After dinner, Kaylee excused herself and went to her room. Ashton followed not too far behind, needing to know what was going on. Once they were in Kaylee's room, they turned on some music to drown out their voices, and sat on the bed, close together.
"What the hell is going on?" Ashton asked anxiously.
"Well, I went into Noah's room to see if I could find anything on Brittany, and did I ever find something!" Kaylee shook her head, almost unbelievingly. "I found a bunch of drugs in her suitcase."
"What?" Ashton said. "She had drugs lying around in her suitcase?"
"No, they were hidden in a statue, but I found the way into it. There was a cooked spoon and some needles too." The thought of it all made her sick.
"We need to find a way to get rid of this chick!" he said, his head lowered into his hands. "If she tries to get Noah hooked on that shit, we're in huge trouble."
"No kidding!" Kaylee sighed. "What are we going to do?" She refused to lose her brother to drugs. There had to be a way to get Brittany out of their lives for good. One way or another, she'd make sure that happened.
Chapter 16
"So here's the deal...we need a way to get Brittany away from Noah, at least for a little while so that you can talk to him," Kaylee told Ashton.
"And how are we going to do that? The girl is a leach and she doesn't leave his side for a minute," he reminded Kaylee.
"Just leave it to me," Kaylee said, grabbing Ashton by the hand and dragging him to the living room, where Brittany and Noah were watching television.
"Hey Brittany, I was thinking. We really don't know each other all that well, and since you're so close with my brother, I was wondering if maybe you and I could go to lunch today to change that?" Kaylee asked so innocently as she sat down on the love seat across from Brittany and Noah.
Three sets of eyebrows rose. It was no secret how Kaylee felt about Brittany, so everyone was surprised when she was not only speaking to her civilly, but also extending the friendly offer of lunch.
"Um, sure. I guess," Brittany muttered, after she got over her momentary shock.
"Hey, maybe you and I can get something to eat too, Noah," Ashton interjected before either he or Brittany had a chance to figure out what was going on.
"Sure man. Let's go," Noah said, rising from the couch. He figured that he'd better get out of there before anything else weird happened. And besides, he had hoped that Kaylee would come around - now that she appeared to be, he didn't want to stand in her way.
He leaned down and kissed Brittany on the cheek. "I'll see you later. Have fun."
"Let's hope," Brittany said softly.
Half an hour later, Noah and Ashton sat at a booth in a sports bar. Both were silent, feeling the tension between them.
Ashton knew he'd be the one who had to start, so he figured he'd just go for it and put all his cards on the table. He cleared his throat and waited for Noah to look at him before he spoke.
"Why are you doing this man, not only to yourself, but to the band too?" he asked. "What kind of hold does she have on you, that you're willing to throw away everything the band has accomplished and is on its way to accomplishing, as well as all your self respect?"
Noah sighed. Not only did he know that this talk was coming, he knew that Ashton was right. "You don't understand man. I finally have another chance with Brittany, and I can't mess up this time."
"So you're willing to risk the future of the band on some girl who treats you like shit?" Ashton bit back.
"You guys just need to understand..." Noah started.
"How can we understand if you don't tell us? You don't talk to us anymore, you don't show up for recordings...how are we supposed to understand?" Ashton implored.
Noah was silent for a minute, then slowly nodded his head. "I first met Brittany back in high school when I was at a low point in my life. I felt like I was such a major disappointment to my parents, and because of that, I fell into a depression.
"I started seeing this new girl in the halls around school, just before Christmas one year, and all the guys were talking about her and how hot she was. I mean, she was absolutely gorgeous, and sad as it is to say, I dreamed about her all the time. But it was just a crush, and I knew I'd never have a chance with her, so I put her out of my head.
"On the first day of the new semester, I was sitting in my art class, and she walks into the room. The object of my desire, the girl I appreciated from afar, walked towards me, and did something I never dreamed she'd do. She sat in the seat next to me, and started talking to me.
"By the end of the first week, she'd asked me out on a date. I couldn't believe she would actually converse with me day after day, let alone do something as bold as ask me out on a date. I didn't know what she saw in me, so to avoid disappointment, I said no.
"Finally, mid-semester, I actually said yes. She had been so persistent that I figured there had to be something about me that she liked. On our first date, it was unreal to be out with her. I felt like I was flying, with this beautiful, sweet girl by my side. She had chosen me, and I never felt worthy of her, but little by little, she began to build my confidence. Brittany was my first everything...my first girlfriend, my first kiss, my first love, my first..."
Noah paused, and Ashton grinned.
"Do go on," he teased.
Noah grinned back, but his smile soon faded. "She was also my first heartbreak," he continued.
"Something happened one day, about ten months after we started dating, and her whole attitude towards me changed. I mean, it was literally overnight that she started treating me differently. There was no warning, no lead up to the change. She started telling me that I would never amount to anything. A week later, she broke up with me.
"It all seemed so sudden, and I guess I never really got over it. There was no explanation, nothing. Just a clean break. She never talked to me again until recently.
