Questionable Love (A Love Beyond Labels #2)

by Danielle Rocco

  “I’ve always been fit.” I laugh.

  “It must be in your genes then. Is your dad built like you?”

  “I have no idea. I’ve never met him.”

  “Never met him?”

  “Nope. But, I have a feeling I take more after him. I don’t look much like my mom. She’s more on the petite side. If my girl and I ever have boys, if they show any interest in sports, I’m definitely going to let them play.”

  “Is your girl small?”

  I smile. “She’s like five eight with perfect, long, tan legs. Her older brother was the high school quarterback, and her younger brother plays.”

  “Sounds like you two will breed some athletes.” He laughs. “Either that, or you’re going to end up with a bunch of girls.”

  “I’d be okay with that. Shay is so damn pretty, we’d have the most beautiful little girls.” He jumps down, and I bounce right back up, turning out one more set. “Yeah, I’d be happy with a house full of little girls.” I hang for a minute and work my abs. “I’m not going to lie, bro, a couple of football players would be icing on the cake.”

  “You talk like you’re ready to start having kids already. Aren’t you too young?”

  “I don’t think so. I’ve been with her since she was twelve. We’ve always talked about starting our family young. Why the hell would we wait? She wants to be a young mom, and I can already see our life together. Why wait to start something so amazing? I don’t want to be an old dad. I want to be able to throw the football with my boys.”

  “Or play tea party with all the girls,” he says, laughing.

  I laugh with him. “If they’re anything like their mom, they will be outside throwing the football with the boys. My girl likes to get dirty. She’s not into tea parties. Now, her best friend, Jules, would be the one sitting and drinking tea while Shay is calling out plays.”

  “She sounds like my kind of girl,” Reno says. The buzzer sounds through the yard, letting us know it’s lockdown time. I close my eyes and breathe in deep, inhaling every last bit of air in my lungs that my girl shares with me.

  I walk back inside, and when the metal bars close behind me, I picture my girl curled up in a waiting bed. For a brief moment, I see a bunch of little blue-eyed girls with soft, wavy hair around Shay waiting for me. When the light goes dim, I lie down and hold on to our dream. I picture eyes that have only gazed into mine, skin that has only ever been touched by me, and lips that have only pressed against my mouth. With darkness all around me, a burst of sunshine illuminates brightly deep inside me, and I remember telling Shay how special it is that we’ve only ever belonged to each other. I smile as my eyes close, and like always, it’s her pretty face I see as I fall asleep.

  I’ve got to get out of this fucking place.

  WHISKEY-FILLED LIPS

  HUNTER LEANS OVER and hands Jules and me another shot of tequila. Beau is still talking to the bar owner, and Jules is getting antsy. “Take the shot, Shay. I want to dance.”

  Feeling light on my feet, I stand up and throw the shot back in one drink. When I swallow, my throat feels like a raging fire. “Oh my God, that’s awful. I’m not doing another one, Jules. I mean it.”

  “Fun sucker!” she yells over the loud music. Hunter laughs, pouring himself another and swallows it in one gulp. Jules grabs me by the hand. “Beau, we’re going to dance,” she calls over to him. Beau turns around, watching us make our way to the dance floor. Hunter passes us and walks up to his friend the DJ.

  “We haven’t danced since prom, Shay.”

  “I know. This feels nice,” I tell her, swaying to the music. She giggles, and we start dancing together like that naughty girlfriend kind of grind. Jules twirls around, and the music slows to one of my favorite songs. A cute guy pulls Jules into him and starts slow dancing with her. As I turn to walk off the dance floor, arms encase me and pull me in. I look up behind me to see Hunter smiling. I pull out of his embrace and walk away.

  “Don’t you want to dance?” he asks as I plop down onto the oversized chair that feels like it swallows me.

  “I am dancing,” I say, moving my hips to the sexy sounds of “Let It Go” by James Bay floating through the club. “God, I love this song.”

  “Yeah? Do you feel like you need to let go, Shay?” Hunter’s tone is suggestive. I lift my arms through my hair and start singing, ignoring him. “Come dance with me.”

  “No.”

  “Come on.”

  “I’m dancing right here in this chair.”

