From the Dark

by Sarah Cole

  “We’re inside the police station.” Brenden scowls at me.

  “I know… sorry, I just couldn’t help it.”

  “Thanks, Charlie. They say I have to make a court appearance in the morning. I have no idea how this even happened!” he says, tugging at his bleached Mohawk.

  “Don’t worry about it B. We’ve got you, and Parker is flying in and will be here by morning. It will be ok. Cross my heart.” She says squeezing his shoulder.

  “What does this mean for the tour though?” he asks, concerned.

  Leni pipes in, “I spoke with Gordon, and its only if you are actually found guilty of the crime, or have to cancel more than two shows due to legal proceedings will you be dropped from the headlining spot. Since it sounds like it should all be ironed out in the next few days, everything should work out fine.”

  Brenden’s shoulders sag in relief.

  “You guys, I’m so sorry.” He says.

  “Dude, no sweat. We’re good. We’ve got you, and no one is going to get away with this shit.” I say, wrapping him in a hug.

  “We’re family, right?” Chase asks, nudging Brenden.

  “Hell yes, we are.” Brenden says.

  “Then remember how we do it.” Chase prompts.

  “Family first.” I say.

  “Always.” Charlie says.

  ***

  “Good morning!” Leni’s voice startles me, as I wheel around to find out where she’s at.

  She takes my breath away, standing there in running capris and a pullover, coffee in hand. I didn’t expect to see anyone this early. I didn’t want to explain myself of answer questions.

  “Hey, hun. Did you sleep well?” I ask, pulling her lips to mine.

  It provides me a small amount of comfort, considering I’m jittery and on edge this morning. I haven’t seen her since we all came back to the hotel early this morning. She had to be up early and we figured it would be best if we both actually got some sleep.

  “Meh.” She says with a shrug. “Didn’t sleep long enough, that’s for sure. Where are you headed?”

  For a second I hesitate, not exactly sure how I want to or how I should answer. So, I decide vague is best.

  “I…. umm… I have to meet someone.” I stumble over my words.

  I see the confusion as her brows scrunch together.

  “Alright then. Are you going with Brenden and Charlie to court?”

  “Yeah, I plan on it. I’ll see you later, Len.” I say, placing a quick peck on her forehead before pushing my way out the rotating door of the lobby.

  The morning air is crisp and fresh after last night’s storms. I quickly key in the address I have written down into the rental car’s GPS.

  I drive for about twenty minutes through unfamiliar streets until I pull up to a nice hotel on the other side of town. I send a quick text and then wait for a response. My phone beeps back almost immediately with a response, and I head inside knowing I’m probably going to regret this later.

  Chapter 10

  Leni:

  I can’t focus. I have a million and five things that should be getting done, but I can’t keep my brain on my work for more than a minute before it begins to wander again. It drifts to Jay and his odd behavior lately, the chaos of the tour and the media now surrounding it, the crap that keeps happening to the band. Everything is just piling on, adding to the weight I’m carrying and I’m trying to unload it… to make sense of it.

  It has been two weeks since Brenden’s assault charge was dropped. Parker and Charlie went into that courtroom fully cocked and loaded with enough evidence to have the case completely dropped, but once they arrived they were told the case had already been dismissed. As it turns out, the young girl confessed to a false report. Her conscience got the better of her, and she admitted that she was blackmailed to accuse Brenden of the crime. She was offered money by a man of an unknown identity to give a false report, and if she didn’t, information regarding her drug dealing would be leaked to the authorities. The girl was apparently in a bad place and just wanted to get clean, but needed help so she went back to the police station and dropped the charges about an hour before Brenden’s set appearance.

  Although the case was dismissed and dropped before it ever even got started, somehow the media caught wind of the story and have been trailing Fading to Light since. They have dredged up everything from Jay’s alleged drug use to Brenden’s sexuality, and it’s like overnight everyone knows their name. Sure, the band is extremely popular in the metal music scene, draws crowds, and sells millions of albums, but if you were to ask some random person on the street two weeks ago who Fading to Light was, odds are pretty favorable that they’d have no idea. Today, you can turn on any entertainment news program and there they are splashed across the screen much to their dismay.

