Changing the Key: A Detrimental Rock Star Romance (Book 1)

by April Michelle

  “Come home with me for the break,” I blurted out, blaming the recent orgasm for my lack of filter. “Please,” I added to soften the demand. Part of me wanted to beg or find a way to pressure her into it, but I had promised myself that I would never do that. So I waited, holding my breath for her answer.

  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Kisses rained down all over my face as she answered. She was so damn cute I could barely stand it. The air I had been holding fled from my lungs, and I caught her lips in a hard kiss before her excitement took over. “Thank you! I wanted to go and was trying so hard to believe that since we were officially together that it meant during breaks too. But you didn’t say anything, so I was starting to worry that you expected me to spend the break at home since we’ll be in Chicago anyway. And I’m rambling now and am going to stop talking.” She continued breathing heavily with a big grin on her face.

  I couldn’t help but grin in return. “Well, you didn’t say anything either and I thought you were looking forward to going home for the break. It’s been months since you’ve been home. I would understand if you wanted to spend some time there.”

  She reached up to frame my face in her hands. “I want to go to my apartment to see Megan and get some more of my clothes.

  But after that, I would love to go home with you.”

  My chest nearly exploded, and my mind ran wild with all of the things I had been imagining I would do with her in the privacy and comfort of my house. “You’re going to be all mine. For. Two. Whole. Weeks.” I accentuated every word with a kiss, each one growing longer. “Come on,” I urged, slowly pulling out of her. “We need to get back to the bus and get you to bed. You need to start resting up.”

  Chicago arrived with mixed emotions. On the plus side, Anna was still mine and had only grown more excited about going home with me. However, after a talk with Megan, she decided to spend the night at their apartment tonight to have a girl’s night. It was just one night, but after spending nearly six weeks sleeping beside her, I wasn’t sure how I felt about being apart.

  Anna, of course, was handling it just fine. She and Megan would have all kinds of fun. She probably wouldn’t even miss me. Meanwhile, I was going to be fucking miserable.

  Zipping her bags, she checked her bunk for anything left behind. “I’m leaving Gerry behind to keep you company. No wild parties while I’m gone.”

  I eyed the giraffe resting on her pillow. “I told Gerry not to order the strippers. He wouldn’t listen.”

  “Behave,” she laughed and gave me a smacking kiss. “Are you sure you’re okay with me taking the night off?”

  “For the hundredth time, yes. Callie can handle anything that comes up. Just focus on having fun with Megan.”

  “You’re right,” she said, waving away her concerns. “Callie was doing this job long before me.” Hefting her bags for her, I led her off the bus. “Are you sure you want to drive me? I could take the L.”

  “No way. I’m not letting you ride a public train through the city while carrying all of this.” Her disapproving brow had me rephrasing. “It will make me feel better driving you, knowing that you’re safe rather than being mugged at the L station.”

  “That’s only happened twice,” she said as though it was no big deal. I had a mild stroke.

  “Fucking hell, woman,” I breathed, pulling her close.

  “Don’t worry. It’s usually just wannabe thugs looking for easy cash. That’s why I never carry much with me. But you’re right. I’d be an easier target carrying all of this.”

  “Thank you. Plus, I want to see where you live. It’s only fair since you’re going to get to see where I live.”

  “Don’t expect much,” she cringed. “It’s all I could afford while going to school.”

  “No judgment,” I promised.

  An hour later, I bit my tongue as we pulled into the alley beside her apartment building. Crack dens portrayed on TV were more inviting. The four-story building sat on the corner of an otherwise residential street and had obvious signs of disrepair, like the rusted-out fire escape. The outer walls were dingy and tagged with graffiti, which I prayed wasn’t gang-related. A few seemingly homeless people loitered around while a group of young men sat on the porch next door, eyeing my rental van with keen interest.

