Instead I did what any friend would have done: I jumped onto the bed as if him showing up to my room in the middle of the night was no big deal, and sat cross-legged next to where he took a seat.

Fresh-faced and damp-haired, he pushed his black locks straight back before rubbing at one of the shaved sides of his head. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

“I was still trying to wind down.” Plus, he’d banged on the door so loud that it would have woken me up even if I’d been passed out, but I kept that to myself. “What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep, and I’m not in the mood to get any writing done tonight.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Writing your next album?”

He nodded. “This tour is for the last record we have with our label and our contract runs out in exactly a year; we want to release another album the day after it’s over. I wanted to go ahead and get started on the songs now.”

“You’re self-releasing it?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty certain we’re going to have to sue our label for back royalties they owe us afterward.” He winced.

I made a face that he mirrored.

“It’ll be fine,” he assured me.

“I’m sure it will.”

He nodded, rubbing at the side of his head again as his eyes strayed to the chunk of my head that had met a death with Carter’s clippers weeks back. Sacha tipped his chin up. “Are you planning on shaving it again?”

“No. I’m lucky if I get two haircuts in a year; keeping up with it is too much trouble. I’ll just look dumb until it grows back in. And it’s probably way too cool of a haircut for me anyway.”

“You’re cool.” He smiled. “Most of the time.”

I sort of choked but still laughed. “Oh, thanks for such an awesome compliment.”

“It’s what I’m here for.”

I rolled my eyes playfully, settling my back against the headboard. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve known you my entire life, and other times, I ask myself what the hell I was thinking trying to be your friend.”

The grin that took over his mouth astounded me. “I’ve thought the same about you. What would my life be like if you hadn’t kicked me in the ass?”

I crossed my eyes and groaned, earning a bright laugh from the guy next to me.

“I’ve never met anyone I’ve felt so comfortable with so quickly,” he said like it was nothing.

Why did he have to be so sweet? I pushed that question into the back of my brain and beamed at him, appreciating what he was saying. “I’m picky with my friends, you know.”

"So I should feel honored that I'm your best friend?" he asked, raising a dark eyebrow while a goofy, crooked grin covered his lips.

I couldn't help but snort. "We're best friends?"

He sat up a little then, nodding with that same ridiculous smile on his face. "At least."

Wanting to focus on his words but being too scared, I waggled my brows at him. "How old am I?" I asked, knowing he had no idea.

"Twenty… three?" he asked, twitching an eye.

"You’re fired. I'm twenty-six.” I groaned, flicking his thigh in return. “What's my favorite color?"

He made another face. "Blue?"

"How did you know?"

"You're always wearing blue," he boasted with a wink. "What do you think my favorite color is?"

I stared at him right in the eyes. "Pink, duh."

He blinked those long fanning black lashes once and only once. “Do you have any idea how easy it is to love you?”