  “I want to wrap my arms around you and dance.”

  “I only wrap my arms around one boy.”

  “Who’s never with you,” he blurts out. I look over at him. He swirls the brown liquor in his glass and softly sings the words to me, then takes a drink, swirling whiskey in his movie star mouth. He mouths, “Come on.” I shake my head, laughing. “This is such a sexy song to dance to.” He takes another drink. I just keep singing and closing my eyes, picturing Jace. “Have you ever tasted whiskey before, Shay?”

  My drunken haze looks his way. “No,” I tell him, feeling the alcohol flow through my veins.

  “Come here. I want you to taste it.” I watch his fingers glide slowly through his dirty blond strands, and when he dips his thumb into his whiskey-filled glass and wets his lips, I start to turn away, but he doesn’t let me. Hunter pulls my chin back and leans into me. I suck in a deep, alcohol-infused breath when his whiskey-filled lips start making their way to mine.

  COCONUT LIPS BELONG TO ME

  I WAKE UP AND swear I smell coconut. I run my hands up and down my face. Nothing but darkness, so I lie back down and try to fall back asleep. Sleep comes easy for me, but staying asleep never does. It’s like I’m mentally exhausted from the time I get up with thoughts of getting back to Shay, that by the time it’s lights out, I’m ready to fall asleep. It doesn’t take long before my body is begging for hers and waking itself up. Damn, I miss her. I can’t wait to kiss my girl’s sweet mouth again. Those coconut lips belong to me.

  Knowing she’s all locked in and curled up asleep brings me comfort, and I slowly feel myself falling back to sleep.

  MY LIPS BELONG TO ONE BOY

  WHISKEY FALLS FROM Hunter’s full pop star lips, and his tongue darts out slowly, catching the trouble he’s trying to cause. He’s so close I could easily slide my tongue out of my mouth and taste what he’s offering me. His dark brown movie star eyes look into mine, and the moment I focus on them, I lean away. “You just disrespected my boy,” I slur, sitting back in the big plush chair.

  He chuckles devilishly, and it pisses me off. “I was just offering you a taste.”

  “You said I seem easy to please, and I told you only a few things displease me—one being respect. Have you ever been in love, Hunter?”

  He sits back. “No, I’ve never been in love,” he says, wiping his attempt at making me falter with the back of his hand. I watch him with tears in my eyes for the boy who is everything to me.

  “I fell in love at twelve years old. Never once…” I wipe the guilt from my eyes landing onto my cheeks over putting myself in a situation that could hurt Jace’s heart. “Never one time since the very moment my eyes looked into his have I ever wanted to have anyone other than him touch my body. He owns every single part of me—my mind, my body, and my entire soul. I will always only ever want him.”

  “Then where is he? Why wasn’t he with you and your family when your song debuted nationally? Why isn’t he here with you while we celebrate you becoming a recording artist?”

  I push myself out of the chair, and with pathetic drunkenness, I look down at him as he raises his face to look into my eyes. For the first time, I really look into Hunter’s eyes so he hears me loud and clear. “My boyfriend is in prison.” I let out a cry as his eyes go from flirtatious to shocked. I wipe away my continuous heartache as he stares up at me. “There, now you know why he’s always absent. It’s not because he doesn’t care. It’s not because we aren’t strong. It�
�s because he can’t get to me. He was ripped away from me because of a stupid mistake that has kept us apart for a year. So, while I’m sitting here in a beautiful club with a room full of beautiful people without a care in their little worlds, the love of my life, the boy that I have loved with my whole heart since I was a young girl, sits behind metal bars. And, the sad thing is the girl he waits to be reunited with is stupidly drunk and carelessly naïve to think I could work with someone that is showing me I’m nothing more than a girl he wants to sleep with.” As I turn to walk away, Hunter stands up and gently puts his hand out to stop me. “My loyalty belongs to Jace, and you crossing the line has disrespected him, so I think we should be done with our guitar lessons.”

