by K E Osborn
“Lia, just be careful okay?” Anna says.
“Be careful about what?”
“Babe don’t,” Johnny says.
“No, I have to. Be careful of Colt, he’s a heartbreaker. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy to death, he’s practically family, but don’t get your hopes up, okay? He’s... well, he’s rock royalty and even though Johnny and Dingo can be faithful, we were with them before the fame and fortune. Colt, well he’s used to getting what he wants and then he moves on to the next one. I like you Lia and I don’t wanna see you get hurt,” she confides taking my hand in hers. I swallow the lump that’s formed in my throat, but it just doesn’t seem to want to go down. Then I feel it, the sting of tears prickling in my eyes. I look over at Colt who has Jessi now sitting in his lap. He’s not looking at her, but she’s all over him. I nod at Anna and wipe a stray tear from my cheek.
“It’s too late isn’t it?” Anna asks and I look at her with my forehead crinkled. “You’re already falling,” she says and then exhales.
Is that what this is?
Am I falling for Colter Slade, the biggest rock star bachelor the world has ever seen?
Shit!
How can this even be possible? It’s true I do like him. I like him too much, but he’s leaving in a few hours. I have to distance myself from him. I’ll always have the memory of our first kiss and the two days I spent with Colter Slade, but I guess this is where our story ends.
We arrive at the Hyatt and I can’t seem to shake this sick feeling in my stomach. It’s like there’s a tap dancing group inside there stomping all over my insides. I get out of the car first and start the walk inside to the elevator. I hear everyone coming in loudly behind me and I step into the elevator as Anna and Johnny step in with me. I hold myself tightly as I see Colt and Jessi walking in. She has her arms wrapped around his waist and he’s walking along, not really holding her, but his arm is resting on her shoulders. I bite my bottom lip because I suddenly feel very sober. The elevator doors close and I slump my shoulders while it takes me up to the top floor with Anna and Johnny.
“Well, it was nice meeting you guys,” I say as the doors open. Anna takes my hand and walks out with me.
“I’m sorry, Lia. I know how hard this is, but maybe it’s for the best, you know? But I’m so glad that I got to meet you though,” Anna says.
“Yeah, same goes. You’re a stellar bird,” Johnny states taking Anna’s hand and walking ahead of me toward the penthouse suite.
“Thanks guys,” I say and walk toward my suite. I fumble around in my clutch and find my door key card. I swipe it and open the door. Just as I do the elevator chimes and Colt, Jessi, Dingo and Sia all walk out. I quickly step into the suite and turn around just in time to see them walk past my door. Colt doesn’t see me, but Jessi does and she smirks giving me a look that reeks of, ‘I won’. Colt’s laughing as he stumbles. Jessi grabs him by his vest and yanks him through the door slamming it behind them… and there goes Colter Slade. The guy who taught me to be spontaneous and to live a little. In and out of my life in the blink of an eye. Those tap dancers are really having a field day in my stomach as a wave of nausea hits me. I close the door to the suite and rush into the en-suite making it just in time to expel all of the alcohol from my stomach. I wretch into the bowl as fresh tears start to roll down my face. I’ve obviously had way too much to drink tonight. I feel hideous as another wave overcomes me and I heave into the bowl again. I’m kneeling on the very cold tiled floor and I feel a dull ache in my knees from today's mess up with the minions, and I start to cry and I mean really cry. This pit of despair is worse than when Joseph kicked me to the curb. This feels like I’m drowning and I have a ball and chain anchored to my legs which is stopping me from reaching the surface. I end up crawling into a ball on the tiled floor next to the bowl and spend the rest of the early morning there, while I doze in and out of sleep before another wave of nausea hits and has me heaving into the bowl again.
