Page 25 of Taste of Surrender

“Of course you are.” He chuckled.

“What? You don’t want me there?” I teased.

He looked up at me. “I’d rather you be in my bedroom than the garage.”

“Trust me.” I leaned down and kissed him. “I’d like that too.”

“Maybe tonight you can sneak in after everyone goes to sleep?”

“I can do that.”

We both climbed out of the bed and started to get dressed.

“Do you need a ride home?” I asked, stepping into my jeans.

“Actually, my car is at AJ’s. Can you drop me off there?”

“Sure.”

Once in my Jeep, I cranked the engine, and “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift was already playing on the satellite station. I started singing the lyrics as I reversed out of the parking spot in the hotel’s garage and headed toward the street.

“I had no idea you liked Taylor Swift,” Jasper stated.

“What’s wrong with Taylor Swift?” I grinned and looked over at him.

“Nothing. Go on.”

I did as he wanted, singing softly about a first love and the first heartbreak that went along with it, and when the song was over, he said, “Wow. I know you have an amazing voice, but damn, it really is beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m so used to hearing it with the rest of Surrender, but listening to you sing like this, just you and the music playing quietly, it’s ... different.”

I chuckled. “Well, maybe I’ll have to serenade you more often.”

“Maybe you should,” he replied with a grin.

As we approached AJ’s house, I slowed down and pulled over a few houses away. “Here we are.”

Jasper unbuckled his seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime.” I smiled, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you back at your place later, okay?”

“Definitely. Looking forward to it.”

I watched him get into his car, then I sighed happily and drove off, Taylor Swift’s voice still playing in my head. I was on a high after the night we’d had and I wished we could be together every night. Just me and Jasper, but sadly, it couldn’t be that way.

I was beltingout the lyrics to “Bent” by Buckcherry as we jammed out in Jesse’s garage. I tried not to think about Jasper being inside the house asleep in his bed and the fact I wanted to walk inside and crawl in next to him.

As the song ended, I grabbed my energy drink and finished it. After the night before and this morning, I felt like I needed five highly caffeinated beverages to survive until it was time to go home and climb into my own bed. I had no idea when that would be, because I was honestly counting down the minutes until I could sneak into Jasper’s room again.

Jesse grabbed his phone off the coffee table and plopped onto the beat-up sofa. I assumed he was texting with Olivia until he said, “Guys …” We all looked at him. “We did it. We made it to the live auditions in LA!”

All of us jumped up, screaming and celebrating with bro hugs and huge ass smiles. Holy shit, we were going to California!

“When do we leave?” Elliott asked.

Jesse looked back at his phone and then said, “Right after the new year.”