Faded (Rock Star Trilogy)

by Mercy Amare

  “Can I kiss you?”

  “I thought you would never ask.”

  Stephan's lips crash into mine, and I feel hot, like heat is literally pulsing through my veins. He puts his hand on the small of my back, and pulls me closer. Every inch of our bodies are touching, but it isn't enough, and it's then that I realize — I will never get enough of Stephan.

  His tongue slips inside of my mouth, and I moan from the ecstasy. I wonder what else he can do with his tongue. I hope to find out very soon.

  I feel Stephan's hand travel south, and he cups my ass. I'm so turned on that I can hardly stand it. I pull back, even though I really don't want to. And I wouldn't if we weren't standing on the side of the road in front of his parents’ house.

  “You're driving me crazy,” I pant.

  “Good,” is his breathy reply. He then proceeds to kiss his way down my neck. I feel his finger trace the top of my cleavage.

  “Stephan,” I beg, though I'm not sure exactly what I'm begging for. I'm torn. Part of me wants to let him take me right here. I don't care who is watching. But the other part of me, the sensible side, knows that probably both Bridgett and Alec are watching from the window next door. The non-sensible side is definitely winning.

  “Yes?” he answers, his lips still on my neck. I feel the vibration all the way down to my toes.

  What was I going to say, again?

  Oh, right. Sister and best friend are next door.

  I push him back gently. There is now two inches between us, and I already miss his touch. “Bridgett and Alec are probably watching us.” My eyes glance over to my house. I was right. They are both staring out the window. Bridgett gives me a thumbs up.

  Stephan pulls me close again. “Then let's give them something worth watching.”

  His lips once again crush onto mine, and I'm about to lose myself completely when I hear a car pull up. I open my eyes to see Stephan's mom, Sarah James, getting out of her red Corvette. I push him back once more.

  “Hey, Scarlett,” she greets me, with a small wave. “We've missed you around here. I hope you're staying.”

  Stephan, with his arms around me, replies, “She's not going anywhere.”

  I can't stop the smile. “Definitely not.”

  He tightens his grip. “Mom, we were kind of in the middle of something.”

  “Get a room,” she laughs, and then heads inside the house.

  I hit Stephan's arm playfully. “Stephan! Oh my God! I can't believe you just said that to your mom!”

  “Oh come on, Scar. If I weren’t acting like this, she would think I was gay. You're fucking hot, in case you forgot.”

  I bite my lip to keep from smiling and shake my head. “I'm going home now. I'll see you in the morning.”

  “Good night,” Stephan says, giving me one last quick kiss on the lips.

  As I walk back to my house, I feel like I am floating. If kissing Stephan makes me feel like this, I can't even imagine how great making love with him will be.

  When I walk inside, Alec gives me a knuckle bump. “I thought you two were going to have sex on the sidewalk.”

  “Told you.” Bridgett smiles, ignoring Alec’s comment.

  “That was hot. I seriously got turned on just watching,” Alec continues. “Why aren’t the both of you on your way to your room right now?”

  I just shake my head. Oh, Alec.

  I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye on him around Bridgett.

  Friday, October 16

  6:06 AM

  Life as I know it is over.

  When I first wake up, I'm about to dive under a desk because I think there's an earthquake. But then I remember I'm not in California. I open my eyes and see Alec jumping on my bed.

  “What the fuck?” I glare at him.

  He laughs. “I see you're still not a morning person.”

  I glance at the clock. “No, I'm not a morning person at six AM.”

  “You just need caffeine. Where is the Starbucks in this town?”

  I laugh. “There is no Starbucks, Alec. But I do have a coffee pot. Bridgett makes amazing coffee.”

  “No Starbucks?” He dramatically puts his hands over his chest. “How am I going to survive in this town? We are going to have to record your album fast.”

  “Yeah, I guess I need to get the okay from my record company soon. We should probably fly to LA this weekend.” I pout, because I really don't want to go.

