“Can you just be cool for one night? It’s my brother’s birthday.”

Julie sat in the passenger seat of the car with her arms crossed over her chest. Over the last couple of years, it’d gotten harder and harder to talk Julie into hanging out with his brother and his crew.

It seemed to be Zee and Julie’s single point of contention.

The place where they always seemed to clash.

“I told you I don’t feel comfortable around this crowd.” Her voice was pleading.

Frustrated, Zee swiped a hand down his face. “If you’d just give them a chance, you’d see they’re all really good guys. Yeah, they’ve made some mistakes, but we all have and there’s not a single one of us that is perfect. You know that.”

Tears pricked at her eyes. “Give them a chance? Every time we show up to a party, there are drugs all over the place—and before you say something, I know your brother has been trying to stop. That the rest of the guys have. But that doesn’t mean it’s not right there, in my face.”

She pulled in a frantic breath. “Not to mention every single time, there is some slut trying to steal you from me, acting like I’m not even there. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”

Searching for patience, he looked to the ceiling. “And you really think that’s ever going to work, Julie? That I’d step out on you like that? Mess up my entire life for a night of fucking around? I think you know me better than that. ”

He squeezed the steering wheel. “I grew up with them. They’ve always treated me like a brother. They’re family to me.”

He loved Julie. He did. So fucking much. But ever since they’d gotten together, he felt like there was a little bit that had gone missing in his life.

Friendship and brotherhood.

That sense of really belonging. That bond to his brother had always been tight, and it was time to take the steps to make sure it didn’t weaken.

Julie touched his forearm. “I just worry if you hang around them too much, they’re going to influence you into doing something you shouldn’t do.”

“I’m not twelve.”

A frown pulled between her brows. “Why do you have to be like that? This is a legitimate concern. You don’t know when you step through that door what kind of situation you’ll find yourself in. I care about you. I care about us, and you know that isn’t the type of crowd we need to be associating ourselves with. You know the kind of reputation it could earn.”

Disbelief and frustration flooded the short laugh that Zee released. The problem was, he understood her point, too, and wholeheartedly disagreed at the same damned time. “You’re concerned about my reputation? These guys aren’t just insanely successful, they’re also insanely talented.”

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t need to pretend like that’s music.”

“Are you joking right now? Do you think the songs they write are any less important than mine?”

“You’re brilliant, Zee. Brilliant. None of them can touch what you do.”

“I can’t believe you’d say that, Julie. You of all people should know there’s importance in everything. In every art, however it’s created. Only thing different is how people react to that art. Art touches people in different ways, and each of us is drawn to the different forms of it.”

She dropped her head, the words a whisper. “I know that…I’m sorry. I just…”

With wide eyes, she looked over at him. “It scares me, Zee. What they do. The way they live. I don’t have room for that in my life.”

“But Mark is part of mine.”

Nodding, she unlatched her door the second Zee pulled to the curb, like she needed to do it before she changed her mind. “Okay.”

Cars lined the streets, and he could already hear the heavy metal blasting through the walls.

“Hey,” he called softly.

Before she climbed out, she shifted to look over at him.

“I promise you…none of this even entices me. I want no part of it other than to hang with my brother and his friends.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Killing the engine, he climbed out and went straight to Julie’s side.

He took her by the hand. “Come on, baby, this will be fun. Just…let loose a little bit. Enjoy yourself.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

He framed her face and kissed her hard. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

She brushed her fingers down his chest. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

Zee hugged her, so tight. “I love you so fucking much.”

She burrowed her fingertips in his waist. “I love you…more than anything.”

* * *

Ash lifted his shot glass. “To Mark, the birthday boy. May this year be the best yet, brother, full of songs and full of life. And let’s not forget the ladies. May there ever be a long line of the lovely, lovely ladies.”

Mark lifted his glass and shouted, “Here, here,” before he looked down and winked at Veronica, a chick he’d apparently been hooking up with for the last couple of months.

Baz had filled Zee in. He wasn’t a fan.

Veronica joined in on lifting her glass.

A slew of glasses clanked where the toast went up in the middle of the packed kitchen, arms stretching wide to make sure they were right in the middle of the festivities.

Zee was laughing as he clinked glasses with everyone in the room before he tossed back his shot. It seemed crazy a freezing cold liquid could light like fire in his belly, warming him from the inside out as it spun his head and slowed his senses.

Still, everything felt heightened.

Good.

He tightened his arm around Julie’s waist and nuzzled his face in her neck. “You smell delicious.”

Giggling, she pushed at his side. “And you smell like a bar.”

“And you smell delicious.”

“You already said that. I think someone has had too much to drink.” She laughed again, lifting her chin and granting him better access as he kissed up her throat.

God, he loved it when she was like this. When she opened herself up and stepped out from behind the barricades of safety where she liked to stay. When she allowed herself to see where he came from. Who he was outside the tuxedo sitting at a piano to entertain a prim and proper audience.

He was both of those things.

A part of both worlds, and he loved each of them equally.

He thought maybe their last barrier was Julie realizing and accepting it.

“Hey now, hey now.” Ash was suddenly right there, breaking the spell. “We never get to see our Zee around here anymore. He finally shows, and here he is, all his focus on this girl he can’t seem to get enough of.”

Zee pulled back and grinned. “You’re exactly right, my friend. I can’t get enough.”

