by Lexy Timms
Ashley shook her head and let out a small groan. She thought about his donation to the Royale again and realized it had nothing to do with him being a good person. He simply wasn’t, and he’d said so himself. He wasn’t good to Kaylee, either, and she wondered when her cousin was going to see that.
The line moved again as several young women exited the bathroom, chattering and laughing. Ashley watched them go. One was in her advanced music theory class; her name was Heavenly, of all things, but she was certainly no angel. In fact, Heavenly was the one person she had to watch out for the most. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also incredibly talented. Anyone who didn’t know that only had to ask her, as she was always happy to talk about herself. Modesty wasn’t her strong suit at all, and Heavenly was as conceited as she was talented. In a tough program like the music industry, it was pretty much every man or woman for themselves. If any of them wanted a real career they had to work harder than everyone around them. Heavenly worked exceptionally hard at making sure everyone knew just how great she was.
Kaylee groaned and steadied herself, diverting Ashley’s attention momentarily. “Freakin’ A! My feet are freakin’ killing me! What’re they doing in there, dying? They need to hurry, before I have an accident!”
Ashley propped her up a little higher, and Kaylee wavered on her heels again. Her eyes went to the bathroom, and a yearning whimper escaped her mouth.
Ashley muttered, “Chill, okay? It’s a small bathroom.”
Kaylee groaned again, loud enough to capture the stares of a few turning heads. Kaylee shook her head, went pale, then tottered out of the line, heading for the door, and Ashley grimly followed her.
They only made it to the parking lot before Kaylee’s stomach let loose with its final protest. Ashley held her cousin’s hair back and tried to avoid puking herself as Kaylee emptied the contents of her stomach.
This crap has to stop, Ashley thought as Kaylee gagged and heaved, depositing a soupy mess onto the pavement near her fancy heels. It was one thing to have fun and party a little, but Kaylee was rolling downhill at NASCAR speed. She did have one edge, though: Her education and college career didn’t depend on a scholarship. Her daddy would pay whatever bills came due, tuition included, and if Kaylee flunked he’d fix it somehow. It had always been that way, and it was part of the reason Kaylee equated money and gifts with love.
Kaylee finally straightened. Her eyes rolled back in her head and seemed to float in their sockets, the whites far too bright, almost fluorescent. Her hands were shaking something awful, flailing around like two dying fish out of water.
“Kaylee, what did you do?”
Kaylee glared at her. “What do you mean?”
“You couldn’t have drunk that much that fast. I’m not stupid. I’ve seen this kind of thing before. You’re high on something. What did you take?” Ashley crossed her arms and tapped a foot.
Kaylee’s glare deepened. “Screw you, Ashley! What do you care? You don’t give a shit about me at all. If you did, you would’ve left Charlie alone.”
So we’re back to this now? Great. Ashley released her own arms and gripped Kaylee’s. “I love you, Cuz, but you’re being an idiot. I didn’t hit on that jerk. He’s an idiot, and I wouldn’t waste my time. You think I gave him mixed signals or something, but I didn’t. I didn’t give him any kind of signal at all. What really floors me, though—what totally floors me—is that you would’ve excused him if he had raped me, which was precisely what that slimy bastard tried to do. If I hadn’t beaten him up and he’d gone through with it… If I hadn’t told you what really happened, you would’ve excused him and blamed me.”
Kaylee made a sour face, either from the bile in her mouth or her bitter anger at what Ashley said, but Ashley refused to let either interrupt her or stop her from saying what she needed to say.
“No man is supposed to go after another woman when he’s with you, you fool. It’s stupid to excuse him and even stupider to blame me. Charlie is always gonna screw everything that crosses his path, and he’ll always blame the woman. Worse, you’ll keep right on excusing him until you wind up with some funky disease or a broken heart or both. I can’t even believe you, Kaylee.”
Kaylee shook loose from her grasp and glared at her, storms brewing in her crazed eyes. “I can’t believe you! How dare you? You don’t know him at all! He wasn’t trying to rape you! For shit’s sake, how can you even say that? He thought you wanted him!”
