Best of Me

Metallica played in the background, intertwining with the laughs and playful yells from the guys. A smirk tugged at Kat’s lips as she expertly sliced at a potato. Tonight, she and Brian were hosting a get-together at his house to celebrate her moving in. Kat hadn’t officially moved in yet, but she wasn’t far from it. Most of her things had already been brought over, and she spent practically every night there. She wasn’t intending on calling it official until their local tour.

It was going to be a good night. There wouldn’t be any drama, unlike the last two get-togethers. Kat frowned as she thought back on them. She felt guilty because Val was being kept from her twin sister. She always had issues with Michelle, but she hoped they could work through them so that this wouldn’t happen anymore.

“You good?” Brian’s voice startled Kat from her thoughts, and a sharp pain ran through the pad of her thumb. The knife had sliced through the skin like butter. Wincing, she stuck her thumb in her mouth, trying to soothe the pain. Brian frowned as he rushed over to her, seeing the red liquid seep from the cut.

“I’m sorry, babe.” He gently moved her over to the sink and turned on the cold water, sticking her hand under the stream.

Kat smiled at him with a shake of her head. “It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. I should have been paying more attention.”

“Well, it doesn’t look like you need stitches.” Brian pulled a band-aid from one of the cabinets and expertly wrapped it around her thumb.

“Thank you.” Kat stood on her toes and kissed the corner of his mouth. But he was quick; turning his head just enough to catch her lips with his.

“Oh, Val’s here with the stuff you needed. You mind if I go back to the guys? We have a serious poker game going right now.”

“Bri, seriously? You know that you don’t have to ask for my permission.” Kat laughed as she shooed him away, making sure to pop him with the dish towel as he turned away. She stuck her tongue out at him before going back to cooking.

As Kat dropped the diced potatoes into the boiling water, she heard the sound of bags being placed on the counter. Val had arrived and was now unloading the groceries. When glass bottles clinked together, Kat’s mouth watered.

The brunette turned to see the cases of Corona and groaned, her head falling back dramatically. “As soon as this kid comes out, I’m having one of those.”

Val laughed as she placed the beer in the refrigerator, handing Kat a bottle of sweet tea. “Sorry babe, that’s all you get for now. And what if you breastfeed?”

Kat pursed her lips, resting her weight on her left side. Val reminded her of yet another decision she would have to make after the baby was born.

“Okay, well, if that’s what I choose then…after that, you, me, and the girls are having a serious girls’ night.”

“I’m so down for that.”

Speaking of the other girls, Meaghan came into the kitchen in search of another drink. The tall blonde smiled at Val and Kat as she took a seat at the island. Her gaze lingered on Kat, and the brunette quirked an eyebrow.

“What?”

Meaghan shrugged before sipping from her beer. “Nothing. I just hope that when I get pregnant, I’ll look half as good as you do.”

Kat made a noise of disagreement before stirring the potatoes. Truthfully, she felt like a cow despite her belly still being small. She appreciated the compliments though.

“Right?! She’s glowing and she hasn’t gained any weight except for the baby bump.” Val agreed, her eyes taking in Kat’s full appearance.

“Guys, I’m right here.” Kat laughed, resting her hands on the counter.

“Well, look at you!” Meaghan gestured to her outfit. She wore a simple black t-shirt with a pair of skinny jean overalls with distressing down the legs. Black Toms covered her feet and a thin black cardigan finished off the outfit.

Kat couldn’t deny that she felt pretty that day. Her outfit was comfortable and apparently made her look good, her normally wavy hair was pin straight, and she had foregone any sort of makeup.

Kat cleared her throat, pulled her hair over her shoulder, and changed the subject. “So, Val, how’s Michelle?”

Val froze as the words hit her ears. She was not expecting Kat to bring up her sister after what happened the last time they were in the same room.

“She’s good. She’s been busy with work and I think she’s getting pretty serious with this new guy. I think she misses hanging out with everyone, but she did that to herself. I wanted you guys to get along, but she had no right saying those things to you.”