  “Not this weekend,” Alec quickly says. “This weekend, I have other plans for us. I have a way to get the record company on board. Actually, it was Bridgett's plan, but it was seriously awesome. That girl is a smart bitch. I was worried when she first said she was going to be your manager, but now I see that she knows her shit.”

  “Yeah, she is awesome,” I agree. I should be offended that he called my sister a bitch, but Alec calls everybody that. “Why are you up this early? Aren't you still on LA time?”

  “I have stuff to do, Scar. This album isn't going to record itself. I'm going to see if there is a recording studio in this small town good enough to work out of. I also need to look for musicians, and other things that I can't mention yet.”

  “Can't mention?” I question.

  “Again, me and Bridge have a plan.”

  Bridge? Great, he's calling her by my nickname. This cannot be good.

  “And it starts first thing after school. So as soon as your last class is over, get your ass back here,” he demands. “Also, get used to being woken up early. It's going to happen frequently over the next few months.”

  Oh my God, I am going to kill Alec before we are done recording this album.

  “I hate you.”

  “Oh, you don't, but you will.” He smirks at me. “Now get up. I'm going to have Bridgett make me some of this amazing coffee.”

  Alec walks out of my room, and I throw a pillow over my head and scream.

  Life as I know it is over.

  7:23 AM

  Things are about to get really interesting around here.

  Today, I am wearing my hair wavy. I love my hair like this, but generally don't fix it this way. My dad told me once that I look best with wavy hair, so obviously, anything I can do to piss him off, I do… Like straightening my hair on a daily basis. I'm also wearing a short, black skirt. It flows half way down my thighs, and I like it. I also happen to know Stephan will like it. I match it with a white tank top, my black-laced bra, and black wedge heels.

  It's still hot in Florida. The high today is 85, which I love. I think I can definitely get used to this.

  When I walk into the kitchen, I am surprised to see Stephan sitting at the bar with Alec. Bridgett is pulling muffins out of the oven. I grab a cup of coffee and sit by Stephan.

  “Alec was just filling me in on the craziness that is about to start…”

  Alec cuts him off. “Yeah, we aren't telling Scarlett yet.”

  I glare at him. “How come Stephan get's to know, but not me? That's so unfair!”

  “Because I am not going to give you time to back out.” Alec flashes his mischievous smile… The one that makes all the girls swoon. I’ve grown immune to his powers over the years.

  I take a drink of my coffee and choose to ignore Alec. I know that whatever he is hiding I won't get out of him until he's ready. He's probably the most stubborn person I've ever met, even more so than me.

  “So,” I turn to Stephan. “Am I going to get in trouble for missing so much school?”

  Bridgett answers for him. “Alec and I already talked to your principal. We worked everything out.”

  Is there anything they haven't thought of?

  “By the way, I'm having my car flown here. Bridge and me are going to go pick it up later today,” he informs me. Alec loves cars. He recently purchased a red Audi R8 GT. He changes cars every three to six months, which seems a bit excessive, but this is Alec we're talking about. Everything about him screams expensive, from his thousand-dollar haircut, down to his custom-made design
er shoes.

  “Well, you're welcome to drive my Mercedes anywhere,” I say. “And since you’ve decided to take over as my manager, the offer to buy you a car still stands.”

  “Can you drive a stick, Bridgett?” Alec asks her.

  “Definitely not,” she answers.

  “I'll teach you,” Alec offers. He's using his flirty voice with her… I've heard him use it way too many times with girls. It's hard for anybody to turn him down. He has a way with girls. “It's so easy.”

  I glare at him. “Driving the car better be the only thing you teach her.”

  “I won't teach her anything she doesn't ask for,” he promises. “But I won't refuse my services if asked for.”

  Bridgett chokes on her coffee. “Can you two stop talking about me like I'm not here?”

  Stephan laughs. “Hey, this is entertaining.”

  It is in that second, I know that the next few months are going to be the longest, yet most interesting, months of my life.

