This Could Be All I've Waited For

I sat curled into Jack’s side in the front lounge after we checked out of the hotel. Vinny held my right arm trying to get a good picture of my tattoo, apparently it was instagram worthy. Jack was lazily playing with the ends of my hair and placing random soft kisses on my cheeks and forehead.

“You two are so boring now that you’re together,” Alex complained sitting across from us.

Jack chuckled at that and whispered something in my ear about us not being very boring at the hotel. I smacked his chest without even thinking about it, which successfully ruined another picture Vinny was trying to take.

“Dammit, Cade that one was actually going to be good!” he complained throwing his arms down to his sides in exasperation.

I sighed sitting up apologizing. “Here, take the picture now,” I told him holding my arm out in front of me and making a stupid face in the background.

Vinny quickly snapped the picture with a grin on his face. “You’re a little blurry in the background but the tattoo came out perfect,” he said messing with his phone as he spoke.

“Great tag me in it or I’ll kill you,” I threatened.

“Done,” Vinny announced tossing his phone beside him on the couch.

“Hey!” I heard Flyzik call from somewhere in the back part of the bus before he came into the front lounge, “I never got to check out your tattoo,” he complained giving me a pouty face and holding up his phone showing the picture Vinny just posted.

“Don’t be such a baby, Matt,” Vinny joked, “it’s not my fault I’m her favorite.”

I shoved Vinny roughly causing him to fall onto his side, “Don’t be so mean, Vin,” I scolded, “You never asked to see it, Matt.” I patted the spot next to me that I had vacated by shoving Vinny out of the way.

Matt quickly took the seat and pulled on my arm while Jack pouted on my other side. “What’s your deal?” I asked him nudging his side.

“Everybody’s touching it,” he said nodding towards my arm where Matt was now rubbing a thumb across the inked skin.

I chuckled, “Jack are you getting possessive?” I asked raising an eyebrow. I wasn’t used to Jack claiming me in such a point blank way. Sure, I’d always staked some sort of claim over him scaring off as many girls as I could, but Jack had just subtly wrapped a protective arm around me or held my hand that was enough to ward off most.

“Cady, don’t take this the wrong way or anything,” he said looking me in the eyes, “but now that we’re together, I kind of consider every inch of you to be mine. Not that I’m saying you’re property, but that I feel like I belong to you and you belong to me,” he let out an exasperated sigh, “God that sounded so much less stupid in my head.”

I giggled at him as he sent me a playful glare. “Dude,” Matt said dropping my arm, “You guys have been together for less than two days and you’re already completely hopeless.” He chuckled shaking his head as he got up and walked away leaving Jack sending a glare his way.

“My turn!” Alex said jumping up from his seat to come sit next to me. He grabbed my arm and brought the skin super close to his face. “Yep it’s a real tattoo!” he announced dropping my arm and walking away.

I sighed Jack and I were now alone in the front lounge. We both knew that alone time was something that was hard to come by on the bus. Apparently it doesn’t take long for Jack to weigh his options because his lips were on mine in seconds. I definitely didn’t mind seeing as I kissed back just as hard immediately tangling my fingers in his hair. Jack’s hands gripped my hips pulling me so that I was facing him and then pulling again so that I was basically in his lap. I smiled into the kiss and so did he. His thumbs pushed away the fabric of my tank top and gripped more tightly onto the skin of my hips. Goosebumps traveled up my sides and down my arms. Jack smirked feeling the texture breakout across my skin. I retaliated by sucking in his bottom lip and biting it causing a small gasp to escape his lips.

“Ew!” Rian called coming into the front lounge.

“Break it up you two,” Zack said picking me up and literally taking me off Jack sitting me back down with a cushion between us.

“You guys suck,” Jack commented as he reached over gripping my thigh and yanking me towards him closing the space between us.

“Look,” Rian said, “I’m all for you guys being together, but I don’t want to see you sucking face all over the place.” He finished off with some dramatic hand gestures as he fell back into the couch across from us.

“They’re just all upset because they aren’t getting laid,” Jack stage whispered to me. Rian’s head snapped in his direction to glare at him. I couldn’t help but laugh at the exchange.

“You aren’t getting laid on the bus mister,” Rian said pointing a finger in Jack’s face.

Jack chuckled and pushed his finger away. “Cady wouldn’t let me even if I tried,” Jack said cuddling into my neck.

The movement should have been normal by now considering he’d done it a lot these past few days, but it still surprised me. I found myself having to catch my breath as I leaned my head against his.

“So have you guys told Derek yet?” Rian asked sitting across from us.

Jack groaned against my neck and I sighed. Jack had already told his family, or well he told May. I think it’s safe to assume that his whole family knows by now… if not all of twitter. God I hope she didn’t post that on twitter. The last thing I need right now is another phone call from Derek demanding expiations.

“Are your parents in Georgia or L.A.?” Jack asked before placing a soft and short kiss on my neck.

