Annie came in and told us all that she and Aston had sorted things out and were back together, which was a relief to us all because them being apart was like me and Indi being apart. It just doesn’t work. Rob was excited by the news. He then told us we could put out a press release saying that Annie had a moment of weakness and that she was under the influence of the wrong crowd of people. And that Aston has pulled her back into the light.

Now that Annie and Aston are back together it works perfectly. Annie was lost without him, so she chose the wrong path, isolation, dissolution, and abandonment issues were running rife tearing the band apart. But when Annie’s photographs surfaced Aston came to her rescue and now she’s back on track with some therapy and Staked can go back to normal. With this new spin on things, Rob should be able to set up a tour for us starting as soon as possible. It will be great to be back on tour again. The only issue, it means being apart from Indi again unless she decides come with me. I highly doubt she’ll leave her job for an extended period of time. And our track record of me going on tour doesn’t bode so well for me. So even though I’m excited, I’m equally nervous as hell.

“Well, this is fucking great news. I came here today thinking the band would be over and it’s only just beginning. Thanks, Rob, you really know how to make things work for us.” This dream, this band, means so much to me and to have it all placed in jeopardy today was scary, but having Rob twist it and turn it into a positive, is incredible. He really is a fantastic agent.

I move across to Aston and give him a slap on the back. “You better watch out for her. She needs something stable in her life, Ast, and if you break her heart God knows what it’ll do to the band. So if you are in it, be all in, ‘cause Annie loves you so much—”

“I know, Caleb, and thanks for looking out for her. But now that I have her back, I’m never letting her go. So don’t worry about the band, Annie and I are going to be rock solid from now on and nothing will break us now. I promise,” he says and I believe him.

I smile and as the others celebrate I want to get to Indi and tell her about the tour. I don’t know how long we’ll be going for yet or where we’ll be going, but I need Indi to know that I want her to come with me if she wants to and that I will do everything in my power to ensure nothing happens like last time. I grab my stuff and walk out of the room not saying goodbye to anyone, making my way to the car to go home and see Indi before she heads to work.

I drive as quickly as I can and rush inside to see Indi in the kitchen mixing some batter in a mixing bowl and humming to herself quietly as I walk in. The sight before me is so cute it makes my insides shudder. She has flour on her nose and an apron on as she mixes the bowl of whatever it is. She looks so…house-wife-ish.

“Well, isn’t this a sight?”

She looks up as I place my keys on the bench then she frowns.

“Darn it, I wanted to have these baked before you got home.”

I walk over to her then kiss her cheek and wipe the flour from her nose.

“I like this look,” I say as I run my hand along the seam of her apron and she smiles and continues to stir the batter.

“Well, I’m making you muffins. Apple and cinnamon.”

I look at the clock to see it’s nearly four in the afternoon.

“What time do you have to go into work?”

“It’s my night off.”

“Really?”

She grins and leans in kissing my lips softly. She tastes like cinnamon and I lick my lips as she pulls away.

“Yup! When I read you had a crisis meeting, I thought you might need me tonight. So I called in a favour with Kenz and bam, I’m all yours.” I pull her to me as she places the bowl down on the bench with a squeal.

“I love you, you know that?”

She smiles and nods. “Yes I do,” she replies. “Now, thank me for the muffins.”

I chuckle and let her go so she can get back to baking. “Thank you for the muffins, baby. You’re too good to me.”

“So, Annie’s photographs…is that the crisis?”

“Yeah, you saw them then?”

She winces. “They’re everywhere, it’s hard to miss.”

“I know. Rob’s going to put a spin on it and issue a press statement. Hopefully, it works, but it does mean that something has come up and I’m not sure if you’re going to like it,” I say and pull her back to me.

She swallows hard and nods. “Okay, tell me,” she says and wraps her arms around my neck.

I look into her eyes so she can see my sincerity as I talk. “Rob wants us to go on a tour to ride on the coattails of the story. It would be a headline tour. We, Staked, would be the headline act, and –”

“Oh my God, Caleb!” she squeals excitedly and jumps up on her toes kissing me quickly and hugging me tightly.

So…not what I was expecting!

“Caleb, this is amazing, babe. Headline act. Oh my God, are you excited? You don’t seem excited?” she asks really quickly assessing my mood.

“It’s just, I thought, last tour didn’t go so well for us…”

Her smile falls. “Yeah, I remember. I trust you, and even if Sasha shows up, I’m not going to run this time. Living without you was too hard, and this, Caleb? Headline act, it’s fucking huge, babe. I’m not going to ruin your excitement.”

“Really, you’re okay with this?”

“Caleb, I’m so happy for you I could burst!” she says.

I lean down kissing her hard and fast. She runs her hands up into my hair and pulls me to her. Our tongues dance together and the sweet taste of cinnamon is making me crave her even more.

“I fucking love you,” I murmur against her lips and she laughs.

