Illicit Dose Of Scars: A Dark Rockstar Romance (Love Sick #1)

by Regina Ann Faith

  “Oh, which one would you like to do more?”

  “Zip lining seems fun.”

  “Zip lining it is.”

  I’m still in disbelief. I just had my first date with the Supposed Posers guitarist, and now we’re planning a second date. I might even get to meet Ezra, Reid, and their girlfriends. I wonder how Ezra and Reid met their girlfriends and how long they’ve been together. Still in my thoughts, I look down and notice Knox is holding my hand. I glance at him, and he smiles at me.

  I smile back before turning toward the window. I don’t want him to see me blushing.

  We finally reach my house, but we end up sitting in the driveway for a while. I stare at my dad’s car. I guess I have to explain where I was. It’s not a big deal. I just don’t want him to get some preconceived notion about Knox, especially now that I’m dating him. It’s one thing to love the band—they did help me through the most heart-wrenching time in my life—but now that I’m actually dating one of the band members, that’s a whole different dynamic, one I’m afraid my dad won’t be too thrilled about.

  I turn to Knox. “When do you leave for tour?”

  “In a few weeks. So you and I will have to soak up all the dates we can before I leave.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He stares at me, inching closer to my face. He then reaches for a lonely curl in front of my eye and moves it away. I take a deep breath in, and exhale out. Holding hands and hugging are one thing. But being this close to my face and touching my hair? I have to restrain myself from leaning in to kiss him. He smells so good, and his lips are right there.

  “I’d better get going,” I whisper, not taking my eyes off him. “My dad is probably wondering where I’ve been.”

  “Right.” Knox takes a breath and pulls back. “I’ll call you in the next few days to let you know if everyone is up for zip lining.”

  “Thank you. I had a great time,” I say before opening his car door to get out.

  “Me too. We’ll speak soon, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  I get out of his car and walk up to my front door. I fumble around for my keys and look back to see if Knox is watching me. He has already pulled away. Maybe he has somewhere else to be. I finally open the door and enter the house.

  My dad is on the couch, watching TV. I try to sneak past him and go to my room, but he stops me.

  “Journee, where were you? I tried calling you.”

  “I went out on a date,” I confess.

  “A date? With who?”

  I knew I would eventually have to tell him . . . I just thought it would be after Knox and I had a few more dates under our belts. “His name is Knox. He plays guitar for Supposed Posers,”

  I tell him honestly.

  “The band you like?” he questions.

  “Yes. We met at the concert.”

  “I don’t know about this, Journee,” my dad says, concerned. “Dating someone in a band…Rock stars have bad reputations. I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”

  “Dad, Knox isn’t like that,” I reason.

  “Well, I want to meet him.”

  “He’s getting ready to tour soon.”

  “That’s no excuse. If he’s dating you, I want to meet him.”

  I suck in a breath through my teeth. “Okay, Dad.”

  My dad doesn’t say anything else and goes back to watching the TV. That’s my cue to head to my room.

  I don’t want my dad to meet Knox before we have our second date. I’ll introduce Knox to him on my terms, when I’m ready, no matter how dead set he is on meeting him.

  A few days had already gone by when Knox finally texted me to set a date and time to go zip lining. He said his band mates were stoked to go and had called their girlfriends straight away to see if they could come. Being on tour, he explained, there isn’t really too much downtime in between shows. They are able to go do smaller activities, but even that is hard. They usually end up getting bombarded by fans wanting their autographs or wanting to get a picture with them.

  I wake up early on the day of the date. It’s supposed to be sunny, in the upper seventies, so I decide to wear my black capris and a short-sleeved crop top that hits right above my waist. I go with my black chucks to complete the outfit, and I let my red curls hang loose, giving me that “kind of messy but somewhat tame” look.

  Knox picks me up around noon. He has on a black muscle shirt, #I”m the echo in your mind” written in white letters across the bottom hem of one sleeve. I climb into the car and listen to one of the band’s songs Knox has playing.

