Damaged Goods

by J. C. Hannigan

  “Seriously?” If my jaw fell open any more, it would be dragging on the ground. Reece winked at me, raising his hand in a quick wave before he disappeared.

  Marcus, Cam and Kyle all stared at me, a variety of different emotions on each of their faces. They seemed star-struck from the introduction to Reece, stoked that he had told us that we could make it big.

  “Can I see it?” Kyle asked. I nodded, offering him the card. He read it, his eyes widening with excitement. “This is awesome! Isn’t it, guys? The other band hasn’t performed yet, and we’ve already spoken to Reece Miller.” Kyle handed the card to Cam, shaking his head in awe.

  “This is huge,” Marcus agreed, taking the card from Cam. He looked at it, a huge grin on his face as well. The whole band was smiling from ear to ear. Aubrey approached again, this time with Lindsay, Alicia and Grayson. Since Marcus doubled as the unofficial band manager, he slid the card into his wallet for safe-keeping. I didn’t mind; I couldn’t imagine having to take responsibility of that card. I would probably lose it before I even left the pub.

  “What’s huge?” Aubrey asked, cocking her head to the side as she grinned from Marcus to me.

  “The scout from the music label gave us his card. He said Everly had an incredible voice, and that he sees us making it big,” Kyle explained, sending me an appreciative smile. His eyes lingered a little too long on my lips. Grayson’s eyes narrowed, catching the look.

  My friends’ excited squeals were drowned out by the new band’s drum solo.

  Suddenly, I felt as if my head was going to explode. I was finding it harder to breathe, as if a fist was clenched around my lungs, squeezing tightly with each breath I tried to take. I was feeling claustrophobic, and beginning to hyperventilate. I stepped away from Kyle, my eyes fixed on Grayson’s.

  “I need some air,” I told Aubrey, my eyes still on Grayson. She nodded, trying to hide her smile. My hand gently slipped into Grayson’s, and I led him toward the nearest exit.

  Once we were outside, the tight feeling in my chest eased. The icy air stung my lungs, but it was welcoming.

  “I’m really glad you came.” I turned to face Grayson, leaning against the far wall in the enclave. The wind wasn’t quite so nippy when tucked inside, and it gave us a little privacy. I couldn’t stop my lips from smiling even if I wanted to. Between the awesome performance, talking to Reece Miller and being around Grayson, I was pretty much the happiest girl ever.

  “I’m glad I came, too,” Grayson said, hesitating for a moment. Something in my expression had him walking closer to me. I grew hot and flushed under his heavy-lidded gaze. I tipped my chin up, offering my lips to him.

  His hand gently cupped the back of my hair, careful to not mess with the poof Lindsay had spent so much time perfecting. His eyes roamed my face, imprinting it to memory. Then he was kissing me, erasing my every thought until the only thing in my head was the sound of my own pulse and our labored breathing. He pressed his pelvis to mine, pushing me against the brick enclave as his mouth continued to ravage mine.

  I don’t how long we stood there, but Grayson kissed me until I couldn’t feel my numb toes anymore. He didn’t pull away until someone literally tapped his shoulder and cleared their throat.

  Aubrey stood behind us, a bemused grin on her face. “They’re about to announce the winner…you might want to come inside for it,” she informed us, turning around and heading back in.

  I looked at Grayson, then burst out laughing at his expression. He smiled and shook his head, releasing me so we could go back inside.

  We walked in just as the DJ announced the second-place winner, the band that I hadn’t stuck around to listen to. I felt guilty as I watched them take the stage while I walked toward the table where my band mates were sitting. “And now, the winner of tonight’s Battle of the Bands is…Autumn Fields!”

  Stunned, I froze halfway from the middle of the floor to the table where Kyle, Marcus, and Cam were. I could feel Grayson behind me, gently urging me forward. Kyle saw me, his eyes bright with excitement. He grabbed my hand, tugging me to his side as we all but ran to the stage.

  The prize for winning the contest was basically bragging rights and an invitation to play at the pub twice a month for the next six months, possibly more if the regular spots needed filling. If we impressed the pub patrons, then we would have a spot there as long as we wanted it.

