by Anna Edwards
He turns the box he calls the television on and picks up another box and presses what look like buttons on it. The screen changes pictures until it stops on something called the History Channel. The lady on it starts telling me about a Queen of England called Elizabeth II. I sit down on the bed engrossed as Liam disappears into the shower.
Chapter 9
Liam
#ILoveThisBus
This is the part of being a rock star I secretly like—the part where we walk together in a large group, consisting of the band and staff, through the corridors of the hotel we’re staying in. The marble floors echo with the sound of our footsteps as gamblers at the machines stop to see who we are. Yivi is walking beside Zoey, and I’m with my bandmates out in front. We’re a sight to behold with ripped jeans, multiple piercings in different locations, crazy hairstyles, tattoos that could take months to explore, and rippling muscles contrasting against black, band t-shirts.
There are audible gasps as we make our way out into the hot Las Vegas air through the VIP entrance. Several fans wait outside the hotel, cordoned off by the hotel security so they can’t mob us. We head straight over to them and sign as much as we can while the rest of our entourage make their way to the two tour buses lined up together.
When I finish and turn around to walk to the bus, I see Yivi standing at the doorway watching me. She has a massive smile on her face. I pretty much skip over to her and lead her onto the bus.
“That was crazy to watch,” she says and then falls silent when we get to the living quarters of the bus. “Wow!” she exclaims.
“Zoey and I call the bedroom at the back.” Tate shoves past me with a mischievous look on his face.
“Jesus! Are you going to be fucking the entire way to Seattle?” Cameron climbs up the steps of the bus and flops down into one of the leather chairs.
“How long’s the journey?” Tate asks.
“About seventeen hours.” Austin, the band’s fountain of useless knowledge and a technological genius, replies as he plumps down on the table a backpack containing his homemade computer.
“In which case, we’ll need to stop fucking for a bite to eat, but yes, I’d much rather fuck Zoey for the journey than spend it playing computer games with you idiots.”
Cameron flips his friend off. “No fucking for you. We need new songs. Get writing.”
“Spoilsport.” Zoey is the next to arrive on the bus. She’s been making sure we haven’t caused any trouble that needed dealing with. “Although, I think it’s probably a good suggestion, Cameron. Seventeen hours with Tate inside me is going to lead to a lot of chafing.”
“Chafing?” Yivi questions next to me.
“I’ll explain later,” I tell her.
We had another three concerts in Las Vegas after the first, so I’ve now known Yivi for a week, and during that time, we’ve discovered a lot more about each other. I’ve enjoyed watching her learn about the modern world, even if some of it has been a little scary. The best bit has been witnessing her now lethal addiction to chocolate. She can’t get enough of it. Not that I mind, I’ll buy her as much as she wants.
She’s also been a godsend, helping Zoey out. In spite of not having what’s considered to be a conventional education, Yivi is incredibly bright and has some really good ideas to help keep us all under control.
The tour bus pulls away from the hotel, and Yivi screams, “Earthquake!”
I look at her puzzled until I realize it’s the movement of the bus that’s scared her.
“It’s okay.” I take her hand and help her to a seat. “It’s not an earthquake. It’s the bus moving. It’s like a car but a lot bigger. We live in it on the road.” I’d never thought to explain to Yivi what a tour bus was or its purpose.
“A hotel on wheels?” Yivi questions, turning to look out the window as we travel along the road.
“A bit like that. Do you want to explore it?”
“Is it safe to walk around? You have to sit down in the smaller cars?”
“It’s perfectly safe, don’t worry.”
Yivi gets to her feet and tentatively takes a step. Finding she’s not going to fall over, she follows me as I give her a tour of our state-of-the-art bus. She’s amazed at the kitchen area and even more stunned we have a working bathroom on board. I tell her I’ll show her the back bedroom later when I hear grunting noises coming from Zoey and Tate who went straight back there when the bus started moving. She doesn’t need to see Tate’s backside as he takes Zoey for round one of the road trip.
As we approach the bunks, Yivi looks at them with a mixture of excitement and nervousness on her face.
“This is where we sleep,” I explain and pull back the curtain to one of the bunks.
“All together?” she questions.
“Well, in individual ones, but yes. I normally have a top one. Austin prefers the bottom. Cameron tends to crash in whatever is left, but if you choose one, I’ll make sure he stays out of it.”
She looks at the bunks. I can see a thought flashing through her mind as she nibbles at her lip.
“What is it?” I ask.
“We didn’t really live as families. When the girls came of age, we were taken away from our parents and lived in dormitories so we could learn what we needed to know about being wives. We had bunk beds there. I was never allowed the top one, though. There was this mean girl who insisted it was hers.”
“You can have the top one now. I don’t mind. I can have this one, and you can have the one on the opposite side.” I open the curtain for her so she can see where she’ll sleep.
“I like it.” She smiles and places her bag on the bunk.
“You said when the girls come of age they’re taken away from their parents. What age is that?” I ask, not sure whether I really want to know the answer.