  “This is a rough demo of one of our new songs, called ‘Secrets,’ ” he says as I buckle my seatbelt.

  “Oh, I love it. It sounds different from your other songs.”

  “Yeah, we wanted to experiment,” he says, pulling out of the driveway. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “I’m kind of nervous. I’ve never zip lined before,” I confess.

  “Oh, it’s fun. Don’t be scared.” He pauses. “Are you afraid of heights?”

  “No, not really. But I have this fear the rope will break while I’m in the air.”

  “I see. But trust me, you have nothing to worry about,” Knox reassures me.

  We finally arrive at Zip Thru the Line. It looks like a huge forest with a lot of luscious tall green trees with zip lines connecting most of them. Some have wooden bridges for people to walk across to get to the zip lines. Standing at the end of one bridge is a guy connecting people’s harnesses. Just watching people hurtle through the air makes me want to reconsider. But I am already here, and I can’t turn back now.

  “Ready?” Knox asks as he grabs a baseball cap from the glove compartment and tosses it onto his semi-damp hair.

  “I guess . . .”

  “You okay? You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

  “Well, umm, no,” I lie, pushing down my doubts.

  Knox sends a quick text to Ezra and Reid to see where they are as we are walking to the entrance, but he spots them sitting on a nearby bench. “Hey, man,” he says.

  “Took you long enough,” Ezra says. “Don’t worry, we already paid for you guys.”

  “Thanks,” Knox says as he pulls me to his side. “You remember Journee, right?”

  “Yeah. How are you doing, Journee?” Ezra asks. “Nice to see you again.”

  “I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” I reply.

  “This is Willow and Sarai.”

  “Hi, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’m excited to know that I’m not the only girl,” I say honestly.

  Willow has pale skin and dark eyes. Her hair is black, cut in a short bob. She has on one of the band shirts, with flare jeans and sneakers on. Sarai has tan skin and brown eyes. Her hair is also black, but it is long. She also is wearing one of the band shirts, with bootcut jeans and sneakers.

  “It’s nice to have another girl join the group,” Sarai says.

  “Oh, of course. The more the merrier,” Willow agrees.

  All of us walk inside Zip Thru the Line, Ezra and Reid walking ahead of us, holding their girlfriends’ hands. Seeing this, Knox immediately grabs my hand and pulls me close to his side again. We linger back a little so we can have some privacy.

  “How did they meet?” I finally ask Knox.

  “Both Sarai and Willow were at our very first shows. They were both seventeen at the time and snuck out to go to our gigs,” he explains.

  “Oh, so they’re rebels? I like them already,” I smirk.

  “Basically. When Ezra and Reid met Sarai and Willow, they were very smitten. Ezra with

  Willow, Reid with Sarai, and vice versa .

  So flash forward to one of our recent gigs. Willow and Sarai showed up. They had a picture they took with Ezra and Reid from that first show, and the rest was history, as they say,” he continues.

  “Oh, wow. That’s awesome.”

  “Hey, Knox, stop being so anti-social,” Reid says, calling back to us.

  Ezra al
so glances back. “Yeah, join us.”

  Knox and I rush to meet up with the rest of the group. I didn’t realize how far back we were trailing behind them until we had to catch up to where they are.

  We all decide to try the beginner zip line course, even though the guys had been zip lining. They are very considerate of us girls, who never zip lined before. I watch as Sarai and Willow are getting their harnesses put on and connected to the line.

  I watch as Willow and Sarai zip away, letting out bloodcurdling screams, I turn to Knox.

  “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “It’s up to you. But Ezra did pay for us to get in here, you know?” Knox says.

  “When you put it that way . . . I guess I’ll try.”

  “Are you going?” the guy fastening the harnesses asks me.

  I look back at Knox and the guys, who are also waiting for me to make my decision. I’m scared shitless, but I decide it wouldn’t be fair to not go, since Ezra did pay for me.

  “I’ll go,” I finally tell them.

  “Hell yeah,” Knox says.

