The sun crept through the blinds the next morning and it stirred me awake. I slowly opened my eyes, letting them become accustomed to the sunlight that was pouring into the room. I realized I had a set of arms around me and slightly panicked for a moment, but I took a deep breath in relief. I figured out where I was and who was holding me.

I had fallen asleep at Matthew’s place, in his bed, with his arms around me. The previous night came flooding back to me and I couldn’t help, but to smile. We’d ended up watching a movie on his couch once we got back from dinner and shared a small bottle of wine, along with strawberries and whipped cream that he happened to have in his fridge. When the movie ended, I was prepared to leave, but Matt had another idea and asked me to cuddle for a little bit in his bed. We ended up talking and laugh, learning even more about each other, as he held me against his chest. Time got away from us, that I finally just gave in to spending the night, not wanting to leave at 2 o 'clock in the morning.

I turned my head back and noticed Matt was still sleeping, so I slowly and carefully pulled my body from his grasp. I slid off the bed then and planted a kiss to his forehead, before heading into his bathroom. I found some mouthwash in one of the cabinets and decided to use it. I wanted minty fresh breath, since I was pretty sure Matt would be kissing me once he came alive from the land of sleep. Once I swooshed some around and spit it out, I decided to wipe some of my makeup off that had gotten messed up and smudged. Then I crept out of the bathroom and found my purse. I fished a brush out of it and straightened and untangled my long locks with it. There wasn’t much I could do with not being home with all my own toiletries and necessities, but I worked with what I did have. I figured that Matthew would understand anyways. I’d quickly figured out he wasn’t all that materialistic and shallow and focused on inner beauty.

I stepped back into Matthew’s bedroom and once I did, I saw him move around a little and then blink his eyes open. A yawn escaped his lips and his hands went to his eyes, rubbing them. He took a moment to focus on me and once he did, I smiled. A smile spread across his face as well.

“Good morning, Everly.” I made my way back to the bed and took a seat upon the mattress.

“Good morning, Matt.” He snaked his arm around me then, making me fall out of my sitting position and lay back down.

I chuckled softly. “Need something?”

“A good morning kiss.” He leaned in real close then and dipped his head, allowing his lips to find mine.

I didn’t resist and happily tasted his lips, pleased that he didn’t have any morning breath. “Mmm…”

“Now this is how I should start every day.” I heard Matthew murmur against my lips and then he captured them once more in a more heated kiss.

I wasn’t going to argue his statement and I accepted his advances, allowing his tongue to find its way into my mouth. Once his tongue slithered past my lips, my tongue found his and we started a delicious duel. I really wasn’t sure how this all happened so naturally, fast, and smoothly, but it had. I’d gone from a single girl afraid to love to practically in a relationship and willing to give love a try again. I hadn’t made out with someone this way since Trevor and now I was beginning to see there could be a light at the end of my broken heart tunnel.

“Mmm..” I moaned, enjoying just how gentle and soft his lips felt. I knew I could get use to his kisses and was already memorizing the way our lips meshed together.

“Mmm…is right.” Matthew breathed deeply, pulling back slowly and giving me a satisfied grin. “I’m so glad you slept over, so we could have this moment now.”

I smiled and cuddled into him, wrapping my arm around him tightly. “Me too. I’ve been having a wonderful time with you.”

“So have I. You’re something special, Everly.” He held me just as tight and dropped a kiss to my cheek. “I think you’re just what I needed before all the real chaos starts happening with my album and tour.”

“Well I can be the calm, when everything else is the storm.” I smirked and pressed a small kiss to his chin. Then I gently rubbed his cheek with my free hand and felt his smooth skin. It was nice to be able to touch someone again and to feel not alone. Plus, it didn’t hurt that he was so touchable and a handsome sight.

He moved his face into the motion of my hand and then let out a soft sigh. “I love the sound of that.” His hand reached up and stopped me from caressing his cheek and he linked our hands together instead. I smiled as he brought our hands over his heart and held them there.

