by Emjay Soren
“That’s what I thought.” I look to Tay and pull her to me. “Let’s go.” I say and make my way to the door not bothering to turn around as I walk away from my best friend... he isn’t even present anymore.
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
And oh, darkness I feel like letting go…
Chapter Nineteen
Tayla
“I’ll meet you at the Jeep, I am too pissed to talk to anyone can you fill in Drake?” Cal asks me once we leave the room and his former bassist and friend behind.
“Of course.” He kisses me quickly as he storms from the club and I watch Chad and Shame follow. I assume that Sam is most likely doing damage control from inside the room.
I am not sure I can process what I just saw, and I am so glad that Carrie wasn’t here for it. Codependent didn’t describe what Carrie and Noah were; they survived by a connection between the two of them. Had Carrie witnessed what just happened, let alone saw Noah in this state... I don’t know what she would do.
I think of seeing Cal, so enraged and scared and fed up. I have never seen him in that state before. He is passionate about anything that is important to him and I know that the last few months have been rocky between them, but this was something entirely different than rocky. This was ugly.
“Tayla?” I hear Jenny from behind me and I turn to see her sad face.
“Hey Jen.” I say, and I hug her, thankful she called us tonight.
“I am so sorry I didn’t call sooner Tayla. I honestly didn’t know that Noah was using again. He is in here like every night, but I thought he was curbing the loneliness. We get a lot of widowers in here that just want that cold comfort. I had no idea he was this far gone, or I would have said something.”
“Wait, he comes in here a lot?” I ask.
She nods. “Almost every night. The girls are good to him, they don’t hustle him for money or anything.” She looks terrified that I am thinking less of her. “They all know who he is and what he has been through, they feel bad for him.”
I nod and look to the room where Noah and Sam have yet to leave yet. “He would die if he knew women were talking to him out of pity.” I know one thing and that is that Noah Beckett is a prideful man. If he was coming here to find some form of solace, he would hate knowing it was out of pity that they welcomed him.
“I don’t talk to him out of pity. I just try to be his friend, if that’s even the word. He talks a lot and I listen as much as I can in between customers. He seems so lost most of the time. About a month ago I started watering down his whiskey and charging him half price.” She looks at me with a sad smile. “I don’t know why he comes here and waits for the time to chat with me. At first, I figured he wanted to know more about me being I am Axe’s biological mom, but now I think he just has some misguided sense of comfort from me.”
I am..., well I don’t know if shocked is the word I would use, but I am dumbfounded that Noah has been confiding in anyone, let alone a woman I thought everyone, but Cal and I hated. “I don’t think Noah has a misguided bone in his body. He’s pretty forthright in everything he does.”
“Well misguided or not, he tells me things that are none of my business Tayla and I swear to God I haven’t told a soul what we talk about. He listens to me too ya know? He says that broken recognizes broken.” She shrugs and looks over her shoulder when a patron calls out to her. “Give me a second.” She says and saunters over, shaking her ass and playing up her tip but I can see in her eyes she is exhausted and worried.
I watch as Sam holds on to Noah as they leave the VIP room. We make eye contact and he nods his head and I assume he wants to talk. I head over to them and see the enormous tears in Noah’s eyes and it rips me open a little. I see both sides of this fucked up situation. I know that Noah has spiraled out of control and he is lost, but I see Cal’s side too. They cannot rely on him to do right by TAT any longer. Tonight, proved that his decision-making ability is beyond fucked up.
“What’s up?” I ask when I meet them over by the ATM.
“I am gonna go.” Noah slurs and his tears are falling as he speaks. “I ain't letting him take me; I refuse to let this affect him anymore.”
“Go as in...? Rehab?” I ask, and I can’t breathe in hopes that this is really happening.
He nods, and more tears fall from his eyes. “Noah?” Jenny says from behind me and I am not sure if I should ask her to leave, but Noah acknowledges her immediately.
“Hey Jen.” He smiles the saddest and sweetest smile at her, it’s almost delicate and I literally choke seeing it.
“I can leave now; Lindsay says she will finish my shift. I would like to be there for you.” She says and the way she talks to him as he is crying before her is astonishing. It is like she is unaffected by his tears or his sadness, a pillar of strength for him where we all are so weak. It doesn’t take a genius to know why he chooses to come to her for a shoulder. Jenny is biased on her take with this. She has only seen the aftermath and so her judgements if any, aren’t misplaced.
He nods in agreement and I swear to God I am witnessing something no one would believe. Noah leaning on someone and asking for support. Noah crying and accepting he has hit the lowest of points. Noah going to rehab... I am flabbergasted, and I can’t hide it very well.
“I know this looks fucked up Tay, I know it is fucked up, but I am not strong right now and Sam and Jenny get that in a way the rest of you don’t.” He says, and I will never understand how Noah can always guess what we are thinking.
Trying to keep my composure I pull on the fact I am his manager and handle all the PR. “You do what you need to be healthy Noah. Strategically, right now, the band is the least of concerns. Cal is going to get past this just like all of us will. You may not feel it right now, but you have our support. I can handle anything business related and when I need to I will make a statement to the press. Focus on you, okay?”
