Selena slid her loose denim jacket over her sports bra and leggings as Jack snored softly as he slept on his back.
The keened tang of the ocean fulfills the hotel room that was carried in by the persistent breeze.
Selena was excited to go and do what they had planned today. Jumping on the hotel bed, her knees hit the mattress as she yelled, "Wake up! Wake up!"
Jack didn't take time to adjust to the sunlight beaming in as he slowly opened his eyelids, revealing his piercing blue eyes that held an angry glare. His face hard as stone.
"What the hell are you doing?" He spoke slowly, his sexy groggy voice becoming more intimidating than usual.
Selena's teeth were exposed as she smiled a like a beam of sunshine. "You said you'd teach me how to shoot a gun today."
A hefty sign fell past his lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose, visibly attempting not to get more pissed than he already was.
"I didn't mean this early in the damn morning."
Selena's bottom lip thrusted out into a pout. "But Jack you said - "
The aggravation heightened the sharp, beautiful angles of his face. "I'm going back to sleep. Leave me alone." He grumbled.
Selena's elation burst like a bubble, her eyebrows quirking up as he turned on his side and closed his eyes.
She hopped off the bed and sneered, shaking her head in disbelief. Whirling around, she stiffly walked towards the kitchen to fill up two glasses of water.
The speech he gave her last night and the sensational sex they had after creeped up into her thoughts, wondering how he could be upset the next day, and plus all the awards he won last night. If anything, he should be the happiest man alive.
She walked back into the room to see him peacefully sleeping. Her foot harshly met the end of the mattress, warning him to wake up, but he didn't budge.
Selena threw the cup of hot water on his bare back, making him jolt up and face her. "What in the fu-"
Ice cold water met his face from the second glass she had in her hand.
"Get up!" She yelled throwing the cups onto the bed before getting on the mattress then standing with her legs on either side of him and taking his chin in her hand, lowering her face to his.
"You said you'd teach me how to shoot a gun, so you're gonna get up and teach me how to shoot a gun. You're not gonna pour your heart out to me and fuck me like you did last night then act like an asshole today."
Jack's jaw is clamped shut as his eyes hold hers for what seems like hours. He keeps glaring at her until her words sink in then his face softens. "Okay."
Selena's brows arch up in shock. "Okay?"
"You're right."
"I'm right?" She mumbled under her breath. "Yeah, I'm right." She smiled, as if she just settled that with herself.
Her feet hit the floor as Jack wipes his face, clearly still angry about what she did - even though he just told her he was in the wrong.
Jack silently gets out of the bed, almost every muscle in his sculpted body rippled with his movement as he walked into the bathroom, mumbling something under his breath then slamming the door shut behind him.
Selena rolled her eyes then grabbed the sheets off the floor once she heard the shower start. She placed them outside over the rail of the balcony so they could dry off.
Patiently waiting for Jack, she made herself a cup of coffee and slowly drank it until he walked out of room, in a white shirt, his hair tousled and damp.
He snatched the rental keys off the counter and headed towards the door. "C'mon." He muttered.
Jack's fingers drummed on the steering wheel every few minutes and kept silent. Selena was more happy than usual as she didn't let Jack's mood bring hers down.
The radio was turned up almost all the way. Selena sang along with lyrics terribly.
Jack propped his head in his hand using only one to drive as every bone in his body tolerated her awful and annoying singing.
Jack took them to a remote location by the woods, away from the city. It'd be hard for people to find them or grow suspicious if they heard someone shooting a gun.
Selena jumped out of the car as Jack dug in the backseat.
"So what do I get to start with?" She asked. "A solo? A twelve gauge?"
Jack raised his brows as he carried a bag of beer bottles over to the high wooden table. "You will be shooting a nine millimeter semi auto. You're only a beginner, you can't have guns with heavy recoil, not yet. You'll end up breaking your nose." He informed her, setting up twelve empty bottles.
He walked back and stood beside her, pulling the gun from his waistband.
Selena tried to grab it but he retracted the gun, making her reach for it. "I'm gonna tell you this right now. You listening to me?"
Selena nodded and pulled on her ears.
"Never ever hold it sideways and never point it at anyone if you don't plan on using it. Okay?"