Ash slammed his hand over his heart. “You just love to destroy me, don’t you? Here I thought you came to see me, and look at this atrocity. I’m over here. All. Alone. By my lonesome. Without any lovin’.”

Zee gestured with his chin around the house crammed wall to wall, chicks everywhere, on the prowl just the same as the guys. It was a familiar scene Zee recognized all too well.

“Take a look, man,” Zee said. “The pickings are a plenty. Don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Next to him, Julie cringed. Zee just hugged her tighter.

Ash grinned at her. “Ah…it’s all good, Zee. We know why you decided to go break all our hearts and ditch us. Got someone a hundred times prettier to keep your attention.”

He was all cocky smiles when he angled his head at her. “Can’t really compare to someone as gorgeous as you, now can I?”

Redness flushed Julie’s face.

Mark’s laugh bounded from across the kitchen as he shouldered through our direction, Veronica in tow. “Better keep an eye on your girl, little brother. Ash here will be trying to steal her away.”

Feigned horror struck all over Ash’s face. “Never. What kind of delinquent do you think I am?”

Mark chuckled. “We’ve all seen you in action, asshole. We know exactly what kind of delinquent you are.”

Mark squeezed his arm tighter around the girl at his side. “Veronica, don’t think I had the chance to introduce you. This is my baby brother, Zee.”

Mark’s eyes sparked in that old way, full of life, a smirk pulling to his mouth. “Although, he’s obviously bigger in all the ways that count. Thanks for outgrowing me, man. That’s just not cool. Not cool at all.”

Under his breath, Zee laughed. Leave it to Mark to put him on the spot. “Hey, you know I spent my childhood cleaning my plate because the only thing I wanted was to be taller than you.” Zee stretched out his arms. “Sweet, sweet success.”

Mark’s grin softened into a genuine smile. “Now that is something to celebrate. Sweet, sweet success.”

Zee turned to Veronica. “Nice to meet you.”

Veronica was pretty in a wicked way. She was tall and slim, and thick, super long waves bounced around her shoulders, the edge about her just as dark as the clothes she wore.

“It’s great to finally meet you. Your brother never stops talking about you.”

“Ahh…I guess that could be awkward.”

Maybe he had had too much to drink.

Of course, it was Ash who cracked up while Julie cringed. Again.

Zee was moving to soothe her, his arm locking around her waist as he tugged her close. “This is my girlfriend, Julie.”

The only acknowledgement was a mumbled hello, and Zee was wondering why it was chicks were always so damned competitive around each other, sizing each other up.

Like it mattered when it didn’t matter in the least.

Ash clapped his hands together. “All right, assholes, I do believe this shindig calls for another round. It’s Mark’s birthday. You know what that means…doubles.”

“How’s it you always find a reason for doubles?” I tossed out.

Ash backed away, hands held up with his palms out. “Hey now, hey now, I’m neither a glass half empty nor a glass half full kind of guy. I’m a full then empty then fill it right back up kind of guy.”

“Of course you are.”

“No shame, man, no shame.”

Mark slung an arm around Zee’s shoulder. “Glad you’re here, little brother. Today wouldn’t mean anything without you being by my side. What do you say we celebrate…we never know what day might be our last.”

* * *

Julie tore out the front door. Zee was right behind her. “Julie, come on. Don’t do this.”

She didn’t slow when she looked at him from over her shoulder. Tears streaked down her face, and her eyes were wide and horrified. “Stay away from me.”

Panic bubbled beneath his skin. “It wasn’t what it looked like. Please…just…wait.”

It didn’t take all that much effort for him to catch up. He reached out and snagged her around the wrist.

Rounding on him, she yanked her arm free and kept backing away. Music echoed from the house, the windows lit up, the night all around as Julie edged farther down the yard.

She was in shadows, but that didn’t mean Zee could miss the hurt written on her face. The piece of trust that had gone missing.

“It wasn’t what it looked like?” she accused.

“It wasn’t. I went to take a piss, and she was waiting for me when I came out. She caught me off guard.”

“You were kissing her.”

Zee roughed a shaking hand over his face, his buzz gone, shot the second he’d stepped out into the hall into what amounted to a trap when Jen, a chick he barely remembered, was waiting for him outside the door. “I wasn’t kissing her, Julie. Fuck…you really think I would kiss her? Let alone while you were waiting for me at the end of the hall?”

She pressed both her hands to her chest. “Tell me you haven’t slept with her before.”

Zee gulped around the regret that threatened to suffocate him. Choices. You left them littered behind you everywhere you went. Time never made them obsolete. “It was years ago, Julie. Before I ever met you.”

He watched grief strike her like a lightning rod. She stumbled back and Zee pushed toward her.

“Years ago,” he said like a demand, “and it didn’t mean anything. Nothing meant anything until I met you.”

“I just…” A sob tore up her throat, and she turned away, her hands yanking at clumps of her hair. “I can’t…I can’t do this, Zee. I know he’s your brother, but the girls…and…and then I walked in on him shooting up with his girlfriend.”

She turned back toward Zee, her shoulders slumping in helplessness. “It’s not me. It’s not who I ever want to be or who I want to surround myself with. I’m sorry, Zee. But it’s me or it’s them.”

Relief bounded through his body. It was physical. Palpable in his blood. He lurched for her, wrapping her in his arms, his mouth on her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. “You. I choose you. I will always choose you.”