Dark On Me (Borrowed Faith Book 2)

by Ruby Rowe

  “I see I have no reason to be concerned about your behavior. You and Ken are going to be a power couple. I always knew this club’s demonstration of selflessness and dedication to the community would foster a deep compassion for humanity in you. It will shine through as you stand by Ken in his political endeavors.”

  “Huh?”

  Did I miss Gwendolyn’s swearing in as press secretary? The woman sure can speak off the cuff.

  With an amused twinkle in her vibrant eyes, she replies, “Dear, I thought it was a given that I wanted to help the homeless. That’s first and foremost, but your concern shows your passion. I knew I was doing a fine job at raising you.”

  Boasting a proud smile, my mother shakes her head and returns her attention to her previous tasks. “Don’t just stand there, Olivia. Go put the registry on the table. We have plenty more to do before the benefit.”

  Dumbfounded, I shuffle away. It’s no wonder I’m under my parents’ thumb. You could lock a group of registered democrats in a room with Gwendolyn for ten minutes and they’d leave wearing elephant t-shirts.

  As I set the registry on the table, my phone rings in the pocket of my capris. Seeing it’s Zain, I hit the decline button and put it away. It rings again, so I stride out the front glass doors to the sidewalk.

  “Zain, it’s not a good time to talk.”

  “When will it be a good time? The last two nights, you told me you were too tired, so I call during the day, and you’re still blowing me off. Is this your subtle way of telling me we’re finished?”

  “Don’t say that. It’s not what I want, but I don’t know how to get around the obstacles separating us.”

  “Tell me what Ken’s holding over you, and I’ll make it go away.”

  “How would you do that?”

  “I’ll pay him off.”

  “That’s crazy. You barely know me.”

  “I know you well enough to be certain I need more time with you. This can’t be the last phone call we have.”

  “As appealing as your money would be to Ken, he knows I’m more valuable. Having me by his side allows him to be with Aaron, and that’s what he truly wants. Besides, I couldn’t let you do something like that for me.”

  “This is some twisted shit, Liv. You know you deserve better, so why won’t you stand up for yourself?”

  “I’m trying, but if you heard the conversation I had with my mother only seconds ago, you’d understand why it’s difficult. I can’t explain the world of manipulation I live in.”

  “Come on the road with me, and we’ll work this out together.”

  “I saw those reporters questioning you outside the airport in Dallas the other day. They were asking about the mysterious woman at the bar. If I’m seen with you, they’ll assume she’s me, and I don’t even know what excuse I would give Ken and my parents for why I was traveling with Borrowed Faith.”

  “Tell them you’re going somewhere else, and we’ll make sure no one sees you on the road. If we don’t spend more time together, we’ll always wonder what could’ve been. You know I’m right.”

  “I can’t leave.”

  “Olivia!” my mother scolds from the door. “Get off your phone. We have work to do.”

  “Shit, I have to go.” I hit the end button before he can respond.

  “If that was Blair, call back and tell her we could use her help tonight. The young woman needs to do some community service if she plans to get anywhere in life.”

  As I walk to the door, I imagine how wonderful it would be to run off with Zain. If we could work it out, I’d go in a heartbeat.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Zain

  Harry had several days off before driving the bus to meet us in San Antonio after our gig. “It’s nice to have you back,” I say as I board the bus and hold my fist out for him to bump. Like every time, he smiles and shakes his head.

  “I’m too old for that shit,” he replies. One of these days, he’s going to do it back.

  “You’re only old if you want to be, Harry.” After fixing myself a drink, I sit on the couch and check my phone. Still no word from Olivia. This fucking sucks. Tripp’s the last one on, looking surly as usual.

  “Where’s Apple?” I ask when she doesn’t board with him.

  “She left for New York before the show. Dex is meeting her there for their interview on GMA tomorrow.”

  “I’ve got to stay up to watch that,” I reply.

  “How about you sleep tonight like a normal person and get up in the morning to watch it.”

