"Kaylee? It's Brandon. Open up," he yelled through the door.
Kaylee went to thewindowand moved the curtain ever so slightly to look out and see if it was actually Brandon standing there. Satisfied that it was in fact him, Kaylee unlocked the door. "Hey," she said, her nerves still on edge. "Why aren't you at the party?"
"I didn't feel like it tonight. I was hoping that we could hang out for a little while, spend a little quality time together." Brandon sat on the couch. Over the past month, he had worked hard to try to get back into Kaylee's good graces. He was making progress, but he could tell that she still didn't completely trust him.
"That's fine, but I don't know if I'm good company tonight," she said sadly, and sank back into the couch.
Brandon wanted to yell at her and shake her. He wished she would snap out of her funk and go back to being the woman that he had first met. He understood that she was hurting, but she couldn't let what happened take over the rest of her life. "I'm not asking you to entertain me. We can watch a movie."
"That's fine. Whatever works for you." She walked slowly to the back of the bus and got comfortable on the couch there. Brandon followed, and picked out a DVD. He got the equipment all set up, then went to cuddle next to Kaylee.
"Nemo!" she said, a touch of joy in her voice. It was the most excitement Brandon had heard from her since the assault. But it still lacked something.
Halfway through the movie, Kaylee fell asleep. Brandon grabbed a blanket from Kaylee's bed and covered her up. He sat next to her and watched her draw one peaceful breath after another. It pained him to think about that night, but it hurt even more to see her now. She was getting so thin, her long, curly brown hair was no longer shiny, and she had deep, dark circles under her eyes.
He ran a hand through his hair, wishing there was something he could do to help her. He had to talk to someone. Someone had to want to help Kaylee as much as he did. They needed to do something before the old Kaylee was lost to them forever.
The next day, Brandon was able to get Noah and Ashton alone, without Kaylee noticing. He didn't want to talk to them the night before; they were both pretty drunk by the time they had gotten back to the bus. He wanted them completely sober so that they could formulate a plan, one that would work.
"What do you want, Brandon?" Ashton shook his wet blond hair, sending a spray of water flying all around him. He had just gotten out of the shower, and wasn't really in the mood to deal with Brandon. He still hadn't forgiven him for that night.
"Yeah, let's get to the point, and do it quick. We have an appearance soon." Noah still didn't fully trust Brandon, but he was more accepting of him than Ashton was.
"I'm worried about Kaylee," Brandon started, only to be cut off by Ashton.
"There's a first," he said sardonically.
Brandon clenched his fists. He was never going to live down that he hadn't helped Kaylee that night. "I think we've all noticed that she's been different since the assault. We need to find a way to get her back to the person she was before."
"Well, at least there's something we can agree on," Ashton sighed. He had tried to help Kaylee get over what happened, but he just couldn't break through the barrier that she had put up.
"What do you have in mind?" Noah asked. He was willing to do anything to get his sister back.
"Well, I was hoping you guys had some ideas. I haven't known her nearly as long as you." His mind drew a blank, not able to think of a single thing that would help.
"You're just full of all kinds of help lately, aren't you?" Ashton challenged.
Brandon just looked at him. What could he say? It seemed as though Ashton was trying to bait him into a fight just so he could kick his ass. Ashton stared at him, waiting, until Brandon looked away.
"Leave it to me. I'll take care of it," Ashton said gruffly. The lightbulb had just flickered on in his head. He really did know how to help her! He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. "I know just what to do." He walked away from the other two to finish getting ready.
"I sure hope so," Noah said, more to himself than to Brandon.
Ashton was a handful at the appearance party. He hit on every single woman there, and made sure that his intentions were clear. He also talked on and on about himself and about how all the women wanted him. He was straight-up obnoxious.
Kaylee watched him from a distance, but every time she felt the urge to get mad at him, a little voice in the back of her head reminded her that Ashton had saved her. So instead of yelling at Ashton for making a fool of himself and the band like she would have before, she bit her tongue and accepted his behavior.