“I thought you would.” He squeezed my hand and I squeezed in return, as I looked up into his blue eyes. They weren’t the exact shade of JC’s, but still a very pretty blue. I couldn’t really complain.

“You hungry?” He asked. “I could find us some breakfast.”

“Sure, what have you got?” I asked and he chuckled.

“Probably some cereal, maybe some muffins. Nothing fancy at all. I could just make a tray and bring it back here to the bed.”

I actually thought that sounded good to me and since I didn’t have to be anywhere this morning, I had no problem waiting to be served and enjoying breakfast in his bed with him. “That is quite alright with me. I’ll take whatever you’ve got.”

He smiled and pressed a kiss to my cheek, before letting go of me and getting off of the bed. Then I watched him exit the room and head to his kitchen. I lay back fully upon the huge mattress that was his bed and sighed in contentment. His bed was slightly smaller than JC’s, but it was just as comfortable. Plus I knew the man who slept in it wanted me. That was definitely a big difference. I patiently waited for Matt’s return and when he stepped back into the bedroom, I sat up. I noticed the tray in his hands had two big bowls of cereal, as well as a bag of donut holes and glasses of orange juice.

“You like Honey Combs?” He asked, with a hopeful smile upon his face.

“Yeah, I do.” I smiled and reached for one of the bowls, along with a spoon.

“Good. I also brought these delicious chocolate donut holes and orange juice, in case you wanted variety.”

“It’s great. Thank you, Matt.” I watched him set the tray down on his nightstand and he joined me on the bed with his own bowl of Honey Combs.

We began eating our cereal in silence, but quickly started up conversation again. Talking seemed to come so easy for us. Which was quite a good thing.

“So you have any plans today?” Matt asked, as he brought another spoonful of cereal to his mouth.

I shook my head, not really having any schedule to follow. “No, today’s just sort of up in the air. What about you?”

He sighed. “Lucky. I have a session with Kris Allen in a couple hours. I’ll have to get ready for the studio soon.”

“Too bad. Otherwise I could’ve spent the whole day with you.”

“That would’ve been nice.”

“Yeah, but you know you’ll enjoy yourself in the studio. That’s so cool that you’ve got another great name working on your album with you.” He nodded his head.

“Yeah, it is. Did I tell you that Elton John accepted my offer to sing a duet with me too?” I gasped then, having not heard the news yet. It was quite an honor and very wonderful news.

“That’s awesome, Matt. Look at you go!” He chuckled.

“I know. I went to one of his parties and asked him like a nervous schoolboy intimidated by his teacher. Yet, he decided to give me the time of day.”

I smiled. “That’s great. I’m glad he said yes to you and that your album really seems to be coming together. I’m looking forward to the release.”

“Me too. It’ll be nice to get feedback and also get out on the road. I want to see a crowd sing my songs back to me.”

I finished my cereal and set the bowl down on Matt’s nightstand, before placing a kiss upon his cheek. “They’ll know all the words. Trust me.”

He smiled and I could tell that my positive words meant a lot to him. It was actually nice to feel important and wanted by someone again. I hadn’t imagined that person to be Matthew, but I was thankful nonetheless.

“You’re good for my spirit and my ego.” He chuckled softly then. “Not that I have that much of an ego, but you’ll make it inflate.”

“I do what I can, but I just speak the truth.” I leaned in and pressed a small kiss to his lips.

He set his empty cereal bowl aside, having finished as well, and then grabbed my cheeks. He gave some of his own affection and planted a longer, more sensual kiss upon my lips. It was really crazy, yet exciting how well and how fast things were happening between us. It was as if we’d been kissing each other for months and months already, though that wasn’t that case.

“I just like kissing you…a lot.” He admitted, breaking the kiss a moment later. His voice was sincere and honest. There was also a cute twinkle in his eye.

I smiled and ran a hand through his hair that needed to be tamed. He still had a case of bed head. “It’s okay, ‘cause I like kissing you too. So we’re even.”