"A few months ago, she just showed up again. It seemed like a coincidence, but it also seemed like every time I turned around, she was there. For once in my life, I felt like I was worthy of her. Everything with the band has been going great, and we're finally getting somewhere with our music. I felt like, on some level, I was finally up to par, and was someone she could be proud of."
Ashton shook his head. He never thought that his friend had such a low self-esteem that he would allow this to happen. "So in the meantime, you're going to allow her to rule your life and treat you like crap?"
"Man, I just want the woman back that I fell in love with," Noah said, blinking back sudden tears. Ashton paused and let him get his emotions under control.
"That was so long ago. People change, man. She may never be that woman again," Ashton pointed out. "Don't you see the way she's playing you? You're relying on her to build yourself up, but at the same time, all she's doing is tearing you down lower than you were before. She's just taking your money and isolating you from family and friends."
"I can't help it! She's like a drug!" He exclaimed.
Ashton wanted to say something about that, but decided against it. He didn't want Kaylee to get in trouble for snooping through Brittany's things. It just wasn't the right time to bring the drugs up, so he tried to stick to the subject at hand.
"Listen, you've missed a few recording sessions, and the record execs are all talking lawsuits. You really need to get your head screwed on straight, and get into the studio with us before we all lose out. Do what you want with Brittany, but when it comes to studio time, you better be there."
"I know man. I'm sorry. I'm going to try..."
"No! You need to do more than try, Noah! You owe it to us. Just remember who's always been there for you, and who turned her back on you." Ashton was angry, but before he said something that he was really going to regret, he got up from the booth, threw some money down on the table, and left without another word.
Meanwhile, at an outdoor cafe across town, Kaylee and Brittany sat eating a strained lunch. They were both almost done wi
th their entrees before either one of them said a word. Kaylee was trying to be nice to Brittany, but Brittany was her usual snotty self.
"So, when do you go back to work?" Kaylee asked.
"Whenever I want," Brittany snapped. "Listen, I don't know what your little plan with this lunch was, but don't go trying to get between me and Noah. I'll turn him against you so fast it'll make your head spin. I have plans for him, so stay out of my way."
Kaylee glared at Brittany as she stood up. Now that her plan to get Noah alone with Ashton had worked, she didn't have to sit through this any longer. "I could say the same to you. Watch yourself Brittany, you don't know who you're messing with."
Kaylee left, leaving Brittany with the bill.
"I don't know if it worked or not, Kaylee," Ashton whispered, as they lay together in her bed. "He seems pretty hooked, and I've never seen him look so pitiful."
"Well, I sure as hell didn't get through to Brittany. There was no point in even trying. She's one evil bitch. It's a lot worse than I thought it was going to be," Kaylee sighed. The more she thought about it, the more upset she got. She was tempted to tell Noah about the drugs, but the moment she did, things would erupt into a shower of blame and accusations and screaming, and she had no idea how that would go. She might save Noah, or she might lose him forever.
She looked at Ashton. He had become her escape from all things she didn't want to think about.
"Make me forget everything," Kaylee whispered to him.
Ashton swallowed hard, wanting to tell her something to make her forget all the drama surrounding them, but was too afraid to say the words. Instead, he put all of his feelings into his kiss.
Soon, they were both lost in their passion. The heat was soon all that either one of them could think about. Ashton's hands slowly slid up Kaylee's stomach, taking the hem of her silky camisole with them. His lips broke from hers as he removed the lingerie from her body. His mouth was immediately drawn to her ample breasts, bringing a gasp from Kaylee's mouth. The intensity of the pleasure she was feeling nearly paralyzed her but at the same time, it kept her wanting more.
"More?" he murmured at that moment.
"Yes," she sighed.
Ashton slowly slid her panties down her legs, leaving her completely naked. He descended between her legs, giving her an experience she had never had before. She squirmed when she felt his hot, wet tongue, and she moved underneath him until his hands grasped her hips and held her still. He didn't move his hands from her hips until she started making too much noise - then he reached up and pressed two fingers to her lips.
But he didn't stop what he was doing down below.
A wave of pure, blissful pleasure washed over her. It seemed to linger forever, but at the same time it was gone too soon. She lay there underneath him, trying to catch her breath. Her mind was completely clouded. She slowly pulled Ashton up to where he was level with her again, then kissed him, gently at first but soon with more passion.
Her hands reached down to his boxers and gave a firm tug.
"You sure?" he asked.
She nodded, unable to speak. Her mind was too filled with pleasure to form the proper words. He helped her remove them, then groaned when her hand gripped his member.
"Oh God, Kaylee!" he moaned, loving the feel of her hand. He pressed hard into her and she started to move her hand gently up and down his shaft.
"Please," he begged after long moments.
She climbed on top of him and straddled his body. He looked up at her with a mixture of surprise and hope.
"Please, make love to me Ashton. I want you to be my first."
Chapter 17
Ashton froze as soon as the words caressed his ears, and he gently moved her so that he could roll away. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done, but he did it, then sat up in bed.
"Oh my God, I can't believe what I almost did!" he groaned, his head in his hands, his breathing ragged.
"Why are you stopping?" Kaylee gasped. "I'm giving you the green light!"
"As much as it pains me to say, it just isn't right. Not right now," he replied, still panting.