Ashton saw irritation in Kaylee's eyes, and knew that she was teetering on the edge of exploding at him. He figured that he'd have her where he wanted her by the end of the night. "Hey Kaylee!" he yelled across the crowded room. "Tell this woman here how good I look in nothing but my boxers."
Kaylee wished the floor would swallow her whole at that moment. She felt her cheeks get red, both from embarrassment and sheer anger. She was itching to yell at him, to really let him have it. The little voice in her head was getting quieter and quieter, while Ashton's was getting louder and louder.
Ashton nearly jumped for joy to see his plan working. He found Noah in the group of people and pulled him aside. "Hey, I'm about to do something to complete my plan, and Kaylee's really going to need you. Just a heads up."
Noah was confused, but trusted Ashton and whatever he was going to do. He nodded his head and clapped Ashton on the back. He stood pretty close to Kaylee, in a place where he could easily be found when needed.
Ashton knew that Kaylee needed to get her spark back, and the only way he could think for that to happen was to get her really pissed at him so that she went off on him. She needed the fire back in her life, she needed the passion. She needed the explosive anger to blast through the wall she had built around herself.
He searched the room for his pawn, and found her wearing a tight pink spandex dress. Her curly blonde hair was teased, and she looked like someone who was chewed up and spit out of the '80s. He puffed up his spiky hair, zoning in on his game. He chatted the blonde up for a few minutes, feeling like he was talking to a wall. He knew she'd work just fine; she was willing to do anything to be with him.
Ashton led the woman over to where Kaylee was sitting in the corner. He took a deep breath and did the only thing he could think of to help. "Hey Kaylee, this is..." He looked at the woman with him, realizing that he didn't know her name.
"I'm Prissy," she said excitedly, popping her gum.
"Prissy, right." Kaylee nodded her head slowly. She could totally see that being the woman's name.
"Anyway, Prissy is going to be in my bed with me tonight, so if you get the urge to crawl into my bed in the middle of the night, think twice." His voice had a harsh edge to it. "I know you like sleeping with me though. All the women do."
The look on Kaylee's face nearly killed him. He saw all the anger, and all the hurt. She was finally starting to show some emotions. He could see her hands shaking as she sat there looking at them. "What? What's wrong Kaylee? Got something to say?" he asked innocently.
"You ass," Kaylee whispered.
"What was that? I don't think I heard you."
"I said you're an ass! There, hear me that time? You are so full of yourself and that makes me sick!" she yelled. "And here I thought you were actually becoming a real human being. You are nothing but a sorry excuse for a man." Kaylee got off the stool she was sitting on. She hoped that her legs were strong enough to carry her away.
"I despise you." Her tone bit at him.
He watched as Kaylee ran into the arms of her brother. He hated that he had to hurt Kaylee, but it was the only way to get her to let her emotions out. They had been getting along so well, which was nice for a change, but he'd rather see Kaylee living her life again, even if it meant that she went back to hating him. He knew it was all for the best.
Noah met Ashton's eyes,
giving him a silent thank you. His sister was no longer in her zombie-like state, and he knew she'd be back to herself in no time. "Come on, let's get out of here." Noah told his sister and led her back to the bus.
"I don't think I'll ever understand how you can be friends with that ass," she told him then, just as she had told him time and time again.
Noah looked over at his sister and gave her a look, the one he had given her so many times when they were growing up whenever she was upset. It was the look that said she was being silly, the look that said she had gone overboard...again.
And then it happened. She laughed. For the first time since the attack, she really laughed.
Ashton watched out the window from the appearance party, and suddenly the world was right again. He never thought it would feel so good to have Kaylee angry with him. It was worth it to see her laugh again.
Chapter 6
Day by day, Kaylee started to regain her normal self. Though she was still hurting, she knew that she couldn't let the man who almost stole her innocence steal the rest of her life too. She knew that she would never forget that night, but little by little, she was moving past it.
