The Rocker and the Realist

Epilogue

Five Months Later:

I think Jess was finally used to Colton’s presence. Although she still got a little fainty when Colton came up and kissed me like he just did. He wrapped an arm around my waist and turned to grin at her.

“Hey, Jess.”

“Hey.” She squeezed my arm and then shimmeyed off to find Dex and Lettie, who we managed to get out of the house tonight.

The house was full to the brim with people. Another in the long line of PR parties I had been going to with Colton. He was right when he said dating him wouldn’t be easy, but it was also worth it. I hadn’t gotten to see him a ton in the past couple months but he found ways to come visit and it was enough. He even came to prom with me which put everyone in a tizzy. I went to all his PR parties, like this one, and that put all the photographers in an equal tizzy.

Graduation was only a month away and I would be seeing him much more after that. We would have the summer plus my college schedule would be much easier to work around even though I was staying local for college. And what do you know, I was majoring in communications.

Colton pressed a kiss to my head and I turned up to look at him with a smile. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

Over his shoulder a broad shouldered figure caught my attention. Mateus. Things were awkward to say the least between us but we were learning to work around it. After all in the end we both cared about the same person: Colton.

I turned back to Colton. His ocean eyes still focused on me with such emotion that I went up on my toes in the ridiculous aqua shoes Jess had talked me into. I placed a kiss on Colton’s cheek and as a slow song started to pour over the speakers I grabbed his hand and gave him a little tug. “Dance with me.”

Colton’s smile spread slow and easy. He raised our joined hands and moved his arm so I was forced to twirl, my black dress fanning out around my thighs. He led me over to where the dancing was happening and wrapped me in his arms. I lowered my head to his shoulder as we moved. A photographer showed up out of nowhere and snapped a picture of us. Colton’s hand constricted, bunching the material of my dress at my hip. I gave him a little squeeze.

“It’s fine.”

He sighed and rested his head on top of mine. “Yeah it just bugs me. They intrude on everything, you know?”

I did know. These past months with Colton were a whirlwind. The media just loved to focus on the notorious womanizer that had settled down. Though lately the intrusions were less and less frequent. The media was finally getting used to me.

“That’s the life you chose, band boy.”

He pulled away and looked down at me. “Why did you choose it?”

I shrugged with a smile, “You’re worth it.”

The song ended and a faster beat started. I moved away but Colton tugged me back against him. His lips captured him in a kiss that was far too intense to be doing in public. I was a little light headed when he finally pulled away. A blush crept up my cheeks and he grinned. “I love you.”

I froze on the spot. He just kept smiling and grabbed a strand of my hair. His eyes echoed what he had said. “I love you.” He repeated as he brushed his lips against mine again.

“I love you too.” I said and pulled him in for another kiss.

The scary part? I meant it.