Wounded But Not Scarred (New Adult Rockers 2)

by Vega, W. H.

  “Tell you what,” my dad says. “I’m going to head on into my room, unpack and acclimate myself. Why don’t you go lay down and take a nap or float around the pool? I know you’ve planned a special dinner tonight, but we can eat a bit later than normal. Let’s just relax for a bit, alright?”

  That sounds amazing.

  “Sure, Daddy. I’d like that.” I give him a hug and watch him head back towards his room before I make my way over to my little suite. I’m too lazy to even go out to the pool, and instead I change into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, before I collapse onto my bed and fall asleep.

  I wake up groggy and disoriented an hour later. I roll over and see that I have a new message on my phone.

  It’s Blake, and I realize that I never called him to tell him that my dad and I made it home. I dial his number and wait for him to pick up.

  “Hey baby,” he says, his voice anxious on the other end.

  “Hi. I’m sorry I didn’t call. We got in a little over an hour ago, and I was so exhausted that I fell asleep.”

  “It’s okay. I just wanted to make sure that everything is okay.”

  “Everything is great. You won’t believe how healthy my dad looks. He seems to be doing really well, so fingers crossed that this lasts.”

  “We’ll make sure it does,” he assures me.

  “So, are you coming by Monday?” I ask hopefully. I know that Blake has to work on songs with the band, but I’m hoping he can squeeze some time in with me. Especially since my father will be at work on Monday.

  “You bet,” he says, his voice husky. “I’ll be there for breakfast.”

  “Mmmm,” I say, closing my eyes as I imagine Blake’s hands all over me.

  “You better be prepared,” he teases, “I’m going to need to get my fill of you.”

  “Oh, I hope so.”

  He chuckles on the other end. “Alright, you better go get back to your dad and I’m going to my parents for dinner tonight.” He pauses. “Don’t worry. I plan on setting up a time for all of us to have dinner next week.”

  “Sounds great. Love you.”

  “Love you too, Paige.”

  I hang up and make my way out to the main kitchen. Everything is quiet and I wonder if my dad is taking a nap too. I start taking everything out for chicken enchiladas, and I flip on some music to help me pass the time. Before long, I have everything assembled and I place the dish in the oven. I busy myself with making a fresh salad and setting the table.

  Just as I take the hot dish out of the oven, my dad rounds the corner to the kitchen.

  “Smells delicious,” he says happily.

  “Chicken enchiladas. Your favorite.”

  “You made enchiladas?” he sounds a little too impressed and I pretend to sound hurt.

  “Ouch. I do know how to cook you know.’’

  “I know. Just kidding. It looks wonderful.”

  “And I made a big salad so you can get all your veggies.”

  “You’re too good to me, Paige.”

  I wave him off, and pour us each a glass of ice water. I guess I’ll have to drink the remaining Frescas or get rid of them. They had been daddy’s sober drink of choice before he went to rehab.

  We sit down to start eating and after a few bites, my dad smiles.

  “This is great, sweetheart. Thanks again for everything.”

  “You’re welcome, Daddy.”

  “So, do we have any big plans for the weekend?” he asks.

  “Not really. I just thought we would hang out. You know, get back into the routine of things.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  I feel hopeful. Truly, honestly hopeful that things will only get better from here.

  Two

  Blake

  I park the truck and hop out, feeling like a lovesick teenager. I haven’t seen Paige since Friday morning, and it feels like an eternity.

  She yanks the door open before I can even ring the doorbell.

  “Hey baby,” she cries, catapulting herself into my arms.

  I pull her close, inhaling her scent, and burying my nose in her hair.

  “Hey,” I murmur, pulling away, and then kissing her hard on the mouth.

  She curves into me, wrapping her arms around my waist and sinking her hands into the pockets of my jeans.

  “I missed you,” she whispers into my mouth.

  I kiss her even harder, and I push her up against the doorframe.

  “Mhmmm,” she groans, sliding her hands up and under my t-shirt, her nails lightly digging into my back.

  I feel myself harden, and even though I want to talk to her and hear all about her time with her father, I know there are other things that I want more.

  “Let’s go back to your bedroom,” I manage to say.

  Not that I wouldn’t mind making love to Paige right here in the entryway of the house, but now that Kenny’s back, it seems a little creepy and disrespectful.

  “Yes!” she gasps, tightly grasping my hand and pulling me through the house to the suite she occupies alongside the back patio.

  The second we’re in her room, I kick her door shut and push her down on the bed. A small moan of excitement escapes her, and I waste no time pulling her shirt over her head, and sliding her shorts down.

  Paige is just as eager as I am, and she yanks my shirt over my head and fumbles with the fly on my jeans. Kicking my socks and shoes off, I tug my jeans down, and then my boxers, folding myself over Paige’s soft body.

  “Blake, I missed you,” she whispers, as I kiss her stomach and slide my hands under her arched back to unsnap her bra.

  “I missed you too,” I murmur, sliding the bra off her tanned skin and taking each of her pink nipples into my mouth. I suck hard and then soft, just the way she likes it, and from her groans and shudders, I know she’s enjoying it.

