This Could Be All I've Waited For

I was woken up by Jack pulling himself from underneath me. When I opened my eyes, I was on my back and Jack was hovering over me on his hands and knees. I frowned up at him upset that he’d woken me up when I was really not ready.

“Jack,” I whined, “I don’t wanna get up.” he grinned down at me bringing his lips to mine.

The kiss was sweet and tasted like spearmint toothpaste. Our lips molded together and matched each other’s movements easily keeping pace. “It’s not time to get up,” Jack mumbled against my cheek as his lips traveled towards my neck.

“Then why am I awake?” I asked slightly out of breath from kissing him. I didn’t have the will power to keep myself from tangling my fingers in his hair and bringing his body closer to mine.

Jack chuckled skimming his nose across my collar bone. “Because I wanted to kiss you,” he explained as if the answer to my question should have been obvious. “It’s one in the morning, and I couldn’t get back to sleep without it.”

I sighed because honestly it was one of the cutest things I’d ever heard. In the back of my mind I found myself wishing that we weren’t on a tour bus filled with our closest friends. I wished that we were in a hotel room or maybe back at his house… hell as long as my parents weren’t home I’d want to be in my bedroom at this point; anywhere that meant I was completely alone with Jack Barakat would suffice.

I brought his lips back to mine not being able to stand having his lips on the sensitive skin of my neck and shoulders. I could feel Jack’s lips stretch into a grin against my own lips and I couldn’t keep myself from grinning back. I really hadn’t even known that I could want him this much. It took this summer for me to realize that I wasn’t just protective of him because he was my best friend but because I wanted him for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’d always been attracted to Jack, but this… the way I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering off to those two nights in that hotel room or to remembering the way his lips felt… it was simply uncalled for.

One of Jack’s hands pushed under my shirt attempting to shimmy it up. I knew where this was headed and I wouldn’t have it… or well I certainly would, just not on a very full tour bus. “No,” I mumbled against his lips as his hands attempted to pull the fabric up and over my head.

I felt Jack’s lips frown against mine dramatically. “You’re killing me, Cady,” he whined flattening his body against mine and sighing in defeat.

“Everyone would hear,” I whispered trying to reason with him as he tucked his head under my chin leaving lazy kisses on my exposed shoulder. I ran my fingers through his hair at the base of his neck.

Jack let out a hum of contentment and his fingers reached out to my arm that I’d let rest beside us. I knew he was trying to find my tattoo but there wasn’t enough light in the bunk for him to possibly be able to see it. His fingers traced over the skin anyway, clearly spelling out the words that were permanently inked into my skin. “We could be quiet,” he tried sounding so innocent. It was strange that he was able to make anything in this conversation sound innocent.

I scoffed at him, “Yeah I don’t believe that for a second,” I told him.

Jack sighed without saying anything for a moment. I thought that maybe he had decided that he was going to sleep until his head jolted off of my chest. “We can still make out though, right?” he asked sounding as though he was pleading with me.

I chuckled and pulled his face to mine. Our lips found each other with an ease that made it all seem familiar. It was astonishing to me that Jack could ever think he would have to beg me to make out with him. I enjoyed kissing Jack so thoroughly that there were points over the past few days that I wondered if I’d be constantly distracted by the thought of it once the semester started for me.

Jack’s mouth opened slightly and his tongue flicked out licking my bottom lip sending a shiver down my spine. Yeah, he’d never have to beg for this.

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“Did you ever hear from your parents last night?” Jack asked as we walked around the Atlanta venue. The doors hadn’t opened yet so we basically had the place to ourselves other than the crew members that were running around trying to get things up and going.

“Nope,” I said popping the p and linking my fingers with Jack’s loosely. I’d meant to call them when it had gotten to be late and I still hadn’t heard from them but I’d gotten distracted somewhere along the way.

“Is that Alex’s?” Jack asked nodding towards the shirt I was wearing.

I looked down at the black shirt that read ‘Cancer is a Dick’ in tall white letters. The sleeves were cut off almost to my hip leaving my red sports bra exposed along with my sides. “I think it’s Zack’s actually,” I told him shrugging, “Alex would die before he cut his cancer shirts up.”

“Will you be wearing that all day today?” he asked sounding weary. I couldn’t help but laugh at how concerned he seemed to be about my clothing choices.

“Jack it’s hot, I’m wearing as little clothing as possible while still being socially acceptable,” I told him before a thought struck me, “actually I could toss the shirt and just walk around in my shorts and sports bra, girls at Warped do that all the time, right?”

Jack nudged me, “Stop it,” he whined, “and keep the shirt on. Knowing your parents they’ll show up and you’ll be prancing around the place naked.”

I chuckled lightly. I let go of Jack hand and was about to take my phone out of my pocket when Jack’s arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me against his body. A giggle escaped my lips, “Jack, what are you doing?” I asked trying to pull away from him.