“Good.” He kissed the tip of my nose and then the phone beside his bed rang.

“Let me get this.” I nodded and watched him answer the phone.

I remained by his side as he took the call and listened to his side of the conversation. I could tell it had something to do with work and that Matt wasn’t all too happy. Once he ended the call and put the phone down, he sighed.

“Studio time got bumped up an hour. I guess the studio Kris and I are booked for got double-booked and I need to get in there sooner, so I don’t lose precious time. I asked if we could reschedule, but Kris can’t. So, I guess I need to start getting ready to make my way over there.” I sighed, but understood. In the music industry things could change at the flip of a switch and schedules didn’t remain solid all the time. Seeing as I’d just spent a lot of time with Matthew, letting him go early wasn’t all that big of a deal. I knew we’d probably see each other sooner than later anyways.

“You got to do what you got to do.” He nodded.

“Yeah, I know.” I chuckled.

“Don’t sound so thrilled.”

“I just wanted more time with you.” I smiled.

“I know, but we can get together again real soon.” He gave me a devilish look.

“Like tomorrow?” I pretended to think about it.

“Maybe.”

“I want better than maybe.” I rolled my eyes.

“We’ll see. I know I’ve got work tomorrow and things to do, but I’ll definitely let you know.”

His lips pursed into a satisfied smile. “That’s better. As long as I hear from you.”

“You will.” I assured him and then gave him a warm hug. I allowed my face to land in the crook of his neck and I breathed him in. I placed a gentle kiss to his shoulder and then slowly pulled away.

“I better get going and you better get ready for the studio.” He whimpered as I pulled away, but nodded his head.

“Yeah…you’re right. I’ve got to shower, get dressed, make sure I’ve got everything, and drive over there. It’ll take a little time.”

I stood up from the bed and then I grabbed my purse again, which had been on the floor beside his bed. I reached into it to find my car keys and happened to grab a hold of my phone. I realized I hadn’t checked it since I’d arrived at Matt’s last night and that it had been on vibrate. So I flipped it open and noticed I had six missed calls. I checked to see who they were from, not expecting to be that popular. I was surprised when I saw my sister’s name pop up as the caller of all six missed calls. I hadn’t talked to her in awhile and didn’t know what she could possibly want. I decided I’d call her back once I was home.

“I might have a crisis on my hands. Looks like my sister has been trying to call me. So it’s probably a good thing you have to head to the studio earlier.” I admitted to Matt, watching him finally stand up from his bed.

“Oh…well, I hope everything is alright. Let me know if it’s something serious.” I simply nodded my head and then grabbed my shoes from the floor too. I slid them onto my feet and made sure I wasn’t leaving anything behind.

“I guess, I’m ready to get out of here. Have a good day, handsome. I hope everything goes well in the studio.” I felt him pulled me into a sweet embrace and gave me a kiss for the road. I returned the favor with another sweet peck.

“Bye, Everly. Thanks for last night and this morning.” He released me and gave me a wink.

Then I left his bedroom, as he headed into his bathroom. I made my way out of his place and then headed to my car. I realized that we weren’t official yet, but I knew the girlfriend question was just looming around the corner again. Just maybe he’d ask me the next time I saw him. I felt confident that I had my answer too.



When I arrived back at my apartment, I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Immediately, something was different. I heard a noise and I also smelled coffee. It sounded like someone was in the kitchen and I was afraid to go any further, but I had to look. I closed the door behind me and I braced myself to find an intruder, someone I didn’t know, but was shocked to see who the person brewing coffee in my apartment was.

It was my sister!

She stood there, just shorter than me with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail. She was dressed in a t-shirt and sweat pants and had a mug in her hand, as she poured freshly, brewed coffee into it.

“Aimee?” I called out, confused as to why she was here.

She turned around and her face lit up. “Everly! Where have you been?”

I chuckled. “What do you mean? What are you doing here?”

