Sinful Needs (Wicked End Book 2)

by Jeanisse, Bella

  Once in the pickup with the doors and windows closed, Austin sighed with relief. He couldn’t believe it was worse than they thought. Their manager Carl told them not to say anything to the press until he approved the statement. It sounded logical. He didn’t plan to say what Carl wanted him to, though.

  When they arrived home, media people had swarmed their block. Good thing they had a high fence surrounding the property. Austin forced people out of the way with the large vehicle. He drove into the garage and closed the door with the remote.

  “It’s like a fucking circus.” Austin leaned on the steering wheel. “Why do they care who I have sex with?”

  Scott jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the house. He couldn’t even think about it anymore. His mind was reeling, and his heart was pounding with fear. He went into Austin’s room and paced. If he had ruined the band’s career, he would never forgive himself.

  “Dude, please calm down,” Austin said as he walked into the room. Scott looked like he was about to blow. “Please. You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack or something. It’s gonna be all right.”

  Scott continued to pace. “But I was right. I told you this morning and look what happened. Everything went to shit.” He imagined them having to hide for the rest of their lives. “You don’t understand,” he muttered. “You just don’t understand.”

  Austin grabbed him by the arms. “I do. You told me.” He hugged him tightly. “This time I’m with you. We all are. You’re not alone. I love you.” He crushed Scott’s body as much as he could. “Love you so much.”

  Brandon and Mackenzie settled down in the living room, trying to give the couple privacy. While watching sitcom reruns, Brandon’s phone rang. He glanced at it. “I’ll be outside.” He walked out back, then answered, “Hey, Tommy. Guess you heard.”

  “Yeah.” Tommy sighed. “Not how they wanted to come out, I’m sure.”

  Hearing no surprise in Tommy’s voice, Brandon asked, “You knew?”

  “Well, I figured it out.” Tommy was in Jon’s office. He said to Jon, “I got Brandon on the phone.”

  Jon stood in the doorway. “Good. Tell him we’ll help all we can.”

  “Hear that?” Tommy asked into the phone. “Jon already spoke to a PR consultant. Can you put Scott on the phone? He’s not answering my calls.”

  Brandon exhaled loudly. “I can try.” He walked inside, then down the hall. From several feet away, he could hear Scott crying. He knocked on the bedroom door softly. “Tommy Fischer saw the picture. He wants to talk to Scott.”

  “Open the door,” Austin shouted. “He won’t come to the phone.” He put out a hand. “I’ll talk to him. He’s freaking out. Thinks the world came to an end.” He put the phone to his ear. “Hi Tom, it’s Austin.”

  “Hey, Austin. It’ll be OK.” Tommy was sure it would be. “Your fans won’t give up on you. There are rumors flying in every direction. You have to decide if you’re gonna come out or deny it. Then the best way to get the message out is to make a video together and post it on the social media sites. This’ll eventually blow over.”

  Brandon felt awful, but didn’t know what to do to help. He moved closer to Scott. “What can I do?” He would never abandon his best friend. Suddenly, Scott hugged him. He patted his back, trying to soothe him. “We’ll deal with it together. I’m here for you.” He closed his eyes and let the last few months of sexual exploration fade away. Scott needed him strong, not insecure. “Either way you guys go, we’re on your side.”

  It took a few hours, but Austin was able to calm Scott down. He decided he wanted to stop hiding as well.

  Brandon shot the video Tommy suggested. They held hands and looked at each other a few times. Scott’s voice was shaky, but he held his own. They sent it to Carl, Chico, Jake, Jon and Tommy. Only Carl disagreed with the revelation. The entire band was behind the couple, though; Carl backed off when he was told his services might no longer be needed if he fought them further.

  Minutes after posting the video, the comments started. Austin and Brandon scanned the various sites, while Scott and Mackenzie made dinner.

  “This one is cool.” Brandon tilted Mackenzie’s laptop, so Austin could read it.

  Thanks for making being different cool.

  Austin nodded and showed Brandon another.

  Glad not to be alone in the struggle. Wish I had the guts to go public too.

