by Vega, W. H.
Wounded But Not Scarred
New Adult Rockers #2
by W.H. Vega
A Hearts Collective Production
Copyright © 2013 Hearts Collective
All rights reserved. This document may not be reproduced in any way without the expressed written consent of the author. The ideas, characters, and situations presented in this story are strictly fictional and any unintentional likeness to real people or real situations is completely coincidental.
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Special thanks to my fellow writers at Hearts Collective for their continued support and guidance. And a special thanks to all the readers out there - Love you all!! Oh and remember to post an honest review (good or bad) when you finish reading :)
- W.H.
Other Books by Hearts Collective:
Faster Harder (Take Me... #1) by Colleen Masters
Damaged But Not Broken (New Adult Rockers) by W.H. Vega
Falling Harder (New Adult Romance) by W.H. Vega
Broken Strings by Brynn O'Connor
Fuel To The Fire by Brynn O'Connor
Special Thanks to L.J. Anderson
for the beautiful professional cover art.
Mayhem Cover Creations
www.mayhemcovercreations.com
Contents
One - Paige
Two - Blake
Three - Blake
Four - Paige
Five - Paige
Six - Paige
Seven - Blake
Eight - Paige
Nine - Paige
Ten - Paige
Eleven - Blake
Twelve - Paige
Thirteen - Blake
Fourteen - Paige
Fifteen - Blake
Sixteen - Blake
Seventeen - Paige
Eighteen - Paige
Nineteen - Blake
Twenty - Blake
Twenty One - Paige
Twenty Two - Paige
Twenty Three - Blake
Twenty Four - Paige
Twenty Five - Paige
Twenty Six - Blake
Twenty Seven - Paige
Twenty Eight - Blake
Twenty Nine - Paige
Epilogue
One
Paige
“I promise! I’m fine!” I insist, laughing, as I push Blake away from me.
“I can come with you. Really, Paige, I don’t mind.”
“I know. And that’s why I love you,” I say honestly, falling back into his arms and resting my head against his chest. I take a second to listen to his beating heart, and it calms me. I push myself back up and look into his bright green eyes.
“I promise. I will be fine. Now, you need to let me go or I’m going to be late!”
Blake reluctantly releases me and watches me climb into my car.
“Text me when you get there,” he says, his eyes clouding with worry.
I laugh again. “I will. It'll be fine.”
“I’ll miss you,” he says honestly, as I start the car.
“I’m gonna miss you too. But we’ll see each other real soon. And you better take me over to your momma and daddy’s when we get back,” I threaten.
“I know, I know,” he says, hanging his head.
I don’t want to say that’s been a cause of contention between us, but it’s certainly bothered me. I loved Blake’s parents when I was younger, and they had loved me too.
At least they had loved me when I was fifteen.
Since Blake and I had gotten back together, and he ditched his bitchy fiancé, his parents had been less than thrilled. I got the impression that they didn’t care much for Savannah, but they didn’t like the fact that their son had dropped a girl from one of Nashville’s most prominent families, just so he could get back together with his childhood sweetheart.
But I was with Blake for the long haul now, and it was about time his parents and I got reacquainted.
“Bye baby!” I call out as I pull out down the driveway. I glance back in my rearview mirror and see Blake standing by his truck, watching me drive away.
I turn on my favorite country station and settle in for the three-hour plus drive. Daddy had wanted a quiet and private rehab facility that was far away from Nashville to keep the gossip down. Not that all of Nashville didn’t already know my father had a drinking problem. But he had recently rebuilt his record label and he didn’t need any more bad press.
I hadn’t heard from my father in twenty-eight days, and I hoped and prayed that rehab had helped fix him. Ever since I had been a little girl, my daddy had struggled with his demons and drinking. It was the reason my parents’ marriage imploded, and why I split my time between Nashville and Bristol as a young girl.
I spent every summer with my daddy in Nashville until I was fifteen and had my innocence ripped away from me by two of my daddy’s redneck drinking buddies. They were currently serving long sentences in prison, but I got little satisfaction out of that. I had always blamed my father for what had happened to me, especially since he could have prevented it if he hadn’t passed out stone cold drunk on the porch that night. I fled Nashville and left my father and Blake for what I thought was forever.
But then a few months ago, Daddy had shown up in Bristol to hear me play music and begged for my forgiveness and for another chance. And on top of all of that, Daddy wanted to sign me to his record label and help me with my music career. He saw real promise in me, and I didn’t think he was lying.
So, I faced my own demons and left the security of Bristol, and my momma and grandma and moved back to Nashville to live with my Daddy. Not that I was leaving much of a life behind me. I had become a hermit in Bristol and lived a life devoid of friends or any meaningful relationships.
Nashville had been one hell of a wakeup call, and I saw my career soar as I began playing local clubs. What I wasn’t prepared for was running into Blake Evans in the music clubs too. Turned out Blake had also chosen music to heal his soul. I felt all my old familiar feelings for Blake rush back, but I was too screwed up to pursue them, and I learned Blake had a fiancé. It had been an emotional and confusing time, but somehow Blake and I had realized we still loved one another.
