Guitar Face Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Sasha Marshall

  “Neither one of you fucking deserve her. You’re both decent guys, and the fact that I can say that right now amazes even me,” Cam says. “You both fucked her over, and she’s worked so hard to get to a good place in her life. She’s been dealt a shit hand since the night Caleb died and a lot of that shit surrounds the two of you. Who can blame her from distancing herself from you ass hats? And while I’m telling you two how I feel, let me clarify that if either one of you bring up any of her past mistakes ever again and I get wind of it, you won’t have to be worried about being kicked off this tour because my wife will bail my ass out of jail. I’m sick and fucking tired of this drama. She’s spoken. She doesn’t want either one of you so man up and figure out how to get over it and move on. You all deserve to be happy in life and find someone to spend your life with. It ain’t going to be with Hen though and you need to accept that. I won’t have this conversation again,” he finishes.

  The rest of the ride is completely silent. Both Jagger and Ian have calmed down since Cam said his piece. I’ll make sure not to piss him off because I saw fire in his eyes. Fire like that will burn your ass so to speak.

  Chapter 21

  Jagger

  I open my eyes and squint at the sun shining through my window. My head is pounding. Wait maybe that’s the door. I stumble to the door hoping to stop the incessant knock coming from it. Fuck that hurts.

  I open the door and see a very beautiful and pissed off Rosario. Fuck. She barges past me into the room.

  “You were sleeping?” she asks.

  “Yeah,” I grumble through the fog of a hangover and not enough sleep.

  “Alone?” she tears up.

  Fuck, not tears.

  “Yeah, Rosario.”

  She bites her bottom lip looking so much like a sad puppy. I’m an asshole.

  “When were you going to tell me you still loved her?” she questions.

  “Fuck,” I scrub my face with my palm trying to clear the fog a little more. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t do that. Don’t act like last night didn’t happen. It’s all over the internet. A heads up would have been nice. The least you could’ve done.”

  “Look, we were drinking and shit got out of hand. I was drunk. I don’t even remember how it all started.”

  “It started over Henley. Both of you love her. I get it, but you shouldn’t have led me on,” her tears spill over.

  “I’m so sorry. I was trying to move on with my life. I was trying to get over her. I wanted that with you. You’re so fucking perfect, and I wanted to be that for you.”

  She wipes her tears angrily, “When did you know?”

  “Know what?”

  “That you weren’t over her.”

  “I don’t know. It’s just gotten out of hand. I’m an asshole and I keep making these fucked up decisions that hurt people I love and care about. Including you.”

  She scoffs, “Don’t patronize me.”

  She makes her move for the door.

  “Don’t leave like this,” I beg.

  “Leave like what? You want to hug it out or fuck one last time for the memory? I fell for you!” she shouts.

  “I’m so sorry. Tell me what to do.”

  “Let me go. Just let me go and never contact me again. I’ll collect my belongings from your house and leave the key on your dresser. I never want to see you again.”

  She walks towards the door again.

  “Wait. Let me walk you out,” I say trying to be decent for once in my life.

  “Fuck off, Jagger,” she seethes.

  I pull jeans and shoes on and run after her. I don’t want things to end like this between us. I get I deserve it, but it doesn’t mean I want this, or I meant for it to happen.

  “Rosario!” I yell as I run towards her.

  The elevator car opens as soon as I get to her. And lo and behold Henley walks out with Cory. Kip approaches the elevator from the opposite way. Henley steps out behind Cory and notices us in the hall when she does. Fuck.

  “Honey you can have him,” Rosario says and looks her up and down.

  Henley scoffs and rolls her eyes and continues on her way. Rosario reaches out and grabs her arm pulling her back to her. Hen grabs her by the throat so quickly I almost get whiplash. She pushes her against the wall.

  “I don’t fucking want him. Don’t you ever put your fucking hands on me again or I’ll break ‘em. You get me?” she asks.