  “Shay, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “But, you did know he existed, and that should’ve been enough for you. You tried to kiss me, Hunter. I’m drunk, and you tried to take advantage of me. Don’t let my soft voice fool you. I’m a very tough girl. Goodnight.” I turn around as Hunter apologizes from behind me, and even though he sounds sincere, I don’t care. I just want to go home. “Beau, I’m ready to go home,” I interrupt as he talks to a group of friends. Jules is dancing with the same guy that grabbed her when I left the floor earlier.

  “I was just about to pull Julia away from that guy.” Beau pauses, looking me up and down. “Are you drunk?” I let out a soft huff, and he looks over his shoulder at Hunter. “I’m going to take them home.” Hunter nods, and Beau is completely oblivious to my little meltdown. I look back at Hunter. His eyes soften, and he mouths “sorry,” but I just turn back around. “Hunter, walk Shay out front while I get Julia.”

  “I’m fine,” I tell Beau with slurred speech.

  “Hunter will walk you out,” he demands.

  Beau walks away, and Hunter moves up alongside me. I watch as Beau gets between Jules and her dance partner and whispers into her ear. She walks away with Beau’s arm around her shoulder, but she doesn’t look happy.

  “Come on. I’ll walk you out,” Hunter says.

  “I don’t need your help,” I tell him, trying to stay balanced.

  “Yeah, you do. Don’t be stubborn, Shay. You’ve made your point. I’m not going to try anything.”

  “Good. Because if you did, you’d be glad my boyfriend is behind bars. If he found out you disrespected me again, he wouldn’t like it.”

  He chuckles. “You definitely have a tough side.”

  “And so does he,” I say as he leads me through the crowd.

  “Is that why he’s in prison?”

  “Exactly why he’s in prison,” I agree as we make our way outside to cameras flashing in our faces. I put my hand up from the blinding flashes. “He’s the best person I know, Hunter. He is so kind-hearted, but tough and passionate and was pushed too far. Unfortunately, the other one involved sustained worse injuries, and Jace ended up paying with time.”

  The valet pulls up Beau’s car, and Beau wastes no time putting a very intoxicated Jules into the backseat.

  “Hunter? Beau? Look over here.”

  As I move toward the car, cameras flash in my face. Hunter quickly opens the door and shields me, practically putting my face in his chest.

  “Hunter, I said not to touch me,” I remind him, earning a quick laugh.

  “I don’t want you to have pictures out there that look bad.”

  “Do I look bad?” I ask, falling into the car.

  “No, you look incredible, but you’ve drunk a lot, and the cameras will always try to play that up.”

  “Thank you.”

  Before he closes the door, he says, “I hope we can still be friends, Shay. I’d really like to work with you. I like you as a person, especially now that you’ve shown your loyalty to your boyfriend. I think that’s kind of cool. ”

  “I’ll let you know,” I say as he shuts the door. Beau gets settled in the driver’s seat, and we pull away quickly. Cameras flash in the distance as we leave the club.

  “I don’t know how you deal with that, Beau.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I’m sure you love it, Mr. Movie Star Boy!” Jules yells to Beau as she falls into me. I chew on my pinkie nail as my stomach churns. “Don’t bite your nail, Starkie. I told you, your jailbird doesn’t want to hold chewed-up hands.” She swats at my finger, giggling. Jules sits up and leans against Beau’s seat. “You’re a bad influence, Beau. You were told to take care of us, and here we are drunk…drunk…drunk… Mama Melody is going to spank that very nice butt of yours.” She gasps loudly, and Beau smiles into the rearview mirror.

  “Do you think I have a nice butt, princess?”

  Ab…solute…ly not! I mean, I don’t know… You are so damn cocky, Beau. You have the worst butt ever!” she screams. “Shay! Beau is picking on me. Tell him to stop. He always picks on me!” She falls against the backseat and goes completely silent. “I’m really drunk, Starkie.”

  “Yeah, me, too.”

  “Beau, stop going so fast,” she slurs.

  “Close your eyes, princess,” he says.

  “Doesn’t he know that makes it worse?” she mumbles, closing her eyes. I look out the window, trying to calm my unsettled stomach. I don’t want to throw up in my brother’s car.

  “Are we almost there, Beau?” I ask quietly, taking my face off the cold window.

  “Are you going to be sick, Shay?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Are you sure?” he says.

  “I’m sure.”