“Apparently, it takes ten years to prepare a girl for marriage. I was ten years old when I last saw my parents. I don’t really remember much about them to be honest. I spoke to them at my wedding that never was, but they were practically strangers to me. I’m just glad I was their only child. I’d be terrified for any siblings I’d left behind.”
I pull Yivi into my arms and give her a hug. It’s something we’ve taken to doing a lot recently.
“Do you mind if I sit in my bunk for a while and read the book you gave me?” Yivi asks.
I’ve given her a copy of Bill Bryson’s ‘History of Everything’, and she’s been engrossed in it ever since.
“Of course, we’ll stop for dinner somewhere, but other than that, we’re on the road until we reach Seattle. This is the downtime in the tour. The time we can be just be ourselves and rest. I’m pretty sure you need it. Las Vegas was crazy.”
“You could say that.” Yivi laughs, and it warms my heart to hear her so happy.
“I’m going to get a drink, and then I’ll probably sleep. Just call me if you need anything. The other guys are always around as well.”
“I will.”
I leave Yivi alone to settle down and find her own space on the bus. It can get intense, and I think she’s made the right decision to be alone and read for a bit.
When I reach the front where Cameron and Austin are sitting, I notice Cameron is on the phone.
“He’s here. I’ll hand you over.” He passes me the phone.
I frown as if to question who it is.
“Leo,” Cameron mouths.
I swallow deeply. I haven’t spoken to him since the morning I found out I was married. Zoey has been handling the fallout from Yivi touring with us and me not signing the annulment papers.
“Hi.” I move over to the side so Austin and Cameron can’t listen to the entire conversation and to make sure Yivi won’t be able to hear.
“Hi, how you doing?” Leo asks.
“Good. I’m guessing this call is about Yivi?”
“Partly, Zoey told me what’s been going on. I think you’re doing the right thing, protecting and helping her learn. I can’t imagine what she�
�s been through. Not sure being stuck on a bus with four testosterone fueled lads will do her much good, though.”
“Zoey’s taken Yivi under her wing. We’ve got more to fear from those two girls taking over than from us causing trouble. They spent all day yesterday updating Zoey’s bus cleaning schedule. I think Yivi has become as obsessed with the stickers and colored pencils as Zoey.”
“Damn, you really are screwed.” Leo laughs down the phone.
“Yes.” I pause. I value Leo’s opinion on everything. He’s the wisest man I know. “Do you think I’ve done the right thing?”
“Are you asking about bringing her along or not annulling the marriage?”
“Both I guess.” I let out a long sigh.
“Bringing her along is good. I’ve pretty much already said that. Not getting the annulment? I think only time will tell with that. But I have one piece of advice for you, Liam. You need to be careful not to think you’re in love with her because she’s vulnerable. You need to be sure you’re in love with her for the right reasons before you take things any further. Not just for your sanity but Yivi’s as well. It sounds as though she’s been through a lot and is trying to learn so many new things. You’ve been good for her, and you’ve become her protector. She could mistake gratitude for stronger feelings. You don’t want to end up hating each other because you’ve both misread your emotions.”
I know everything Leo is saying is true. I’ve thought about it a lot, but I can’t forget the pain I felt in my chest when I found out what had happened to her. That wasn’t just me being caring, it was me genuinely feeling something for her.
“Liam, you there?”
I realize I’ve drifted off into my own thoughts.
“Yes, sorry. I know everything you’re saying is right. I’ve been thinking it myself. It’s why I’m trying not to be physical with Yivi even though there’s a part of me that wants to. She’s very pretty, and a fabulous woman, but until I know in my head and heart I love her, I’m not going to touch her.”
“Damn, I think you boys will stop needing my advice soon. You’re more grown up than my own band sometimes. You do cause trouble, but you have a maturity I don’t see often.”
“I know it sounds strange thing, but I think we can give Heidi the credit for that. We grew up the day she died.”
We were in our mid-teens when Tate’s sister died of a drug overdose. It scared us all and made us even more determined to be good people.
“I can understand that.” I hear a noise in the background of Leo’s call. “I have to go. Sam needs me. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. Safe trip. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I chuckle. “Believe me, most of my journey is probably going to be spent explaining how British people aren’t sinners, and we love their monarchy so much an American married into it.”
“Kinky!” Leo hangs up, laughing his head off.
I give Cameron his phone back and grab a soda from the fully stocked fridge before lounging on the couch and grabbing one of Austin’s remotes.
“Come on man, I bet I can beat you,” I taunt, enjoying the new normality of my life.
Chapter 10
Yivi
#IsThatADinosaur
A lady wearing a smart outfit of black pants and a white shirt leads us through the upscale grille restaurant in Seattle. She’s taking us to a table in the back where Liam tells me we won’t be disturbed. As I walk past the other diners, my eyes instantly observe all their meals. There are things on plates I’ve never seen before.
“What’s that?” I grab Liam’s hand tightly when I see this prehistoric looking orange creature on a woman’s plate. She’s holding what look like a pair of nutcrackers similar to the ones the Leader used at Christmas to give us all a hazelnut if we’d been good.
“That’s a lobster,” Liam explains.