“Well, you won’t when I’m on the phone to you crying because I miss you, two months into the tour—”

“Then come with me?” I interrupt and she tilts her head and smirks.

“You already know the answer to that question, Caleb.”

“Was worth a try.”

“Headline act!” she says and I laugh as she jumps and dances around the room.

She really is the cutest thing in the world right now. And her excitement is contagious as I pick her up and twirl her around making her squeal again.

 

***

 

It’s been a month since Annie’s photo scandal broke and we leave on our tour tomorrow. It’s for five months, and to be honest I’m petrified of Sasha showing up. But Dad had his people talk to her about their agreement and she’s adamant that she’s staying away from me and Staked for good. I’m happy about that because to be honest I couldn’t handle her showing up again, I really couldn’t. But tonight it’s all about me and Indi. Aston is still the only one who knows about us. I swore him to secrecy, so I doubt even Annie knows. He might have told her now they’re together, I’m really not sure. Indi has made sure that she has the night off, and I’ve arranged a romantic dinner at home by the fireplace in the lounge room. Just me, her, the fire, some rose petals, candles, chocolates and our naked bodies.

I’m going to miss her more than anything, but I know we can do this. Skype sex is fun, and we had plenty of practice at it on the last tour. I’m sure we’ll remember how to do it, even though it was a couple of years ago now. She’s out getting some groceries while I set up the lounge room. I’ve moved the coffee table out and placed a large plush rug down on the floor and covered it with rose petals for us to lay on. I want to make it romantic, so I’ve arranged tiny tea light candles sporadically around the lounge room. Dinner is almost cooked and all I have to do now is wait for her to arrive home. I walk over and place the wine bucket next to the rug and the wine glasses on the table. The room looks beautiful and romantic.

I hear the front door click and so I rush over and as she walks through the door, I grab the bags from her and she laughs as I fuss and flurry around her.

“Close your eyes,” I call out.

“What?” she asks walking in a little further.

“Quick, close your eyes,” I reiterate and she laughs and shakes her head closing her eyes.

“Right, stay there.” I rush taking the bags over to the kitchen bench and then back taking her in my arms and walking her into the lounge room.

“Don’t walk me into anything,” she says and I chuckle.

“Would I do that?”

“Yes,” she says and I nod my head because I probably would.

“Just trust me, this time,” I say and lead her to the rug. “Okay, sit down on the floor,” I say and she hesitates. “Don’t worry the table is gone.”

“Okay, but if you’re pulling some prank on me—”

“I’m not.”

She lowers herself down and then runs her hands over the plush rug. “Oh, this feels new,” she says and I smile and sit down opposite her.

“Okay, open up.”

She hesitates and then opens her eyes and looks around the room. “Oh Caleb, it’s beautiful,” she says and looks around at the effort I’ve gone to create the romantic vibe. The fireplace is burning and crackling in its hues of gold and red, sending an ambiance around the room that makes me want to kiss her, passionately.

“I thought our last night together should be something special,” I say as she smiles and stretches out her legs.

“And something smells amazing too.”

I smirk and stand up walking to the kitchen to pull the finger food out of the oven and place it onto a tray to take it over to her.

“I really don’t deserve all this you know?”

I pour her a glass of wine. “Yes, you do, my sweet Indi. You deserve much, much more than this and I will give it to you if you let me?” I ask and she raises her eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

I swallow and take her hand in mine. “I mean when I get back I want to buy us a house. A real house, not just a small place like this one, but somewhere we can call a home and have a dog or two, and somewhere we can raise a family if we want to. Eventually, that is, the family part,” I say and she giggles.

“You wanna buy us a home?”

“Yeah, I wanna give us something we deserve. Somewhere nice, with a big kitchen for you so you can bake if you want to and somewhere with a shed for me to mess around with my car. Somewhere we can put a boat if we want one. You know? I have all this money, I want to spend it on us.”

“I would love that, but on one condition.”

“Okay, name it.”

“Two dogs and I get to pick and name them.”

“Of course, you can.”

“There’s something else I wanted to ask you too. But I’m asking seriously this time,” I say. She looks at me and opens her eyes wide as I pull out a ring box from my back pocket.

I move up so I’m kneeling on one knee in front of her. She gasps and moves her hand over her mouth as I open the ring box and swallow a hard lump that’s formed in my throat.

“I’ve asked this so many times, sometimes jokingly, sometimes seriously, but none more serious than I am right now. Indi, I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. You have always been here for me being my greatest supporter, my constant, my rock. Without you I was nothing, an incomplete a shell of a man with nothing to give, but with you I am whole and alive. I can fight for something worth living for and that’s always going to be you. I breathe you, Indi. Every beat of my heart is for you. Every. Single. One. And I believe I was placed on this earth solely to be with you. You are the woman who knows me better than I know myself, and without you I would’ve lost myself a long time ago. I need you. I love you. Please, for the seven hundredth and fifty-ninth time, will you marry me?”

