Questionable Love (A Love Beyond Labels #2)

by Danielle Rocco

  “I wish I had all your answers, Shay. I really wish I did.”

  “Come on. Let’s just go.” I grab her clutch and mine.

  “Are you sure, Starkie? If you’re really not up to it, we can eat a gallon of ice cream and call it a night.”

  “No, you look pretty, and I dressed up, so let’s just go. Like you said earlier, I’m just waiting, so I might as well wait while I go to this mixer.”

  “Okay, we won’t stay long.”

  I nod my head and lock the front door behind her, and we head to the party.

  YOU HAVE SOME SERIOUS EXPLAINING TO DO

  I PULL INTO THE parking lot and kill my engine. Nervous as hell, I pull off my helmet, shake my head, and run my fingers through my hair. I need to do this before I see my girl. I get off my bike and make my way to the large glass doors and let out a sigh when I see my reflection in the clean glass. Damn, I look windblown and dirty. Not the way I wanted to see my girl’s dad on my surprise visit to his office, but I don’t have a choice. I want to go straight to my girl from here, and I had to know her dad was okay with me first.

  With my hands in my pockets, I walk straight up to an older woman behind a sleek glass desk. I’ve never been in Stark Records before, and I have to say I’m pretty impressed.

  “May I help you?” she asks.

  “I need to see Steven Stark, please.”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “He doesn’t see anyone without an appointment.”

  Tongue-tied and intimidated as hell, I can’t leave this building until I see the man who treated me like a son. “If he knows it’s me, he will see me,” I say with a little panic in my voice.

  “Let me check for you.” She reaches over and picks up a stainless steel phone. I tap my fingers nervously on the glass desk. “Mr. Stark, there’s a... What was your name, sir?”

  “Jace James.”

  “Yes, I will send him right up.” She smiles at me. “I guess he heard you say your name,” she says kindly. “Go to the elevator, second floor. You will be escorted to his office from there.”

  “Thank you.” I walk into the elevator and hit the button. The glass-mirrored walls give me a better view of how I look after riding nonstop. I throw my head back and run my fingers through my hair to smooth it down.

  A couple of seconds later, the door slides open and another sleek glass desk is in my view. The younger girl stands up and asks, “Jace James?”

  “Yes.”

  “Come this way,” she says, walking in front of me. With my heartbeat in my throat, I wipe my brow that has a sheen of sweat from my nerves. I wait for her to push the double doors open, and when she does, Mr. Stark is standing at the front of his desk, arms crossed, looking as intimidating as hell. I blow out all my nerves and walk through the door. The girl shuts the door behind me, and Mr. Stark stares at me stoically.

  “I screwed up.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “I can explain,” I say. He nods his head slowly. “I love her.”

  “I know you do.”

  I take a deep, shaky breath. “Mr. Stark, I need to know if you will accept my apology for hurting your daughter and for what I’ve put your family through with my absence.”

  “You put us through a lot, Jace, but none of that compares to the heartache Shay has been going through.”

  I wipe a tear from my eye. “The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt Shay. I meant it when I told you that she was everything to me, and I will spend the rest of my life making up for what I put her through. I can promise you that.”

  “I know how much you love her, and I’m not going to ask you your reasons for not letting her know you were released, or where you’ve been the last four days. That’s for you to tell Shay.”

  “I just want you to know this, Mr. Stark. If I could have gotten to her, I would have. I didn’t have a way to call her until early this morning, and I’ve tried and tried to get in touch with her, but she’s not answering her phone. I just rode fifteen hours on my bike nonstop to get back to Shay, and I will not rest until I make us right again.”

  “Then make it right,” he says with ease. I don’t deserve this man’s respect, but he showed me a long time ago he’s an accepting man.

  “I will. It’s not an option not to.”

  “I had no doubt you’d be back for her.” He lets out a laugh.

  “I’m so sor—” I start to say, but he cuts me off.

  “She needs to hear that…not me. You have some serious explaining to do.” I nod, and he walks over, pulling me in for a hug. “Welcome back, son.”

  “I didn’t want to be away from her. Circumstances kept me away. I promise you, I would never hurt Shay intentionally. She’s my entire world.” He pulls out of our embrace and looks at me.

  “Are you all right?” he asks, checking me out in my leather jacket full of bugs from the road.

  “Not until I see her and know we’re okay.”

  “I told you once, Jace, and I’ll tell you again. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” He smiles.

  “And I’m going to tell you what went through my mind when you told me that on her sixteenth birthday. I plan that finish being with your daughter by my side,” I say. He pats my back.

  “Have fun putting her back there.”

  “I’m going right to the condo to put her there now.”

  He tilts his head to the side. “You aren’t going to find her there.” I stand up straight. “I’ll head to your house then.”

  “She’s not there either. She’s at an industry event not far from our house.”

  “Then I’m going there to get her.”

  “Relax, son. She will be home in a few hours. Go take a shower.”

  I push my hair back and shake my head. “I’ve tried to get back to her since my mom got onto the freeway and started driving away from the city.”

  “Your mom?”