  He kisses me lightly on the cheek, and his lips are so soft as they graze my cheek, sending an electric current through my entire body. Holy shit. If a light peck can make me feel like this, I can’t imagine what a full-on kiss would do to me. I shake off the thoughts as the zip line employee connects my harness to the line. As soon as I am fully connected to the line, I look back at Knox and the guys. They give me a thumbs-up. I finally push myself off to fly through the trees, hearing the guys clap behind me.

  After I finish, the girls are waiting for me on the platform. Sarai and Willow are drinking water I’m assuming they got from Ezra and Reid. Willow hands me a bottle of water as I approach her. Soon the guys join us on the platform.

  “It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Knox says.

  “No, not too bad,” I answer. “What did you girls think?”

  “It was amazing. The wind through your hair as you zipped through the trees… There is no other feeling like it in the world,” Sarai states.

  “Are you sure?” Willow says, nudging her shoulder.

  “Oh, Willow, get your head out of the gutter,” Sarai responds.

  Ezra, Reid, and Knox start to laugh. Then we chat about the day and the guys’ upcoming shows. Soon it’s time for us to leave.

  “It was nice meeting you guys again,” I tell Ezra and Reid.

  “Likewise,” Ezra responds.

  “We definitely need to keep in touch,” Sarai says.

  “You’ll be at the shows, right?” Willow asks.

  “Not this time around,” I say somberly, glancing at Knox.

  “Don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere anytime soon,” he says confidently.

  “Staking your claim on her already?” Reid chimes in.

  “Don’t you know it,” Knox answers.

  Knox and I leave first. He drops me off at my house and promises he will call me every other day while on tour.

  four

  Journee

  I invite Knox to my house for dinner to meet my dad for the first time. They haven’t been formally introduced since Knox and I started dating a few months ago. I wanted to make sure we would last more than two weeks before I introduced him to my dad. But those two weeks ended up turning into a few months because Knox has been busy, performing shows with his band. It wasn’t until Knox finally got a break in his schedule that I was able to make plans.

  My dad and I agreed to order in because, truthfully, I didn’t have time to look up a recipe and learn to cook it. It’s times like this I wish my mom were still alive. I straighten up the dining room in preparation for Knox’s arrival. When I come downstairs, my dad is in the living room, on the couch, watching football.

  “I ordered the food. It should be here in a few hours,” my dad says. “You look beautiful,

  Jour,” he adds. I opted to wear a multi-colored maxi dress and ballet flats.

  “Thank you,” I say. “I really hope you like Knox. He’s a wonderful guy.”

  “I’m sure I will. As long as he treats you right and you can love him, he’s okay with me.”

  My dad flashes me the biggest grin before I head back to the dining room.

  As I proceed to check to see if it needs any last-minute touch-ups, the doorbell rings.

  “I got it,” my dad yells to me in the dining room.

  My dad opens the door, and, from where I stand, all I can see is Knox’s turquoise-blue hair. When he steps inside, I take in the rest of his appearance—a fitted black short-sleeved shirt, gray-and-black striped slacks, and black Converse sneakers.

  “Hi, Mr. Watson. I’m Knox.”

  “It’s good to finally meet you, Knox. Journee said you were busy, performing shows,” my dad says as he goes to shake Knox’s hand. “Call me Myles.”

  “Yes, I was super busy with shows, but it’s calmed down some now. I’m glad to finally get to meet you.”

  “Come on in and have a seat on the couch. I’ve just been watching football. Journee’s in the dining room.”

  “I’m coming,” I yell.

  “Take your time. Babe, it’s not rush,” Knox yells back.

  After a while, the doorbell rings again, and my dad rushes to the door. “It’s our food,” he says.

  Knox and my dad come into the dining room and set the take-out bags on the table. My dad heads back to the living room, and Knox hugs me. He purposely lingers just so I can feel his bulge press up against my front. “Later,” he whispers in my ear, squeezing my ass.