“I called you like a million times and you didn’t answer. I showed up here and you didn’t answer the door. I had to use my spare key to let myself in. I got in really late last night and expected to see you before now. Where were you? ”

“First of all, you called me six times, not a million. Second of all, I wasn’t expecting you to show up here out of the blue. Third of all, it’s not your business where I was. Now tell me…what are you doing here?”

She laughed. “Please…big sisters tell their little sisters everything. I’ll find out your business.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed another mug from the cabinet, filling it up with coffee. I sipped some of the hot liquid down, waiting for my little sister to continue. She was only four years younger, but still a small thorn in my side.

“Fine….I’m here because I got tired of New York. I broke up with Noah a couple weeks ago and I just need fresh air, a change of scenery. Plus, I missed you. I’d rather crash here than end up at mom and dad’s again.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I gave her a sympathetic smile, knowing she’d dated her boyfriend Noah for almost two years.

“Don’t worry about it. I found him at a club all over some socialite and realized I was better off without him. We’d been having issues anyways. I just don’t think I was good enough for him anymore. People change, things happen.” I nodded, realizing my sister had gained some wisdom.

“Well, it’s good to see you get over it so quickly.” I sipped my coffee again. “So how long do you think you’ll be staying with me and do you still have your apartment in New York?”

Aimee shrugged her shoulders. “No clue. I’m just going to play it by ear. Hopefully, you won’t kick me out so fast.” She took another sip of her coffee, before answering my second question. “But yeah, I do still have the apartment, but I might sell it if I don’t feel like returning.”

“I see…” I bit on my lip. “So what are you planning to do out here now?”

“Live the single life, have fun, and see what opportunities present themselves.” I sighed, remembering the last time Aimee lived with me. She’d ended up hanging around a bad crowd of people and clubbing along Hollywood Boulevard way too much. She’d also gotten into a bad relationship with a man way older than her, before finding Noah and moving to New York. Now it seemed that she was over that whole period in her life as well, and ready to see what LA could offer her again. Luckily, she was a little older now and had hopefully learned from past mistakes. I didn’t want to have to hold her hand, considering I now had a lot of stuff going on in my own life.

“Just be smart this time, please.” I urged her and mustered a smile. “I hope you coming back here turns into something positive.”

“Me too.” She grinned. “I really missed you. It’s nice to be back.”

I finally pulled her into a hug, actually pleased to see my sister again. I would’ve liked a head’s up that she was coming to spend awhile with me, but it was all good in the hood. I loved her and wasn’t about to kick her to the curb.

“I missed you too.” I admitted and then she smirked, as she pulled back from my embrace.

“So, where were you?” I sighed, realizing she’d pester me until I answered. “Share your business, Evvie.”

I rolled my eyes at the childish nickname that she used to butter me up. Aimee was the only one who called me that and I wasn’t looking forward to hearing it again.

“Alright…I’ll tell you.” I sighed again. “I spent the night with a romantic interest.”

Her eyes lit up and she squealed. “You had sex?!”

“No!” I quickly shot her down. “It was just cuddling. Sleeping in the real sense of sleeping.”

Her expression turned into disappointment then, but she still pushed on for details. “Oh…but anyways, who is this guy? I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone.”

“It’s a very recent development. We were set up by a mutual friend and things kind of just clicked right away.”

She smiled. “That’s awesome, but who is he? Is he famous? I know you have connections.”

I chuckled and then uttered his name. “Matthew Morrison. He plays the teacher…”

“On Glee!” She finished. “Oh my gosh, he’s hot stuff. Way to go, sister!”

I laughed at her excitement, remembering now just how much my sister could be a teeny and overdramatic.

“So are you like together? He’s your boyfriend?” I shook my head.

“Very close to being, but not yet. He asked me to be his girlfriend, but I told him to ask me again. I wasn’t ready to say yes yet.”

She nodded her head. “Ahh..gotcha. I just hope he asks again because you could totally use someone in your life. It’s been way too long since Trevor.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m feeling good about my love life now.”

“Good. I’m glad.” She grinned and sipped more of her coffee. “Maybe he can set me up with one of his friends. There’s a lot of other cute guys on Glee.”