  “Damn, I’ve never thought of going to bed at night, Poppa Tripp,” I reply sarcastically.

  He gives me the bird before he starts to his bunk. Does he think I enjoy staying up 24/7?

  “Where’s your annoying girl?” Faith asks Aiden. “That laugh of hers grates on my nerves.”

  “She had to get back to her job,” he replies with his back to her at the table.

  “I’m surprised she turned down the chance to stay on the road with you.”

  “We’re not dating.” He turns his body sideways so he can see her. “Since you’re asking questions that don’t concern you, how was Wainscott? Have you earned your solo contract yet?”

  “You know I don’t want to leave the band.” She looks at the floor. “I did earn a spot for my toothbrush if I want it.”

  Aiden’s mouth slacks. “He asked you to move in with him?”

  “Yep.”

  As Aiden shoves out of his seat, the table rattles enough for Pete to look up from his phone. Sasquatch stomps to the bunk room, so I raise my eyebrows at Faith.

  “He’s so sensitive,” she says.

  “No, he has a fucking heart that you seem determined to stomp all over.”

  “What do you know about it?”

  “I see and hear things. What answer did you give Asher?”

  “He doesn’t make time for his kids, and it pisses me off. I told him if he wants me to live with him, then he’ll make the effort with them first.

  “I wouldn’t feel so bad occupying his time when I’m home if I knew he was seeing his children when I’m not. There’s no excuse, but he was raised the same way … with a dad who worked too much. The fact Asher hates his ex-wife doesn’t help the situation. What about you? Is Olivia still ghosting you?”

  “She has to get some shit in order before she can spend time with me. I’m still hoping she’ll come on the road with us.”

  “Relationships are a headache. It’s another reason I haven’t given Asher my answer.” Faith twirls a strand of her hair that’s damp from performing.

  “Yeah, I’m not even in one with Olivia, and the whole situation is giving me a damn headache. I liked it better when I only cared about myself.”

  “That’s a damn lie. If it wasn’t, you would’ve stuck your bratwurst in women in the last two cities.”

  “How do you know I didn’t?”

  “Each night, you were the first in the van to head to the airport. That never happens.” She stands. “I need a shower.”

  Faith leaves the common area, and without Emma and Apple on the bus, it feels like we have extra space. I never thought I’d say that.

  Aiden told me Emma had a job while on summer break from college. She’s twenty-two and still lives with her parents, whereas he’s twenty-six and has had a lot of years on the road to grow up. In my opinion, he’s too mature for her. Or maybe too experienced is the better term. He and Faith fit together.

  Although, Apple and Tripp make it work, and I never saw the two of them matching up. I think of Olivia and how different our lives are, but it doesn’t mean we couldn’t fit together, too.

  ***

  Hearing my phone ring, I feel around for it in my bunk.

  “Hello.” I wipe my eyes.

  “It’s Apple. Are you up to watch the interview?”

  “Wow, I actually slept a few hours. I’m surprised Tripp didn’t wake me.”

  “It’s still early, so I haven’t talked to h
im yet. Dad and I are leaving for the studio in a few minutes. If Tripp hears how terrified I am to do the interview, he’ll worry. As you already know, he sounds angry when he’s stressed, and I can’t handle that right now. Don’t tell him I called, OK? It’ll only hurt his feelings.”

  “I won’t, but why did you call me?”

  “I needed a friend. What if I become a joke to everyone after they hear me speak about being a medium?”

  “You won’t. The interviews on morning shows are short. With Dex there, the anchors will most likely ask about the accident or you and Tripp.”

  “True,” she replies with uncertainty. “How’s it going with Olivia?”

  “Not good. I can hear in her voice that she wants to be with me, but she said she would have no excuse to give everyone for why she was joining Borrowed Faith on the road.”

  “Why does she have to have an excuse?”

  “I’ve told you how uptight her family is, but there’s more to it than that. Damn, I want to talk to you about it. It’d be nice if you knew so you could give me some advice, but it’s a secret.