  After we thanked everyone and got off the stage, the manager of the pub motioned us to approach him. He was holding a clipboard.

  I looked over to where Grayson was standing beside Aubrey, Lindsay and Alicia, appearing completely out of place next to my friends. His dark hair was falling across his forehead and almost into his eyes; he kept his hands in his pockets, his eyes on me.

  Before I could break away from my band mates, Kyle’s hand brushed against the small of my back. He leaned his lips close to my ear. “We need all band members to be present for this,” he said, his breath warm on my ear. Grayson’s eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched with aggravation. I knew that he didn’t like Kyle’s closeness to me. Kyle looked up, appearing to notice Grayson for the first time. “Sorry to steal your girlfriend, Grayson. We’ll have her back as soon as we’re done talking to the pub manager.”

  Kyle’s tone didn’t seem apologetic. He was almost sneering at Grayson. I watched as Grayson’s fists clenched. Otherwise, he didn’t react.

  I shot Kyle a warning look. “I’ll be back in a few, okay?” Grayson nodded at me, his eyes still narrowed at Kyle.

  “Maybe a bit longer,” Kyle corrected, winking at Grayson. He took my arm and led me towards Marcus, Cam and the pub manager.

  “Jesus, Kyle. What was the point of that?” I demanded, pulling my arm free.

  “The point of what?” Kyle asked innocently. I raised my brow and he grinned. “Oh, that. Well, If your boyfriend is the jealous type, you should reconsider being with him. We’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

  I opened my mouth, grappling for something to say, but before I could think of a response, we had joined the others. I stewed about it the entire time the pub manager, Connor, went over our set schedule. I couldn’t believe the nerve Kyle had, trying to make Grayson jealous. Thankfully, Grayson hadn’t reacted. I could tell that he really wanted to, but for me he had restrained himself.

  The moment we were finished talking to the pub manager, I headed back to Grayson to apologize for Kyle’s behavior. Before I could get a word out, Grayson kissed me deeply, possessing my lips. His blatant display of affection momentarily caught me off guard until I broke away to find him watching Kyle.

  I hadn’t realized Kyle was behind me.

  I narrowed my eyes at Grayson, stepping away from his embrace. I tossed a look back at Kyle, and my frown deepened. I could literally see Kyle and Grayson eyeing each other up, like two silver-back gorillas about to pound their chests.

  “What’s wrong?” Grayson asked, finally looking at me and taking in the expression on my face. He knew I wasn’t impressed.

  I shook my head, unable to find my voice. Instead, I turned around and headed out of the pub. I was exhausted, tired from the rush of performing on stage and the constant high of being around Grayson. I didn’t want to think about or process the weird territorial thing going on between Grayson and Kyle.

  Unsurprisingly, he followed me outside. I kept my back to him, but I knew he was there. “Why did you kiss me just then?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “I wanted to.” I couldn’t see him shrug, but I could almost hear it in his voice. I knew if I turned around, he would be giving me that heart-stopping grin of his.

  “So it had nothing to do with ‘marking me’ in front of Kyle?” I demanded, turning around.

  Grayson raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by my anger. “I guess it had a little to do with that,” he admitted, stepping toward me. He kept his intense eyes on me, and I was unable to break his gaze. “He needed the reminder.”

  “Reminder of wha
t?” I questioned, completely dazzled by the way he was looking at me. He smiled, his hand reaching up to trace a gentle pattern on my jaw. The slight touch set my skin on fire and had me completely disoriented.

  “That you’re…unavailable.” His voice grew gravelly, further igniting my senses. It was exhilarating, just how he affected me in every way.

  “Am I?” I whispered, needing more than one of his non-answers. I looked into his eyes, seeing the swirl of emotions battling within. Desire and desperate longing mixed with hesitation and apprehension.

  He took a deep breath, cupping my chin and lifting my face slightly. “You are,” was all he said before his lips tenderly found mine.