“And what happens the next time he thinks someone wants him, Kaylee? Are you just gonna stand around and say that’s not his fault either? Do you like him cheating on you, or are you so blinded by his bullshit that you’re willing to overlook and even condone his rapist tendencies? Get a grip, Kaylee. Charlie’s playing you for a fool, and you’re buying right into it.” Ashley stomped her foot on the pavement, narrowly missing the pile of chunky spew, and shook her head in disgust. Damn it! Why this? Why now? It was the last thing she wanted or needed to deal with. She still felt strange and disoriented from the raucous crowd, and she was angry, sad, worried, and pissed off about the blonde who had commandeered Logan. She was especially annoyed at Logan for letting the blonde bimbo monopolize him. She was mad at everyone and everything, but mostly she was angry with Kaylee for turning into some kind of major moron, a level of stupidity that couldn’t even be explained by being high or drunk.
Kaylee gathered herself up, straightened her dress, and hissed, “You’re supposed to have my back!”
Ashley ran her hands through her hair. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to do here,” she said. “I’m just sorry you can’t see it.”
“How? By trying to get me to break up with my boyfriend?”
“I don’t care if you break up with him or not! I just want you to stop trying to push what happened off on me. If this is how it’s gonna be every time you get drunk or high, tell me now, because I can’t deal with it. I won’t. I didn’t do anything wrong. It was a bad idea to throw that party, Kaylee, and being with him is an even worse one. Tonight, taking whatever the hell you took was a bad idea, but it seems you don’t want to listen to any good ideas.” She paused her rant for just a moment and took two deep breaths to calm herself. “Look, you’re my cousin, and I’ve always loved you, but something’s happening to you right now. It scares me, and it makes me worry about you.”
Kaylee’s lips pooched out into a pout. “Don’t. I don’t need your concern. I’m fine.”
But Ashley could see from a mile away that she wasn’t. After a sigh, she said, “Fine. You’re not my kid, and I can’t be your keeper. You’ll do whatever you want to do anyway and we both know it, so let’s get back to the heart of the matter. Are you gonna keep blaming me and throwing that in my face?”
Kaylee shoved a lock of her hair behind one ear, then looked past Ashley and into the darkened lot. “I don’t know. I’m still pretty mad at you.”
“But not at him, right?”
Kaylee’s shoulders sagged. “I don’t know what I am with him.”
Ashley could empathize with that. She shifted on her feet. Her body ached, and a yawn cracked her mouth wide open. She shook her head to clear it. “I get that. I don’t know what I am with Logan either. I mean, for all I know it could all end tomorrow.” Instantly she regretted the words, but she couldn’t unsay them. She cursed herself for speaking so impulsively.
Kaylee offered her a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I don’t wanna blame you. I don’t. It’s just…”
“It’s blame him or blame me, right?”
Those words, as true as they were, didn’t help to close the chasm that was quickly developing between them, and like her previous words, as soon as they carelessly tumbled out of her mouth she wished she could take them back. It was too late for that, though.
Kaylee shrugged. “I guess. Hey, you’d better probably get back in there.”
Ashley glanced at the front of The Cave, wondering if she could possibly force herself back inside. She really didn’
t want to. The excitement had died, replaced by a whistling hollow feeling.
Kaylee staggered toward the front door with Ashley in tow, still trying to get her thoughts together.
CHAPTER TWO
Logan was still on a natural high, a higher and more genuine high than any drug could have given him. The thrill had settled down deep in his bones, and it just kept growing. For the first time in a long time, his confidence in the band was unwavering. We can really do this! We’re going to do it! Shit! We’re actually gonna be rock stars!
His eyes scanned the crowd, rolling over the girls in skinny jeans and black Whisky Lullaby shirts. He groaned when he realized he’d lost sight of Ashley again.
