Page 208 of Fame & Chaos

She lifts her head and looks at me softly. “I love you too.” Then she kisses me.

Not gently like she has been these last few weeks, either. This kiss has heat behind it. Want behind it. Like she’s finally stopped being terrified of hurting me.

I kiss her back harder instantly, and she parts her lips for me, our tongues sliding together perfectly like we never stopped doing this every single night. As I kiss her deeply and hold her against me, my body starts responding. My cock thickens painfully inside my joggers, and desire curls hard through my stomach.

I know this isn’t going anywhere tonight.

But right now, holding Indi in my arms while she kisses me like this…

It feels like my own perfect little piece of heaven anyway.

***

The next two weeks fly by in an absolute blur, and before we know it, the album is finished. Every vocal track, every guitar riff, every lyric, every beat. Done.

Now it’s up to Rob and his production team to work their magic and polish everything for release, but even hearing the rough cuts back in the studio gave all of us goose bumps. We also managed to squeeze in a photoshoot for the album cover, and it looks fucking incredible. Dark, edgy, emotional… exactly who Staked is.

I think we’re all a little shocked by how quickly everything came together. Then again, when you’ve got the right people behind you, amazing things happen.

The album officially dropped three days ago, and now we’re stuck in the horrible limbo of waiting to see if people actually like it.

Seven weeks after the accident, I finally feel almost like myself again. I’m down to fewer painkillers, I can move around properly without feeling like I’m eighty years old, and the constant ache in my side has eased massively. Sure, I still get random flashes of pain if I twist awkwardly or move too quickly, but overall? I’m doing really well.

The hospital is happy with my recovery, which makes Indi relax slightly every time we leave a follow-up appointment. She’s started picking up shifts at work again, but only part-time for now, so she can still cart me around everywhere. I keep telling her Chad can drive me if needed, but if I am being honest with myself, I’d much rather spend every second with Indi than anyone else.

I hate it when she’s gone.

The apartment feels too quiet without her there, and I’ve gotten way too used to living inside our little Caleb-and-Indi bubble these last few weeks.

Eventually, she’ll go back to work, and reality will creep back in, but right now I’m pretending that day isn’t coming anytime soon.

Today, Indi went out shopping with Kenzi, which sounds about as entertaining as having my toenails ripped out, so she dropped me at Chad’s place earlier, and now we’re heading down to Oxfordshire to meet with Rob and the others to see if there’s any news about the album.

The charts have been climbing steadily since release, and I may or may not have been obsessively checking them every hour. Yesterday and today, though, I’ve been distracted by Rob talking about possible shows already being lined up. Which means I seriously need to start getting my stamina back because touring after nearly dying probably isn’t going to be easy.

Chad pulls through the manor gates and parks in his usual spot.

“Thanks for driving me, mate,” I say while climbing out carefully.

“Well, I figured it was a bit far for you to walk,” he replies dryly. “And I didn’t wanna wait for your slow arse to get here.”

I roll my eyes and smack the back of his head lightly.

He laughs while we walk toward the manor, but I notice him fussing with his hair more than usual.

“You okay?” I ask suspiciously.

“Yeah, Ella’s gonna be here,” he blurts out.

I grin instantly. “Yeah… she lives here, dickhead.”

He pauses and winces. “Right. Shit. That came out wrong.”

I laugh while he drags a hand through his hair again. “I just mean… the band’s here, and I wanna make a good impression. Make everyone realize I’m serious about this.”

“Do you even know how to take anything seriously?” I ask.

Chad gasps dramatically. “Excuse you. Staked’s success is critical to my future, Caleb. I might look like an idiot most of the time, but deep down I’m actually very thoughtful.”