  * * *

  It was almost one in the morning before I finally got home and crashed. I was nearly late for my shift the next morning.

  I found it incredibly difficult to focus on my job. I was still exhausted from the night before—the adrenalin I’d felt on stage (and when Grayson kissed me) had long since evaporated. I kept thinking about Grayson’s lips on me, about the way I had felt standing on stage listening to the entire room erupt in cheers, and about the stuff that had happened afterward: the territorial behavior of both Grayson and Kyle…then Grayson’s answers.

  We still hadn’t officially labeled each other as boyfriend and girlfriend, but his public declaration was enough.

  I was so distracted with all the Grayson-themed thoughts, that I had a terrible shift. I messed up on several orders, nearly burned several batches of fries in the deep fryer, and had managed to burn my thumb in the process of trying to rescue them.

  I was beyond relieved and thankful when quitting time finally arrived.

  Clocking out with great relief, I pulled my hair out of the hairnet as I slowly walked to the parking lot of McDonald’s. I was planning on walking home—I wasn’t one of those teens who felt that her parents had to drop everything to drive her places. My parents didn’t often get a day off together, and when they did, I wanted them to take advantage of it.

  So I started the heel toe express, pulling my mittens on as I walked.

  I found it ironic that most teen girls seem to have a fear of winter wear. It was almost like they felt that the moment they put on a warm hat, people started to stare at them because they looked lame. The only acceptable forms of winter wear were cute scarves, fingerless gloves (which are completely pointless), and a non-bulky winter jacket.

  I never had that problem. If I could choose between looking like a puffy marshmallow and being toasty warm over freezing, I would choose the former. Although I loved winter and winter sports, I didn’t love shivering my teeth clear out of my skull.

  A honking knocked me out of my random, befuddled thoughts about winter wear, and I turned to the direction of the sound. Grayson pulled up beside me; my lips twitched with the desire to smile.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I thought I would come see if you wanted to hang out?” he asked almost timidly. His blue eyes swirled with vulnerability as he waited for my answer.

  “Sure, but I smell like deep fryer,” I answered, climbing into his truck. I was thankful that I had at least been able to ditch my McDonald’s uniform already. It wasn’t exactly the warmest outfit, and knowing that I was going to be walking home had me packing my favorite pair of worn but warm blue jeans, a t-shirt and a warm sweater to change into so I didn’t have to freeze both sets of my cheeks off.

  “That’s alright. I love McDonald’s.” Grayson’s tone was playful and light, but there was a promise under his easy banter. The way his eyes were transfixed on me was a clear indication of that.

  Butterflies imploded in my lower abdomen. “What did you have in mind?”

  “No clue. Just wanted to get out and see you,” Grayson answered. I smiled, pleasantly surprised by him. He was getting a little better at sharing his thoughts.

  “Well, maybe we could go back to my house for a bit? I could really go for a shower, and I should probably give Stella a walk.”

  He almost winced. “Are your parents home?”

  “Probably. Why?”

  “I’m not ready…for that yet.” Grayson’s brows furrowed. He looked almost embarrassed to be admitting this.

  “Oh, right,” I relented, shrugging. “I can walk Stella later; it’s no big deal.”

  “There’s a shower at my place,” Grayson offered suggestively. I drew in my bottom lip, sinking my teeth lightly into it. His eyes met mine, and I completely forgot the world.

  “Okay,” I whispered, realizing he was still waiting for me to answer. He grinned, putting his truck in drive. He did a U-turn, taking the 115 back to his place in Orono.

  Grayson seemed to be in a hurry to get home, and thinking about the reason why made my lower belly surge with desire. I tried to distract myself from those thoughts by reciting math equations in my head.

  “What’s that face for?” he asked, deeply amused by the strange look on my face.

  “Oh, I’m reciting math equations.” I realized how ridiculous that sounded shortly after the words left my mouth, when he was already laughing. I blushed with embarrassment.

  “Why?”

  “To distract myself,” I answered, my face still flushed. I couldn’t meet his eyes, even though I could feel his gaze on me.