  “Long story that I would love to tell you all about, after I finally have your daughter in my arms again.”

  “Do you want to come to the house and take a shower?”

  “Thank you, but no. I can go to my friend Landon’s who has been worried about me, too.” I let out a deep breath. “I need to let him know I’m okay.”

  “Melody is going to be relieved you are finally home. I was just heading home when you showed up.”

  I take my phone out of my pocket and pull up Landon’s number as Mr. Stark grabs his keys. “I’m going to call my friend,” I say. He nods, and we walk out of his office.

  “If you don’t get ahold of him, come straight to the house, Jace.”

  “I will.”

  We walk out of Stark Records, and he gets into his car. Landon’s phone rings twice, and he picks up.

  “Landon?”

  “Where the fuck have you been, Jace?”

  “Oregon.”

  “What the hell have you been doing in Oregon? Do you know what you’ve put Shay through? What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Landon, you can kick my ass later. Tell me where you live. I need a quick shower and a place to sleep if my girl doesn’t let me in her house.”

  “I wouldn’t let you in,” he says.

  “Come on, bro. Help me out right now. I know I fucked up.”

  “I’ll text you my address.”

  FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, I’m walking into Landon’s small apartment his parents help him pay for while he’s in college. He opens the door, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought for sure you were dead.” He pulls me in for a bro-style hug. “Damn, Jace, what the fuck happened to you?”

  “It’s a long story, and right now, I need a hot shower before I go to some party where Shay is. ”

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know, but I know how to find out.”

  YOU STILL HAVEN’T LEARNED YOUR LESSON

  “SOMEONE LOOKS PRETTY in pink,” Hunter says, hand
ing me a glass of champagne. “It’s like the night we met all over again. You in a pretty dress, getting full of champagne.”

  “And you’re being flirtatious like you were that first night, too. Shame on you, Hunter. You still haven’t learned your lesson on respect,” I sass back. Jules giggles, and Beau rolls his eyes.

  “It’s just my nature, Shay. You know I’m teasing you. Have you heard anything since the picture surprise?”

  “No, I haven’t, and I don’t want to think about that.”

  “I’m sorry. Just remember, the world thinks we’re having an affair, and we clearly are not, so try not to feed into that poison. That’s the toxic part of fame. Ask Beau, he’s always in the tabloids for sleeping around.”

  “That’s because he probably really is,” Jules says, grabbing her ringing phone out of her clutch. “Hello, Jules Thorn here.”

  “Oh my God, princess, really? Is that the way you answer the phone?” Beau teases. Jules rolls her eyes dramatically at him.

  “Hello?”

  A MILLION PIECES

  “JULES, THIS IS JACE.” Silence fills the phone. “Jules, can you hear me?”

  “Yes, I can hear you.”

  “Where’s my girl?”

  “Umm...” She pauses. The phone muffles, but I hear her excuse herself. “Where the hell are you?”

  “I’m hopefully not far from you. Text me the address to where you are. I want to see my girl now.”

  “Want to see your girl? What happened to seeing her when you got out of prison? Do you have any idea what you’ve put her through? You’ve shattered Shay’s heart into a million pieces, Jace.”

  My jaw tightens, and my need to get to her only intensifies from Jules’s words.

  “Jules, tell me where she is.”

  “I’m seriously going to kick your jailbird ass.”

  “You can kick my ass all you want after I have Shay in my arms again, but right now tell me where you are. I want to see my girl.”

  “Fine, I’ll text you.”

  She hangs up the phone, and a minute later, a text comes in.

  I CAN’T WALK OUT OF THE PARTY NOW

  “SHAY STARK, THANK YOU so much for coming,” an older gentleman says. I shake his hand and thank him for having me.

  “You have a lovely home.”

  “I know your father very well, and we’ve been talking a bit about a project I have coming up.” He smiles.

  “Aren’t you a movie director?”

  “Yes, but my next project will rely heavily on music.” He looks over my shoulder. “I’ll be in touch,” he says. “Please, make yourself at home. My wife is waving me over.”

  “Yes, of course, and thank you.” I hold my hand out. He gives it a firm shake and walks away.

  “See, Starkie,” Jules says, walking up to me, putting her phone back inside her clutch. “That is exactly why you needed to come. ‘Opportunities.’” She air quotes.

  “Wow. You just come out with one song, and you’re already getting movie deals,” Hunter says jokingly. “You do know who he is, don’t you?”

  “No.”

  “Put it this way—if Mr. Standsen comes up to you personally, I’d say he’s interested in working with you, and that can only be a good thing.”

  I look at Jules who seems nervous. “Who was on the phone?”

  Her doe-like eyes get big. “Oh, that was one of my gay designer friends from San Francisco. He calls me all the time. In fact, I just forgot to tell him something. I’m going to text him really quick… Do you want to leave, Shay?”

  “You just got here,” Beau says.

  “Your sister is not quite in party mode, Beau. Be sensitive. My God, you are selfish,” she huffs. “Really, Shay, we can leave. You’ve already talked to the most important man in the room.”