I eventually wake up and notice that there’s sun coming in through the window. I slowly stand up feeling like someone has run me over about seventeen times with a truck and then reversed over me one more time for good measure. I gaze into the mirror and I look absolutely terrible. I’m pale, and I have eyeliner and mascara runs down my cheeks and my hair is a total mess. I take off my ripped clothes and my trusty converse sneakers and then get into the shower, to try and wash away the mess of the past forty-eight hours of my life. I wash my hair and my face scrubbing them into submission, taking away any remnants of the rock chick they were trying to turn me into. The warm liquid soothes my sore aching body. I guess I’m sore from the fall yesterday and the minor beating the minions gave me. I step out of the shower and start to think about what I can do with my life. Obviously, I need to find somewhere to live, that’s just for a start. I can’t stay here forever and especially not with the memory of Colt on the lounge and in the bed, not to mention the penthouse suite next door. Everything’s a reminder of him and I just need to get away from it. I dry myself and make the decision to go and stay with my parents until I can find something on my own. I don’t have any girlfriends I can share a house with, in fact, I don’t have any friends at all and the past two days I’ve made more friends than my entire life. I pack up my bags and load myself up. I start to walk toward the elevator when I hear the door of the penthouse suite open. I look back to see Johnny walk out, he stops when he sees me and closes the door. I smile at him and then turnaround to press the button for the elevator.
“Lia, are you leaving?” Johnny calls out.
I swallow the lump in my throat and turn back to face him. “I have to, Johnny. Can you say goodbye to Anna for me, please?”
He nods and smiles. “You’re a cool chick, Lia, just remember that.” I nod, turn back and walk into the open elevator. I turn around and notice Johnny rushing back inside the penthouse as the doors shut. I close my eyes fighting back the tears that are threatening to fall as the elevator stops and I walk to Mary-Ann who’s at the reception desk.
“Leaving already, Lia?” she asks. I nod and hand over the door key card. She takes it from me and I turn to walk off.
“You look after yourself, okay?” Mary-Ann states as I walk away. I can’t answer her. I’m too worried I’ll burst out crying. I feel terrible.
Jack’s no longer my best friend!
I walk out of the Hyatt and down to the taxi rank. The nice driver gets out to help me put all my luggage into his boot. I go to open the back door and I hear Colt call out, “Lia, Lia wait.” I turn to see him running up to me with the same clothes he had on last night. I exhale and scrunch my eyes closed.
Johnny must’ve told him I was leaving.
I turn to open the card door, but Colt quickly puts his hand out to keep it shut.
“What are you doing?” I ask as I turn around. He looks terrible, still smoking hot, but terrible.
“What am I doing? What the hell are you doing?” he asks walking around to the back of the cab and taking out my luggage.
“Colt, stop.”
“No, you stop. Why the hell were you going to leave without saying anything, for the second time since we met?” he asks his nostrils flaring and his eyebrows furrowed.
I shake my head.
“That’s not an answer, Lia.”
“What the hell do you want me to say? You make me all giddy for you, then you snog me like that and then leave the club with another woman. What’s there to say Colt?”
He tilts his head and his eyes widen. “Okay, so I had a lot to drink last night and I don’t remember any snog or leaving with another woman. All I remember is us drinking and having a really good time. I swear I passed out as soon as we got back to the penthouse. I didn’t even make it to the bed Lia. I literally woke up just now on the floor to Johnny slapping me across the face.”
It feels like a thousand blunt knives are stabbing me in the chest, it hurts that much. I actually find it hard to breathe. “You’re telling
me you don’t remember our first kiss in the hallway at the club?” I ask somewhat breathlessly.
He looks at me with sympathetic eyes and then winces. “I… I… fuck,” he says running his hand through his hair.
“Great, just great. Who do you think you are coming into my life and then turning it upside down, huh? What gives you the right to waltz into my already shithouse life and make me feel even worse than what I did when I met you? Just because you’re a famous rock God, doesn’t give you a license to hurt people, Colt. You’re not exempt from the way normal people treat each other just because you are you, you know. Urgh... God!” I blurt out, venting my frustrations as I lean over and push him away from me. He grabs my wrists and pulls me close to him. I try to pull away and the taxi driver gets out of the cab and looks at us.