He nods and like that, a flicker in an almost dead lightbulb, Noah Beckett walked out of the bar with Jenny and Sam and into an unknown future.
This is how we do, yeah, chilling laid back
Straight stunin’ yeah we do it like that
This is how we do, do, do, do, do
This is how we do
Chapter Twenty
Cal
Two weeks later
As romance goes when it is me doing the romancing...I nailed this shit. Now this is Washington and I am a celebrity so of course things went easier than had I pulled this extravagant shit five years ago, but I am gonna own it and I am going to make all eyes watching tremble.
I look up from my kitchen counter when I hear the gate alarm chime and I know the gang is here, including Sam and Noah, though the surprise of Noah being back is a bonus that just me and the guys know. When it comes to this crowd I have no problem taking something special between Tay and I and making it about us all. We are family. We don’t need blood or matching last names to be one either. Family is about unconditional love, support, brutal honesty, happiness, sorrow and peace of mind that at the end of the day you have this bond that can only make you stronger. We have that, and we always have. We carry our weak, we hold our sad, we praise our heroes and we love fucking hard. If that isn’t family, then I don’t know what is.
And tonight, I share this one amazing gift with them all. It is Noah here and healthy, it is Axe finally ours and the progress he has made and finally is the love for my Tay and I celebrate that tonight. I have spent enough time proving to her how much I love her and that I am in it for eternity, but tonight I show her. Love doesn’t define what I am trying to show her tonight, that word is four letters, but they hold a huge impact and it doesn’t come close to what I feel. This connection with Tayla is integral and important. It is loyalty, honesty, compassion, desire, heartbeats, and confusion and of course, loves. Will she ever know to what depth it goes? Will I ever do enough to show her? I don’t have those answers and I am grate
ful, because not knowing will only make me push harder to prove to her I am her somebody.
The gang comes in and all sit around my kitchen bar top as I hand out beers, Gatorades and juices. They all know my plan and like always they are here to help and make sure it goes off perfectly.
If I pull this off, and I really think I will... Then forever starts tonight.
Tayla
“You look so hot Tay.” Carrie says when I come into the living room after the absolute longest two hours of getting ready. I am normally pretty fast from shower to car in the getting ready for a date type of gal, but tonight was on a whole new level. That started four and a half hours ago when my girls showed up. “You know it is moments like this that I wish Candey was here. She loved this shit.” Carrie says with a soft sad smile. Just like her brother, I don’t think Carrie will ever recover from losing her. Candey was the first-person Carrie let in with no secrets besides Noah. Where Noah had Sam, Carrie had Candey. And she was right, Cans would have loved getting me dolled up.
“Well I think you definitely summoned her tonight, because no doubt I do look good tonight.” I say with a wink. “Any chance you’ll give me the 4-1-1 on tonight?”
“Hell, no honey.” She says as she compares three different clutches in various shades of grey.
I nod and roll my eyes in response and drink the remaining champagne in my flute. I look at my closest girlfriends as they have gathered to help make tonight, whatever it has in store, special. We never really talked about the fight over Jenny. Shamus had told Cal that Cassa was fighting with the loss she has endured and knowing that she is suffering and that it is justified for her anger, I have let it all go. I don’t know if anyone will understand our relationship and dynamic where Jenny is concerned but I guess it is all about perception if you aren’t the one living it.
I start to fidget with the low hip chain belt “Stop fidgeting.” Carrie demands, and I roll my eyes. My thoughts immediately go to Noah.
“Any word from Noah?” I ask her even though for the last two weeks it seems none of us have spoken to him and all Sam will tell us is that he is safe and healthy nut he doesn’t want to talk to anyone just yet.
She shakes her head no, and though the ever-constant sadness that both Carrie and Noah wear, she seems even sadder at the loss of her brother recently. “Stay positive Carrie. Sam would tell us if he wasn’t ok.” I try to reassure her, and it is hard because the last time I saw Noah he looked like he was on deaths door.
“Tonight, is about you and this hot date you’re set to go on.” She says and smiles. I know she is happy for me and that it is genuine so our fears for Noah are brushed to the side for the moment as we inspect my attire. I am in my tightest sexiest skinny jeans in a pale faded blue with various wear and tear holes. My top is loose fitting on the top and goes off the shoulder displaying my chest tattoos and sleeve and it synchs in tight and gathered along my waist where the belt I am fidgeting with hangs. My matching grey swede boots go above my knee and are flat so if the night ends well, I will be a good foot shorter than Cal if he hugs on me tonight.
I hope he hugs on me.
“He will. Trust me.” Cassa says from behind me and I realize I spoke that thought out loud.
“Ya know, it really sucks not knowing what I am walking into tonight.” I say and sit at the counter in the kitchen, eying Carrie as she tries deciding on the clutch.
“Give me that one.” I say and point to the deep gray one with a Swarovski crystal embossed cross on the front.
She eyes it then nods in agreement. “You’re ready!” She exclaims and Cassa and Roni both eye me looking for any possible flaw and in this instance, I am fine being judged.