  Paige’s hands slide down along my body, and seconds later I feel her firm grasp around me.

  “Paige,” I choke, “I’m not going to last long.”

  “It’s okay, Blake,” she soothes, “I don’t want to wait any longer. I need you inside me.”

  God, I love this woman.

  I slip my fingers into the lacy sides of her thong, and slide it down her legs, while Paige kicks her feet out of the flimsy material.

  She spreads wide for me, and guiding myself at the root, I gently slide into her.

  The friction of being inside Paige without any barrier almost instantly sends me over the edge. Only last week did we begin having sex without condoms, and the sensation is mind-blowing.

  We waited until Paige had been on birth control for a solid month, and both of us had testing done to make sure we were clean. Of course, given Paige’s history, or lack of history, we were both pretty certain that she would be fine. I was the real concern. But we were both given a clean bill of health, so we took the next step in our intimate relationship.

  And holy shit, was it well worth the wait.

  “Blake,” she moans, squeezing her thighs around my waist, and biting into my shoulder.

  “I know, baby, I know,” I gasp, pumping in and out of her, not wanting to come too soon. The fact that Paige was already wet for me, only drives me crazier.

  “Oh my god,” she moans, arching her back and clasping the sheets.

  Even though it’s only been a few days, it feels like an eternity, and I can’t control myself any longer, thrusting deep and fast within her.

  Paige’s fingers flutter down to her sex, and she presses against herself, biting her lip.

  “That’s right,” I pant, turned on by watching Paige help herself.

  “Don’t stop,” she pleads.

  And I don’t.

  I feel Paige’s thighs begin to quiver, a telltale sign that she’s about to explode, and seconds later, a loud moan rips from her throat and I watch her convulse beneath me, and feel her clench repeatedly against me.

  That in turn sends me over the edge, and I burst, pouring myself into Paige as I shake and
shudder with her.

  I collapse against her body, and roll to the side, pulling her up against my chest.

  She clings to me, and I kiss her forehead, running my hands in her hair.

  “I’d be lost without you,” I admit, feeling strangely vulnerable.

  Something about Paige has changed me, has altered me to the core. She made me grow up in a way that I didn’t even know I needed to, and I suddenly had a clearer outlook on the world.

  As corny as it sounds, I wanted to be a better person because of Paige, and for Paige. I look at her with awe when I think of what she has endured, and how it didn’t break her spirit. Of course, it changed her in ways that she will never recover from, but she was still capable of love and goodness and seeing the best in me, even when I had acted like a complete ass.

  “You’re damn straight you would be lost,” she laughs quietly. “You’re very sentimental today,” she observes.

  “It must be what happens when I don’t see you for two days.”

  “Hmm. Maybe I need to stay away more often,” she teases.

  I lightly swat her backside and she giggles.

  We lay like that for a while, quiet but content.

  Paige finally pulls away. “I’m going to rinse off. Want to join me?”

  How could I turn that down?

  I nod and follow her into the bathroom.

  We manage to control ourselves during the shower and after we’re cleaned up, I follow Paige out onto the patio.

  It’s a brilliantly bright sunny day, but the air is slightly cooler than normal – a sign that Fall is approaching.

  “Want some breakfast?” Paige asks. “I’m starving.”

  “Yes, please.” I didn’t realize how hungry I was until Paige mentioned food. She disappears back into the house, heading into the main kitchen, and she returns with some orange juice, fruit and different cereals.

  “Didn’t put a lot of effort into this,” she admits sheepishly.

  “Paige, I don’t care about that.”

  We set ourselves up at one of the tables and begin eating.

  “So, how was the weekend?” I venture, hoping that Paige and Kenny were able to bond. I wonder how Kenny is making out with his return back to work.

  “It went really well. My dad seems to be in phenomenal shape, and we spent the last two days in an easy routine. He seems a lot calmer, so I hope that will continue now that he’s returned to work. Becky promised that he’s going to have a light load this week, so that should make things smoother.”

  “That’s great.” I say. I’m glad to hear that Kenny is doing well and I only hope, for both of our sake’s that it continues.

  “Yeah, it is. I feel like I can breathe again. I just have to hope that he’s on the right path now and keep an eye out for warning signs. I don’t want to hover over him, but I also don’t want to let my guard down too much.”

  “Hopefully your dad takes this opportunity to really turn his life around. I was there when you threatened to walk away forever. That scared the shit out of him. I think he’s going to do whatever it takes to keep you in his life.”

  She nods thoughtfully. “I hope so. But I also know that he has to do this for himself, too. He can’t just do this for me.”

  We don’t talk any more about Kenny and I bring up dinner with my parents.

  “So, I saw my parents over the weekend, and they want to have us over for dinner on Thursday night.”

  Paige gives me a suspicious look.

  “They want to have us over, or you forced them to have us over?”

  I give her a playfully sharp look.

  “I didn’t force them to do anything.”

  “So, how receptive were they to the idea?”

  I have a strict honesty policy with Paige, so I decide not to sugarcoat things.