My head spun for a moment still not used to Jack’s outward displays of emotion and I sighed grounding myself. He was really going to do this. He wanted to tell my family… I wasn’t sure if I was excited or scared. I mean sure it was completely fine when he told May, but that seemed so much more noncommittal than telling my parents.

“They’re supposed to call me and let me know if they’ll be at the show tonight,” I told him deciding that I was happy with the way things were going, and that was all that mattered.

Jack simply hummed in response. He clearly could not be bothered to open his mouth to speak or even lift his head so that we were in a somewhat presentable position. It wasn’t long before he was pushing his hand in my pocket and taking my phone before I could stop him.

“What are you doing?” I demanded trying to take my phone back from him. I didn’t have anything to hide I just wasn’t sure what Jack could possibly be up to.

He didn’t listen to me or let me take my phone back instead he pinned me down on the couch beneath him successfully holding both of my wrists within one of his hands. I huffed, annoyed that he was capable of overpowering me so easily. I made a mental note to myself to workout with Zack later.

Jack pressed my phone to his ear looking straight ahead as he listened to the dial tone. He seemed nervous in an odd way and I wondered what could have him acting so strangely.

“Hello Derek, this is Jack,” he said into my phone and I could feel my eyes bulging at the sound of my brother’s name.

“Jack what the hell are you doing?” I demanded from underneath him trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

“Yeah I didn’t have my phone on me but look I need to talk to you about something important,” Jack said clearly ignoring my protests and throwing a leg over my waist so that he was straddling me now.

I looked over to Rian who was still sitting on the couch across from us. “Ya wanna give me a hand here?” I asked raising my eyebrows at him.

Rian just chuckled and said, “Oh I try to stay out of couple drama.” He stretched out his limbs and settled in clearly getting some sort of amusement out of the scene before him.

I groaned, “Rian you are an asshole, and I am definitely telling Cassadee about this,” I warned him giving him what I hoped was a fierce look.

From the way that his grin widened I’d say that I had failed in my mission.

“You see Cady and I-” Jack began to say but was quickly cut off by Derek before he could finish his statement.

Jack frowned, “I’m afraid that isn’t your decision to make, Derek,” he said looking down at me. Jack seemed to be listening intently to whatever it was that Derek was saying as his eyebrows pulled together. “She’s a grown woman now, Derek, this wasn’t going on when she was underage,” Jack said looking confused. “Of course not!” Jack nearly shouted; obviously Derek was being a douchebag about this.

“Tell Derek to shove it,” I told Jack causing the corner of his mouth to twitch upward for a moment.

“Derek I called to let you know what was going on, not to get your permission,” Jack told him, “I plan to treat her with the utmost respect and I’ll do everything in my power to keep her from ever getting hurt.”

Jack looked down at me smiling kindly before brining my hands to his lips kissing them.

“Of course,” Jack said before releasing my hands and holding out my phone to me.

“Derek what did you say?” I demanded not bothering to push Jack off of me.

“I just warned the little prick that if he hurts you that he’d be answering to me,” Derek said as if it were no big deal that he had threatened Jack.

I sighed, “Derek what happened to you and Jack being friends?” I asked looking up to Jack who was smiling down at me.

“Oh we’re still friends Cade it’s just that the moment he hurts you all bets are off,” Derek said not seeming to see any problem with this arrangement he’d worked out with himself.

“Boys are idiots,” I mumbled.

“Speaking of idoits did you sleep with him?” Derek demanded.

I sighed, “That isn’t any of your business, Derek,” I told him closing my eyes tightly and wishing that I didn’t feel the heat of a blush rising to my cheeks.

“Yes!” Rian yelled out from where he was seated.

My eyes snapped open and I turned my head to glare at him. “Shut the fuck up, Rian,” I growled.

“That’s all I needed to know,” Derek said the tattletale tone taking over his voice.

“Derek please don’t tell Daddy,” I whined feeling the frown forming on my face.

“I make no promises, little sister,” Derek sang before the line went dead.

I groaned and threw my phone at Rian. “You dickhead, why the hell would you say that?” I demanded sitting up. Jack didn’t move an inch.

Rian shrugged, “You guys cost me a good bit of money,” he reasoned not seeming bothered at all.

“You’re the idiot that bet that we wouldn’t get together,” Jack said before I could respond to Rian.

I couldn’t help but worry about Derek telling our parents. Momma wouldn’t care as much as Daddy would. Momma knew about my past relationships, but in my dad’s eyes I was still a little girl. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for his image of me to change just yet and I really didn’t want it to be while I was away… with the guy that would crush the image that he still believed to be true.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Jack placing his hands on either side of my face and pressing his lips to mine. He pushed me back onto the couch before pulling away. “Stop worrying about it,” he whispered, “We can always say that Derek is a good for nothing liar, and we both know they’d believe you over him any day.” He touched the place between my eyes. There was an unmistakable pucker of skin that was only present when I was worrying about something.

I sighed at his words knowing that he was right. If Derek was stupid enough to tell our dad, I could convince him that Derek was lying with ease. I just didn’t want to have to lie… especially not to my dad.