by Hilary Storm
"I get that. Just call me if you need anything. I'm in room 322, just down the hall." I watch his face lower in defeat. He's just trying to cheer me up and I'm being a closed off bitch, not even letting him in the door for a few minutes. He begins to walk away, so I step out the door to address him face to face.
"Luke, wait. Come in and keep me company for a little while." As I'm saying this my towel begins to slip, so I hurry to keep it up, letting go of the door in the process. The room keys are inside and here I am, standing naked in the hall, with only a towel to shield me from gawking eyes.
Luke's eyes get wide and he starts to laugh. How could you not laugh? This is an insane way to end this hellacious day. The room is in my name only, therefore I have to go to the front desk for a key to the room. Shit. This is not happening to me right now.
"Come to my room. We'll call downstairs to get you a key."
"Wait. Isn't Aiden in your room?"
"Yes, but your other option is to stand out here in the hall to see which Walker comes out to see us talking while you're naked." When he says it like that, I look forward to seeing Aiden in that hotel room. I don't want any more drama tonight. Can't a girl just relax and get some rest?
I tuck my towel in tighter and start to walk down the hall with as much pride as one can in this situation. He walks fast and I appreciate it. I hear him begin to warn Aiden the second he opens the door.
"Hey, Lilly is locked out of her room.... and she's naked. You need to turn the fuck around and give the girl some privacy,"
"What the hell? I'm not naked. I have a towel covering me."
"Naked enough."
Aiden moves quickly and never tries to show any disrespect as Luke picks up the phone and dials the front desk. His explanation as to why he needs a key to a girl's room doesn't work and they demand that I come down for a new key. He slams the phone down, aggravated, and starts digging in his bag.
"You can put some of my clothes on and go down." He tosses a t-shirt and shorts over. The shorts go past my knees and the t-shirt is big on me, which I'm thankful for since I have no bra on. I go into the bathroom and pull his clothes on.
He insists on escorting me downstairs and sends evil glares at anyone who even tries to look my way. Crossing my arms over my chest, I manage to get a new room key and we make it back to the third floor. The elevator opens up and we're faced with Talon and Eaven.
Can this fucking night just end already? They both notice my attire instantly. I'm sure conclusions are drawn and I have to let any cares about it go. It is what it is. Luke and I shouldn't have to answer to anyone.
I hold my head up and step off the elevator. Turning to wave at them both, I say a thankful prayer that they didn't see me in the towel minutes before. Holding on to the shorts as I walk quickly to my room, I get the key ready to enter the slot. I'm going to lock myself in this room and not come out until it's time to pull out of the parking lot.
His footsteps behind me let me know he still wants to come in to talk. I hold the door open long enough for him to enter and then gladly close it for good.
"That did not just happen." His laughter verifies his true feelings of the matter.
"Glad you think it's funny."
"It is. Something like that would only happen to you."
"Yeah. I know. Fuck my life right now."
"Aww. It's not that bad. It could've been worse."
"How?"
"You could have answered the door completely naked."
"Do you honestly think I'd step into the hall butt-ass naked?"
"I would." Slugging him in the arm, I walk over to the bed in the room."
"You totally would."
"Yeah, and I'd stroll my naked ass downstairs to get a new key when they wouldn't work with me over the phone, too." I could see him doing that. I'd die of embarrassment and he'd stand proud. Our laughter and banter continue for hours. It's so nice to have this back. It's only been days since we crossed the line and messed things up, but it seems like a long time when you're used to spending almost every minute of the day with someone.
We both fall asleep in the bed and it's purely innocent the entire night. We needed this and I wake up as happy as I can possibly be.
He doesn't have his shirt on, so I can't help but admire his back when the light starts to shine through the window. Every time I'm this close to him I see a new tattoo that has always been there, but is just now standing out. You could seriously play a game of hidden objects on this man's back. I try not to stir too much and wake him up. Enjoying this moment for as long as I can, I just watch him in silent awe.
Luke
Spending the night with Lilly like this reminds me how much I enjoy her in my daily life. We have a lot in common and she knows everything about me. We don't have any secrets and she just gets me. Our conversation covers everything from more about our sexual history to the fact that she didn't sleep with Garrett that first night.
Talk about regret. I want to rewind time and stop her from leaving with him all over again. I really thought she liked him and was trying to get to know him better. Hearing her side of things is tough, but we make it through it.
I apologize for flaunting my 'skank' in her face and she seems to accept it. Our understanding that we aren't committed to anyone and this is just the beginning of many adventures for both of us seems to come with a sense of relief and concern all in one. It's important that we understand each other; I just hope we can handle it better when it happens again.
I watch her sleep before I doze off. Her crazy bed hair and the fact that she's wearing my hideous clothes should be a turn off, but it's not. I'm not going there with her again anytime soon.
I open my eyes to silence. Rolling over, I catch her looking at me. She tries to avert her eyes before I see her, but she fails. It does something to me to know she was staring at me while I slept. What's with the two of us creepers?
"I should probably get back to my room."