  “They aren’t thrilled that I broke things off with Savannah the way I did, even though I think they’re secretly pleased she’s gone. They don’t think I behaved like a ‘true Southern gentleman,’ “ I say, quoting one of my mom’s silly lines.

  Paige rolls her eyes but I see the nervousness in her face.

  “I think they’re more bothered by my manners than my choice. And I know they feel that we rushed into things, but that’s only between you and I, and we both know how we felt. They liked you before, and they will still like you; they just need some time to warm up to the idea.”

  “So, is dinner a bad idea?” Paige asks nervously, pushing some cereal around in her bowl.

  I reach over and take her hand.

  “No. It’s an excellent idea. And I think once my parents see us together, they’re going to see how wrong Savannah and I really were for each other.”

  Paige doesn’t look completely convinced.

  “We have to start somewhere, right?”

  She nods.

  “So, we’ll start with dinner. And then we’ll take it from there.” I finish up my orange juice. “On a more positive note, my house went on the market today!”

  Paige smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “Is something wrong? Did you change your mind about moving in?”

  “No, it’s not that at all.” She shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

  “Paige, what is it?”

  She rolls her eyes again. “It’s my father,” she complains.

  “Kenny?” I’m not quite sure how he factors into the equation. Unless he wants Paige to keep living with him.

  “He asked how you and I were doing on the ride back home, and I mentioned that we were doing really well. I also mentioned that you were putting your house on the market, and that we were going to start looking for something together once your house sold. And I assured Daddy that it would take some time, and that I wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.”

  She stops talking and I wait for her to continue. Obviously, there is more to this story.

  “The only thing, is that he was really upset that we were talking about moving in together without, you know,” she trails off and I suddenly understand. I should have thought this out better. Paige is Kenny’s little girl.

  “Without being engaged or married,” I finish simply.

  She looks up at me apologetically and nods.

  “I’m such a damn fool,” I say quietly, “I don’t know why I didn’t see that one coming.”

  “I’m sorry! It sounds so old fashioned!”

  “It may be old fashioned, but that’s how our parents are used to it working. And to be honest, my parents hated that Savannah moved in with me before we were even engaged.”

  I don’t like bringing up Savannah, but I forgot about the big fuss my mom made when Savannah moved in.

  “Yeah,” Paige says, still avoiding eye contact, “but we just began dating, and I don’t want you to think I’m just after a ring.” She looks up at me. “Of course, I want to be with you, but I don’t have engagements and weddings on the brain!”

  I make a mock face of horror.

  “Stop,” she laughs.

  “Paige, I know we just began dating, but let’s remember that we have a history and one that is unique. I know we haven’t talked about engagements and weddings and all that stuff, but I kind of figured that was where we were eventually headed.”

  Paige’s crystal blue eyes are bright. “I know,” she whispers, “I figured, but I didn’t want to presume anything.”

  “Look, let’s just take this day by day, alright? It could take months for my house to sell. And we don’t have to rush into anything. And honestly, after the whole Savannah debacle, it’s probably best for us to go about this the traditional way, especially since it would please both sets of parents.” I take a deep breath, preparing myself for what I’m about to say. All of it is true; I just don’t want to scare Paige away. “And, I would marry you tomorrow if that’s what you wanted.”

  Paige’s head snaps up, and she swallows hard.

  “I’m not ready for that,” she whispers.

  “I
know. But I just want you to know how sure I am about you. About us.”

  Paige is out of her chair in an instant and climbs into my lap, throws her arms around my neck and kisses me on the lips.

  “Blake Evans, have I told you how much I love you?”

  “Not in the past hour,” I tease.

  She kisses me again, and I can tell that we are going to have a very unproductive day.

  Three

  Blake

  I don’t know why I’m nervous when I ring the doorbell at Kenny’s house on Thursday evening. I feel like I’m coming to pick Paige up for the prom. I guess part of my nerves could be from the fact that I haven’t seen Kenny since the day Paige and I dropped him off at rehab. I’m also nervous because I’m taking Paige to my parents’ house tonight and they haven’t seen each other in thirteen years.

  Kenny opens the door and I have to do a double take. Paige wasn’t kidding when she said that Kenny looked great. He looks a hell of a lot younger, and his face looks different too. He doesn’t look as ragged or weary as he used to.

  “Blake!” he exclaims, shaking my hand and patting me on the back.

  “Hey Kenny! Looking good!”

  “Thanks! That place was something else!” He says, smiling wide.

  “Glad to hear it.”

  He leads me inside, and I follow him through the sitting room and to the kitchen. He motions for me to have a seat up at the counter.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” he asks, pulling open the fridge. “I got a shit load of Frescas in here that I’m not going to drink now.”

  “Sure, I’ll take one,” I say. “So, no more Frescas?” Kenny drank those things like they were friggin’ water.

  “Nah, I cut everything out except for water.”

  “Damn.”

  “But I feel fucking fantastic.”

  I realize that he’s in the process of cutting up a bunch of vegetables.

  “Eating lots of veggies?” I ask.

  “Oh, yeah. I’m on this whole new diet. I never really paid attention to what I put in my body before, but now I know that I need to fuel it properly.”