No one was as happy at Kaylee's return as her brother was. She was the only family that he truly had, and it hurt him to see her hurting so much. Sure, what Ashton had said to Kaylee was harsh, but he saw that it was the only way through the fog that Kaylee was living in. She had to have a harsh wake-up call, a slam that brought her back to the land of the living. Ashton had managed to figure out how to do that.
Brandon was happy too, and was formulating a plan to get Kaylee back. He knew that he had royally screwed up, but he was going to prove to Kaylee that she could trust him. He just had to get her to go out with him again, and everything else would fall into place.
"I don't know, Brandon. I'm really not ready to date again yet," Kaylee told him for the third time. He just wouldn't quit. She knew that he was going to keep at it until she said yes.
"Please, just give me another chance, that's all I ask. We can go out, catch a movie, share a little popcorn, you know the drill. Completely innocent, and out of harm's way," he pleaded.
"I just hope that nobody tries to rape me while we're at the theater," she said suddenly, viciously. "I won't have any protection at all."
Brandon sighed. "Look, I have tried and tried to explain my actions that night. I'm starting to think that you are going to hold it against me forever. It was a bad situation, Kaylee, but I'm not a bad person," he finished, his voice so quiet she could hardly hear him.
Kaylee sat quiet for a minute. His incessant pestering was really getting to her. And maybe he was right - maybe she was being too harsh on him for his actions in the heat of a very bad moment.
"A movie?" he asked again.
More to shut him up than anything else, she agreed. "Fine, but we're going to an early show. The next city we stop in, we'll find a movie theater." The look on Brandon's face was priceless. He looked like he was going to jump up and down. "But I get to pick the movie," she said.
Brandon's face froze for a moment. That could mean chick flick. But hell, it was worth it to be able to spend time with Kaylee again. His face resumed the joyous look. "You won't regret this." He grabbed Kaylee's shoulders and pulled her close to kiss her cheek. Then he let her go and pushed her back a little, just wanting to get away from her before she changed her mind.
Kaylee snickered and shook her head as she regained her balance. She watched Brandon disappear through the door. She couldn't help but feel a little anxious in his presence. Before she thought that feeling was because she liked him, now she wasn't so sure.
The next day, thetourbus pulled intothe hotelparking lot. As a rare treat, they were able to gethotel rooms rather than sleeping on the bus. It seemed like they were never in one place long enough to stay in a hotel room, but since they had planned on staying for three nights, they were able to finally sleep in an actual bed.
Since Kaylee was the only girl, she got her own room, while Noah and Ashton shared a room on one side of her, and Colton and Jayden shared on the other side of her. She threw her suitcase on the bed, watched it bounce once on the firm mattress, and headed straight for the bathroom. To her delight, there was a nice garden tub, with her name written all over it.
She turned the tap on and poured in one of the hotel's mini bottles of bubble bath. Once she got the right temperature, she went over to the mirror and put her hair up in a twist. She began to undress, patiently waiting for the tub to fill.
Naked, Kaylee stepped into the tub, careful not to slip. When she was immersed up to her shoulders, she heaved a satisfied sigh and laid her head back. Being on the bus all the time, she never got the luxury of relaxing in a hot tub, so she was going to get her fill of it while she could. In fact, she might stay in here for hours. Nothing was as relaxing as a soapy soak.
She decided that their stay at the hotel was going to be spent pampering herself. She was going to check out the hotel's spa the next day for a facial, massage, manicure, and pedicure. Every woman needs to splurge sometimes, especially after all she'd been through.
Her peace and planning were interrupted by a loud banging on the wall. Without lifting her head or opening her eyes, she pounded back on the wall. There was no doubt that it was the boys, trying to mess with her. They weren't going to get to her this time. She wasn't going to let them ruin her moment of bliss.
Then she heard a door slamming shut. She reached for the towel that hung on the bar outside of the shower, and shrieked when her hand touched something warm and rough.
