Jace snickered but let her do her thing. He wondered if Embry would agree to carrying his twenty-seven kids in the future.
"Okay, how about something more relevant?" he suggested. "Can you predict my relationship? Will it last?" he asked with a smile and a kiss to her cheek.
"That's an easy." Embry started with a pleasant grin. "I don't have to read your palm to tell you this one."
She cleared her throat and continued speaking on."From what I can tell, it's sure to last a long long time. If things keep going this great you'll probably have to deal with me for the rest of your life."
"I must have been a saint in a past life, because I have certainly never done anything in this one to deserve such spectacularly good karma," said Jace with a huge smile. "It would be a privilege to have you for the rest of my life."
Jace leaned her head up a little and kissed her passionately, the fingers of his left and dominant hand on her chin while his right arm wrapped around her waist tightly.
The minute snap of the camera was so quiet that neither celebrity could have possibly heard it.
Embry gradually brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck as she returned the kiss with just as much intensity. All the while, she was completely unaware that anyone, especially not the media, could be watching. Whenever she was with him, touching him, kissing him, it was damn near impossible to focus on anything else. And she didn't particually mind that.
After a night of peaceful sleep, Jace woke up to see Embry resting on his chest. They hadn't done anything intimate other than kiss and cuddle, but he was honestly fine with that.
There was a loud bang.
Jace sat bolt upright.
"JASON FUCKING LESECKI!" Jasper's voice rang through Jace's house and he came storming through the door. Jasper stopped when he saw Embry.
"So the paparazzi weren't lying and you're fucking the one chick you're not meant to fuck," he drawled. Jasper looked absolutely furious.
"What are you talking about?" Jace asked irritably.
Embry almost fell out of bed, slightly frightened by the sudden, and angry sounding, wake-up call. Instead, she sat up, not in the least bit groggy feeling or tired looking. Surprised, yes, she was that, but quickly got over it and became more irritated than anything else.
"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here." She articulated carefully , resisting from saying anything more or anything foul. This was not a situation she thought she'd be caught in any way.
So, she turned away from and nabbed her phone from the nightstand. She frowned immediately at the many texts she was bombarded with and notifications she received. It was a hell of a lot worse than when she attended Bianca's movie premier as Jace's date.
Jace frowned and looked at Embry's phone over her shoulder. The first story contained a picture of them kissing on the boardwalk yesterday, very passionately, and Jace paled.
So much for waiting a month.
Jasper had his arms open as though he was waiting for an answer. "Please indulge me on why you hate me."
Jace had no time for this shit. "Fuck you, Jasper," he snapped. Jace stood up and approached Jasper. He towered over the other man.
"I don't have to answer to you. I don't have to abide by the made-up laws of your stupid feud with Orion." Jace was obviously enraged, and Jasper backed up against the wall.
"We're not in high school and I can be in a fucking relationship with whoever I want to be. And I love her."
Jasper was pale now.
"And if you don't like that, Jasper, you can go and fuck yourself."
"You love me?" Embry asked, barely above a whisper.
She had risen from her seat and approached Jace from behind in the midst of him standing up to Jasper. Seeing that had made her swell with happiness and confidence, now if only she could do the same with her own friends. She would have to sooner or later.
But as soon as he spoke the word 'love' her original train of thoughts stopped, just as she did.
"Jace..." Embry grabbed his elbow gently, shaking her head slightly. It really wasn't her decision to make. And everything he said was true, it was simply that he put it in very harsh words.
Not that she minded all that much. Every time she encountered Jasper he was a complete ass. However, that really wasn't the point. She simply didn't want them to end things bitterly like it had with Orion. Secondly, they already had to confront the situation at hand and adding that Jasper Ryder left because of her...she really did not want that on Jace's plate.
"No need," said Jasper irritably. He gave Jace a final filthy look before turning on his heel and leaving the room.
Jace didn't move until he heard the front door slam. Then, and only then, did he collapse back on the bed with his hand still interlocked with Embry's.
"And that's still probably not the end of it," Embry huffed, plopping down beside him."But, you were fucking great." She smiled softly and leaned down to give him a quick peck on the lips.
"I think I'll maybe have an easier time talking down Orion and Isaac."
"Thank you. As a performer, I pride myself on my confidence," Jace told her with a grin, as though he were answering the questions of an interviewer.
Jace rolled on his side and looked up at Embry through his fallen hair, which was covering his bright blue eyes. "I can come with you when you talk to the others, if you like," he offered. "I don't want to leave you alone."
He sat up and groaned. "Fuck. We're going to have to make an official statement or something now. Jesus Christ. Is Twitter an inappropriate platform for such an affair?"
Embry smiled a little and brushed back his fallen hair tenderly with her in unoccupied right hand. "I would appreciate you coming with me a lot. But, I don't want you to be scorned twice today." She chewed her bottom lip as she thought about it.
"Twitter? It all depends on the perspective. And at least for us, I don't think it would be suitable with all the shit surrounding us. Of course, it'd be so much more easier." She huffed, yet her smile grew just a little more.
Jace put his head in Embry's lap and silently willed her to play with his hair. He sighed deeply through his nose as he thought about the situation.
"Well, we need to say something soon or the fans will get pissed," he murmured. "Why does everything have to be so fucking complicated? Can't we go out for ice cream?"
Angry fans. as if she didn't already have enough to deal with. That was one thing she could not stand. Her face fell at the mention of it. Her worst experience of with them was when their original drummer, Hayden, was kicked from the band in 2012. And the second was when they brought Orion over in 2015, those furious fans were not her own, but Beautiful Pain's.
"Of course not, we're not supposed to be friends, yet alone a couple." She ran her fingers through his hair, which was a lot softer than she would have imagined, and laid her other on his chest. "It's not for them to control, though." She tried not to sound or be too upset, but was failing miserably.
"You're right," Jace agreed, trying not to purr when she stroked his hair. "They don't control anything. But they built us, Embry. They're the reason we get to do what we do."
"Agreed." Embry said with a nod and slowly, but reluctantly pulled her fingers of his hair."Then shall we stop lazing around and get ready to do that?"
She would love nothing more than to sit here in bed with Jace and ignore any and all of her problems. But he was right, they did owe their fans an explanation. And the longer they wait, the more impatient they'd be.
Jace nodded and sat up. He didn't know how they were going to do and he didn't think Twitter was the right method, so he rubbed his temples as he thought of an answer.
"Instagram?" he offered weakly with a half-smile. "I don't know. Fuck. I'm going to take a shower. There is breakfast-related foodstuffs in the kitchen."
Jace got up and grabbed a change of clothes before stepping into the bathroom.
"Alright." Embry watched him go before heading into the kitchen to poke around in the fridge. She really didn't care to actually cook anything, but when spotting the bacon she could not resist whipping up some eggs and toast with it.
"Kidnap the Sandy Claws. Chop him into bits, Mr. Oogie Boogie man is sure to get his kicks..." She sang the annoyingly catchy song to herself as she finished frying up the rest of the bacon.