“Lia, stop struggling,” he says as he lets my wrists go and wraps his arms around me pulling me into an embrace. I struggle against him, but he doesn’t let me go.
“Colt, you don’t even remember our first kiss, so you can’t be that upset with me leaving. Now let me go,” I cry out as his hand comes up to caress my cheek. He pulls my face up to see his and his eyes lock onto mine. I stop struggling instantly as he softly tries to calm me down. His eyes look like they’re full of regret.
“I’m so sorry,” he says making me frown.
“Why?”
“Because I’m stupid enough to forget our first kiss in my drunken stupor. I want to remember every kiss with you, Lia, every single one. Starting now,” he says and then leans down and presses his lips to mine. I close my eyes and take in everything that is Colt. His smell, the soft touch of his lips on mine, his bulging biceps that are wrapped tightly around me, and for a moment, a brief moment, I get lost in him. I open my mouth to let him in and his tongue touches mine. Our kiss last night was full of passion and lust, but this one is different, there’s a yearning in his touch, a delicate softness that sends goose bumps all the way up my arms. He slowly lets me out of his tight restraint, but my lips stay connected to his. He moves his hand to the back of my head like last night and holds me to him. This is better than last night’s kiss. I thought he was a good kisser when drunk, but when sober he makes my panties melt off me with just one flick of his tongue against mine. I pull him closer so our bodies are touching, he leans me back against the taxi as he gently caresses my cheek. He slowly pulls his lips away then rests his forehead against mine.
“How’s that for a second kiss?” he asks with a cocky smirk.
I frown and slap him on the chest. “Colt, you forgot about me. About our kiss and then you let Jessi sit all over you in the Hummer. Then, to top it all off you let her drag you into the penthouse with me watching. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with all that information.”
He winces and shakes his head. “I’m so sorry, Lia. I never meant to hurt you. I honestly don’t remember any of it. I must’ve been blind drunk to let Jessi sit on my lap because I don’t remember it at all, and anyway I only want you on my lap from now on.”
“But how can that even happen, Colt. You’re leaving in a few hours to go to America. Where exactly does that leave me?”
He frowns again and then it’s like a light bulb goes off inside his head. His frown turns into a giant beaming smile and his eyes sparkle brightly. “You have nothing keeping you in London, do you?”
I tilt my head and raise my eyebrows. “Only my parents,” I reply in confusion.
“Then come with me. Come on tour with me, please? You said yourself that you loved the new you and I’d really like to have you around. I promise no more getting drunk and forgetting. Lia, please say you’ll come with me,” he asks taking my hands in his.
“Hey miss, are you coming or going?” the taxi driver calls out.
“Just a minute,” Colt yells. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just that last night at the concert all I could think about was you, and you heard everyone they said it was my best performance. You inspire me, Lia, and you’ve made me feel again. I’ve been hollow for a long time and just looking at you, even the first night when you opened your hotel suite door and you looked terrible with a bottle of vodka, you still took my breath away. You fill me with something I’ve never felt before and I can’t let that go, I can’t let you go. So please, will you come on tour with me?”
Those goose bumps are back with a vengeance. I look into his hopeful eyes and swallow.
Can I really do this?
Go on tour with a band of guys I’ve only just met and leave this life behind? I don’t have a job that I’m tied down to, because Daddy keeps my bank account full. I obviously don’t have a home to go to, because Joseph kicked me out of mine.
So what do I have?
Nothing, I have nothing, and my possible everything could be standing in front of me right now. He’s patiently waiting as I stare into his luminous bright blue eyes which are staring right back at mine. He swallows hard as I look around at all the people gathered on the side of the street watching us.
“Don’t worry about them, just look at me. Lia, I need you with me.”
I look back at him and exhale. I have nothing to lose, so I make the biggest decision I’ve ever made in my short life. “Okay,” I say quietly.
He smiles so brightly I think the whiteness of his teeth blinds me for a second. “Really?”