The blonde from earlier came tripping back toward him. Rather than jeans and a t-shirt, she donned full-on club gear, tight and shockingly scarlet. Her breasts jutted up through the thin fabric, her nipples hard and rough below, stiffened into twin points that displayed her desire unapologetically. Her hair, blown out until it resembled a lion’s mane, swept across her face as she walked, and she kept using one slim hand to push it back. As she drew closer, the aroma of her heavy, musky perfume drifted over and settled in Logan’s nostrils; it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant scent. Her eyes, fringed by a set of false eyelashes that would have made Beyoncé jealous, peered at him, sweeping up and down his body in a way that somehow made him feel suddenly naked.
Logan was grateful Ashley hadn’t flattened the blonde the first two times she’d run up on him, but he wasn’t sure just how much more Ashley could take. In truth, he wasn’t sure how much he could take either.
The woman was damn persistent, and he wasn’t into that kind of aggression. He could deal with Ashley’s. Hell yeah! Hers was tempered with the mutual understanding between them. The blonde, meanwhile, was like a barracuda, all hunger and determination. She was a lion, mane and all, and something about her had Logan feeling like an injured gazelle alone and vulnerable on an African veldt.
He deliberately ducked behind Zip, then made his way through the crowd, thwarting Blondie for the moment. He ducked low at a table to say hello to some acquaintances, then waltzed toward the bathrooms, keeping his eyes peeled for Ashley. When he saw her walking back through the doors with Kaylee beside her, he tensed; Ashley’s angry expression wasn’t lost on him. Kaylee, stumbling along beside her, was obviously high, probably on ecstasy or some other designer pill making the rounds through the club.
Logan could only sigh.
The last thing he needed at the moment was to get between the cousins. He had already made it known that he stood with Ashley on the whole Charlie mess, and that alone caused serious issues and drama—not only with his stepbrother but also with his mother, who’d somehow learned of the fiasco and had insisted on telling her damn idiot of a husband about it. Worst of all, there was one sure bet as to how she’d found out, and that sure bet was Charlie.
As always, he had run and told on Logan, just like he always did. It was so typical of Charlie to be a tattletale, and so annoying that he was always pulling some whack-job kind of stunt and then running home to find comfort in Mommy’s arms, leaving Logan to clean up the mess. From what Ashley had told him, the same went for Kaylee. As far as he was concerned, they were two rotten peas in a pod, and they deserved each other. Neither he nor Ashley deserved to have to handle their shit. At the moment, though, it was clear that Ashley, who should have been inside enjoying the fanfare, was prevented from having a good time because Kaylee had done something stupid—again.
Logan’s gut tightened as they approached. Whatever it was this time, it was all getting to be too much. Kaylee… Charlie…. Damn this whole sorry business. I’ve finally got a chance at something.
Ashley followed a staggering Kaylee toward the bathroom.
Suddenly, Kaylee spun around. “Stop following me! Jeepers, you’re worse than my mom! Just leave me the hell alone. I’m fine!” She then pushed Ashley back and skipped the line to the bathroom by cutting straight in.
Ashley just stood there, her pouty lips pressed into a tight, thin line.
Logan locked his eyes on Ashley’s face. “Bad night?”
She wrung her hands together as if she was ready to squeeze the life out of somebody. “She’s high on something. I swear, if I find out who’s giving that shit to her, I’ll—”
He ran a finger along her tense jawline. “You’ll what? Kick their ass? You can’t do that, Ashley. She’s a big girl. She does what she wants, and there isn’t much you can do about it. You oughta know that by now, after all the shit she’s pulled.” As soon as he said it, he saw a fire well up in Ashley’s eyes. Uh-oh. Wrong answer.
“Logan, she’s my cousin!” she said in a rage. “We’ve always been there for each other, and I can’t just stand by and watch her screw everything up. It’s all Charlie’s fault anyway. I’m sure of that.”
Irritation soared through him. It probably was Charlie’s fault, at least to some degree, but Charlie didn’t do dope. Sure he drank, but drugs were not his thing. “Look, whatever she got into tonight, Charlie didn’t give it to her. He’s a lotta things, but that… Well, he just isn’t like that.”