She nodded again, rocking back and forth on her heels.
"The worst way is to hold it sideways. It's easier to jam and it's less control for where you shoot."
Jack handed Selena the gun, instantly regretting it.
"Is it loaded?"
Jack shook his head. "No. You're gonna load it." He pressed the button on the side of the hand grip, ejecting an empty skinny black box. "Do you know what this is?"
Selena stared, taking a second to think before answering, "A magazine?"
Jack almost smiled for the first time today. "Yeah. A lot of people get this confused with a clip. A clip is something that holds all the ammunition at once so that it'll be easier to reload and insert into the magazine."
Jack takes Selena's wrists into his hands and eases them down. "When you load your gun, always have it pointed downwards, cause accidents happen."
He hands her bullets, demonstrating only once before she did it herself then inserted the magazine, moving it briskly upwards until she heard the click sound Jack informed her about.
"Okay. Don't shoot until I tell you to...I'm gonna take the safety off." Jack disengaged the safety by manipulating the safety lever that was near the butt of the gun. "You see how I did it?"
Selena nodded, all her attention focused on his words and the gun.
"Show me how I did it."
"You pulled this piece down." She told him, pointing at the lever that Jack had just touched seconds ago.
"Okay. Now pull the top of the gun towards you and make sure you grip it tightly. That'll release it to chamber a round."
Selena used the palm of her hand, pulling the slide backwards then instantly shooting the gun, nearly hitting a beer bottle.
Gunfire roars out around them, causing Jack to flinch and wince at the abrupt noise. Acid smoke and gunpowder filling their senses as Selena let's out a scream of excitement and thrill.
"That was so much fun!" She smiled hard, jumping around, giggling.
"Goddamnit I didn't tell you to shoot! Did I say to fucking shoot?" Jack scolded her, with glass cutting eyes.
Selena's feet are planted into the ground and her smile had gotten smaller, but it was still present. "But I knew what I was doing...I think..."
Selena squinted her eyes and leaned forward to get a better look to see if she missed or not, which she did. "Did I just miss?" She turns toward Jack with curious eyes. "How come I missed?"
"Because I didn't tell you to shoot." He huffs then shakes his head, lowering his voice. "It takes time."
Jack raises her arms back to how they were before, extended and locked. "This is serious shit. Are you gonna wait this time?"
Selena groaned then rolled her eyes. "Yes, geez."
Jack taught her the stance she had to be in, how to hold it properly, and then aiming.
It was clear that Jack was still grumpy even if he did try to mask it, but Selena didn't care. She shot down almost all the bottles on the first try each time.
"I'm kinda good at this huh?" Selena boasted, nudging Jack's arm with her elbow.
"A natural." Jack laughed under his breath that had no humor in it. "Not that you need any help. Heard that you were pretty good."
"Colgate told you?" She joked, firing a shot, hitting the last beer bottle, smiling as the glass shattered its way to the ground.
Jack brows furrow. "Colga-?" Before he can finish, he realized the person she was talking about. "Yeah, Angel told me."
Selena rolled her eyes and then shrugged, facing him. "I had no kind of practice. Bobby just handed me a gun and told me to shoot. I didn't know what I was doing so it didn't count."
Jack thrusted his head forward as his eyes grew wide, not believing what she just said. "Um, that counted more than this does. You shot two or three people."
"Okay and?"
"And why didn't you tell me? I don't want you shooting anyone Selena. I'm proud that you held your own that day, but I don't want you doing this." He gestured towards the gun.
"Doing what? Protecting myself?" Selena watched as Jack rolled his eyes because he knew she was right. "You killed people before."
His jaw works, teeth clenched. Selena could almost feel the calculations going through his head, wondering what to say next because she was right and he had no point in judging her, but he didn't want her doing what he did.
He released his breath, calming himself down as Selena's scowl remained. "I didn't like doing what I did, but I did it for you." Jack's eyes squeezed shut, trying to rid the memories of both nights.
"Whatever Jack, fuck off. I'm gonna protect myself with a gun whether you like it or not." She handed the gun back to him and began walking back to the car.