  I also realize that I am going to have to watch Alec like a hawk. I just don’t trust him with my sister.

  Stephan and I leave for school not too long after that. We drive my '69 Mustang Boss 429 that I bought from Alec. I drive it to school, but promise Stephan he can drive it home.

  “Alec has been living with me less than 24 hours, and he is already driving me crazy,” I complain.

  Stephan laughs. “Just wait until you hear what all he has planned. You are going to hate him before he leaves.”

  I groan. “Ugh...”

  “Things are about to get really interesting around here.”

  12:01 PM

  I don't need you anymore.

  At lunch, Mona gives Stephan and me the evil eye. I seriously hate her. I wonder how I ever thought that Mona could be Stephan's half sister — they're definitely not related.

  I spot Ethan, and he half waves at me, then shrugs. He’s sitting at the “popular” table now, thanks to me. I am no longer welcome there, but he now has a permanent seat. I’m not sure why he wants to continue sitting there, especially considering the way they treated him for the past two years.

  “What the hell does he see in her?” Stephan asks me.

  “I have no clue.” I look at Mona again, trying to figure it out. If I look past the bitchy attitude, I have to admit that she is kind of hot. She has long brown hair, and gorgeous green eyes. She has this natural tan that even I am envious of (I hate getting spray tans! But I do it because I'm super white). But of course, guys are too busy looking at her body to notice anything else. She has big boobs, a tiny waist, and a large ass. She's a cheerleader, and you can tell she works out by looking at her. She has toned arms and great legs. “Actually, yeah, she's kind of hot. I can see why Ethan likes her.”

  Stephan makes a gagging noise. “Not my type.”

  “What is your type?” I question.

  “Definitely blondes,” he answers easily.

  “What else?”

  “I definitely have a thing for musicians… Nothing is hotter than a girl who can play guitar, seriously,” he continues. “I love that you're so tiny. You fit perfectly in my arms. And you're so damn stubborn. I like that. And I could stare at your eyes all day. Not to mention your smile, and your laugh… Your boobs are the perfect size, and I can’t wait to see more of them. I seriously don't think there is one thing I don't like about you.”

  I bite my lip to keep from grinning. “I didn’t ask you what you liked about me, but I’m glad you feel that way.”

  “And the crazy part is, by some miracle, you like me back.”

  Once again, Stephan Montgomery has rendered me speechless. But the moment is soon disrupted when I feel my phone start vibrating in my pocket. I think about ignoring it, but it could be Bridgett. I pull it out to see my dad is calling.

  “What's wrong?” Stephan asks.

  I stare at my phone, unable to answer. “My dad is calling me.”

  “Answer it,” he urges me.

  I take a deep breath and swipe my finger across the screen. “Hello,” I say, as I start walking out of the noisy cafeteria.

  “I just heard the wonderful news! Why didn't you tell me MTV was doing a thirteen episode documentary of your life?”

  “Documentary?” I ask, then I realize.

  Fucking Alec.

  I'm going to kill him!

  “Oh, it… just happened. I’m still trying to process the whole thing. Nothing is certain yet.” I pretend like I know what I'm talking about.

  “I'm so proud of you,” he compliments me. “I can't believe they're going to document the recording of your new CD. How did you convince Alec Torch to produce it? You know what? I probably don't want to know. That boy always had a crush on you.”

  I feel an arm go around me, and look up to see Stephan. I'm glad he's here. My dad has been on the phone less than a minute, and I already feel like crying.

  “You think I would use my best friend like that? Alec offered to produce my album all on his own. I’m not some cheap whore who sleeps with people to get what I want… And I can’t believe you! You just called because of the documentary and album. You didn’t even ask how I was doing. We haven’t talked in over a month, Dad,” I remind him.

  “It's a huge deal! I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner,” he complains. “And if you needed me, you would have called me. I do have a life outside of you.”

  I shake my head. “So you haven't missed me?”