  The newly formed hype coupled with Jay’s random disappearing acts and his mood swings has made it interesting to say the least. From the outside looking in, I can see the worry Charlie has for her friend, and I know for a fact she is watching him like a hawk; as am I. I don’t want to see Jay spiral down a rabbit hole as I sit idly by with my hands in my pockets, but I’m still not entirely sure where I fit in.

  Frustrated that my brain has decided to take the ultimate time out, I decide that a run may do me some good. I snap my laptop shut, completely overwhelmed with the amount of fires that I need to put out. I quickly change into my running gear, and make my way down to the hotel gym. Thank goodness it is empty. Honestly there is nothing worse than sweating and huffing and puffing in a tiny ass room while another person stares at you.

  I stretch and shake out my limbs, and as I begin to run, the weight of the world begins to lift. I found that running helps to focus my energy somewhere else… somewhere healthy instead of harmful. It is my new outlet for relief from pain and burdens. Indestructible by Disturbed blasts through my earbuds as my workout anthem, and I’m completely in the zone singing along when a sharp smack to my ass startles me from my workout.

  An honest to goodness scream escapes me as everything happens in slow motion. I turn to see my attacker as I lose my footing on the treadmill, the rubber toes on my running shoes catching on the rubber belt and down I go, my head smacks the hand rail and the last thing I hear is, “Oh shit!”

  I feel hands on my face, and a throbbing inside my head that feels like I got hit by a freight train.

  “Leni baby, wake up! Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”

  I crack my eyes open to Jay’s voice, and his worried green eyes peering down on me as he cradles my head in his lap.

  “Baby, can you see and hear me ok? Andrew is on his way down to check you out. Don’t move.” He says stroking my hair.

  “What the hell?” I ask.

  “I’m so sorry. I thought you saw me come in, Sunshine. You ok? You were out cold.”

  “I’m fine, I think. You know you could’ve just said ‘Hi Lennon. How’s your workout?’” I tease.

  “I like to live on the edge.” He smiles.

  “On the edge of my last nerve.” I say reaching up to pinch his nose.

  “Eh, but you love me though.” He laughs still running his hands through my hair, and it hits me harder than my face to a treadmill that he may be a little bit right on that. I can’t say that I’m there quite yet, but the past few weeks with him have been amazing. This man is more than I could have ever imagined, and is so considerate and funny that it’s hard to believe he’s real. Given a little more time, I know without a doubt that I could let myself fall the rest of the way, but what scares me is this time I’m not so certain I’d bounce back. If he stole my heart, I’d never want him to return it. I know for certain that Jay would never intentionally hurt me, and he’d try his best to protect my heart, but sometimes that just isn’t enough. Glass hearts are so easily broken, and both of ours are so fragile already that they’d shatter into dust. I don’t think it’s smart to risk it…to risk my heart, or his.

  Luckily I’m saved from having
to come up with an answer that doesn’t expose my true feelings because Andrew strides through the glass door, Charlie and Fallon on his heels.

  “I swear I’m going to start charging’ ya’ll.” He drawls, kneeling by our side.

  “What the heck happened?” Charlie asks, hiking Fallon up higher on her hip.

  “With how hot I am, the bitches be trippin’.” Jay laughs, and I smack him in the chest as Charlie does the same to the back of his head.

  “Language!” she scolds.

  “Right.” He scoffs, mockingly.

  “You hypocrite. If Fallon wasn’t here, you’d be dropping the F bomb every other word, don’t even deny it. Andrew tell me I’m wrong.” Jay says, jokingly.

  Andrew holds up his hands in surrender. “I love you man, but I love my wife, my bed, and her cooking more… sooo I’m just going to plead the fifth on this one.” He smiles as his large, warm hands feel around my head and neck gently.

  “I swear; you guys have to stop with these head injuries. You’re killing me. I’m supposed to be relaxing, and I have to go back to the hospital in a week.”