The waitress gives us a bit of a strange look but continues to show us to our table. She pulls out a seat for me, and I take it. She then does the same for Liam before handing us menus.
“Can I get you anything to drink to start with?”
“Two gin and tonics, please,” Liam orders for me. He’s done that a few times now, but I honestly don’t mind, because half the time I’d have no idea what I’d be ordering otherwise. My diet in the cult was limited to basic foods and only water to drink.
“What is this lobster thing?” I ask when the waitress disappears. “Is it a prehistoric animal? Are some of them still alive?”
“It’s just a sea creature. There are loads of other animals like it. Crabs, shrimp. I’ll have to take you to the aquarium while we’re here so you can see them.”
“Aquarium?” I question not knowing the word.
“It’s a place on land where you can go and visit sea creatures. They’re in the water, but you remain dry. Have you heard of zoos? They are a similar thing but have wild animals like tigers, lions, monkeys, and bears.”
I shake my head. “Sounds amazing. I’d like to see them.” I go silent and look down at the menu for a moment. I don’t understand a lot of it, as expected. “Liam.” I look back up at the handsome man sitting opposite me. He’s smiling warmly. “Is it bad I know so little about the real world. I’m not too stupid for you, am I?”
“Not at all.” He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. I instantly feel a warm heat flood my body.
“It’s just… I know nothing. You have to keep explaining everything to me all the time.”
“I enjoy it. I love watching you learn, and you’ve come so far in a week. Don’t worry, honestly. Now ask me anything you want about the menu. Do you want to try the lobster? We can get one to share? I’m going to have a steak as well.”
“That’s something I know. A steak. We had a lot of cattle.” I laugh. “I would like to try the lobster, but I don’t think I could manage a steak as well. Can you suggest something lighter?”
Liam scans the menu. “How do you feel about fish?”
“I’ve only really tried meat.”
“Then I suggest the tuna tartare. It has a fabulous flavor. If you don’t like it, we can order something else.”
“I’d like that.”
The waitress returns with our gin and tonics. I drink mine as Liam places our order. He also chooses a bottle of wine, and the waitress quickly returns with it.
“How about a game?” Liam finishes his gin and tonic and munches on a slice of bread the waitress brought to our table.
“Okay,” I reply uncertainly.
I don’t know what this game will entail, but I’m sure I’ll learn something from it. And it’s not like Liam will embarrass me in the middle of a restaurant. Zoey would kill him. She’s like a machine with the bandmates—never letting up and always making sure they behave.
“You get three questions. You have to answer them no matter what, but it doesn’t have to be a long answer. If need be, it can be yes or no, but you have to give an answer,” Liam explains.
“Sounds good. Do you want to go first?”
“All right, favorite color?”
I raise an eyebrow at Liam. I expected something a little more intense from his description of the game. A question about my preferred color is not something I thought would come out of his lips first. It’s not something I’ve ever thought about before.
“Purple. I remember these flowers growing near the cabin I lived in. They were a beautiful purple color. I used to draw them when I had time. I’ll have to see if I can find out what they’re called.”
“I’ll help you. Now it’s your turn to ask a question.”
Liam sits back in his chair and watches me as I think of all the many things I want to ask him. I want to discover what makes him tick and get to know his mind, but I want to keep my question simple like he did.
“You have a lot of tattoos. Which one was your first?”
“Interesting question. I don’t have as many tattoos as Tate, but yes, I do have a few.” Liam chuckles and starts to pull up the f
ront of his shirt. My eyes instantly go to his rock-hard abs.
There’s that strange feeling between my legs again.
I need to talk to Zoey about it.
She’s already helped me out with protection against pregnancy, which was completely alien to me.
I lick my lips as Liam continues to lift his shirt higher.
“My first tattoo was Saving Tate’s logo. Completely sad, I’m sure, but the band means so much to me I knew I had to get it.” Liam points to his chest and the logo of the band on it.
“It looks good,” I tell him, picking up my glass and taking a large mouthful of wine just as the lobster arrives.
Liam drops his shirt, and I feel the world cool down a little bit. The waitress winks at me knowingly, and I give her a smile back. Pulling the lobster toward himself, Liam starts to break it apart. He removes the meat from the shell before placing the different pieces on separate plates.
“Okay, my next question. You’ve been learning a lot about different countries around the world. Which one would you be most excited to visit?”
“I want to visit all of them,” I only half jest. “I guess I’ve always hated England because of what I was taught growing up, but everything I’ve learned about it this week and knowing my family originates from there makes me want to visit it. I want to see where the Queen lives. I want to go to the castles and pretend to be a princess.”
“I’m sure we can arrange that one day. We’ve already completed our UK leg of the tour, but we can go there on our own. We’re heading over to Asia and Australia in a few months. You’ll enjoy that.”
“I will,” I reply, glad he’s still thinking of me being with them then.
Liam hands me my plate of lobster accompanied by a creamy sauce, and I take a bite. It’s an odd flavor at first. The texture is meaty, but it tastes different. I like it and devour the rest while I think of my next question.