She’s looking at me with tears in her eyes and I can’t tell if they’re happy tears or sad tears. Either way I feel like I have a no coming ahead of me. My heart is racing in my chest and I have no idea what to say or do as she stares at me blankly blinking.

She takes my hand and closes the ring box. I slump my shoulders and close my eyes taking in a deep breath preparing to hear one simple word. ‘No.’

“I want to marry you, Caleb, but we have to wait. I need to know we can get through you touring again. It didn’t work out last time, so I need to be sure we can make it before I commit to you. So it’s not a no, it’s a let’s wait and see when you get back. Then I’ll give you an answer,” she says bringing her hand up to my chin and forcing my face up in line with hers. “Open your eyes, Caleb,” she says and I slowly open them willing them not to tear up. Even though I understand her answer, I really wanted a yes this time. This time was different, I had a ring. I wanted it to be real. I wanted to make it official. I wanted her to be mine while I was on tour. “It’s not a no, Caleb,” she reiterates.

I take a deep breath and nod as she leans in kissing the corner of my mouth.

“I love you, you know that, right?”

I nod.

“If you come back from the tour and everything is fine, then it’s a yes, okay?”

My heart skips a little faster. Now this I can work with. My eyes open wider at the thought, she is saying ‘yes’ but I just have to make it through the tour.

“So basically it’s a yes when I get back?” I ask and she smiles and nods trying to contain her smile. I laugh and take her cheeks in my hands and force her lips to mine and kiss her with such passion that it makes us both weak and we fall to the floor. I roll on top of her pinning her to the ground. Her hands run up into my hair and her tongue frolics with mine so happily that it takes my breath away. I run my hand along her side as she opens her legs and wraps them around my waist. I grind my semi-hard cock into her pussy and we both moan as the excitement and energy of the moment takes us over.

“Make love to me, Caleb,” she moans as I bite her bottom lip playfully. I lean up and grab hold of either side of her button up top and pull forcefully so all the buttons fly off as I rip the shirt open. She laughs and slaps my arm.

“That was my favourite shirt,” she says and I shrug.

“I’ll buy you a new one.” I lean down kissing her neck as she moves in lifting my vest up over my stomach. I lift my head from her neck just long enough for her to pull it up over my head. She throws it across the room. She pulls off her ripped shirt as I move to her back and undo her bra. It cascades down her front and I throw it over with my vest. I look down at her exposed nipples and I can’t help myself as I lean down and take one in my mouth sucking and then nipping gently on it. She writhes under my touch and moves her hand to my jeans, I lift my waist from hers as she undoes the button and zip and slides my jeans over my arse and I shuffle out of them. She moves her hands down to push out of her leggings until we’re both completely naked on the lounge room rug. I move over the top of her and lean down kissing her tenderly. This time nothing rushed or forced, this time I want her to know how loved, cherished, and desired she is.

I move my hand down between her legs and slide a finger into her already wet pussy.

“Mmm,” she murmurs as I move it inside her slowly. She’s so warm and ready for me and I can’t wait to feel her encased around my cock. I slowly move inside her as my cock grows harder against her thigh, while our tongues collide against each other. Kissing Indi is the sweetest sensation and one I will never tire of. She moves her hips in time with my finger and I move another one inside her and place my thumb on her clit and press firmly. She wriggles at my touch and is moaning into my mouth as she arches her back pushing her chest into mine. We’re both panting from the passionate kissing. Turning Indi on, turns me on as well, so we’re both getting quite worked up.

Her body is starting to shake and is coating with a fine sheen of moisture. I know she’s close as she begins to tremble around me, and her pussy is clenching around my fingers. Her kissing is becoming languid and her eyes are clenching as she moans into my mouth. Her body tenses and then she groans, grinding her pussy into my hand as she tightens and then relaxes against me letting go of her climax. I smile knowing I’ve done my job. I start to kiss her again, removing my hand from between her legs and positioning my pulsating cock at her entrance. She opens her eyes and looks at me and through hooded lust-filled eyes, I can see love and devotion flowing through right at me as I stare into her soul while I slowly enter her.

We both moan and something flows between us as we stare at each other, a moment knowing that we’re going to be okay. That no matter what life throws at us, we are stronger together than we are apart and both of us knows that now. We’re in this together, for the long haul, and the love we have for each other is what’s going to make this work. The distance apart won’t break us. The groupies, or fan girls or paparazzi won’t affect us anymore, because whatever the bullshit she will see while I’m on tour, I know she’ll wait and hear it from me first before fleeing. Because this bird has come home to nest and she isn’t taking flight anymore. And as we make love on the lounge room floor of our home before I leave for my headline tour, I know we’re going to be just fine. I know it with every ounce of me, with every fibre of my being, with every portion of knowledge I possess, that Indi and I are going to make it this time.