Her eyes flashed hotter.
He sighed and shrugged. “Sorry, but it’s true.”
Ashley cupped her elbows in her hands. “I wanna go back to the hall. Look, I’m just… I don’t know. I’m tired. I’ve had enough.”
Damn, Logan thought. So much for my plans to take her to bed. “Okay. Let me take you.”
“No. Thanks. I really just need some space. Classical cello concerts tend to be a lot quieter and empty out quickly after a show.” She turned and started walking toward the door.
Frustration ate at him. “You can’t walk all the way there! Don’t be stupid, Ashley! Now you’re acting high!”
She spun around, her eyes now a blazing inferno. “What!?”
He wanted to bang his head into the nearest wall. “C’mon, Ash. It’s late and dark. At least let me drive you back. I don’t have to stay or anything, but I don’t want you walking alone.”
She toed the floor, scuffing one boot, then looked away as she ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, okay but—”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. You need space. I heard you,” he said, disgruntled. He took her hand, then quickly let go of it as soon as they stepped outside on the asphalt. He loped toward his bike, and she followed him. As they walked, his emotions went from anger to confusion. What the hell’s wrong with her? Is she just freaking out over Kaylee, or is it something else?
They mounted the bike, and he handed a helmet to her. Unlike earlier, the ride didn’t feel sexy and inviting. She was stiff and unresponsive behind him, not even bothering to try to hold him close or tease him. Her withdrawal was not even subtle, and it spoke volumes. His heart hammered in his chest as he considered that they might have actually reached the end, that she could very well be so pissed at his stepbrother that she was ready to tell him to fuck off—and not in an inviting, good way.
It wouldn’t be the first time Charlie came between him and a girl, but he didn’t want a repeat. He just didn’t know what to say to her right then.
To make matters worse, Kaylee was ruining things. The whole thing was turning into a shit-show of bad relatives and misunderstandings, and Logan needed to fix it, fast, but he had no idea how. He couldn’t change who they were or who their family was, no more than he could take back what his careless stepbrother had done.
At her dorm, Ashley hesitated. “Look, I’m sorry. It’s just been a crazy night. I’m kinda blown away by everything.”
He smiled. “I know.”
She burst into laughter that carried the same musical melody she used when she sang or played an instrument. “Honestly, I was so mad at you earlier over that blonde.”
Whew. Relief filled him. “Don’t be. She’s not my type.”
“I know, and I know it was stupid.” She snuggled into him. “Am I your type?”
“You know it.�
�� Her body was warm and slender, toned and sexy. Her pelvis bumped his, making his cock stiffen in the hopes that she might change her mind about the alone time.
“You wanna come up? Kaylee may or may not come back. I can’t say either way. She’s always so…unpredictable.”
He caught her lips in a kiss. “So we’ll lock the door.”
“Good idea.”
After Logan parked his bike, she tugged him along by the hand and led him into the dorm. They opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator. She opened the door and they headed to her room, stopping in the kitchen to grab a water bottle for each of them. His blood boiled in his veins when she halted and turned to face him.
Ashley began humming, low and soft, a song of theirs. She also swayed and moved enticingly, dancing to the rhythm coming from her mouth.
Her shirt came off in a whoosh, revealing a black lace bra that cupped her breasts perfectly above her taut midriff. She kicked the boots off and slithered out of the skinny jeans, then stood there in her matching panties, the black lace a perfect contrast against her shimmering skin. Her hair swung around her face, bouncing as she moved.
Yeah, she’s definitely gonna kill me, Logan thought before he stumbled over to her.
In two steps he was pressing up against her and his lips reunited with hers as they tumbled onto the bed. His hand fumbled with her bra and snuck inside to cup the soft, perfect breast. It wasn’t enough. His hand found its way down to her panties, the lace soft against his rougher fingers. Wetness slid across his fingertips and he moaned. He slid inside the black lace and circled as he rubbed her clit, pressing hard and forcing her to ease her legs open, wider and wider.