Kaylee was getting angry. Her whole body flushed red with embarrassment and shame and too many other emotions to name. She yanked the blankets over her bare body. "What do you mean? You don't want me?"
Ashton looked absolutely horrified at the suggestion. "It's not that, trust me it isn't that! Does it look like I don't want you?" he asked, his frustration evident as they both looked down.
"Then...why..."
"Can you honestly tell me that if all this stuff wasn't happening with your brother that you'd still want this, right here, right now?"
Kaylee was silent for a minute. Her mind was clearing, and she began to understand what he meant. "It's not that I wouldn't want it, because I do, but I'm still afraid. I probably wouldn't have let it go that far if it hadn't been for the other stuff happening."
"That's exactly why I said 'Not now'," he pointed out.
There was a long pause. "Thanks, I guess," she finally said sheepishly. She couldn't believe how wrapped up in the moment she got.
Ashton leaned over and kissed her forehead. "If you'll excuse me, I have a date with a cold shower." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and was about to stand up when he felt a soft hand on his arm.
"Not so fast..." she murmured, and looked up at him. "I think I owe you something in return. Don't you?"
"You don't owe me anything," he said.
"But..." She gave him an impish grin. "What if I want to owe you?"
Ashton grinned and let her pull him back to the bed, where she proceeded to give him more pleasure than a shower ever could.
They both went to sleep that night with smiles on their faces. Kaylee was thinking about how different Ashton was with her than he was with all the other girls, and how impressed she was at his ability to stop himself, especially when she had lost all of her self-control. Ashton fell asleep thinking how great it would be when they finally did take the next step - but in the meantime, everything Kaylee did was absolute heaven to him.
"You guys need to stop ganging up on me and Brittany," Noah told Kaylee the next afternoon. "You know, I always thought I'd have you on my side. I never expected my sister to turn her back on me."
Kaylee sat at the kitchen table in shock. Noah had walked into the kitchen and immediately went after his sister, who had no idea that she had anything coming to her.
"What?" she asked, completely confused.
"You heard me," her brother growled.
"Noah, I never have and never will turn my back on you. I don't know what Brittany said to you, but she was the one who was rude to me. I was trying to get along with her."
"You've been against me and her from the beginning. I never said anything bad about you and Ashton, I'd appreciate the same from you," Noah spat at her and left the room.
Kaylee felt blind-sided. She didn't know what had just happened, and even though the fight wasn't that bad, she broke down crying. She and Noah rarely argued, and when they did, Kaylee felt the weight of the words a lot heavier than they actually were.
Ashton walked in a few minutes later to see a dazed look in Kaylee's eyes, tears streaming down her face. "Hey beautiful, what's wrong?" he asked, as he knelt next to her chair and took her face in his hands. He wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs, waiting to see what she had to say. It broke his heart to see her so upset.
"Noah and I. Got. Into. A. Fight," she sobbed. "About Brittany," she finally finished.
Ashton grabbed a tissue for her, and she blew her nose. After he threw it away, he pulled her out of the chair and sat down himself, pulling her back onto his lap. Her head went to his shoulder as his arms encircled her body and held her tight. He let her cry for a few more minutes, knowing that she'd be able to talk about it soon, but until then, he'd have to wait.
"It's so unfair. Why is it my fault that no one likes Brittany? She brings it on herself. I'm onl
y trying to help him, but yet he sees it as me against him. I can just imagine what she said to him to get him so mad at me."
"Anything I said to him obviously didn't work. But don't worry, one way or another, we'll get rid of Brittany," Ashton promised. "Until then, we'll just get through it together."
Kaylee looked at him and smiled. "I want to know what you did with the old Ashton...the one who was always so mean to me."
"He's locked in the basement. Said he doesn't want to come out ever again," he joked, and kissed her nose. "How about dinner tonight. We'll get dressed up and everything."
"I guess you twisted my arm. I'll go get ready," Kaylee said, her voice an edge of excitement. It was amazing, the effect that Ashton had on her.
"But we're not leaving for at least two hours!" Ashton laughed.
"Well, a woman needs to look nice for her man. Sometimes that takes time," She teased. "Besides, I need to figure out how to get rid of this red nose..
Ashton laughed as she walked out of the room. He thought back to how miserable he was before Kaylee, and how now he was always in such a good mood. She was incredibly good for him; he just hoped he was always as good for her.
The restaurant was beautiful, and Kaylee was really impressed. It was fairly dark, lit mostly by candles to increase the romantic atmosphere. The tablecloths and window treatments were a deep red shade, with a single Fire and Ice rose at each table.
Kaylee stared in wonder. "Wow, this place is beautiful. I feel so underdressed."
Ashton looked at the woman on his arm. She was wearing a long, black strapless dress, the bottom reaching mid-calf and slightly flaring. "I think you look gorgeous," Ashton whispered and kissed her cheek. "How am I going to keep my hands to myself all night?"
"I guess you'll just have to try," she told him as the hostess led them to their table.
The food was exquisite, and the evening was perfect. Ashton made Kaylee forget all about the fight that she had with her brother, and for a time, they were the only two people on earth.
Miles of Pleasure Page 13