I nod my head, and he pulls me into a tight embrace. The taxi driver unloads the rest of my luggage and drives off with a new passenger. Colt eventually lets me go and leans down picking up my luggage. I take my two shoulder bags and we walk back inside the Hyatt.
We make our way to the penthouse suite and Colt places my luggage down inside the door and then takes my two shoulder bags from me. I look over at Johnny who’s smiling widely. I nod at him and he winks in return. Jessi doesn’t look happy at all to see me though. I guess she wouldn’t be. I’m not overly excited to see her either.
“Welcome back, Lia,” Sia says while she lunges and hugs me, followed closely by Anna.
“Thanks, guys.”
“It bloody took some convincing though, she’s a feisty woman when she wants to be,” Colt says taking my hand in his. I smile as everyone continues packing for our flight to the United States. I hear a ringing sound and I instantly recognize it as mine. Colt looks down into one of my shoulder bags and pulls my mobile phone out for me. I already know who it is from the ring tone, and I’m not looking forward to this call. Not one bit. I frown as I see Daddy’s picture light up my screen.
“Everything okay?” Colt asks.
I frown and nod my head. “Just Daddy, I better get this,” I say as I walk back out the front door of the penthouse suite.
I inhale and answer. “Hi, Daddy,” I say as cheerily as possible.
“Delia Louise Norman, where on earth are you, and why aren’t you trying to sort things out with Joseph?” he asks loudly down the line. I exhale and close my eyes rubbing my temple.
“Daddy, I’m fine. Joseph made it crystal clear that he didn’t want me around anymore. So, why should I bother when he obviously thinks I’m not good enough for him?”
“Delia, sweetheart. I know what Joseph said to you. I spoke to him earlier today and with some convincing I’ve made him see the light, and so now can you stop gallivanting around with those monstrosities you call rock stars, and stop making headline news and embarrassing us.”
“Daddy, although I appreciate everything you do for me, I do not want to go back to Joseph. Like I said, he made it crystal clear how much he didn’t want me around, and I don’t care how much you paid him to take me back I’m not going back to him. End of,” I exclaim a little louder than I wanted to. The door opens and Colt comes out and stands by me. He mouths ‘are you okay?’ I roll my eyes and shake my head making him smile.
“Delia, you need someone who can take care of you when I’m gone. Someone just like Joseph. He’s well groomed and well educated. What more could you want?”
I exhale loudly. “Da
ddy look, I don’t want to argue with you, but he’s boring and so was I. My life has suddenly turned exciting and I don’t want to give that up, especially not for Joseph,” I explain as Colt looks at me intently.
“So you’re going to throw away your perfect life to run around with some rock group. Delia, you have no idea how disappointing that is, and I will not hear of it. You will come home right now and sort this mess out with Joseph. Do you hear me?”
I start to get angry, I can feel my pulse quicken as I breathe heavier. “Look I love you, but I’m not listening this time. My life was far from perfect and I’ve found someone who makes my life a little brighter, and a lot more exciting,” I answer as Colt wraps his arms around my waist. “Daddy I’m going on a holiday, to get away for a while. I’m travelling the world with Colt and his band and I’m going to actually live a little.”
Colt kisses my cheek and rests his forehead on mine.
“No, you will not, young lady. You can’t travel the world with those drug lords and prostitutes that hang around with them. Delia you’re smarter than this, come home where I can look after you.”
“Colt will look after me, Daddy. You have nothing to worry about—”
Colt takes the phone from me and places it to his ear. I look at him wide eyed and try to get the phone back from him, but he’s just too tall.
“Mr. Norman... Yes, hi this is Colter Slade.
“Yes, sir. I understand all of that, but sir what you need to understand is that Lia was sinking in that relationship with good old Joey boy and she was living a dull and boring life. I mean seriously, the guy kept his ex-girlfriend’s Yorkiepoo, what kind of arsehole does that?
“I know that sir, but she’s young and shouldn’t she experience life out there in that great big wide world?
“Yes, but trust me when I say that I’ll take great care of her.
“I care about her too, sir, very much so, and I won’t let anything happen to her, I promise.
