Music of the Heart (Runaway Train #1)(10)



“Dream on,” I muttered.

“Fantasizing is healthy, you know. Maybe you should try it more.”

Closing my eyes, I kept playing Highway to Hell. I licked my lips. “Hmm, yeah, you’re right. Fantasizing is nice.”

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Angel?” Jake asked, his breath hovering close to my cheek. “Or should I say who ya thinkin’ about?”

“You,” I whispered. My eyes popped open to take in his surprised expression.

“Seriously?”

“Mmm-hmm,” I replied a little breathlessly for emphasis. He cocked his eyebrows expectantly. “I’m fantasizing about what it would be like to nail you in the balls again for being such an egotistical jerkwad!”

Laughter echoed around me from the other guys while Jake only shook his head. With a smirk, he replied, “Admit it though. You were still thinking about my balls.”

“You’re impossible.”

Before Jake could give me another witty comeback, my stomach rumbled so loud that it practically echoed throughout the room. Jake’s expression became concerned as his gaze honed in on my abdomen. “Why didn’t you tell us you were so hungry?”

An embarrassed giggle escaped my lips. “There’s kinda been too much going on to pay much attention to my stomach.”

“You like omelets?” he asked as he rose to his feet.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then one omelet coming up.”

“Um, thank you.” My jaw gaped open as I watched Jake head to the kitchen and take out the necessary supplies to make me a late breakfast. I gently put my guitar back in its case.

“You guys want one?” he asked over his shoulder as he began whisking the eggs.

“Nah, I think I’ll eat that leftover pizza,” AJ replied, sidestepping him to the fridge.

Rhys wrinkled his nose. “You’re disgusting.” He nodded at Jake. “I’ll take one.”

“Bray?” Jake asked.

“Nah, I’ll fix a sandwich when I come back out. It’s almost time for my Skype chat with Lily.”

When he started for the bedroom, Jake snorted. “Don’t be doing anything raunchy with Lily now that Angel is on the bus.”

Brayden whirled around to shoot Jake a death glare. “You know good and well that Jude and Melody are always there for my calls, you jackass!”

With a chuckle, Jake went back to working on his culinary masterpieces while Brayden slammed the bedroom door shut. AJ came over to the table with a Dominos box and began shoveling in several cold slices of pepperoni pizza.

“Are you even chewing that?” I asked.

He winked at me and replied, “I got a big appetite, Angel.”

I wagged my finger at him. “Manners, remember?”

Not taking his eyes from mine, he picked a napkin from the table and daintily wiped the corners of his mouth.

I grinned. “It’s not the dirty outside I’m concerned about, perv.”

AJ threw his head back and roared. “Damn, Abby, I sure am stoked about having you on the bus with us. You’re going to be fun as hell.”

“I hope so. I wouldn’t want to be a nag.” At the mischievous tinkle in his dark eyes, I shook my head. “Don’t even go there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t say some cheesy thing like ‘Ooh baby, you can nag me all night long—two or three times!’”

AJ’s dark eyes widened as his slice of pizza dropped onto the table. “Okay, it’s really creepy how you can read my mind, but then again…f*ck! It’s so hot that you can think like a dude!”

I laughed. “Older brothers, remember?”

A wide grin spread on his face. “Remind me to thank them someday for raising you right, Angel.”

Rhys raked his hand through his unkempt hair. “Speaking of your brothers, I caught part of their show. They’re not bad.”

“Not bad?” I huffed indignantly.

Pink tinged his cheeks. “Well, you know what I meant…for light rockers.”

AJ bobbed his head. “Yeah, when they were introduced, I kinda expected some Jonas Brothers shit. But they’re actually hardcore for Christian rockers.”

Leaning my elbows on the table, I eyed AJ and Rhys. “My brothers are fantastic musicians! I mean, can you two play multiple instruments?”

“Well, no—” Rhys began.

I smirked at them before crossing my arms over my chest. “Although he’s probably the least musically inclined, Gabe is one hell of a drummer, and he can write a song like nobody’s business. Micah can play the guitar, bass, banjo, dulcimer, and piano, not to mention he has an amazing voice for harmonizing. And Eli—he plays the bass and the fiddle and sings too. Along with Gabe, they’ve been writing their own songs and composing their own music since they were ten.”

Rhys held his hands up in defeat. “I stand corrected, Angel. Your brothers are complete and total badasses!”

Jake flipped an omelet onto a plate and added, “And their sister is pretty hardcore too.”

I laughed. “Thank you—for all your compliments about the general badassery of my family’s DNA.”

After winking at me, Jake then shuffled over to the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. “I’d really rather have a Coke Zero if you have it.”

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