  Anna hopped out without hesitation, jolting me into action. I grabbed her bags, keeping them both in one hand so that I could wrap her in the other. A guy from the porch stepped down in front of us with an intimidating demeanor, putting me on alert. Raising to my full height, I glanced towards the other guys on the porch. They seemed to have zero interest in us.

  “Hey, Diego,” Anna greeted warmly, like they were old friends.

  “Anna? Damn, girl!” He immediately took a step back and relaxed. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “You too. How’s Rosa?”

  “Good. Just sent in her first college applications, so keep your fingers crossed.”

  “She’ll be fine.” Diego nodded questioningly in my direction. “Oh, sorry. Diego, this is my boyfriend, Jaxon.”

  We eyed each other warily, but he offered a fist bump before turning back to Anna. “Dave told me about the shit Karl pulled. Me and my boys set him straight.”

  “What did you do?” Her tone was a mixture of caution and concern.

  “We encouraged him to work off his debt to you as a means of apology. Then we offered him some friendly advice on the benefits of moving into a new building. He’s gone, and your money is at the shop.”

  “Give it to Rosa for school,” she offered.

  “You sure?”

  “Yes. Trust me, textbooks aren’t cheap.”

  “Alright.” He eyed me again. “You take care of her. She’s one in a million.”

  “I’m well aware.” He stared me down again, but I didn’t waver. With a slight nod, he rejoined the group back on the porch.

  Anna tugged my arm, leading me into her building. Three flights of stairs and four locks later, I stepped into Anna’s home. It was a tiny space with walls that looked like they hadn’t seen a fresh coat of paint in decades. The sparse, simple furnishings were sprinkled with personal touches and bits of color that did little to improve the overall impression. I took in the depressing surroundings and ragged view of the neighboring rooftop, trying like hell to keep my expression neutral. The thought of leaving her there, even for a single night, filled my stomach with dread.

  “You promised no judgment,” she reminded me after offering to get us both something to drink.

  “I’m not judging you,” I assured her, continuing to look out of the hazy window. However, my earlier promise didn’t stop me from silently condemning the slumlord who must own the building or distrusting the group still gathered on the porch next door. “Is Diego in a gang?” The question was out before I could stop it.

  “Yes.” She came out of the kitchen and handed me a bottle of water as we both moved to her small, well-worn sofa.

  “Is the van safe down there?” I tried for a nonjudgmental tone. I failed.

  “Yes,” she laughed, settling against my side. “It’s probably safer there than in the United Center parking lot.”

  “How can you know that?”

  “Because Diego is in a gang.” That seemed completely contradictory to me, but she seemed convinced. “This is his neighborhood, and he protects everything in it. Being affiliated with a gang doesn’t make him a bad person. It’s almost necessary for survival here. If he didn’t belong to a gang, then he’d be a target for every other gangbanger in the city. There’s safety in numbers.” When I remained quiet, she continued. “It’s usually pretty quiet here. They aren’t looking for trouble, just ready in case it comes looking for them.”

  There was a twisted logic to that, but I still worried. “What does that protection cost you? Do you owe him now that he handled Karl?”

  “No. There’s no obligation, just a general give and take over the years to look out for each other. His shop repaired Megan’
s car when it broke down and we were stuck riding the bus to work. We helped take care of his mom after her knee surgery. His brother came over to replace our radiator last winter when it stopped working and the old super ignored our calls. He worked it out with the landlord, so we never got a bill. But we did get a new super. I tutored Rosa, his little sister, for the SATs. Now he handled Karl.”

  The way these neighbors took care of each other, she could have been describing any small town. Still, Chicago’s inner city was a long way from Lupine. I was completely out of my depth here, like a fish out of water. My discomfort must have shown because she reached up and rubbed her palm over my heart.

  “They’re just people. Some will be nicer than others while some are faking it to get closer to whatever perceived status they’re reaching for. And a few are just determined to make everyone as miserable as they are.”

  Having the words that I had used in L.A. echoed back to me was little help. Had she been this uncomfortable going to the party with me, facing people who threatened her sense of security and made her feel vulnerable? And how had she done it all with a smile on her face?