“I can see you’re nervous but trust me when I say you are going to be fine.” Cassa says and hugs me close. I can only assume based on their non-stop excitement and determination to have me fabulous tonight, that Cal has some Cal version of romance lined up. It’s that his version when it stands by mine leaves much lacking. I know that sounds harsh to say, but history has proven time and time and time again that he isn’t the romance type.
I accept that, hell I hope that tonight ends with him telling me there will be no more secrets and that we are openly a couple. I don’t just accept that, I want that. I want him and all of him. I just want to be his and know, more importantly, that he wants me to be his. It is why I am terrified tonight will end in tears and heartache, because my Cal isn’t the committed type. Good hell, he didn’t even call me today like he said he would. He texts me four hours ago a simple and confusing: “Meet me tonight at the entrance of the harbor boardwalk in front of the Aloha house.” And as soon as I read it I heard the doorbell ring and in walked my girls with a suitcase full of girly make-over delights.
Now I am twenty minutes from leaving and I am scared shitless of what awaits me. Beers and karaoke? Sadly, I would bet I am right and I love it, I’ll just love it more if there is a “Tay be my girl” involved.
“I’m terrified, but at this point regardless of what happens, in less than an hour I’ll know what my future holds. He’s either in it or not.”
They say nothing, totally out of character for anyone in this little group to do, and it annoys me. That and the fact they are all bailing on me.
“Just breathe Tay and be positive ok?” Carrie says as she slips on her jacket and reaches for her purse before standing in front of me. “Hear him out before you argue or cry okay?”
I roll my eyes and Cassa smacks my arm. “Seriously Tay, give him the time to sort his words out and get to his point ok. Just promise us that.” She says and hugs me, and then Carrie hugs us, then Ron.
“I promise.” I say, and I trust these women and know that they are fully aware of Cal’s plan tonight and I know they’d never send me into something that would hurt me. It is my greatest comfort right now.
I walk them to the door hugging them individually before they leave. “I’ll call you guys when I get home.” I say and wave goodbye as they prance off to Carrie’s car giggling like teenagers.
The last twenty minutes move at a snail’s pace as I poke at my make-up and fidget with my hair. Before I completely second guess everything and change my entire meticulously picked outfit I hear my phone chime a text.
My heart speeds up when I read it.
Cal: It’s that time. Come to me baby.
For every choice, mistake I’ve made, it’s not my plan
To send you in the arms of another man
And if you chose to stay I’ll wait, I’ll understand
Chapter Twenty-one
Tayla
I decide to park at the Aloha House assuming this is where we will be tonight. I grab my clutch and umbrella before getting out of my rover and locking it. I stuff my keys in the clutch and pop the umbrella. It’s a light sprinkle but more than enough to destroy my hair.
The Aloha Houses parking is located on both sides of the building and in the back. I am parked on the side and I make my way toward the boardwalk where the door to the Aloha House awaits. I am not prepared for the sight when I turn the corner.
Velvet ropes line the boardwalk directing the line of people outside I see Chad and Carrie first, then Cassa and Shame, Noah and Sam and Mike and Ronnie. Seven and Kevin are both there with some dingbat fangirls on their arms and I smile at seeing them as they stand at the entrance to the bar. Fans are screaming and yelling so I can barely hear Chad when I walk up. “Surprised?” He asks and smiles, holding the door for me.
“What are you guys doing here?” I ask as I step inside the bar is standing room only and I am so confused. Cal hates being in a crowded bar unless its work related. I feel the onset of panic knowing that he will freak out and most likely want to leave. I don’t mind if we do at all, I just don’t want any roadblocks stopping him from whatever he has planned.
“You’ll see.” Chad says, and I feel a little less panicked because he is excited and that tells me Cal doesn’t give a shit it is crowded
The guy’s security team walk us in once everyone is inside and they lead us to a table in the front but to the side of the small stage. A lone barstool sits empty upon it and there are no lights.
I take off my jacket and before we can even sit, there are two servers there to get our drink orders. We all go around ordering our drinks and the guys all order various appetizers, and they all seem so normal and it’s freaking me out. I lean into Sam. “What is going on Sully?”
He smiles and before he can answer I see the lights appear on the stage and the spotlight falls on the barstool that is now occupied by the love of my life.
The bar erupts in applause and screams, and I am completely dumbfounded and frozen in shock. No way is this Calvin Dorian. No way is the man I love on a stage alone exposed without TAT being his reason.
He is smiling and laughing and getting the crowd to an ear-piercing roar before he finally takes his seat at the stool and starts using hand motions to quiet the crows and like me they obey to his every request.
“You guys are the baddest mother fuckers alive you know that right?” He says into the microphone and there they go again. I cannot hide the smile on my face. These fans mean the absolute world to him and the smile they put on his face is priceless. Confused or not, I enjoy this moment basking in his happiness.
“So, listen, I’m gonna talk for a minute. I can see you all follow us close on Twitter and Facebook and got the message loud and clear that I needed you guys here for me tonight." I immediately go for my iPhone 6 to see what he is talking about when Chad takes it from me and shakes his head no. I am about to protest when he softly tells me to listen.