She yanked the towel out of the hand that held it and wiped her eyes clear. She should have known that Ashton wouldn't leave her alone for long. She stood there for a minute, in shock, before she remembered that she was naked. She shrieked again and covered her body with the towel, forgetting she was covered in bubbles and water. The towel was instantly heavy and soaked.
"What the fuck are you doing in here?" Kaylee yelled at him as she tried to struggle to her feet without slipping in the bubbles. She got even angrier when she saw the delight in his eyes. "How the hell did you get in? Can't I ever get any privacy?"
Ashton wanted to come up with a quick comeback, but he was too stunned. He had heard the water running through the wall of his hotel room, and knew it was the perfect opportunity to torment Kaylee. But he had never expected to be so turned on by her.
Kaylee wasn't shaped like a twig. She had a little meat on her bones, just enough to make her look hot. Ashton usually went for the women that were thin as rails, but seeing Kaylee like this made him instantly reevaluate his "type" of woman. Each one of her curves had an erotic flair, something that the skin and bones women didn't possess.
Sweet Jesus, but she was hotter than hell!
"Get out!" She shoved him, nearly losing her grip on the towel that she clutched against her body. Her foot slipped on the soapy floor of the tub, and she would have fallen if it hadn't been for the hand that reached out to hold her up.
Ashton barely felt her hand crash against his shoulder, but when he saw Kaylee lose her balance, it snapped him out of his daze. "I just came over to see if you needed some help, and obviously you did. What would you do without me?"
Kaylee growled. She couldn't think of a comeback, as usual. He was so frustrating. "Stop looking at me like that!" she yelled. She felt his eyes boring into her. Her face flushed a bright red color, and though she didn't have any clothes on, she was sweating.
"All right, I better go before you try to seduce me," Ashton said, backing out of the bathroom. Nice seeing you though...very nice." He winked at her, then disappeared through the door connecting their rooms.
As soon as the door closed, she ran over and locked it, then sat on the bed and dropped onto her back. The water and bubbles immediately stained the comforter underneath her. The air around her felt cold but her body burned with embarrassment. That whole encounter left her feeling shaky, not from fear, but from excitement.
Excitement?
"Holy shit," she groaned, and rolled over on the bed to bury her face in her hands. She took deep breaths and tried to get her emotions and her body under control. She finally sat up and stared at the wall for a moment.
So much for a relaxing bath.
Her eyes scanned the room for the first time. When she first came in, all she saw was the bathroom, so now she was looking at it all for the first time. It was a typical hotel room, but compared to the bus, it was top notch.
When she saw the time, she shot up. Brandon was picking her up in fifteen minutes, and she was nowhere near being ready.
The first thing she did was get dressed. It was bad enough that Ashton saw her naked; there was no way that she wanted Brandon to see her that way. She threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, trying to be comfortable. She felt bad that she wasn't dressing up to look nice for Brandon, but she didn't want to encourage him anymore.
She dried her hair quickly, and put on some eyeliner and mascara. Just as she finished, there was a knock at her door. She took a deep breath and prepared to face the night with Brandon. Opening the door, the date began.
A bouquet of wildflowers were presented to her before she could even say hi. She took the flowers out of Brandon's hand. "Hi," she said, trying to sound pleasant and hide her annoyance. He was starting to be overbearing.
"Hello beautiful. Ready for our date?" Brandon asked, stepping into her room. "You look..." He took her body in. "...um, nice?" He seemed a little disappointed.
Kaylee looked down at her clothes and flushed red again. "Sorry, I just like to be comfortable when I go to the movies." Why did she feel the need to apologize for her appearance? She saw that he was wearing a pair of khakis and a polo shirt. He wasn't much more dressed up than she was.
"Well, let's go or we'll be late for the movie," she said. Her voice sounded tense, her words rehearsed. This wasn't starting out well.
Miles of Pleasure Page 4