  Cory pulls Henley back before Rosario can answer.

  “Don’t hide behind your bodyguard you fucking whore!” Rosario says.

  As much as I’d love to see a cat fight between these two, it’s probably not best with all the bullshit I’ve already gotten myself into.

  Henley tries to get around Cory and Kip steps in to help hold her back. Doors open and it seems everybody in this damn hotel steps out.

  “Put your fucking dog on a leash, Jagger or I’ll muzzle her for you,” Henley yells.

  “Hen, stop,” Kip says.

  She looks at Kip and finally gives up her struggle, but she doesn’t turn away from Rosario. Henley won’t back down first because it isn’t in her nature, so with Joe’s help I guide an explosive Rosario into the elevator car and see her out of the hotel.

  “Please make sure the hotel knows she is forbidden from the premises as long as we’re here. I don’t need any more shit,” I say to Joe.

  “My money was on Hen, but it would’ve been a hell of a fight,” Joe smiles,

  “Bruh, I was getting wood watching those two going at it.”

  ***

  Rhys

  I approach Samantha’s door and knock, hoping she’s in. I’m thankful when she opens the door a few moments later.

  “Got a minute?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” she says and opens the door for me to enter.

  I take a seat in a chair in a sitting area.

  “Something’s gotta give Sam. We’re all going to kill each other. The label isn’t helping. Ian, Jagger, and Henley should’ve never been in the same club last night to begin with,” I advise.

  “I’m with you. I’m turning the tables on the label and spinning the fight as a publicity stunt. Fuck them. They started this shit. They should’ve never put Straying on this tour, so I don’t feel bad making them look like assholes.”

  “That’s a start.”

  “I’m calling a meeting in a while. I will put everyone in their places. This life isn’t easy, I get that. This tour is supposed to be fun. You guys haven’t toured in a long time and the focus should be on that, so I’m trying to get it back there. Try to keep Jagger away from Henley. I’ll talk to the rest of the guys so they can help. I’ll also make sure Straying keeps Ian away from her,” Sam advises.

  “Henley has dealt with all this remarkably well,” I admire.

  “She has. Those two idiots are going to keep on with her and she’s going to blow a gasket.”

  “She seems better, stronger.”

  “Yeah. She’s doing so well. I’m glad to see her holding it together. I think we’ve finally gotten to see the Henley that put herself back together after the world tore her apart.”

  “She told Jagger last night he broke her. Do you think he did?” I ask.

  She mulls that over.

  “No. I think life broke her. Caleb’s death just unraveled a very long string. All the shit that happened after put pressure on an already shattered glass. I mean who the fuck can deal with all the shit she was handed at one time? I think she’s done pretty well all things considered? Why’d you ask me anyway?”

  “When she went out on tour with Broken Access it ignited a fire inside of her. She craved the music again, and when she called and asked me to record it was the first time I craved it too since Caleb’s death. I don’t want to lose that part of her, because I’ll lose me. Four years passed by after the car accident and it was all one big blur. I drank a lot at first, and th
en I just slummed it. It’s funny I don’t remember a lot of it now, but that’s four years of my life Sam. They’re just gone. I can’t do this shit without her. There’s no one else I can play this music with. It has to be her.”