While I didn’t care at all for Blake’s ex, Savannah, I did feel bad for how things went down with her. Of course, she tried to make my life miserable in the process. Blake tried to end things amicably, and we only slipped up and kissed one time before he broke off the engagement.
And just when I thought Blake and I might really make it, my daddy throws me a curveball and starts drinking again. I sigh as I drive on, reliving that dark time. My daddy started acting weird while we were on tour, and I missed all the signs of drinking because I so fully believed in his sobriety. But then there was no denying it.
My daddy was off the wagon.
I thought long and hard about running away from Daddy and his problems. His drinking had already cost me more than I could afford. It was one thing to forgive my father once, but I didn’t know if I had it in me to forgive him a second time. But I had worked hard to rebuild our relationship, and I realized that if I gave up on my Daddy, who would he have left?
So, I gave him an ultimatum.
Get clean or I would be gone forever.
And by get clean, I meant a month in rehab.
He didn’t like the idea, and I really thought he was going to refuse to go. But he gave in and I’m glad he did. We learned that Daddy couldn’t handle being on tour with us because the temptation was just too great. Now that my career was really taking off, as was Blake’s, we were going to be extra cautious and make sure that Daddy stayed clean.
; I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up my father, but it had to get better from here. And Blake and I were stronger than ever and growing closer every day. I loved having Blake with me at the house while Daddy's been in rehab, but I know that can’t continue now that he's coming home.
Blake's putting his house up for sale this week, and then we're going to see what happens. We decided that once his house is sold, we're going to look for a house together. That’s another reason why Blake needs to take me over to his parents. Moving in together is not going to be smooth if his parents still haven’t seen me since we reunited.
The thought gives me butterflies and I force myself to start thinking about my Daddy again.
Once we get home tonight I'm going to cook Daddy his favorite dinner, and then we're going to spend the weekend together, just he and I.
My dad hopes to return to work on Monday, and his assistant Becky's fully aware. She has done a hell of a job keeping the office running, and she also promises that Daddy will have an easy first week back, easing back into the demands of running a record label. Some of his colleagues had really stepped up their game at work and handled some major projects in my daddy’s absence.
Of course, one of those projects was my first record and Blake’s band, Rust’s new record. They were my daddy’s pet projects, and Liam, who had managed us on tour, was able to seriously speed up our record deals. At first, they were saying it would take a couple of months to cut our albums, but now we're set to hit the recording studio in less than two weeks.
Before I even realize it, I’m approaching the exit off the highway, and I veer to the right and then follow the winding roads that lead to the well-hidden rehab facility. Coming back to the picturesque area sets off a flurry of emotions inside me and I get out of the car on shaky legs.
I walk up the tree-lined path and then climb the stairs to the beautiful white verandah porch. I gently push the door open and enter the tranquil facility. There’s an elderly woman at the front desk, and I approach her, smiling.
“Hi,” I say, “I’m here to take my father home. Kenny Lawson.”
“Oh, yes of course!” she says, smiling brightly. “You must be his daughter, Paige. We’ve heard lots of lovely things about you.”
I kindly smile back.
“If you’ll just wait here,” she says, motioning to a sunny sitting room, “I’ll go and tell him you’re here. I know he’s excited to see you.”
I nod and move over to a comfy armchair by a large window. The place is so damn pretty that I wouldn’t mind vacationing here if it was a possibility. I realize that I never texted Blake, and I quickly pull out my phone before my father comes in.
Made it. Waiting for Daddy. Love you and miss you.
I stow my phone in my purse just as I see my father descending a nearby staircase with his two duffle bags.
“Paige,” he says, his face breaking into a grin.
I stand up and at first I can’t respond because I’m so shocked by my daddy’s appearance. He looks healthier than I have ever seen him, and I suddenly realize how much my daddy’s disease had taken a toll on him. Not just the relapse that he had, but also all those years before.
My daddy looks fifteen years younger, and his face is bright and rested. Gone is the sallow and sunken in look of his eyes, and instead his face is plumped up in a healthful way and his eyes are bright and clear.
“Oh my god, Daddy,” I gasp, “You look amazing!”
“Give me a hug, sugar,” he says, as I throw myself into his arms. Hugging my daddy is so comforting and reassuring, that I can’t help it when the tears start.
“Oh, Daddy. I’m so proud of you,” I whisper, feeling like such a sap.
“It’s all because of you, honey. I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re my little guardian angel.”
He hugs me tighter and then we finally pull away.
“Lois,” he says, turning around to hug the woman from behind the desk who had gone to find him.
“You take care of yourself, Kenny,” she insists, patting his arm. “You’ve got a sweet little daughter there, and she seems to love you very much. You keep yourself clean for her.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says smiling.
I thank Lois myself, and then Daddy and I leave the rehab center, arm in arm.