I shook my head. She was newly single and already looking to mingle. I just hoped she wouldn’t get out of control.

“Let’s just get you settled in first.” She laughed.

“You’re right. I’m just excited to be back.”

I looked over into my living room and then noticed just how much my sister needed to settle in. Aimee had two large suitcases sitting beside my couch, along with a carry-on bag.

“Let me help you unpack everything and then maybe we can go out later. I don’t have any work to do today.”

“Sounds good.” Aimee grinned and she gulped down the rest of her coffee. I could already feel her energy radiating off of her.



Later on, after getting Aimee totally unpacked and ready to stay in my extra bedroom, she decided that she needed to make a trip to Rite Aid. My little sister had forgotten to pack her special whitening toothpaste, along with other toiletries that were pertinent to her daily regiment. She also had ran out of her favorite nail polish and being back in LA, wanted to sport it on her feet in flip flops as soon as possible.

So I decided I’d go with her and we could walk to the location that was closest to my apartment. It was a beautiful day and the weather was pleasant for a leisure stroll with my sister. After making our appearances acceptable, we headed out and started our journey toward Rite Aid. Of course, she started asking more questions right away.

“So, what else is new? You’re still at Divine Threads, right?” I nodded my head.

“Yeah, I am. It’s a great place and I enjoy the clients I have.” She smiled.

“That’s cool. You got any side projects? I know how much you’ve been wanting to branch off.”

“Funny you ask. I actually just got the job as the new wardrobe stylist on America’s Best Dance Crew. In fact, I already styled a photo shoot for Randy Jackson and the judges.”

“No way!” She squealed. “That’s awesome. I love that show, minus Lil Mama.”

I laughed, not surprised by her words. “Yeah, she’s an odd one.”

“She totally is. You’re still friends with JC, right?” I nodded my head.

“Yeah, in fact he helped me get the position.” My sister grinned.

“That’s so sweet of him. I still can’t believe you ever became friends with him, but I guess that’s what happens when you style some of the best in Hollywood.”

“Eh. I suppose.”

“He’s the best judge on ABDC too.” She didn’t have to tell me that, but I grinned and nodded.

“You think he could hook me up with Justin’s digits?” I laughed and shook my head.

“You will not ask him for Justin’s digits. JC doesn’t just hand out information like that. He respects the privacy of his friends.”

She sighed. “Well okay, but if I run into Justin myself, I’m going to get that man’s number for sure.”

“Whatever you say, Aimes.” I shook my head at her again.

“So wait…now you’re practically dating Matthew Morrison, but…do you still have feelings for JC?” I cursed under my breath.

I’d forgotten that my sister knew of the feelings I had for him and I really didn’t need her pressing the issue. I also didn’t need her opening her mouth and causing unnecessary drama. I didn’t want to say too much.

“Actually, JC is the one who set Matt and I up. They know each other from writing music together for Matt’s upcoming album.”

“Oh, that’s cool. See, I knew you had connections.”

“But to answer you.” I caught her eyes with my own, as we kept walking along the sidewalk. “I’m putting any feelings I may have for JC on the backburner. Things with Matt are really looking good and plus, JC is seeing some right now too.”

She nodded, understanding. “I guess that’s good. You can’t just wait around for something that might not happen and Matthew might just end up being better for you.”

It seemed right now that the consensus was that I needed to just take a chance on Matthew. Both Nathaniel and my sister agreed with that, along with JC, which wasn’t surprising. I also knew Lila would tell me the exact same thing.

We continued to walk the rest of the way to Rite Aid and I followed Aimee into the store, once we came upon it. She headed right for the toothpaste aisle and I was right behind her, as she grabbed her special toothpaste off of a shelf.

“Do you need anything for yourself, while we’re here?” I shook my head.

“I’m good. I’m not the one who just showed up at my sister’s apartment without stuff.”