  They were not the only comments though. There were some cruel and nasty ones as well. Other fans, condemning the words, quickly responded to those. That felt good.

  Scott was not a good cook, but he could follow directions if told twice. He and Mackenzie were making stir-fry with chicken. Cutting and slicing was easy. He let her do the hard part.

  “Do you have olive oil?” She looked at the jug of vegetable oil Scott handed her.

  Searching the pantry, Scott wasn’t sure. “I don’t think so.”

  “Third shelf, on the right, in the back,” Austin called from the other room.

  Scott found it exactly as Austin said. “Thanks.” He watched Mackenzie coat the pan with oil, then add the meat. “Need anything else?” The prep work was already done. He hoped she had more chores for him because he dreaded going into the living room.

  “No.” Mackenzie gave him a bright smile. “It just has to cook. Go relax.”

  Reluctantly, Scott walked to the living room. He sat in a recliner and leaned back, feet up. “Whatcha watching?” There was a commercial on the television.

  “I don’t know,” Austin admitted. “We been reading comments on our video.”

  Scott groaned. “Don’t wanna know.” He was sure the world hated him.

  “We’re getting a lot more support than you’d think.” Austin stood and carried his computer to Scott. “There’s a lotta kids happy we’re being open about it. Look.” He placed it on Scott’s lap, screen facing him. “Please look.”

  Reluctantly, Scott glanced down. What he found wasn’t terrible. At least the fans weren’t ridiculing them as he expected. There were some rude messages, but not as many as the positive ones.

  “Wow, we got great fans,” Scott said with a half smile.

  Brandon was checking entertainment sites. He found opinions varied, like with everything. Then he stumbled upon a statement put out by someone in the LGBT community. It basically congratulated them on coming out and welcomed them to the family.

  Slightly encouraged, Scott logged on to his Facebook page. There was a stack of private messages. He recognized some of the names. The first one he opened was from Tyrell Johnson, an actor who mostly did action movies.

  I wish I had your courage. Thanks for letting guys like me know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Congrats to you two. Hope I find the one I’m looking for as well.

  Scott’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit!”

  “What?” Austin and Brandon asked together.

  “Tyrell Johnson just came out to me,” Scott explained. “I never would’ve known.”

  Austin put a hand on his shoulder. “No one suspected us either. Why should we act different? We’re still just guys.”

  “I guess I always felt different.” Scott sighed. “But maybe that’s because no one accepted me. Or I didn’t think they did.”

  Mackenzie could tell the mood changed from the tone of their voices. The tension had been getting to her. “Dinner’s almost ready. Can someone set the table?”

  After dinner was eaten, the couples went outside to relax. Mackenzie kept looking at the pool. She used to enjoy it, before the accident.

  “Can you teach me to swim tonight?” she asked, looking at Brandon. Never had she wanted to learn, but it was smart being around so much water lately.

  Brandon nodded. “I planned to, but was kinda nervous about doing it alone.”

  Scott slapped him on the back. “I told you I’d help. We’ll all be here.”

  “Yeah. Let’s go get changed.” Austin stood.

  Minutes later, they all stood in t
he shallow end of the pool. First Brandon and Scott helped Mackenzie float. She closed her eyes, trying not to let the fear take over. When she relaxed, they slowly let go. For a few seconds, she floated. Then she panicked and fell under. Quickly, they brought her to the surface.

  “You did it for a few seconds.” Brandon was excited, although his heart pounded when she went under again. He held her close. “Now we try it on your belly. This time kick your feet.”

  Scott held her hands as Brandon kept her middle up. They moved around the pool, keeping to the shallow half. Austin kept close. After three rounds, she gained confidence.

  Brandon sighed when he helped her to her feet. She swam alone for only seconds at a time, but it was amazing to him. “You did great.” He kept her in his arms. “By the time we go home, you’ll be swimming on your own.”

  Chapter 42

  When Austin parked in the lot under the studio, he was glad the ride was over. Everywhere they went, paparazzi followed them. The studio had beefed up security so that they had a clear path to the elevator. Seeing Justin and Angelo standing guard at the door was a relief.