“How are you, Daddy?” I ask, as we walk the path back to the car.
“I’m doing really great, honey. It was a struggle and it took me a good week or so to find my stride, but once I gave it a real shot, I felt like a different man.” He straightens his shoulders and looks at me.
“I am a different man,” he insists.
“It sure seems like it. I can’t get over how healthy you look.”
“I’ve been takin' real good care of myself. I’ve only been drinking water, and I started taking lots of vitamins. I ate loads of veggies while I was here, and really cut my meat intake. Not like I had a choice,” he added. “Their menu was limited meat and all lean protein at that.” He smiles at me, his eyes twinkling. “And I started exercising.”
I burst out laughing. “Well, that’s something I never thought I would hear.” But I can’t hide my happiness.
“I already have plans to turn one of the rooms in the house into a small gym so I can keep it up. You can’t imagine how much energy I have now!”
“That’s wonderful, Daddy, it really is,” I say, unlocking the doors to the car. My dad throws his bags in the back and climbs into the passenger seat.
“I haven’t been inside a car in over a month,” he says quietly. “How strange.”
I nod. “Well, I’m sure it will take a little while for you to adjust, but you’ll be fine.”
I turn the car around and we start making our way back to the highway.
“But enough about me,” he says, “tell me how you’ve been, sweetie. What did I miss this month?”
I look over at him and grin.
“You haven’t missed a whole lot,” I admit. “The tour took a toll on me, so I’ve spent the past few weeks relaxing and just enjoying life. Of course, I’ve worked on some music.” I grin. “I’ve got some good news about my album.”
“Oh?”
“Liam was able to work something out, and I’m going to get into the studio the week after next.”
“Well, hot damn!” my dad cries, slapping his knee. “That’s fantastic!”
I nod, grinning like a fool. “Momma was real proud when I told her.”
“I’m sure she was. And she has every right to be.” He shakes his head in amazement. “Liam surprised even me. I knew that kid was something special, but I had no idea he could work that kind of magic.”
“Everyone’s been really great at the office,” I tell him, “Becky said things have been smooth. Of course, there’s plenty of projects waiting for you, but it sounds like you have one great staff.”
“I sure do,” he agrees. “I want to try to give them all a really nice bonus at the end of the year.”
“That’d be really nice, Daddy. I’m sure they would all appreciate that.”
It’s quiet for a minute and I feel my daddy’s eyes on me.
“And Blake?” he asks, slyly. “You haven’t mentioned him yet.”
I giggle. “He’s doing well. Rust is going to get into the studio for an album too.” I wait a moment and then continue, wanting to be upfront with my dad. “He spent a lot of time at the house while you were gone. I hope you don’t mind. I was feeling really lonely, and he kept me company.”
“Of course I don’t mind,” he says, “You had every right to have Blake over there. It’s your home too and you wouldn’t have been so lonely if I hadn’t screwed up.” There’s another pause. “So are you and Blake serious?”
“Yes,” I admit. “It got messy when he ended things with Savannah, but we’re doing really well now.” I hesitate and then continue. “He’s actually going to put his house on the market this week. But don’t worry,” I say quickly, “I’m n
ot going anywhere anytime soon. It’s just that we’re talking about looking for a house together once his place sells.”
I glance sideways at my father and see him thoughtfully nod. “Are you two talking marriage?” he asks carefully.
“Well, we haven’t said the words exactly, but that’s where this is eventually heading. We know we’re meant to be together and we’re in this for the long haul.”
“So, you’re going to move in with him before you’re married?”
He can’t hide the disapproval in his voice.
“Well, you make it sound so old-fashioned,” I say, squirming in my seat. I didn’t foresee this being a problem.
“Paige,” he says patiently, “you’re my little girl. My one and only daughter. For whom I happen to feel especially overprotective. You didn’t think I would have any problem with you moving in with someone before getting married? Even if it was Blake, who I happen to like and respect a great deal.”
“Umm, well, when you put it like that,” I say feebly.
“Exactly,” he says, smiling.
I really didn’t think of it that way.
“And have you mentioned this to your mother?”
“Well, no.” I admit.
Crap. How had that not even crossed my mind? My mom always liked Blake, but she would hit the roof if she heard I was moving in with a man, Blake or not, before I was married.
Well, this certainly changes things.
Now, I'm dreading talking to Blake. I don't want to come across as one of those needy girls who needs to get engaged right away. I wasn’t even thinking that far in advance. I assumed we would get married eventually, I just don’t see the rush. Not to mention before I moved to Nashville, I never even considered marriage as a part of my future.
“Just think it over,” my dad says, as if reading my thoughts. “There’s no need to rush anything. What’s it been? A month? Two months?”
“Something like that,” I mumble.
The conversation shifts away from Blake and I, and I tell Daddy what else I know about his label, and some of the projects I had worked on around the house. By the time we pull up at the house, I’m exhausted from all the driving, but I know I still have to get dinner ready.