"Yeah, probably so." I crawl out of bed at the same time she does. She meets me at the end of the bed and wraps her arms around my waist.
"Thanks for cheering me up last night. I had a great time."
"Anytime. You know I'm here for you."
"So I get to keep the clothes?"
"Uh. If you really want them." Her smile when she pulls back from me is all that I wanted to see when I came here last night. Her happiness means a lot to me and I never want to see her hurt like she has the last few days.
We only have an hour before we need to leave. I want to get some gym time in before we go and I'll need to shower as well. A few of the guys are in the fitness area, so it turns into a pissing contest with the weights. Holden isn't in here, so I kill it against all of those bastards. Holden is the only one who can hang with me in the gym. It goes back and forth with him as to which one of us can lift more. These other guys have the proper form and one day will get there, but my hard work and dedication outweighs all of their efforts any day.
I end up running myself late for a shower, but choose to take one anyway. They should all be thankful that I don't skip the shower just to be on time. We always leave in plenty of time, allowing for extra time for the girls or lil’ miss Heaven and any distractions that could happen on a long trip like this.
Today is only a travel day. Knowing that we don't have to go on stage immediately upon arriving is a relief.
I'm the last one on the bus, but it doesn't seem like I've pissed anyone off. Most of them are around the table playing a game of 'Oh hell', and the competitive sounds of laughter blare through the confined space. This game is fast-paced solitaire, and these people get downright nasty when it comes to this game. I watch the girls run circles around Taron and Talon, and decline when they ask me to join.
This drive proves to be exactly like the good old days. There doesn't seem to be stress and we all get to have fun like we usually do. The guys seem to be over being mad at me about Lilly.
Sitting by her most of t
he day, we encourage each other all day in back and forth teasing; never missing an opportunity to give the other one hell. We don't restrict our aim to just each other, either. There are multiple times we get to let loose on some of the others.
"So, how does it feel to be an old married couple?" Lilly directs her question to Eaven and Talon. They both exchange looks and smile at each other. These two should be on a poster.
" The only real difference is he calls me Mrs. Walker all the time. Everything else is really the same." They've only been married a couple of months, but we all knew it was coming long before then. Just like we know Ivy will eventually say yes to Taron.
Those two girls fell for the twins so hard. I really didn't see Ivy falling for Taron after some of the shit I witnessed between them, but now it's obvious that they are one of those forever stories.
"Yeah, that's about the only difference," Talon agrees and we all start to look at Taron.
"Don't look at me. I've already committed myself to this woman. She's working on getting there. It's all good. I'm not going anywhere, so there's no hurry." Ivy drops her head and places her finger inside Heaven's little grip. I rush to change the subject for her sake. When she's ready, she'll do it. She's Ivy Adams. You can't make her do anything she doesn't want to do without pure hell to pay.
Chapter Twelve
Lilly
Spending the trip like this is exactly what all of us need. Catching up on life and what all of them went through during our break is interesting. It's also nice to get to know some about the security team. Only two guys are with us, but they offer up a few stories on the others. Those guys are a mess and it's funny to hear all of those stories. They seem so stiff and boring, but these stories prove they are capable of having just as much fun as a rock star.
We arrive at our hotel stop for the night. Some of the guys are talking about going out tonight and Luke is pushing for me to go with them. I'm up for a night out on the town, so I agree. After all, what could go wrong with my own security team surrounding me?
I hurry and dress the part, putting only a little makeup on this time. It's nice to give my face a break from performance night.
Luke knocks on my room door just as I finish and we make our way down to join the guys in the bar of the hotel.
"Well, hi there, Lilly. Are you ready to go out with the guys?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
Aiden introduces me to all of his crew, "Lilly, you may know some of the guys, but I'll do a run through anyway. This is Drew, Colin, David, and Zander. These guys work day and night to keep you safe."
"Nice to officially meet all of you." Each of them comes forward to shake my hand.
"This isn't all of them, just the ones who want to go out with us. Tonight they're off the clock."
"Let's get going. I'm ready to smash some beers and have some fun." Luke starts to move toward the door.
We step out the doors of the hotel and there's a large SUV waiting for us. Aiden talks with the driver and we all file in. I take the very back and Luke climbs back there with me.
We arrive at the club, and the line outside makes me wish I had worn pants. The chill in the air is going to suck while we stand here. Aiden keeps walking to the front and then finally waves us forward after talking to the bouncer at the door. It's nice having VIP status for once.
This place is massive. I notice the sign at the door says 'Club Volume'. I see where it gets its name right away. The dance floor is full and there's hardly any space around the bar. Luke moves up against the bar and orders us a round of tequila shots and a beer each.
"What are we toasting to?" he asks me and I hate this part. Taron and Ivy usually handle all the toasts. It isn't fun to be put on the spot.
"Um.... To living life, all the way to our last breath." He raises his shot and we take it back.
A kick ass song comes on and I can't resist moving with the music. It's what I do. I take a few drinks of my beer and move to the dance floor. There are a few girls who move in to dance near me and we have a great time dancing through a few songs. A slow song comes on, so I start to walk off the dance floor.