  Angelo saw Austin’s truck and walked toward it. He nodded at the group as they got out of the vehicle. “Neither of you go anywhere alone till this blows over.” He was annoyed that the media had made their lives into a circus.

  “Thanks.” Austin pulled Scott close, glad he didn’t have to hide his feelings. “We’re being careful.”

  Brandon had run any needed errands for them. Taking Mackenzie’s hand, he followed Angelo. He had her laptop bag over his shoulder. Since she had work to do, he had rented her the room next door. She needed quiet to make calls and such.

  After a short elevator ride, they entered the studio, two by two. Austin led Scott with a hand on his back. He still planned to keep his affections muted when Chico or others who asked them to tame it were around.

  Chico looked up. “Hey, glad you made it.” He was worried Scott would stay home. “What’s that look all about?”

  Grinning, Austin kept Scott close. “Nothing much.” When they were closer, he and Scott separated.

  Julian stepped out. “Chico!” He ran to him and jumped into his arms.

  “Good to see you, kid.” Chico hugged him tight and glanced up at Ashley walking his way. “I can’t believe you’re here.” She came close, and he pulled her into their embrace. “I missed you guys.”

  Ashley couldn’t hold back the tears. She missed him too. “Your friends brought us here.” She whispered, “I love you, Chico.” Her eyes closed. She had not meant to admit that. There was not supposed to be that much commitment between them.

  Chico kissed her lips. “Honey…” His eyes welled up. “I…” He wasn’t sure he should admit it.

  “Shh. Don’t say anything,” she begged him. “I know it’s not supposed to be this way.”

  He pressed his forehead to hers. In his heart, there was love for her, but he couldn’t imagine how they could make it work. Then a thought came to him. They were signed with Demonfire after that album, and it was headquartered on the East Coast.

  “Can I move in with you?” That was not what he meant to say, but it was what he had been thinking. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve asked that.” He knew she wouldn’t sell her grandmother’s house. It was a logical solution.

  She kissed his lips. “I’d love that.”

  Brandon smiled. He heard the exchange and was glad Chico was starting to realize how he felt about Ashley. With a hand on Mackenzie’s lower back, he guided her to the lounge. The heartfelt reunion made him think of all the ones they had over the past few months. He felt it in his entire body. Chico would be much better off being closer to Ashley.

  “Damn. Guess I should invite Bridgette here.” Jake felt a bit left out.

  Mackenzie smiled at him. “She’d love that.”

  Julian jumped up and down. “We went to the beach before breakfast. Do you live near the beach, Chico?” He had not been to California before. Brandon and Mackenzie had taken him as soon as they arrived.

  “Nah, buddy, but we can visit Scott and Austin’s place again before you leave.” Chico turned to his bandmates. “How’d you do this?”

  Mackenzie chuckled. “They have these things called phones. I called her, and we bought tickets.” She smiled. “We wanted to surprise you. Looks like it worked.”

  “Yeah.” Chico turned to Ashley. “Wait. What about school and work?”

  She put a finger over his lips. “It’s all good. We’re here for two weeks.”

  “I’ll get a tutor or something.” Chico was still grinning. “This is LA. There’s tons of young actors who can’t go to regular school.” Education was important to him. When his father left, he made sure his siblings went to school.

  Jake walked out of the room, phone to his ear. “Hey, Bridgette.”

  Mackenzie took her laptop bag from Brandon. “It’s already noon on the East Coast. I have calls to make.”

  He put an arm over her shoulders. “Right. Let me show you the room you can use.” They went into the hallway, passing Jake.

  “Call in sick,” Jake said. “Please. I’ll give you the money if you need it.” He nodded at Brandon as he passed, then sighed. “The other girls are here.”

  Brandon grinned at him. Not once had he begged a girl to visit him. Or do anything for that matter. That meant he had truly changed. He opened the door to a room with a desk, couch, lamps, desktop computer and not much else. Normally, they used it for writing or brainstorming. They tried to have all their songs written before they went to the studio, so rarely needed it. Even when they were not prepared, they all worked better under pressure and with activity around them.

