex asked clearly ignoring everything Jack had to say to him.

Jack made a noise of frustration and Alex let out an excited high pitch laugh, “Are you and Cade together now?” he shouted the question.

“Alex,” Jack said sounding closer to the bathroom now, “Shut up while I go fix what you messed up.” I heard him turning the bathroom door knob and I gripped the sheet that I was holding around myself tighter suddenly feeling exposed.

I sighed when he came in, “Hi,” I said in a small voice.

He shut the door behind him and walked over to lean against the bathroom counter facing me. “Hey,” he said giving me a small smirk as he eyed the sheet.

“Shut up,” I complained looking up at the ceiling. Does he have to make this awkward? Is that his default, or something?

I heard him laugh, “It suits you,” he joked.

“Is Alex still out there?” I asked eyeing the door. I can’t believe that of all the times he could just waltz into our hotel room it had to be today.

I saw Jack nod out of the corner of my eye. I looked down at my pale bare feet against the tiled floor. “He’s waiting for the verdict,” Jack told me.

“Verdict?” I asked looking up to see his face.

“Yeah did he not ever tell you about the bet?” he asked.

“No,” I said my eyes growing wide, “Did he tell you?” Why would Alex tell Jack about the bet but not me when I’ve been bugging him about it all summer? What a twat.

Jack seemed amused, “No Zack told me a couple of weeks ago.” So maybe he wasn’t a twat. Jack, however is now a twat.

“And you never told me about it?” I shrieked, “You are the worst best friend on the planet.”

“Well Alex bet that you and I would end up sleeping with each other and then end up getting together by the end of this tour,” Jack said, “But Rian thought that Alex was crazy.”

“We sure proved him wrong,” I joked giving Jack a half smile.

Jack laughed, “Yeah that we did,” he said nodding, “I think Alex will be happy to find that he wins though.”

I realized what he was saying and immediately searched his eyes, “Do you mean that?” I asked. Was he really saying that he wanted a relationship?

He smiled and stood up straight quickly making his way towards me and taking my face in his hands. “Of course I mean that,” he said leaning his forehead against mine.

“So you’re telling me that you are all in on this?” I asked, “You want to make this a real thing, dates and late night phone calls and stress and the fights that come with long distance relationships?”

“As long as you’re willing to put up with me,” Jack didn’t get the chance to finish because I cut him off.

“Oh I’m willing,” I promised.

“Then count me in,” said smiling down at me.

“You guys?” Alex called from the room, “Did I win?”

Jack and I laughed at Alex before Jack called out, “Go away, Alex,” and pulled me into a kiss.

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Jack went down to the lobby to wait with the rest of the guys while I attempted to get my hair to dry, but ended up giving up and just fishtailing my hair. I decided on skinny jeans and a skate4cancer tank top slipping my feet into my Keds and running for the elevator knowing that I would be the last person ready to go.

When I walked off the elevator I couldn’t help but smile widely as soon as I saw Jack. He turned around smiling back and started walking towards me. As soon as he was within reach his lips were on mine and that was something that I would never get used to; it sent a shock through my whole body and I don’t know how long the kiss would have lasted if there hadn’t been sounds of surprise from the guys.

“Fuck,” Rian cursed clearly upset that after all of this time he had lost the bet while Alex was jumping up and down and smacking Rian on the arm repeatedly.

Jack and I broke apart laughing as he secured his arm around my waist.

“Well it took you guys long enough,” Zack said from where he was seated in an oversized and very plush looking armchair.

“Alright well I don’t know about you guys but I’m starving so can we go?” Flyzik asked waving us all towards the door. Vinny and I exchanged air fives as I was being pushed outside and on to the sidewalk.

“I hate to say I told you so,” Vinny said coming up to me and bumping his hip into mine, “But I told you so.” Vinny grinned clearly pleased with himself for being right about Jack liking me.

“Yeah, yeah, Vinny, I get it,” I said bumping his hip back, “You’re always right and I’m always wrong.”