  He put the truck in park, killing the engine and moving closer to me. The silence was charged, making goose bumps raise along my forearms. “Why do you need to distract yourself?” he asked. The slight smile on his lips gave away the fact that he already knew. I smirked, not answering his question verbally.

  I rested my hand on his thigh as I leaned closer, bringing my lips to his. I kissed him slowly, teasing his lips with my tongue. I gently tugged on his lip ring, enjoying the sounds he made deep at the back of his throat.

  Grayson and I could easily forget about where we were when we were together, and several moments passed with us hungrily giving in to one another. The spell wasn’t broken until I moved my hands to unbutton his jeans.

  He caught my hands in his, pulling his lips away. A chuckle escaped, and he kissed me quickly once more. “We should probably go in. I have no problems with doing a repeat of Halloween, but I’d rather not get caught with my pants around my ankles by my dad or step-mom.”

  “Right.” I laughed, my voice shaking. I felt light headed and dizzy, drunk on him.

  He opened the door and climbed out of his truck, casually adjusting his jeans. I got out too, following him up the stairs to his loft entrance. He unlocked it swiftly, before I had even reached the top of the stairs.

  Grayson’s space was spotless, as usual. He gestured to the bathroom door. “The shower is in there if you still want it…but trust me, you smell incredible.” He said this second part while slowly stalking toward me, like a lion hunting its prey.

  I held back a gasp as he boxed me in against the door, his pelvis pressing against my abdomen. My desire for a shower was quickly replaced by my desires for him. It was impossible to think of anything but his hands on me, his lips ravaging my mouth, and the feel of his obvious arousal against my belly. He lifted me up, my legs drawing tightly around his hips as he carried me across the large room to his bed.

  He slowly lowered me onto the mattress before crawling on top of me. He caged me in with his arms, using them to keep the majority of his weight from crushing me. Grayson’s eyes explored my face, and his expression took my breath away. He slowly lowered his lips to mine before he kissed me with reckless abandon.

  Chapter Nine

  AFTERWARDS, WE LAY in his bed together, our limbs still entwined. I was wearing a t-shirt he’d loaned me from his closet, and he was just wearing boxers. I laid half on him and half on the bed, my face turned to his as I studied the strange swirl of emotion within the depths of his eyes.

  “So what are you going to do when you become famous?” Grayson asked, his lips curving upward in a bemused smile. “You’ve been given the card of a label rep. That’s massive. Th
ey don’t just hand them out, you know,” he added, clarifying at the blank look on my face.

  “Oh, right.” I yawned, shifting closer to him. “I don’t know. I’ll probably spend all my money on hookers and blow. You only live once, right?” I joked. Grayson laughed silently, shaking his head. It was very unlike me to crack a joke like that.

  “You’re hilarious,” he said, his lips against my forehead. I could still feel him smiling, and I felt it as it faded. “Really though. What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” I frowned. “I haven’t really thought about it. It’s just something to do for fun.”

  “I don’t think the others think of it that way. They all seem pretty serious about it,” he played with my hair distractedly.

  “Well, they are I guess…” I trailed off, not knowing where this conversation was going.

  “So what would happen if the label wanted you guys? What if the label wanted you? Would you do it?” he asked, his eyes locking with mine.

  “I don’t know,” I answered honestly, unable to blink as I looked at him. “I’ve always wanted to be a singer, but I’ve never thought of it as something I could do. I never saw a future with it.”

  “What did you see in your future?” Grayson’s voice was soft, gentle. He was still playing with my hair. I had no idea where this line of questioning came from, or where it would lead, but it wasn’t lost on me that he was deeply interested in my answers.

  I closed my eyes, smiling at his touch. “I don’t know. I haven’t exactly figured it out. I know what I want…” My voice faded into nothingness. I couldn’t voice those thoughts. “I was looking at becoming a music teacher,” I added, mainly to distract him.

  Grayson wasn’t dumb though. “And what do you want?”

  “You,” I whispered, closing my eyes tight so I couldn’t see him freak out. I felt the hand that was playing with my hair still. I felt his chest rise and fall and his heart rate increase.