  “All I can say is people still think she’s with her ex, their families included, so she can’t be with me publicly. If I could get her away from the controlling people in her life, I could convince her to come clean to them. There’s a serious reason she won’t, and I’m determined to make that reason disappear.”

  “Wow, you said before that it was complicated. You weren’t exaggerating.”

  I groan. “I need my butterfly here with me, Peaches.”

  “Butterfly? Is that your nickname for her?”

  “Yeah. I told her how one landed on me that day and how she reminded me of them since I never knew when I’d hear from her. She said butterflies landed on her that same week.”

  “On her body?”

  “Yeah. Weird, huh?”

  “It is. Shit, it’s time for me to go. I’m sure this will all work out for you, and she’ll come around. Wish me luck today.”

  “I have no doubt you’ll do great.”

  Tripp

  While standing, I bite my thumbnail and stare at the TV hanging up inside our bus. I try not to block the view, but it’s hard. Being closer to the television makes me feel closer to Apple. It’s dumb, but nothing makes sense to me anymore other than how much I love her.

  “Mr. Kingsley, let’s start with you this morning,” the brunette news anchor says. “I read the article that came out in the New York Times yesterday. It was a touching piece of how you came to adopt Ms. Kingsley. Is there a reason you’ve kept it a secret all these years?”

  Dex wipes his hands on his jeans. “I’ll admit that the guilt and shame I felt was part of it. It was hard knowing Apple lost her parents at the hands of Fully Wired’s bus driver. The least I could do was ensure she was cared for the rest of her life.

  “With the age she was at the time, I worried she could be in foster care for a while, and my wife and I, along with my bandmates … well, we couldn’t let that happen. Mainly, though, I kept the adoption a secret to keep Apple out of the limelight. Stability was what she needed after all she’d gone through. Not a media circus.”

  “That’s understandable. Apple, once you were old enough to truly process what had happened with the accident and adoption, did your feelings change whatsoever toward your adoptive parents?”

  I growl under my breath. “Why is she asking such a personal question? Most of this shit was in the article.”

  Clearing her throat, Apple entwines her hand with Dex’s. Shit, I bet she cries.

  “My feelings of love and respect toward Dexter and Erica have only strengthened over the years. They didn’t cause the accident, and instead of leaving and pretending it never happened, they took me in and gave me an extraordinary life.”

  And here come the tears.

  “I have a lot of siblings, and there’s so much love and happiness in our family. I miss my birth parents every day, but I believe they’re at peace and that everything happens for a reason.”

  “Is that because you believe you have special abilities since the accident? You claim you’re a medium.”

  “I’m certain I have the ability to speak to souls who’ve crossed over, and yes, that’s one of the reasons I believe the accident happened. I’m supposed to help people with the gifts I received.”

  She gives Apple a warm smile. “I see you have a ring on your left finger. Is there another reason you feel you were placed on this path?”

  Grinning bashfully, my baby looks at her ring.

  “Yes. Borrowed Faith’s drummer, Troy Townsend, better known as Tripp, asked me to marry him. I said yes, and I do feel it was meant to be.”

  “There have been rumors and speculations that you were first with his bandmate Zain Richie.”

  Dexter squirms in his chair, and I’m squirming while wishing I could shut this lady up.

  “Zain and I have never been romantically involved. When reporters see the slightest show of affection between us, they assume we’re together, but it’s simply not true. Tripp and I are very much a happy couple.”

  “Have you and Mr. Townsend set a date?”

  “Not yet, but I’d like nothing more than to have my dad walk me down the aisle in front of family and friends.” She looks at Dexter with admiration. “I’ve always dreamed of having a big, beautiful wedding. One with lots of pink.” I barely hear her giggle over the audience’s laughter.

  Fuck. Big weddings take time to plan. Why hasn’t she mentioned this to me when she knows I want us to get married soon?

  “I thought you two were eloping,” Faith says.