The ride back to the hotel was muted. Her bubble was popped once again because of Jack. She knew why he was upset and she knew it was only because he cared, but she also knew that Jack isn't gonna be around all the time and she needed to fend for herself.
Once they got back to the hotel, Jack went straight back to sleep while Selena sat on the couch and flipped through channels on the tv.
Her phone began ringing and vibrating on the couch. She checked the caller I.d. and let out a small laugh, answering it.
"Hey Stranger. Haven't heard from you in a long time." Selena chimed. "Long time as in, what? Three years?"
"Oh, Selena, once you left me to get back with Jack, I was ready to get over you...But you know my feelings aren't hurt or anything." He laughed into the phone. "I don't keep tabs on social media and Hollywood, but I just happened to see you on tv at the awards last night and almost forgot how beautiful and astounding you are."
Selena blushed, but only thinking about her time with Jack at the awards. "Yeah Keith, I was there as a rockstars girlfriend."
Keith sucked his teeth. "C'mon, you know you're a star yourself. I might have to sway you into becoming mine again."
Selena thought about the time when she was with Keith, which didn't last very long. She dated him three years ago when her and Jack broke up for a few months. He was five years older than her and was very mature.
Unlike Sean, the abusive boyfriend, Keith treated her good and well. But as always, Jack got her back after he realized he fucked up.
Selena laughed at how ridiculous he sounded. "Keith, I told you before that Jack is the one who is always gonna have my heart. You and I are just friends."
"There was a spark between us. Everyone seen it...Whenever I get done with this trial I'm doing, we could go out on my jet and go to Paris. Just a friendly get away."
Selena let out a sign. "Sounds beautiful. But I'm gonna have to pass."
Sam chuckled. "Hmmm, you must be a lunatic, cause I don't know any woman who would pass on a night in Paris."
"Sane women would pass, they would know better than to go away with you. Everyone knows field trips with you are a death wish." She pokes at an inside joke of their's, with heavy sarcasm in her voice.
Keith barks a laugh, making Selena laugh. "Well let me know when you're ready for that date. You know I'll wait for you, no rushing...Just have an answer for me by next week." He laughed.
Selena grinned. "You'll be waiting a long time. Bye Bye." She giggled then hung up.
Only a few minutes after the conversation with Keith, the door opens and Jack walks out. He sat down on the opposite couch of Selena, not uttering a word as he began to flip through a magazine.
Selena finds a channel with a familiar face on the screen. A tan, broad and built figure with jet black hair winked at the camera. "Hey, it's Darren from last night. I thought he was a singer, not an actor."
Jack continued flipping through the magazine as Selena let out small laugh as Darren made a corny joke on the movie. "He's a good actor...Is he portraying himself?" Her head twisted towards Jack.
"Seems like." He mumbled, not once looking at her, but he stole a few glances at the tv screen, which he didn't plan on doing.
"Can you see like that?" She asked.
Jack shrugged. "Mmm, just listening." He flipped a page. "You told me to fuck off anyways so."
Selena rolled her eyes and almost let out an annoyed groan, before crossing her ankles and sitting indian-style. "You can sit over here if you want."
Rolling up the magazine, Jack takes the invite and plops down on the couch next to Selena, his arm draped over the back of her seat.
All of the tension and anger from earlier today went out the window, and his energy was no longer negative.
Selena ran her fingers through his thick and disheveled hair. "Do I need to be the one to start the conversation?"
"I guess." Jack began tugging at his already loose white shirt.
"You done being mad?"
Jack laughed, taking one of her hands in his lap. "I was tired. And I'm just trying to look out for you. I know you gotta protect yourself, but you're my girl and I just feel like I'm the one who is supposed to."
Selena nodded in understanding. "It's a man thing?"
"Yeah, but I understand why you would want to and I'm not mad. I'm proud."
Selena smiled, relieved that this topic was over and done with. She stuck her cheek out and smirked. "You haven't kissed me all day, plant one on me." Her finger tapping her cheek.
Jack grabs her opposite cheek with his hand, holding her still as he uses the flat of his tongue to lick her from her jaw to her cheek.
Selena yanked out of his hold with a scrunched up face. "Ugh, Jack!" She complained, wiping his slobber off of her.