Vinny’s grin widened, “Did you hear that Jack?” he asked leaning around me to see Jack’s face, “That is something she will never say to you.”

Vinny’s comment made everyone laugh, well everyone except for Jack who pouted playfully before a devilish grin spread across his face.

“I HAD SEX WITH CADENCE ERICKSON!” Jack shouted at the tops of his lungs as we walked down the side walk.

I smacked his chest, “Jaaack,” I whined not really upset by what he said but by t fact that he was shouting it while we walked through the city. I could feel the heat of my blush on my cheeks.

Jack leaned around me ignoring my complaint as he looked to Vinny, “That is something that you’ll never be able to say Vegas,” he said sticking out his tongue.

“Touche,” Vinny said nodding his head appreciatively.

“Fuck,” Rian complained, “Really you guys?” he said looking to Jack and I.

Alex was smacking Rian’s arm again saying, “I told you so,” repeatedly.

“Fuck you guys for not keeping your pants on,” Rain said pulling out his wallet and shoving a bill into Alex’s mouth successfully shutting him up.

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We found a neat little restaurant that wasn’t too far away from the hotel and pushed what seemed like a million tables together to fit everyone that we’d gone with. Jack was sitting to my right his fingers tracing my tattoo absent mindedly as he kept a conversation going with everyone else.

I had never been more comfortable in my life. I leaned back in my chair throwing bits into the conversation that was being kept easily with everyone that was here and just taking in all of it. I never wanted this to go away. I never wanted to get used to being this happy so I could never take it for granted.

Then a thought hit me causing me to chew on my bottom lip. This tour was going to end, and soon. We would be in Atlanta for the next show leaving us with only a couple of weeks to go before Warped tour came to a close.

I had no other option but to go home after this. I had a degree to finish so I would be returning to school… I didn’t want to and for a second I actually considered just dropping out, but I knew that my parents would not be okay with that and I’m not so sure that I would be okay with that.

“What’s on your mind Cady?” Jack asked in a lower voice trying to keep our conversation quiet and just between us.

I shrugged my shoulders frowning a little, “Just counting the number of days we have left on this tour,” I said not telling the whole truth.

Jack laced his fingers through mine and kissed the side of my head. “Don’t worry about that right now,” he whispered in my ear, “We’ll figure everything out after tour.”

I nodded knowing that he meant that we would enjoy being able to see each other every day for as long as we could instead of worrying how many days were left. I leaned my head on his shoulder waiting for our food to come out to give my hands something to do and something to keep my mind off the inevitable.

“So when do we get to hear all of the dirty details?” Alex called out loudly from across the table drawing everyone’s attention back to Jack and me.

I groaned and buried my blushing face in Jack’s neck causing Jack to chuckle and wrap an arm around my shoulders. “Never,” I mumbled hopefully loud enough for everyone to hear. From the laughs around the table I’d judge that the message got across.

“Come on Cade,” Alex whined, “Don’t be such a prude!”

I peeked out to glare at him. “I’m not being a prude, Alex,” I muttered, “I’m just saying that I’d rather not be around when you guys decided to have nasty locker room talk.” It was true I’d rather not hear how Jack wanted to tell the story to his friends. I didn’t want it to taint the actual memory of it, not that I had anyone that I would be telling the story to… maybe Cassedee… or maybe I’d give Addie and Halley a call; surely we’d become close enough friends by now that, that wouldn’t be weird.

“It wouldn’t be locker room talk,” Jack promised me kissing the top of my head.

“Does that mean you’re not going to tell us?” Rian asked.

I felt the rumble of Jack’s chuckle radiate from his chest. “Sorry guys,” he said, “My lips are sealed.”

“Fuck!” Zack complained causing me to wrinkle my nose.

“You guys are so gross,” I pointed out as I sat up in my seat.

“Hey,” Alex said putting his hands up in surrender, “You did it, not me. That’s all I’m saying.”

I tossed a napkin at Alex’s face. Sometimes I think that hanging out with guys might be worse than girls.