Jack didn’t bother answering my question, instead he pressed my back against the side of the stage we were closest to and took my chin between his thumb and pointer finger. He smiled widely down at me before bringing his lips to mine. My hands lay limp on his chest as he kisses me making my head spin. His hand left my chin and slid to the back of my neck as he deepened the kiss. I dug my fingers into his t-shirt telling myself that we were not alone and that this kiss was going to remain just as kiss… though in the back of my mind I had to admit that I wanted it to be so much more.

“Cadence?” I heard my father’s voice calling my name bringing me out of my Jack induced trance immediately.

I gasped and broke the kiss not bothering to push Jack away; we were supposed to be telling them about us today, after all. Jack winked at me before clearing his throat and turning around to face my mom and dad smiling with one arm still wrapped around my waist.

“Hey Daddy,” I greeted him waving and smiling sheepishly. Man they have the worst timing in the world. Jack and I both moved forward to meet them as they walked up. Dad pulled me into a tight hug saying how quiet the house was without me despite the fact that I’m barely there when I am home. I chuckled hearing Jack call Mom “Mamma Rick” before I shoved him aside so that I could give her a hug. I couldn’t help but smile when I heard Dad congratulate Jack on “finally stealing my heart” and my grin widened even further when Jack referred to him as “Papa Rick”.

“Oh, so now the two of you are going to admit that you’re more than friends,” Momma said knowingly as Jack slid his hand into mine.

Jack smiled before leaning over and kissing my temple. Momma smiled like a mad woman and Daddy’s smile didn’t quite cover the worry in his eyes. My stomach dropped when his eyes met mine; Derek had talked to him. I can’t really explain how I knew, but to me it was written in the way his lips weren’t stretched to the extent that they were capable of…

I looked to Jack hoping he would see that I needed him to take Momma away for a little while. I could never have been more pleased that Jack and I knew each other so well as I was in that moment. Jack didn’t bother asking me what was going on, maybe because he already knew, but he let go of me and offered his arm to Momma.

“Why don’t I show you around, Momma Rick?” he asked as she took his arm, “Have you ever been on a tour bus?” he asked as he towed her away and Momma couldn’t have been more delighted.

“So, Derek called me last night,” Daddy began as he tilted his head to the side. I didn’t bother changing my posture. Folding my arms to make myself feel slightly less exposed would have done absolutely nothing but confirm what Derek had said. Daddy could see right through me anyway, so why bother?

I let out a long breath rubbing my hands down my thighs. “I didn’t want you to find out like that,” I told him wishing that he’d stop looking at me with his all-knowing eyes.

He gave me a halfhearted smile, “So it’s true?” he asked sounding as if he hoped that I would deny it and tell him that Derek was only talking shit like he always does.

I chewed on my bottom lip and shrugged my shoulders trying not to cry. I know it sounds silly, but I’m a total Daddy’s girl and I hated knowing that the way he saw me would be ruined… tainted by knowing things that a daddy never wants to know about his little girl.

I took a shaky breath. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that,” I told the grass beneath my feet, because I couldn’t stand to look my dad in the eyes.

I expected him to tell me that my excuses weren’t good enough. That I was supposed to be the respectable young lady that he raised. Maybe even tell me that he didn’t approve of Jack. However, I didn’t not expect to feel my dad’s arms wrap around me tightly as he hugged me.

“Things don’t always go the way that we hope or plan when it comes to love, bunny,” he told me still hugging me and calling me by my childhood nickname.

I sighed feeling a weight lift in my chest and the knot in my throat loosen. I laughed lightly out of relief, “Hotels are trouble,” I mumbled into his shirt.

Daddy chuckled pulling away and putting me at arm’s length, “Don’t blame the hotel, Bunny, it’s surprising that you two made it past the day you turned eighteen,” he chided kissing my forehead.

I frowned hearing something like that coming from my dad, “Why does everyone say that?” I asked pouting but not really caring for an answer.

“Are you happy?” he asked me in that way that dad’s do when they find out you’re dating a guy that they both know and like.

I couldn’t have stopped the wide smile from taking over my face even if I had wanted to. “He makes me happy,” I told him honestly.

“He’s a good kid,” Daddy said nodding and smiling back at me… I could have sworn that I saw a glint of pride in his eyes.

“Papa Rick, you better get a handle on your woman before she gets swept off her feet by some musician that’s half her age,” Jack called out as he and Momma approached us.

“Rita, I’m not limber enough to beat down these punks anymore,” Daddy joked as he kissed Momma’s cheek.

“Everything okay?” Jack whispered in my ear as Momma and Daddy continued to kid around.

“It’s perfect,” I said leaning into him and watching my parents their love still so evident despite how long they had been together.