  “Relax, Jules. No one is being selfish. We can stay for a little while longer. I don’t want to be rude; I just met him, so I can’t walk out of his party now,” I tell her as Beau and Hunter turn to talk to Mr. Standsen. Jules storms off with her phone in hand, and I walk down to the edge of the yard to admire the city lights below.

  I’M NOT WAITING

  I GET TO A STOP SIGN and look down at my phone, checking the address again. I’m glad I’m good with directions since I don’t have my phone guiding me to the location. A text comes in from Jules.

  Jules: I don’t think you should come to the party. Shay will be shocked you are here, and I don’t think that’s fair to her. We will be home in an hour.

  Me: I’ve waited four days to see her. I’m not waiting another hour. I will be there in a minute.

  I put my phone into my pocket and drive up the long, dark road to the house on the hill lit up like a Christmas tree. When I get to the top, I park my bike and set my helmet on my seat. Damn, this is a fancy party. They have guys parking cars. No time to feel self-conscience in my jeans and leather jacket, I run my fingers through my hair, bypass the girl trying to serve me a glass of alcohol from a fancy tray, and walk into the party to find my girl.

  FULL OF WORRY

  BRIGHT LIGHTS AND soft music fill the space, and in the distance, I hear a familiar sound that brings tears to my eyes as a motorcycle vibrates off the hills. Once again, Jace’s absence fills my heart full of worry, and when the sound that always brought me joy knowing my boy was coming to me fades, I wipe away endless sadness. I rub my bare arms from the light breeze bringing a shiver through my body, and if I weren’t at a party full of people, I would scream out into the city below, but I can’t, so I whisper to the moon and stars, “Where are you, Jace?” I whimper through the wind. “Where’s my boy?”

  MY SOUL ACHES

  MY BREATH LEAVES MY lungs when I see her off in the distance with her arms wrapped around her. Pretty in pink, my girl lights up my entire universe. Sidestepping everyone around me, my heart and soul lead me straight to her. I make my way down the quiet pathway with a longing I can barely contain. Her voice that I put to memory many years ago fills the empty space. My heart starts to beat fast, and my soul aches when I hear her whisper, “Where’s my boy?”

  Not allowing another second of silence between us, I answer my girl’s question that I know has plagued her mind for the last few days, “I’m right here, baby.” I walk up behind her, breathing in every bit of my happiness.

  DARK BLUE LOOKS INTO PALE BLUE

  I GASP LOUDLY AND squeeze my eyes shut when a warm chest presses against my back and whispers, “I’m right here, baby.” Then a cry escapes his throat when he presses his lips to my bare shoulder. “I’m here, pretty girl,” he says, kissing my collarbone. I swallow and turn my head slowly, seeing the jet-black hair that tickles my skin. My sudden intake of breath causes him to lift his face to meet mine, and the palest blue eyes filled with tears stare back at me.

  “Jace.”

  “Yeah, your boy is here.”

  I step forward and turn around, really seeing it’s not my imagination willing him to me. It’s real. Jace is standing in front of me, looking exactly like the night he was taken away from me. In shock, I let my eyes inspect him, making sure he’s okay. I haven’t seen him since he told me I couldn’t come back to the prison. His swollen face and bruises are long gone, but the scar on his forehead from the night our nightmare began is still visible, a reminder. He’s in his usual attire—jeans and white T-shirt, and he always wears his leather jacket when he’s on his bike, so I’m assuming he has it right now.

  That was Jace I heard. He was coming to me.

  Crying out, I reach for his face. He’s breathing hard and crying, and when he gazes into my eyes, my stunned silence turns into a war of words. “Where have you been?”

  “I can explain everything, Shay.” He cups my face, just like the moment he first kissed me, and I weaken under the only boy I will ever love. “I missed you so much… I love you, baby,” he says as I stare at him. I close my eyes as soon as those words leave his mouth. Then anger finds me, and that picture Jules brought to my attention
washes over me. Suddenly, out of sheer panic and four days of torment left in wonder, I step back, causing his hands to fall, and I lift my shaky hand with loud cries of absolute relief. Without warning, I slap him hard against the face. He gasps, letting out a hard breath.

  “I want to know where the hell you’ve been.”

  “I was in Oregon,” he cries out, rubbing his face in shock that I just slapped him.

  I reach up to smack him again, but he catches my hand and brings it to his face, laying my palm on his cheek. But, prison days comforting him are over, and I’m way past the comforting stage. He kisses the inside of my palm, like he did every week during our visits to let me know we were strong and he wanted more. I jerk my hand away. “You’re not getting more from me right now.”

  “I need to feel you,” he pleads. I shake my head. “I can explain everything to you, baby. Let’s go home, and I will tell you everything.” He tries to grab my hand, but I step out of his reach. “No, baby, don’t—” He reaches out for my hand again.

  “What the hell is going on over here? Take your fucking hands off her!” a booming voice roars behind us. Jace turns around, and Hunter is standing there. I can see it on Hunter’s face as he realizes it’s Jace. “Shay, are you okay?”