  “So did I break her?” Jay asks. I can still sense his underlying worry despite his jokes.

  Andrew replies, “Nah, just a bump, but Leni, from what I can tell you may have a slight concussion. I swear you guys and concussions.” He shakes his head like a father who’s at a loss of what to do with his kids.

  “Anyways, just take it easy today. You may be nauseous and if you want to nap, make sure Charlie or Jay stay close to wake you. No exercising for a few days, ok?” he stands, offering me his hands. But before I can take them, Jay scoops me up on his own, leaving Andrew just staring at him with a smirk on his face.

  “She’ll stay with me.” Jay says with a deep growl, and it sends my insides fluttering with the possessive tone.

  Jay:

  I feel terrible for causing Leni to fall, but when she was able to tease me and joke around immediately after instead of be angry and dramatic, something shifted inside of me. What I started feeling goes beyond attraction, caring, and crushing… it is more. It’s a feeling that is familiar, yet so different than I have ever experienced and I can’t really explain why. While that scares the ever-living shit out of me, I still feel this insatiable urge to protect that feeling; to protect her… to keep her.

  Leni brings out a side of me that for the most part has been lying dormant for the past three years, maybe longer. I know I joke around and tease Charlie and the guys relentlessly, but they are my family for all intents and purposes. They know me inside and out. Opening up enough to be candid with someone else, to fully let myself go and be jovial is something I haven’t done in so long, and it’s so freeing. I feel like I owe that all to the woman in my arms.

  “I can walk you know.” She whispers in my ear, squeezing my neck, and I use up all my will power to keep myself calm. Since my little epiphany, all I can imagine is what it will finally be like when I have her in every way possible.

  “I know babe, but as you proved a few minutes ago, you aren’t so Indestructible.”

  “Ha, Ha. You are so funny, but I’ll be fine Jay.” She says, but I don’t intend on lessening my hold on her. The woman needs to learn to let someone take care of her for once.

  “Would you just shush? Let me take care of you. Besides you’re obligated.”

  “Oh? And why is that?” she asks haughtily.

  “I never got that date you agreed upon a few weeks ago.” I say, thinking about the many reasons that date never happened.

  “Yeah, I suppose being stalked by paparazzi isn’t exactly high on my list of date approved activities.” She jokes.

  “Ok, so we will order room service and movies and snuggle. It’s settled.” I say, and she relaxes into me.

  “That actually sounds really perfect.”

  I carry Leni in my arms all the way back to my suite, only setting her down to unlock the door. She walks in in front of me, and suddenly I’m aware that the last time we were alone in my room we were about a minute away from sealing the deal when we were interrupted. Since then, we’ve hung out and talked nearly every day. Sure, we’ve kissed and cuddled, but there seems to be an invisible line that was drawn, and both of us seem to be too scared to grow a set and make a move.

  As she’s taking in the surroundings, her eyes zero in on the large box of fan mail setting on the floor in the corner.

  “From your admirers?” she asks, her mischievous smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

  I shrug and smile back, “Some. Some are to the band; some are to me.”

  “And you actually read them all?” she asks, disbelievingly.

  “We certainly try to, and try to respond in one way or another. Its super convenient when they leave user names or email addresses, so we can respond digitally. Honestly, we like doing it. We wouldn’t be where we are without fans, and I remember being a kid and idolizing my favorite musicians. I would have been stoked if one of them had actually taken the time to reply to me.” I say, and it’s the truth.

  I know sometimes it takes longer than we’d like to respond, but we made up our minds that no matter how successful we got, we wouldn’t change how we interacted with our supporters and fans.

  “That is really cool, and super sweet of you guys.” She says closing the short distance between our bodies, before wrapping her arms around me.