  “And the money? Why didn’t you take it?” That had been the most surprising thing during the conversation downstairs. She had so little yet hadn’t taken what was owed to her. “Because it wasn’t about the money.”

  “What was it about?”

  “Karma.”

  Chapter 22

  Anna

  “Is it pathetic that I miss him?” I asked, eyeing the bracelet on my wrist as I tipped back the last of my margarita. Not wanting the distraction of loud music or the added hassle of men attempting to pick us up, Megan and I had decided against going out. But it had been so long since our last girl’s night that we were feeling extra festive.

  Sitting on the floor, eye-level with the various take-out containers littering the coffee table, I leaned back against the sofa and stretched my legs in front of me. We’d spent the past three hours catching up and with each passing hour, the conversation flowed more freely.

  Megan flopped beside me carrying a fresh blender and refilled our glasses. “If it is, then I’m pathetic too,” she admitted, mimicking my pose. “I’ve stopped myself from texting Dave at least a dozen times.”

  I checked the time on my phone, envisioning Jaxon on stage. Approaching the time for their encore, his body would be covered in sweat and his breathing would be slightly labored. Just like when he came. Groaning in frustration, I took another gulp of my frozen drink, hoping to cool my thoughts. If anything, the alcohol made me want him more, and guilt assailed me for missing our pre-show ritual. A lucky hug in my apartment just hadn’t been the same.

  Though he’d attempted to hide it, I knew that he didn’t want to leave me here. Still, he supported my decision and parted with the promise of picking me up in time for lunch tomorrow. Every minute until then would be filled with worry despite my best efforts to reassure him that my neighborhood was safe. And it was. Safe-ish, anyway. Diego and his boys couldn’t always stop bad things from happening, but they provided a means of justice afterward. Which was why I hadn’t mentioned my building being broken into twice last year or the armed robbery at the corner store a few months back.

  While I hadn’t become completely inured by the crime around me, I had accepted it as part of life there. Poverty bred crime. Or poverty bred desperation, which often led to crime. And as I had told Jaxon, they were just people. Most were trying to get by and dealing with problems that were not easily overcome, not that it ever justified victimizing someone else. They just needed a helping hand, and hopefully, I could be the one to make that small difference in their lives.

  “I’m a college graduate!” I yelled, mentally shaking off the somber mood my thoughts had evoked.

  “Hell yeah, you are!” We raised our glasses and toasted to my graduation. Then we toasted to our hot boyfriends. Then we toasted to our friendship.

  “I think I’m drunk,” I whispered as though it was a big secret.

  “That’s good because you need the alcohol to dull the pain of my news.” Our heads were both bent back to rest on the couch cushions, but we turned to face each other.

  “What news?” I pretended that I didn’t already know what was coming.

  “Dave asked me to move in with him.” She bit her bottom lip with worry, not because she didn’t want to move in with him, but because she knew it would leave me on my own.

  “Aw, Megs,” I said through my watery smile. “I’m so happy for you.” Pulling her into a hug, I felt her relax.

  “Really?” she asked, letting me go to look me in the eye. “Because I told him I couldn’t give him an answer until I talked with you.”

  “You did? For me?” I sniffled, feeling all warm and sentimental. Damn you, Mr. Cuervo.

  “Dave asked me a while ago, but you were still in school. And I won’t move out until you’re ready. But you’ll be getting a better job, and without tuition payments, you can afford your own place, so it seems like everything is working out.”

  It was. Everything sounded perfect. Except that I would need to start taking my job search more seriously. And finding a job meant leaving Detrimental. Leaving Jaxon.

  Or I could keep working for Detrimental and get an apartment on my own. If I gave up my dream of helping families in poverty. My head was dizzy with options. Maybe I could just put my dream on hold for a while. I would still have Jaxon and my job with the band. Then, after the tour was over, I could pursue my dream. But I had worked too hard to quit now that the goal was within reach. And there would always be another tour getting in the way.