  I hear him laugh from the other end of the phone. “Scarlett, you're a grown woman, not a child. You don't need your mommy and daddy anymore.”

  The harshness I hear in his voice stings. “You know what? You're right. I don't need you anymore. You're fired. Now pack your shit and get the hell out of my house.” I end the call and throw my phone across the hallway. I hear it shatter against the concrete wall. By some miracle, it's still working. I hear it start vibrating against the tile floor, and I know it's him calling back. I just leave it and walk out of the school.

  As soon as I get home, I'm going to book the first flight I can to Europe so I can confront my mother. It’s as if the conversation with my dad has woken me up. I’m not going to put up with their shit anymore.

  As I start my car, Stephan gets in the passenger seat. He's holding my shattered iPhone that is still vibrating in his hand.

  “Put on your seat belt,” I say and take off. I leave black marks as I'm leaving the school. Driving fast is definitely a great stress reliever.

  12:31 PM

  I got this.

  “ALEC!” I yell the second I step inside my house. I know he's here, because his car is sitting in my driveway. I'm so furious that I'm literally shaking. I'm mad about the documentary, but not half as mad as I am about the conversation I just had with my father. How can he be such an arrogant asshole?

  Alec and Bridgett both run to where Stephan and I are standing.

  “What the hell? A documentary?” I yell before either of them can even say anything.

  Alec glares at Stephan.

  “Bro, I didn't say a word,” Stephan says with his hands up.

  “My dad called me to congratulate me. He thinks I slept with you to get you to produce my album. I fired him and kicked him out of my house,” I tell them. “Now I am going to Europe to kick my mom out.”

  “Your dad is a moron,” Alec says. “It’s about time you stand up for yourself. I’ve been waiting four years for you to. And we are coming with you to Europe. This shouldn’t be something you do alone.”

  “Me too,” Stephan agrees. “No way you're going without me.”

  “I'll call my pilot. I am not flying to Europe commercial,” Alec says. Once again, I am reminded how spoiled Alec and I are.

  He gets on his phone, and starts making phone calls.

  “We need to get you a new phone,” Stephan says.

  “What happened to yours?” Bridgett looks at my shattered phone.

  “I got mad, and I kind of threw it at a concre
te wall,” I explain. “I hate my dad, and I don't want a new phone.”

  Alec comes back over to us. “You have thirty minutes to pack. We have to be at the airport in one hour.”

  Thirty minutes. I've packed in a lot less.

  Bridgett, however, looks panicked.

  “Don't worry,” I tell her. “I got this. After four years of traveling, I'm a very fast packer.”

  Stephan goes to his house, and Alec, Bridgett, and I go upstairs and pack in a rush.

  As we pack, I grab my iPod and turn up One Direction. I soon find myself dancing to the beat. Seriously, this band always turns my bad mood around. I'm singing along and smiling before the first verse is over.

  This is why I love music. It has the ability to change your mood in a matter of seconds. And who doesn't love a cute boy band — especially a British band.

  My phone vibrates on the bed beside me. I'm scared to look at it, but I do anyway. It's a text from Stephan.

  Stephan: Want to join the mile high club? ;)

  I can't help but smile. Once again, Stephan knows exactly what to say to cheer me up.

  Scarlett: You are my favorite person.

  Stephan: Is that a yes?

  Scarlett: Hmm…

  Stephan: You can't resist my charm forever.

  Scarlett: Is that a challenge? If I remember correctly, I am still winning our bet.

  Stephan: Bet?

  Scarlett: 'You will never see me naked… EVER.' Remember?

  Stephan: Oh… :( Would it help if I begged?

  Scarlett: Now I'm picturing you on your knees, and I'm definitely ok with this fantasy!

  Stephan: I like where this fantasy is headed...

  I just laugh and continue packing.

  “Is that Stephan?” Bridgett asks, as she stuffs clothes into her suitcase.

  I nod, smiling.

  “You love him, don't you?”