Luke grabs my hand and pulls me back out there. I wish he wouldn't do things like this. It really messes with my head. He's done so good with keeping at a distance lately.
We start to dance and he pulls me in close. Our movement is slower than the song is, but I'm just following his lead.
"You always have to shake that ass of yours, don't you?" I look at him in confusion and try to figure out why he's bringing this up now.
"I was just dancing."
"I know. You're trying to kill me,"
"Sorry."
"Don't be, free bird. I enjoy watching you like that. It's how you are on stage." Free bird?
"Did you just call me free bird?" His smile grows when I ask.
"Damn. I wasn't going to ever call you that out loud."
"Why would you call me that?"
"One of my favorite moments is when you and I first played that song together. And besides that, you remind me of a free bird on stage. You should never be caged." I remember the time he's talking about. It was one of the nights at Smitty's before we went on tour the first time. We used to play old music just to get the fans moving. Lynyrd Skynyrd is an easy crowd pleaser.
"I think you're the free bird. If you listen to the song, it's you to a tee."
"Maybe so, but it's your nickname now." We finish the song before he pulls me to the bar for another shot.
"Your turn this time." I'm going to do my best to avoid having to lead in toasts. The more I drink, the bigger chance I'll say something I shouldn't.
"To never being caged." Well, if that isn't one hell of a toast.
We lay it back and I turn to hit the dance floor again. I don't want to stand there and let him see me disappointed in the fact that he never wants to settle down. I wasn't supposed to fall for him. The problem is, I had already begun my decent before I made that promise to myself.
Making it a mission to enjoy myself tonight, I dance with a few guys who ask me. All of them keep it clean and there aren’t any issues. The next slow song comes on and I know I need to get off this stage fast. If he tries to dance with me on this one, I'll lose it.
'Say Something' is not the song to try to face him during, especially with how I'm feeling right now.
He moves around to stop my escape and leads me to the edge of the dance floor again. I can't look at him as the words begin to play through the large speakers.
I tuck my head into his chest and let him lead me again. Trying to stop the tears when they won't stop falling becomes impossible. He doesn't say a word during this dance and I turn to walk away as soon as it's over. This song is unbearable and says so many things I want to say to him. Why would he insist on torturing me through that whole song?
The line to the bathroom is long, but a few of the women let me pass through quickly. I'm guessing it's the tears running down my face that warrants their kind gesture.
I take the time needed to not look like a complete freak when I walk out of the bathroom. Having an audience while I break down even further isn't a perfect scenario, but I have to work with what I have.
Walking out of the bathroom, I dread seeing him again. I need to get a grip. We are great friends. We'll never be more than that. He's not capable of anything more.
I do my best to stroll up to the bar and ask for another shot with confidence. He meets me and buys us both a drink.
Avoiding the monster in the room is his specialty. He begins to tease me and lightens the conversation to an easygoing feeling. I choose not to dance anymore. We need to eliminate any chances of me acting like a fool again if possible.
As the night goes on, the shots continue to go down. He starts to run his hands over my back and puts his arms around me more than usual. I'm starting to get whip lash from his on and off behavior.
Luke
This night has been one of the strangest yet. I'm h
aving so much fun one minute, the next I've obviously upset Lilly. It seems that we're past whatever it was that had her in tears. I know she's going through a lot right now, but I plan to be here for her when she needs me.
Our drinking has continued and I'm pretty sure we're both completely lit. I wave at Aiden and he starts to round up all the guys.
Aiden has the driver take us back to the hotel and I help her to her room. She's walking on her own just fine, she's just loud and having a lot of fun.
I help her open the door to her room and she grips my shirt with both hands and pulls me into her room. Her mouth crashes into mine and we both begin to tongue battle.
Her desperate tugging on my shirt is awkward since she's shorter than me, so I help her lift it off.
"You're too fucking sexy for your own good." Her boldness makes me laugh. I know she's drunk. This sucks. I can't do this with her after everything we've just been through. If we do this again, I need her to understand where I'm coming from.
I continue to kiss her. This I can do and not feel like a complete jackass in the morning. I need to know that she'd have sex with me sober before I let this happen.
Trying to calm her down long enough to defuse the fire between us both is not an easy task. I turn her around to face away from me long enough to catch my breath and talk to her.
"Let's talk about this in the morning. Tonight I'll just stay with you, to sleep and nothing more." She seems to understand and starts to climb into the bed. I watch her like she's a wild animal that could strike at any moment until she slides under the covers.
I hate sleeping in jeans, but I guess I have no choice. Lying in bed, I remember my shorts she borrowed. Luckily, they're on top of her bag when I open it. I'm pulling them up just as she stands up on the other side of the bed. Her eyes focus right on my dick, and I slide the shorts up quickly to try to salvage my plan to wait.
She lifts her shirt over her head, drops her skirt and panties, then reaches around to drop her bra. In less than ten seconds, she's completely naked. She climbs back in bed and slides under the covers, grabbing her pillow in a cuddle hold like I've never seen before.