  Samantha sighs, “I don’t think she realizes how much we all depend on her, need her. Think about every single one of us in this hotel, and some that aren’t here. Our lives are so intertwined with each other, and who has always been at the center of that web holding all the strings? Kathrine runs Red’s foundation and is married to Cam. Cam is her silent protector, knowing Henley needs to fight her own fucking battles and only stepping up when the enemy is closing in on her. But Henley saved his mom’s life when we were teenagers. If it hadn’t of been for Henley the woman would’ve bled to death. Cam never forgot that. Kip is her best friend and drummer in her brother’s band. Jagger is in love with her, always has been, and is in her brother’s band. He used to be her brother’s best friend, and one day they will be again. Koi seeks his little sister’s approval so bad it trips me out. He’s always waiting for her to be proud of him and compliment his music because he’s probably her biggest fan. Griffin depends on her for council on almost everything because he trusts her so implicitly I don’t know if he’d ever survive if she wasn’t around. Memphis relies on her to keep him sober and to show him how to love. He’s protective of her because no one has ever loved Memphis like his sister does. Me? I’d still be in Macon, Georgia doing God knows what if she didn’t push me to be the best me I could be. Jessica would be in a depressed state more times than not, because she depends on Henley to give her life structure and meaning from day-to-day. Meghan would work as a paralegal for the rest of her life and Henley saw what she sees in all of us, the best version of us. She pushed her to go to law school so she would be fulfilled, because we both know Meghan would never be fulfilled being bossed around by some asshole, balding attorney for the rest of her life. Stephanie had a tough life and could pursue her career in body art and still be her. She never would’ve fit in corporate America. She’s not allowed to say her quota of ‘fucks’ per day. You depend on her to give you musical direction. She’s always pushed you to be better because she knows it’s in you. If you didn’t have that you’d be in some cover band drinking your profits. None of us would be where we are today if it weren’t for her. None of us can lose her that’s why Ian and Jagger can’t let go. Once she’s been in your life, life doesn’t quite seem the same without her. We unknowingly took her for granted, and then for almost four years we didn’t have her. She wasn’t there.”

  “I miss Caleb. I wonder how differently things would’ve gone for her and the rest of us if he was still here,” I admit feeling emotional.

  “I’ve often wondered the same thing, but it wasn’t how things were supposed to be. Look, I know you’re worried about Henley but she’s strong, much stronger than she gives herself credit for. She’s not a twenty-two year old girl anymore. She’s a woman who knows what loss, tragedy, betrayal, and heartache feel like. Those things made her stronger and wiser, and the woman she’s supposed to be,” she expounds.

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “Now let’s go straighten some asses out. I’ve already text everyone to meet me downstairs and you and I are running late.”

  “K,” I say still soaking in all her wisdom.

  “Hey,” she pulls me into a hug. “Remember no matter how difficult things may seem life always works out the way it’s supposed to. Often for the best.”

  I follow Samantha down to a conference room where everyone has already congregated, and in true Samantha Davenport style she wastes no time.

  “Last night was bullshit, and I won’t tolerate it again from anybody. I’m dealing with the label since this is partly their fault, but each of you is responsible for your own behavior at all times. I’m spinning the fight as a publicity stunt manufactured by the label since those pricks started this whole ordeal. Make sure you tell the same story. But the animosity ends here. If you can’t say something nice say nothing at all. We’re all a little too close to 30 to walk around like teenagers decking each other because he fucked your girl. Jagger and Ian, you both need to stay away from Henley. She has played nice, but both of you have behaved like children. If you can’t play by the rules, you’re off the tour. End of story. And just so everyone in this room understands I’ll take you off this tour if you do anything as equally stupid as what happened last night. If you face a decision you are unsure of, you should ask yourself if it would make me a raging bitch. If the answer is yes, you should avoid said behavior or decision. I’m not saying you shits can’t act like rock stars, just don’t do anything that gives me heartburn. I’ve worked too hard to put all this shit together to watch you tear it down. Questions?”

  “No? Great, you all have somewhere to be today. Smile, look pretty, promote your music and tour, and whatever you do make sure you spin the story I’ve fed to the media. Laugh about it, make it believable. I will call Red and ask him to put in a call to the label to prevent any further interference from them.”

  ***

  Henley

  I get the fuck out of that meeting as quickly as possible. Cory is right behind me.

  “I need fresh air. I can’t breathe in here,” I plead with Cory.

  “We can’t just walk outside, Hen. Fans are everywhere,” he apologizes with his eyes.

  “Cory… I can’t just go back and sit in my room. I need… I need to get away from all these people.”