Jack cracks up laughing with dark and twinkling eyes as Selena glares at him.
Selena pinched the skin on his hand. "Not funny." She bit back a laugh of her own.
Jack grabbed the back of her head and gently brought her lips to his before he swiftly pinned her to the couch as he loomed over her.
After he pulled away, Selena raised a brow. "Don't you have to be at Love Galore?"
Jack almost forgot that they had to perform a few songs to promote their album. The band was one of the first to start off the show and then they could hang around.
"Yep, but I got about fifteen minutes to spare." He smirked, stealing the plaid button up off her body. "Off we go."
He rolled it into a ball then threw it across the room then removing her black sports bra.
A crinkled smile plays across his face as he put his fifteen minutes to use before leaving out the door.
Hair dryer heat suffocated Selena as she clapped and cheered along with the rest of the crowd as The Spares finished their third song and a indie artist shortly took over the outlined lit stage of The Love Galore festival.
Selena continued to wait for them to come meet her and Tessa, Ashton's girlfriend, the only other girlfriend out of the group, who she grew close and comfortable with. They swayed and sang along to the indie music that reached the whole valley.
Love Galore was breathtaking. Every kind of genre was gracing the desert that rested beneath at least a billion of restless and high spirited souls that were being young and wild.
A lot of people were almost naked, hardly wearing any clothing, even some topless and some spray paint their faces and bodies. Everything they did was completely up to them and they were finally free.
But Selena kept everything she simple. She was wearing a yellow lace bustier and ripped shorts, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to strip cause of the heat.
Tessa tied her bleach blonde hair in a bun and pointed over by the stage. "Hey, Lena, there they go!" She bounced with joy.
Selena's eyes found Jack, smiling and signing a few autographs along with the other guys. She removed her sunglasses as the sun began to sink in the horizon and put them in Tessa's handbag.
The guys walked over to them with ear to ear grins spread across their faces. Tessa jumped into Ashton's broad arms, flaunting off their honeymoon phase.
Jack playfully lets out a heavy sign as he rolls his at Selena. "Hey, big head."
Selena quickly drags her tongue across her palm before wiping the moisture on Jack's cheek.
Jack almost immediately steps back. "Ugh!" He takes his shirt and wipes off his cheek.
Selena laughs loud and full. "That's for earlier."
Jack moves quick as a snake, his arms wrapping around her, holding her tight and pressed against his hard chest. He shoots her an arrogant smile and teases her, "Guess who isn't getting a proposal because she acts like a child."
Selena shrugged. "I'm not getting a proposal either way, so I don't know why you even tease about it." She waved it off in a stuffy toned voice, making herself sound prissy.
His arms slide down to her waist and curl around her, holding her tighter than before. His penetrating, solid, blue eyes held hers, wavering with certainty as his grin grows crooked.
"You're getting your proposal, babe." Jack pulls Selena to him and kisses her firmly, his tongue flicking against her lower lip.
Jack forgets that they're in public and he cups her ass, squeezing it as hard as he's kissing her. Selena begins to laugh, but it's muffled by his lips that refused to pull away.
Mason's voice grounds them back to reality. "Lovebirds, let's go get some food. Y'all can makeout later."
Jack laughed then kissed Selena shortly before the group made their way over to the food stands that surprisingly didn't have a long line.
Jack held Selena close as she approached the counter and politely smiled at the guy behind the counter. "Can I just get popcorn with hot sauce and pickle juice, please?" She asked casually.
Selena was to busy digging through her wallet to notice all the suspicious eyebrows and the chorus of confusion following her words.
Jack noticed and observed everyone's faces. "What?" He bristled. "She's from Texas." He jokes, though he thought it was weird, he grew used to the bizarre food combinations.
Before she could hand the money over to the guy, he stopped her and paid with his own money. "Can I get a beer?"
The guy nodded before handing Selena her popcorn and Jack his beer. The group chatted while enjoying the music and the energy.
There was one young guy who was acting really weird. It's like he was dizzy the whole time. He was reaching out for things that weren't there and bumping into almost everyone.
Everyone from the group was laughing at him, except for Jack and Selena.
"Is he on an acid trip?" Selena looked up at Jack then back at the guy who couldn't be no older than eighteen.