Kat gave a small smile as her fingers tapped against the smooth granite. The guilt only settled in deeper despite Val’s words. She appreciated everyone having her back, but she wanted the drama to be done. It was stressful for everyone and she wouldn’t have the time for it after the baby got here.

Kat turned back to the food while Val and Meaghan talked. She picked up her phone, scrolling through it as she mindlessly stirred.

***

“I had no idea Kat could cook like that. I might have to move in with you guys.” Johnny joked as he lounged on a pool chair with a beer and cigarette in hand. Brian smiled as he lit his own, smoke swirling through the air as he exhaled through his nose.

“That’s a good idea, Christ. Then you can help out with a screaming baby.” The lead guitarist countered. Johnny pulled a face at the idea. The bassist wasn’t opposed to the idea of children, but he and Lacey weren’t ready for that responsibility.

“Gates, I swear to god, if you don’t marry that woman, I will punch you in the nuts.” Zack chimed in, half joking.

“He’ll have to beat Arin to it.” Matt laughed, his dimples immediately becoming more prominent.

Brian furrowed his eyebrows. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Arin has a crush on Kat.” Zack explained, and Brian’s gaze went straight to the young drummer. Obviously, he knew that Arin was with Kimberly and he wouldn’t ever pursue anything with Kat, but he still felt that primal protectiveness.

“Really guys? You had to throw me under the bus?” Arin asked, his eyes widening when he realized that he confirmed what they had said. “Brian, it’s not like that, I swear.”

Deciding to mess with him, Brian kept his face expressionless as he shifted his weight. “So, what’s it like then?”

Arin froze as his brain fumbled for the right thing to say. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing and risk getting the shit kicked out of him.

“Well, you know… Kat, she’s pretty, like really pretty. And she has a great a-“ His words were cut short when Brian’s eyebrows raised. It was almost like he was daring Arin to finish his sentence. There was a deafening silence shared between them. It was too late now. Arin couldn’t backtrack; he had already opened his mouth.

The silence was broken by laughter. Everyone, except for Arin, was laughing hard. The poor kid was practically shaking as he watched them. He had never been afraid of much, but this had him scared shitless.

“Relax, kid. I get it, she’s gorgeous. And I’m lucky because, in Zack’s words, I get to tap that every night.”

There was a collective groan at Brian’s words. Nobody wanted to hear about the things that Brian and Kat did when they were alone. She was like a sister to all of them.

After a few more cigarettes and a few more drinks, everyone decided to call it for the night. Everyone had gotten pretty toasted, so Kat and Brian decided to let them stay the night. Once they all had pillows and blankets, Kat carried herself upstairs to their bedroom. Brian was taking care of the dishes before going to bed.

Kat lazily pulled off her clothes, tossing them into the clothes basket. She was exhausted and ready to snuggle into bed. Sighing, she practically ripped off her bra and grabbed one of Brian’s band tees, slipping it on.

She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when Brian came into the room. He closed the door and set his phone on the dresser. His eyes caught sight of Kat in the attached bathroom. She was in one of his shirts, no bra, and no pants. When she leaned over to rinse the toothpaste out of her mouth, the shirt rose up, giving him a glimpse of the curves of her ass.

Brian let out a sound that was a mix between a groan and a whine. Kat smirked as she started brushing through her long hair. “What?”

He said nothing as he closed the distance between them, pulling the brush from her hand. He kissed her hard, smiling a bit as Kat seemed to go limp.

“You…are just really fucking hot.”

“You’re buzzed and I’m a cow.”

Brian pulled away just enough to look at her. “Are you serious right now?”

Kat shrugged with a small smile. “Yeah, I am. And it’s just going to get worse. I’ll look like a beached whale.”

“Shut up.” Brian kissed her again, not giving her the chance to say anything else. To prove her wrong, he easily picked her up. Just as she went to wrap her legs around his waist, he tossed her gently onto the bed, eliciting a laugh from her. His hands fell to her knees and started sliding up her thighs, his fingers dancing over the tattoo on her skin.

Kat was almost hesitant to do anything with their friends in the house, but she didn’t care. Grinning, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down on top of her.