  He sighs but I can see the wheels turning in his head as tries to figure out how to give me what I want and keep me safe at the same time.

  “Let’s go get your guitar, pen, and paper,” he says.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Let’s go. I’ve got an idea, but first thing's first. Coffee,” he smiles making me feel a little better.

  I follow Cory to the hotel Starbuck’s and wait patiently as he orders our drinks. I’m lost in my own head, attempting to put things in their respective boxes inside my mind. I couldn’t sleep last night and it didn’t have a damn thing to do with Ian and Jagger acting like idiots. Kip. Oh God, Kip. I’ve relived those moments on the dance floor a hundred times. I thought as the alcohol left my system the memories would become fuzzy and the feelings would fade only to be replaced with an insane amount of guilt and shame for what we’d done. And yet, that’s not what I’m experiencing. In the first few hours I wanted to run to Kip and finish what we started in the club. I thought that would fade too. Throughout the sleepless night, my attempts to place all of it in a box that would explain it all away with my lack of sex and alcohol induced mind didn’t work. I tried like hell to make it all fit into an explanation of two bodies seeking carnal pleasure, forgetting who we were to each other. It didn’t fit because he sought me out on the floor.

  The way his eyes watched my body move against his, the way his hands touched my body, the way he pleaded with me silently not to go when Jessica interrupted our heated moment, the way his mouth felt on me… it was all so much more than carnal pleasure. The thing that haunts me most is the way he danced with me while I’m Waiting played through the speakers. His forehead against mine, his eyes closed like he wanted to savor the moment, remember every fucking second of it. When his warm breath touched my ear as he sang the words to me… it has to be one of the most intimate moments of my life. He held me so fucking tight, as if he was afraid to let me go, like he couldn’t get close enough to me. I couldn’t get close enough to him either and it felt… it felt… right, and elemental but complex at the same time.

  “Coffee?” Cory disturbs my inner drama. “If you continue thinking at that speed you might burn up brain cells.”

  I offer a small smile, “That’s why I drink coffee. I believe coffee regenerates them.”

  After a small laugh between us, we head to the elevator. He calls the car and we wait patiently. He checks the empty car before I’m allowed to step inside, then I ste
p to the back, since that’s where we’re always placed while security stands in front of us waiting to face the unexpected anytime the doors open.

  “Hold it,” I hear and Cory presses the button that opens the doors.

  Kip enters the car and my whole world tilts on its axis. His expression tells me he didn’t expect to see me in the car. He stands in the threshold of the car staring at me, his eyes holding mine.

  Please don’t refuse to ride this car with me. I couldn’t take it.

  Cory clears his throat and Kip and I both glance at him. Cory motions Kip to the back of the car with me, behind Cory where he can ensure his protection. Kip steps towards me his eyes never straying from mine. He continues forcing my feet to close the only space between me and the back elevator wall. When my back is firmly against it, he steps into my space.

  God he smells so good. He licks his lips which are mere inches from my own, and lights every cell in my body on fire.

  “Cory, hold the elevator when it arrives,” Kip says. “And here.”

  Kip hands him his iPod and headphones. Jesus Christ what is he doing? I can’t think when he’s so fucking close.

  Cory touches his ear piece and speaks, “Clear the halls of everyone, no exceptions. I need four men backs facing the car.”

  I can hear the static from his earpiece but I’m not sure who spoke or what he said.

  “Iris and Apollo,” Cory says before he pulls his ear piece out and inserts Kip’s head phones.

  Kip turns around and looks at Cory’s back and says, “I fucked your mother.”

  No response from Cory, but I giggle.

  “I think we’re good,” Kip says.

  His hands grab my hips like he did last night and pulls me to him, his breath hot on my face. He nuzzles his nose against mine, his lips so fucking close. He closes his eyes and breathes me in, I swear to God the man breathed me in. I’m in unchartered territory on so many levels. I close my own eyes and try to remember