Mind Over Matter by Kaia Bennett Page A

was like he was looking at her and into her all at once.
    "What's the song called," she heard herself ask.
    Jonny grinned and pulled his seat up right beside her.
    "‘Loose Ends’," he said, and then sang part of the chorus softly in her ear.
    "I would tie all these up for you
    For you, for you
    Just
    You…"
     

Chapter Eight
     
    "I didn't even know I had this much shit," Gabriel huffed after carrying yet another full-to-bursting box into his bedroom.
    "Most of it's music," Nicole exhaled, equally winded as she dropped her box. "That's the last one. Fucking records, and CDs, and a million books. I don't know whether to laugh at how old-fashioned you are, or hate you for putting me through this. You know you can store all this stuff on computers now, old man?"
    He laughed and came to his full height to stretch. "So I hear, youngin'. So I hear. But, like you said, I'm old-fashioned. I like to hold things in my hands. I like things with a little history to 'em."
    They took a minute to bask in the silence of his new home before sorting through his belongings. It was the weekend and Jackie, Ian, the guys from the band, Trish, and Nicole had done the obligatory service that comes with being the friend of a person in the midst of big move.
    Of course it was a little different now. They weren’t in college and lugging giant sofas up several flights of stairs. Movers had packed up all the big stuff – like furniture, appliances, and clothes. Mostly the gang was on hand to help him move his prized possessions, like his guitars, stereo equipment, and record collection, as well as new stuff he’d purchased that day. Nicole had been the last straggler to stay behind, offering to help sort through his music and books while Travis was having guy time with his friends.
    It took a couple of hours tops to get everything moved in, the furniture set up, and the stuff he’d packed out of his car, but with plenty of hands and plenty of jokes to keep the mood light, they were nearly done with moving everything by noon. Then they broke for lunch and had their own informal housewarming party. For the first time in a long time, the whole gang was together again.
    That had been his favorite part of this day. Everyone gathered around for sandwiches and drinks, laughing amidst boxes and unpacked luggage. They made fun of Gabriel for managing to hide a mansion's worth of stuff in one bedroom, and for not being able to decorate to save his life.
    "Seriously, what are you going to do with all this prime real estate?" Trish asked, partially in awe and partially jealous. "You gonna leave those beams up over there, or take them down to open up the space? Oh, and the kitchen! I don’t mind the gray countertops, but what about a black granite or marble—"
    "Slow your roll, HGTV," Chase joked, nudging her in the arm with his elbow. To the others, with a smirk, he said, "Trish is on a quest to conquer the world with interior decorating, one apartment at a time."
    "Starting with ours," Jonny said, the good-natured twinkle in his eyes belying the sneer of disapproval on his lips.
    "You two needed an intervention," Trish snorted, to which Jackie laughed and the rest nodded in concession with firsthand knowledge. "The only one who could stand to be in there was Q... and just barely, I might add."
    "I know, right? And I have notoriously low standards," Q exclaimed around a mouth full of ham and cheese.
    "I did you a favor."
    The finality of her tone made Chase roll his hazel eyes. A silent concession. Everything in his life had improved since he let Trish corner him at that wrap party for their first music video, from his apartment down to his disposition, and they both knew it. The look they gave each other said as much, identical wry smiles curving their lips. Surly love personified. And it looked good on them.
    Gabriel found himself trying and failing several times that day not to look at Nicole with the same intimate understanding. A flash of thought