"Yeah, he's probably on LSD. A lot of people take it before they get in. Just don't pay any mind to it." He rubbed her shoulders then kissed her head, turning her the opposite way.
Jack's eyes wandered around the festival before someone caught his eye. "Babe, I just seen a friend, I'm gonna go talk to them really quick. I'll be back in a sec, okay?"
Selena nodded. "Okay." He kissed her before leaving and following the person behind one of the tents that held multiple events inside.
"Natailia!" He called, catching up to her, gently grasping her arm.
The thin model turns around with confident greenish-bluish eyes that mirrored the most perfect combination of sapphires and emeralds giving him a slow and sexy smile.
"Where's your girlfriend? You don't wanna get caught do you?" Natailia teased, bringing her tongue to the vanilla ice cream cone she held.
Jack took a quick look at her body that was nearly revealed as she wore a thin bikini that was under an undone satin kimono. He shook his head and glared at her.
"I don't know what the hell you've been telling Selena, but you need to stop." Jack tossed those words out casually, not a single inflection to his voice.
"Really? So, we're both going to pretend like you don't check me out sometimes, even when you're with Selena?"
His eyes rake over her. "The only time I even take a glance at you, is when I know you're looking at Selena the wrong way. You can't be that desperate that you would lie about us fucking."
Natailia is silent, out of lies to spit, her face was flat and it was clear she hated being told about herself.
Jack decided to cut her some slack and not go into a full on rant. "Just leave me and my girl alone, please."
There was a distinct note of pride in that statement, under layers of measured self control.
Jack was pissed off from the lies Natailia was telling to Selena, but he refused to lash out on her and make a scene.
Natailia licked the tip of the vanilla cream, swirling her tongue around it while her eyes poured into Jack's for a long moment before giggling. "Your loss. You sure I can't help you? You seem sexually frustrated."
"Far from it. I'm very well taken care off, bye Natailia."
Jack didn't give her another second to respond before he walked back around the tent to spot Selena separated from the group as she talked to an older man with glasses and a camera.
Jack strides over to them, but before he could get there, the man had walked away.
Selena beamed as she bounced on the balls of her feet, so excited she couldn't control it. "Guess what, Liam said he was gonna take us all on his yacht tomorrow!"
"Oh, Did he?" Jack's eyes were still glued to the man, who was now taking pictures of a group of girls as they did multiple poses for him.
"Yeah, and he said there's a bar, bedrooms so we can stay overn-"
Jack cut her off. "Who was that guy you were talking to?"
Selena raised a brow. "What guy? The guy with the camera?"
"Yeah. Who was that?"
"Oh." Selena shrugged. "He said that tomorrow he would have me in a photoshoot for Maxim or Vogue. And he'll pay me five hundred for it!"
Jack pauses, his eyes growing wide. Then his face hardens as he stares at her in disbelief. "Wait, your letting him shoot you? Selena, you don't even want to model."
Selena rolled her eyes. "It's only one photoshoot. I just want the experience, and it won't hurt anyone if I land on a cover of a magazine."
She patted Jack's ribs with the back of her palm as she winked, clearly not aware of the cons that come with this.
Jack brings a hand down his face then back up to his cheek, keeping it there. His eyes looked like a mixture of disappointment and, 'How could you be this dumb.' Which were almost the same thing, and in this case it was.
"Baby, you know better than to agree to something stupid like that. He could be some fucking weirdo for all we know."
Selena closed her eyes and shook her head, in total denial. "No, Jack. He showed me his work. He's a pro. Lighten up."
"Don't tell me to lighten up Selena. I just don't trust the guy. What if something happens to you?"
Selena smirked. "Then you pick out a casket. I prefer bronze." She joked.
Jack scoffed and shook his head, throwing his hands up as he turned around to leave before Selena grabbed a hold of his white shirt.
"Babe, I'm kidding!" She laughed, bringing a hand to his cheek.
"It's not funny." He whispered, his voice trembling.
Selena could read the expression on his face that was covered in pain from what she said.
She brought her lips to his for a short kiss then gazed into his eyes. "I'm gonna be okay. I promise."
And for the first time, Jack couldn't bring himself to believe her.