  Lost in thought, we watched a movie and I helped Megan clean up the leftover food before we stumbled to our separate bedrooms. She had to work the lunch shift tomorrow before she and Dave met me at the venue for the show, so she needed some rest.

  Not trusting myself in the shower, I stripped out of my jeans and bra and faceplanted onto my lumpy mattress. My head spun faster and the ache in my chest felt worse with each passing heartbeat. The buzzing of my phone had me lifting my head and squinting against the brightness of the screen.

  Jaxon: Good night, beautiful. I miss you like crazy.

  Too drunk to text, I hit the call button.

  “Hey, baby,” he crooned. A sob caught in my throat, preventing me from answering. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” His concern was evident in the way his voice changed. “Do you need me to come and get you?”

  “I’m okay,” I managed to get out. “I’m just sad.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry. Why are you sad?”

  “Because Megan is moving out,” I cried. “And I want to wear pantsuits and have my name on the desk so little kids don’t go to bed hungry.”

  “Okay. I’m having a hard time following all of that. Are you drunk?”

  “Yes. Fucking Mr. Cuervo. He was supposed to dull the pain, but it still hurts.” I started crying harder, and Jaxon did his best to soothe me.

  “You’re killing me, baby. What can I do to make you feel better?” He was so earnest, but only one thing came to mind as exhaustion began to settle over me.

  “Will you sing ‘A Banana for Anna’ for me?”

  Early morning light was filtering through the window when I felt the bed dip beside me. The smell and feel of Jaxon’s warm body sliding behind mine made my heart melt into a puddle. Turning, I buried my face in his chest and breathed him in. His arms held me tight as he kissed the crown of my head. We both released a sigh of relief.

  “You’re early,” I whispered, mindful of the dulled pounding in my skull.

  “Gerry hogs the covers.” The words were barely out before he fell asleep.

  Sifting through the bits of drunken memories from the night before, the last thing I remembered was him singing to me. I’d woken throughout the night to use the bathroom, chug a glass of water, and pop some Tylenol for the brewing headache. Then the bed had been too cold and empty, causing me to toss and turn. Apparently, Jaxon�
�s night had been rough too.

  Hours later, I woke to feather-soft touches tracing my face. My lips turned up as he stroked my eyebrows.

  “There’s that beautiful smile,” he said, leaning in to kiss my forehead. “How are you feeling, baby?”

  “Not too bad,” I admitted, thankful that my headache was gone. Slowly blinking my eyes open, I was met with the most gorgeous view. “Much better now that you’re here.”

  He continued to stroke my face and hair in slow soothing movements. “Are you usually a sad drunk?”

  I groaned in embarrassment as more pieces of last night’s phone call trickled in. “No. Megan’s news just hit me harder than I thought it would. I’m very happy for her…” I wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence without sounding self-centered.

  “But you’re worried about how it will affect you.” There was no criticism, only a simple statement of understanding.

  “Yes, and I got a little overwhelmed. The margaritas didn’t help.”

  “They usually don’t,” he chuckled. “How about some breakfast? I stopped at a little bakery a couple of blocks over.”

  “De Luca’s?” My stomach growled at the possibility.

  “Yep. I’m glad I grabbed plenty because I had to bribe Megan not to maim me for waking her this morning.”

  Poor Megan. She deserved all of the pastries she wanted. I checked the time to verify that she was long gone for work, hoping that she’d been able to get back to sleep after Jaxon’s arrival and that the hangover gods had been kind to her. “You go grab the food while I hop in the shower.”

  I returned to breakfast and a delicious man waiting in my bed. Jaxon’s eyes burned holes in my pink terry robe as he patted the space beside him. Holding an assortment of pastries on a plate, we took turns feeding each other, stealing little kisses, and licking away traces of sugar and crumbs that got left behind.

  Stuffed and in no hurry to leave our peaceful bubble, we stretched out, facing each other.