  When he returns to the living room, I start to pull out the food and set up the table. I bite my lip, fantasizing about all the naughty things Knox and I will do after dinner. I can’t wait for desert.

  I call the boys when everything is ready to go.

  “Thank you for setting the plates,” my dad says as he sits down beside me.

  Knox opts to sit on the opposite end of the table, right across from me. I look up at him as he flashes me a smirk. My eyes narrow, as if to say to stop teasing me, but he just runs his leg up mine. I gasp, a tingling sensation growing between my legs. Shit. This is going to be a long dinner.

  “So, Knox, did you grow up here, in North Carolina?” my dad asks, starting his interrogation.

  “Yes, born and raised here. I went to Meadows Bay High School,” Knox says, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

  “Meadows Bay High School? That’s on the other side of town, right?”

  “Yes, sir. It is,”

  “Wasn’t there a student there that almost shot up the school a few years back? I remember hearing that on the news,” my dad asks, concerned.

  “Oh . . . that was just some foreign exchange student. It was a scary time for us all.”

  “Oh . . . I see. What made you start your band?”

  “I started my band right after I graduated. I had no plans of going to college. It wasn’t for me. So I decided to start a band,” Knox tells him, confidence returning.

  “Journee has been raving about your band ever since she found you guys. You helped her through the most painful time in her life, and for that, I want to thank you.”

  When we finish dinner, my dad decides to excuse himself, claiming to be tired. “It was a pleasure meeting and getting to know you, Knox,” he says.

  “Likewise, and don’t worry. Your daughter’s in good hands, sir,” Knox replies.

  My dad then heads up the stairs to his room. I’m still finishing up the little bit of food I have left when Knox gets up and comes to my side of the table. He pushes my chair back against the wall and kneels down in front of me. I gasp with lustful excitement as he begins slowly rolling up the bottom of my maxi dress to my hips. He pulls down my panties to my knees. Oh my god. What is he thinking? My dad is just upstairs. Knox straddles my lap, my dress bunched up between us. He grabs my hips and pulls me forward until they are slightly off the front of the chair. I let out a soft moan as he slides his dick inside me and gradually starts
humping me.

  “Fuck . . . we’re going to break this chair,” Knox says when the chair starts squeaking.

  “Wait . . . wait . . .” I say, panting, almost out of breath, as he continues to ride me. “Let’s move to the floor.”

  Knox gets off of me, stands in front of the chair, picks me up, and lays me on the rug. He repositions himself between my legs and slides back in. The pressure of his dick feels like a dream, warming my insides. He captures my lips, and our tongues become tangled with one another, intertwined together. We eventually discard all our clothes, and each time I’m tempted to scream Knox’s name in pleasure, he points upstairs. So we continue quietly going at it, laughing at how ridiculous it all seems.

  s

  Knox must have carried me up to my bedroom after we finished. I smile to myself as I think about what Knox and I did last night, and wish he were in the bed with me right now.

  I hug my pillow as my thoughts drift to places too explicit for me to utter. My phone starts to vibrate on my night stand. I crawl over my covers, to where my night stand is, and grab my cell.

  Knox: Morning beautiful. I wish I could stay and continue fucking you until the sun came up. You captivate my mind. And that body of yours…Damn, girl.

  I smile at Knox’s text. He captivates me too. I love that he loves and wants me. I never felt this way with any of my past boyfriends.

  Babe, I wish you could have too. Hugging these pillows don’t work so well.

  Knox responds with an “LOL,” and I can hear him laughing in my head. His laughter is like medicine to my soul. We laugh and joke a lot, especially during sex, like last night, which makes it a hundred percent more pleasurable.

  I put my cell back on my night stand and slide back under my covers. If Knox can’t be with me right now, I’ll just force myself to dream of him. As I am about to close my eyes and drift to dreamland, my dad enters my room.

  “Hey, Journee. We need to talk,” he says, his voice serious. “I have something very important to tell you.”

  I sit up on my bed, confused. Does he know? Oh shit, I hope not. That would be majorly embarrassing.