  His eyes go back to the road while mine go back out the window. I watch the city pass us by, and with a sharp turn, Jules falls onto my lap, moaning, “I don’t feel very well, Starkie.”

  “We’re pulling onto my street,” I assure her as she sits up quickly.

  With her hand to her mouth, her shoulders start to lift, and she leans over. “I’m going to be sick.”

  “Beau, pull over!”

  “We’re here. Hang on.” He pulls up to the curb in front of the condo.

  “Jules is going to throw—”

  “You better not throw up in my car, princess,” he says, but it’s too late. A little burp escapes Jules’s mouth, and she throws up right onto her lap.

  “Oh my God, my dress!” she cries out. Beau throws the car into park. I swing my door open fast, afraid I’m next.

  “Your dress? What about my car?” he huffs, opening his door.

  I run around to Jules’s side to get her out quickly before Beau kills her. By the time I stumble over there, he’s already getting her out of the car. I have to put my hand over my mouth to hold back the rumble in my stomach as I watch vomit drip down the front of her dress. She’s covered in puke.

  Beau holds her up, and eyes full of tears make their way to his. “I’m sorry. It just happened.” She looks down into his car; his hat is on the floor with vomit on it. “Whoops. You’re going to have to get a new baseball cap,” she says, then falls against the car.

  “She can’t even walk.” He looks to me, replacing the anger in his voice with concern.

  “Give her to me,” I say, taking my hand away from my mouth and putting my big girl panties on so I can help my best friend.

  “You can barely walk, Shay. Just go open the door.”

  I stand there for a second, and what happens next surprises the heck out of me. Beau unzips her dress, and it falls to the sidewalk. Jules’s hand goes straight to her bare stomach and runs up to her boobs. I don’t think she even realizes Beau just took her dress off.

  “Oh God,” he says, looking at Jules in her silk strapless bra and panties touching herself. “I shouldn’t be seeing her like this.”

  “Then stop looking at her.”

  “I have to pick her up. I’m not about to hold her in a dress full of damn puke. Go open the door, party girl,” he says, picking up a slouched-over, very intoxicated Jules into his arms. I walk quickly in front of him and open my door. He pushes past me, and I hear him quietly ask her if she’s going to throw
up again as he cradles her to him like a baby. My brother is the best ever.

  I shut the door and follow him into my room where he places her onto the bed. “This vision of her is going to haunt me,” he mumbles, covering her with a blanket. He turns to me. “Julia is right. Mama Melody is going to spank the shit out of me for this.”

  “Yup, she is, you naughty little boy,” Jules slurs, wrapping my comforter around her. “Don’t put that blanket on me with Jace’s face on it,” she mutters.

  “I’ll take full responsibility for my actions tonight, Beau. I don’t want you to get yelled at by Mom and Dad.”

  He rubs the back of his neck and looks at Jules sound asleep on my bed. “No, it’s my fault. I wasn’t watching you girls like I should’ve been. You both drank way too much,” he says as my stomach starts rising to my throat.

  “I’m really tired, and I’m super sorry if we embarrassed you tonight. If you want me to clean your car right now, I will. I need to get Jules’s dress lying on the sidewalk anyway.”

  Beau looks down at Jules, and his lip curls up just enough for a little smile to form on his face. “Don’t worry about my car, and I’ll take care of her dress. You just need to get your happy ass in bed, little girl.” He walks out of my room and to the front door. Thank God. “Lock the door as soon as I walk out.” I nod, and he leaves. I turn the bolt and go straight to my room. I don’t even bother taking my clothes off. I just want to lie down and hope this feeling passes. It doesn’t, and as soon as my head hits the pillow, it spins and my throat fills with warm saliva. I jump up, run to the bathroom, and kneel down over the toilet. With one hand holding my hair back and the other gripping the porcelain, I expel everything in my stomach. Tears pool in my eyes, and I cry as each guilt-ridden moment that I put alcohol to my lips passes out of my mouth.

  WHAT THE HELL DID SHE DO LAST NIGHT?

  NINE O’CLOCK TICKS above my head as I dial my girl. I watch the wall clock as I wait for my lifeline to answer. It rings three times. It’s not like Shay to not answer after the first ring.