  My dick responds immediately as I pull her in closer, inhaling her deeply as I bury my face in her neck and kiss her. She inches her hands up under the back of my shirt, running her hands along my bare skin, pulling it over my head, and igniting a fire that burns deep inside of me, and I grip her hair, causing her to inhale sharply. When she pulls back and looks at me, I see the same fire burning in her gray eyes that I feel, and I know that I have to have her. Now. She focuses her heated gaze on my lips and licks her own. My mouth is on hers in an instant; a frenzied, urgent kind of kiss where I’m not even sure where I end and she begins. I drink her in like she’s water in an infinite desert, and she lets me like it’s her salvation.

  I slide my hands down her back and grip thighs, lifting her so I can carry her to the bed. I tear frantically at her clothing, needing to get it off and lay her bare out in front of me, but she grabs my hands, slowing my pace.

  “Slow down, handsome. We have time. I’m not going anywhere.” Leni whispers in my ear, only her labored breathing showing me how worked up she is.

  “Damn straight you’re not.” I say, before kissing her; only I realize it came out as more of a growl. I only pause briefly to peel off her tank top. God bless built in bras. As I take her pert, rosy nipple in my mouth, sucking gently, I begin to peel the spandex pants from her long, toned legs.

  This time there is no hesitation on either part, and she opens herself to me, causing my pulse to skyrocket. I swear this woman is going to unravel me. I run my fingers through her velvety, wet center eliciting a soft moan from her and I can’t wait any longer.

  “Leni, babe. I don’t think I can go slow anymore. I have to have you.” I say, ridding myself of the rest of my clothing. Her only response is to pull my body back down to cover hers, and I don’t think twice before I plunge into her. With her tight warmth sheathing me fully, I begin to slowly rock into her, letting her adjust to my size. She feels like pure bliss, and I realize that I didn’t use a condom.

  I start to pull out. “Hang on sweetheart, I didn’t-”

  “I know. It’s ok; we’re safe. I promise, and I trust you. Just don’t stop. Please, please, please, just don’t stop.” She begs, and I don’t have to be told twice before I drive back into her, relishing in the completeness that I feel in this moment. A sense of calm and warmth surrounds me, settling my rioting emotions to a certain degree. I know that after this everything is going to change for me, and I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with that yet, so I push that thought away and just let myself feel.

  “So fucking good, baby.” I say, leaning down to kiss her p
arted lips.

  “Look at me, Leni. I need to know you’re with me right now.” I pick up speed, pumping into her harder and harder as I feel her start to pulse and grip me tighter.

  Her gray eyes burn into mine, locking me down and owning me completely as she begins to cry out as her release courses through her. Feeling Leni come undone around me has me unravelling as I grip her tightly and find my own release.

  Her heavy breathing mirrors my own and I kiss her face repeatedly before rolling out of bed. I register the worry on her face, and I realize she thinks I’m bailing on her.

  “Hang on, baby. I’m just going to get you a towel to clean up.”

  Her eyes soften at my confession, and I realize that I love putting this loving, dreamy look on her face. I hurry into the bathroom, wetting a towel with warm water before returning to take care of my girl. I realize that now. She’s mine, and I don’t intend on letting her go anywhere. I don’t know what that means, but I know what I want, and that’s Leni.

  I climb back into bed, covering us up, and pull her so she’s wrapped around me, and I find myself running my fingers through her hair repeatedly. I don’t know how long I do that lost in thought before realizing that her breathing has evened out and she’s fast asleep on my chest, and I can’t help but to stare at her. She’s beautiful, and my heart does this stutter every time I look at her. With every laugh, smile, conversation, and touch that feeling is amplified tenfold. I think…no, I know I’m falling in love with this woman. I let that feeling roll around in my head and heart for a long while, just basking in the comfort of her closeness, and thinking about everything that that means.

  I hear an alert on my phone, and realize that I’ve lost over an hour laying here next to her, and I’m cutting it close on time to make my appointment I have scheduled. I shoot a quick text to Charlie to make sure she can check on Leni in another hour or so if she doesn’t hear from me before then. Placing a kiss on Leni’s lips, I gently slip from bed, and throw on my jeans and t-shirt before grabbing my stuff and slipping out the door.