  “This is perfect.” Mackenzie laid her laptop bag on the desk and her purse on the couch. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. “How come you didn’t shave?”

  He held her close. “We have a photo shoot today. Gotta have my trademark.” He rubbed the stubble over her cheek. “I’ll shave it off when we get home.” He glanced down at the matching black crystals they wore and smiled. Then her left hand moved, and his grin widened. His ring was still on her finger. “I have to get to work.”

  “Me too.” She kissed his lips. “See you at lunch.”

  He backed away slowly, holding her hands until he had to let go. “I’ll miss you.” Although she would be maybe 20 feet away, he felt like he was leaving her at home. “Text me when you have a break.”

  In the next room, Austin and Scott were relaxing on the couch waiting for Brandon. Scott was glad no one was talking about all the hoopla over them coming out. He leaned his back on Austin’s arm.

  “Do you think the tour will be crazy?”

  “Aren’t they all?” Austin turned to see a distant look on Scott’s face. “Oh, you mean the media frenzy, right?”

  Scott nodded and closed his eyes. “There’s gonna be a lotta nasty stuff out there about us.” He turned his head away. “You sure you wanna be with me after all this? Before me, you thought you were straight.”

  Looking around, Austin found no one paying attention to them. He pulled Scott closer and whispered into his ear, “Yes. I love you, and I’m not goin’ nowhere.” He brushed his lips over Scott’s cheek. “It’ll blow over. Maybe it’ll take a while, but it will.”

  “What’re we starting with?” Brandon asked as he walked into the lounge.

  Austin lifted his head. “ ‘Torment Within.’ Um, I wanna play keyboards on it. I already wrote a part.”

  Chico’s ears pricked up. “You did?” He took a step back from Ashley and looked towards him. “That’s cool. Play it for us.”

  With a smile, Austin stood and walked over to the piano in the corner of the room. “It’s the intro and background for the chorus.” He sat and played both parts. Then he looked at his bandmates expectantly.

  “Perfect,” Brandon said. “I think what I wrote will blend with it nice. If not, I’ll change it.” He grabbed his acoustic fro
m its case and put a foot on the piano bench. “Let’s try it.” The harmony was good, but something was missing. “Wait a minute.” He hummed a few bars to himself. “OK. Think I got it.” They played the intro again.

  Jake clapped his hands. “Hell, yes. That was awesome.” He looked at the ceiling for a moment. “Play it again.” He closed his eyes and waited for his cue. “Like a river it runs deep. Pulsing in my veins. Heart's pumping hard. Brain trying to take the reins.”

  Ashley was amazed. “Is this how you guys write songs?”

  “Not always.” Chico kissed her cheek. Then he stepped away. Jim, their drum tech, walked towards him. “Everything set?”

  Jim nodded. “Yeah. Need anything else?”

  “Yeah.” Chico glanced at Ashley and Julian as he pulled out his wallet. “I need you to take Julian to like Toys R Us or something. Buy him whatever he wants.” He handed over a few hundred-dollar bills. “If he wants something from somewhere else, it’s cool.” He offered a credit card. “Don’t let him cheap out.”

  Smiling, Jim pocketed the card and money. “Will do. I got my Jeep. Does he need a car seat?”

  Chico laughed loudly. “He’s 11, not four.” He waved at Julian. “Hey, buddy. Jim’s gonna take you out. If you guys wanna get ice cream or something, that’s cool, too.” He quickly glimpsed at a frowning Ashley. “Mommy’s gonna stay with me.” He lowered his voice. “I got every console you can think of, so get us a coupla good games to play. Whatever you want.”

  “Nothing rated M,” Ashley grumbled from close by. She rarely let Chico spoil Julian, but she knew Chico wanted to by his tone. She knew about his childhood, so she understood why. “Thanks, Chico.” She gave him a smile.

  Relieved that she didn’t veto the trip, he picked up her hand. “We need to go food shopping on the way home. I don’t keep much in the house. No arguments. We get whatever you guys wanna eat.”