“Yeah..yeah.” She rolled her eyes at me and then walked out of the aisle, into a new one. I followed her and watched her find the nail polish she wanted.

“What color is that by the way?” I asked, curiously.

“It’s called Lustful Lilac.” She grinned, holding up the small bottle of polish that really was a light, purplish shade.

“I wonder who comes up with these names.” I chuckled. “I mean, how does nail polish create lust?”

Aimee just shook her head at me, as if she was embarrassed by her older sister. I didn’t mind because she could be an embarrassing little sister.

“I think I need to grab a package of tampons too. I have a few, but I don’t want to run out with my period coming soon.” I nodded my head, amused by her words of TMI. I hoped her PMS wasn’t as bad as it had been in the past or I’d be dealing with a real bitch in a few days.

“The feminine hygiene aisle is over there.” I pointed to the correct aisle.

“Ohhhh and I bet it’s the same aisle that has the condoms.” She smirked, having a little too much pleasure at the thought.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is.” I walked over toward the end of the aisle with her and then she stopped me with her arm. She backed me up, so I couldn’t step into the aisle.

“What?” I asked, confused. “You a wuss to go in the aisle?”

“I can handle tampons and condoms, thankyouverymuch.” She said softly. “It’s just I think I see a very familiar someone.”

“Who?” She whispered then in my ear.

“JC.” My interest was piqued now. What was he doing at Rite-Aid right now in this exact aisle?

“Oh. Is he with someone?” She nodded her head.

“I’m guessing he’s with his new girl. They’re holding hands.” I felt a weird feeling then, even though I didn’t want to.

“Are they by the condoms?” I asked, pretty sure I knew the answer already.

She nodded.

“He looks even better in person than I remember, Evvie.” I rolled my eyes. Now was not the time for her to comment on his looks.

“Would you just grab your tampons?” She chuckled and nodded, before stepping into the aisle, while I headed over to the checkout to wait for her. I didn’t feel like running into JC with his new brunette, especially if they were picking out condoms.

A couple moments later Aimee found me and she had a huge smile on her face. I could just tell she had something to say and was eager to share it.

“First of all, I think you’re prettier than the brunette he was with. Sure, she’s pretty, but not anything special. At least in my opinion.”

“Thanks.” I smiled. “And?”

“Second of all, JC recognized me and I told him I’m back in town.”

“You talked to him?”

“Only exchanged pleasantries. The usual ‘hi, how are you?’ and ‘it’s nice to see you again’.”

I nodded, glad that she didn’t do anything to embarrass herself or me. “Is that all?”

Her annoyingly wide smile returned. “Third of all, I caught a peek of the condoms he had in his hand.”

“Oh great, so he’s sleeping or going to sleep with her.” She chuckled.

“I thought you were going to focus on Matt.”

“I am. I am. Anyways….”

“Anyways…I saw what size condoms they were.” I shook my head.

“You did not!”

“Yes, I did! I dropped my box of tampons on purpose in front of him to get a better look.”

“You did not!”

“Yes, I did.” She was serious and I realized I had an unbelievable sister on my hands.

“You going to tell me what condoms he had?” She looked around, as if she was making sure no one else could overhear and that JC and the brunette were out of sight. Then she spoke into my ear.

“Magnum size.” I had suspected he was packing in that area, but for my sister to confirm it for me was certainly not how I had planned to find out. She giggled then like a little school girl who had just found out a dirty secret.

“First day back here and I’m already getting the good gossip.” I rolled my eyes at her.

“Oh Aimee…just pay for your stuff and let’s get out of here.”

Once we were next in line, she handed over the necessary money to pay and took her bag of items. I was just happy to get out of there and walked back outside with her.

As we began walking back in the direction of my place, my brain became occupied with questions. Just how serious was JC becoming with the new girl in his life? How many times had they slept together? What size condoms did Matt use? Did JC and Matt even compare in that department?

It was silly actually and I tried to erase the questions from my mind, knowing I might never get the answers anyways. Yet, I still had that weird feeling and it moved to the pit of my stomach.