  “So did I,” I mumble.

  “Tripp in a pink bowtie… I better have a front-row seat at that shindig.”

  “You won’t find it funny when she asks you to be a bridesmaid.”

  Faith’s eyes round. “Did she say she was asking me?”

  “No, but it could happen.”

  “What a shitshow that would be.”

  Before the program cuts to a commercial, I miss the last remarks by the news anchor.

  “Blueberry did good. I’m proud of her,” Zain says, “and Dexter didn’t cuss once. That’s impressive.”

  I fix myself a glass of chocolate milk and weigh whether or not I should bring up the wedding to Apple while she’s away. I think I better wait until we’re face-to-face.

  The last thing I want while we’re apart is an argument between us, but we’re going to be having one if she wants a long engagement. I need her to officially be mine.

  Apple

  “Hi, angel,” Tripp says after he answers on the first ring.

  “Hi.” I take a deep breath. “Boy, I’m glad that’s over.”

  “You did amazing. It was like you’ve been speaking in public all your life. You know I hate doing that shit.”

  “Thanks. It helped knowing you were watching.”

  “We’re almost to Shreveport. Are you on your way to the airport?”

  I cringe. “Um, yes, but I’m not headed to Louisiana.”

  “Why not? I thought you weren’t flying to Los Angeles until tomorrow.”

  “I wasn’t, but something came up.”

  “What came up?” he asks with frustration.

  “Please don’t sound mad. I need your support right now.”

  He exhales in my ear. “I’m sorry. Of course, I support you.”

  “I think something unbelievable may be happening. You know how Zain likes Olivia? Well, this butterfly landed on his shirt the day we argued at the gas station. I didn’t think more about it until this morning when he referred to Olivia by the nickname Butterfly. He said some landed on her that same week.”

  “You talked to Z this morning?”

  Shit. He would catch that part.

  “Yes, but let me finish my story. Anyway, I think it’s a sign.”

  “What is?”

  “The butterflies. Keep up here. It’s important.”

  “Damn, baby. Ch
ill. Butterflies landed on both of them, and Z nicknamed her Butterfly. Got it, but why do you think this is a sign?”

  “Nathan said Zain would meet his person but that it would be harder for him to keep her. That’s already proving to be the case with Olivia, and from what Z has told me, it’s going to be challenging for a while.”

  “That doesn’t mean she’s the one.”

  “No, but add the butterflies, and I believe she is. Have you heard of the butterfly effect?”

  “I’ve heard the term, but I don’t recall what it means.”

  “It has to do with chaos theory. It’s the concept that one small change to an initial condition can change the results of something much greater at a later date. For example, the theory states that a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world can impact the weather weeks later in another.”

  “Are you saying the butterflies landing on Zain and this Olivia chick changed the future?”

  “No. I think the butterflies are a sign from Nathan. It’s symbolism. He’s trying to tell me that he’s the butterfly who altered the future.

  “When he came to me the night I overdosed, he told me it was his fault that Zain missed out on meeting the love of his life. I think this is his way of showing that Olivia’s the woman Zain was supposed to meet sooner had your brother not died.”

  “Baby, that’s a stretch.”

  “How can you still think that after everything we’ve experienced?”

  “I’m not saying I don’t believe Nathan talked to you or affected Zain meeting his soul mate, or whatever you want to call her, but maybe you’re reading more into the butterflies because you want this woman to be the one.”

  “You may be right, but I can’t ignore the possibility, especially when Zain met her in such a unique way. I can tell he’s falling fast and hard for the girl.”

  “What does this have to do with you not meeting me in Louisiana?”

  “I’m going to go see Olivia before I head to Los Angeles. That is, if she’ll meet with me. I have an idea of how to get her to come on tour with us, but she has to hear it from me, or she’ll think Zain put me up to it. I’ll explain once we’re together. Oh, and you can’t tell Richie. I don’t want to get his hopes up in case Olivia refuses to come with me.”