by Joy Eileen
I let out a startled breath. “Just wondering if you snore,” I quipped back, trying to keep my voice steady.
He peeked at me with one eye, before closing it. His lips twitched as he held back a smile. “So, do I snore?”
“Oh, not from what I could see, but I just began my observation when you so rudely interrupted me.”
"I could feel your eyes probing my dreams.”
“Sorry,” I said, rolling away.
He caught me and brought me against him. “Do you feel better?” he asked, rubbing my back, and I arched into him.
“I do, how long have I been asleep?” I asked, not wanting to leave the comfort of his arms to check the time on my phone.
Thinking about my phone reminded me of the unread text I had from him.
“I don’t know. Honestly, you were out for a couple minutes before your snoring lulled me to sleep.”
“You want to go on a run before I have to get ready for work?” I asked, not wanting to leave him just yet.
“Not today.”
“Ok,” I responded, trying and failing, to hide my disappointment of us parting ways, even though I couldn’t blame him. He had been with me since he got home last night from his gig.
He tilted my chin up with his finger. “You kind of scared the shit out of me this morning. You were white as a ghost. I honestly thought you were going to pass out right in front of me, and if you tell any of the boys I said that I'll tickle you for hours.” His face was sincere, and he had worry lines on his forehead.
I reached out and rubbed his forehead with my finger, smoothing the lines away. “You shouldn’t frown so much. You're going to get worry lines, and I don’t think you can have any more strikes against you in the looks department if you want to make it in the music industry. You can barely sing as it is.”
He smiled and grabbed my hand still rubbing his forehead, placing it on his chest over his heart.
“I need to do something productive today. I feel like a complete failure in the female department, having you save me more times than I want to count,” I said, needing to get out of my room before I listened to my vagina's requests.
“Well, get your ass ready and meet me downstairs. Do your hair and the other shit, so all you have to do is get your work clothes on later.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, excitement surging through me.
“Just get ready and meet me in thirty. Hurry your ass up,” he commanded.
I hopped off the bed and ran into the bathroom, showering as quickly as I could.
Dressed in a pair of corduroy shorts and a Rob Zombie concert t-shirt, I shoved my feet into a pair of white flip flops. I dried my hair and stuck it in a messy bun. I smacked on some makeup and threw my bag over my shoulder digging out my phone.
Ignoring the three missed calls from a private number, I opened the text from Kill, aware I was almost out of the allotted time Kill gave me.
I would never tell you
if I did miss you, and
you're obviously too full
of yourself by claiming you're
awesome. We definitely need
to limit our time apart so
I can keep you from getting
an ego as big as mine.
I smiled, as yet another piece of my heart leapt out of my chest in search of Kill. Van was on the couch when I made it downstairs.
“Where’s Jessie?”
“She went home. Her mom called. She told me to tell you to call her when you wake up.” He looked me over with brotherly concern, moving to give me a hug. “Are you good, Faith? Jessie said you looked like death warmed over.”
I pulled out of his embrace. “Yep, just not enough sleep, and too much crap. I'm fine, Mr. Snuggles,” I said, patting his cheek.
“Ready to go?” Kill asked, coming downstairs.
Van gave him a questioning look. “Jessie said you two were up watching T.V. at all fucking hours of the night. D would kick your ass if he figured out you're corrupting our new superstar with your bad habits.”
Van glared at Kill and I felt bad, being it was really my fault, and they didn’t know the real reason why I had almost passed out today. So, I stepped in. “It wasn’t Kill’s fault. I thought I was adapted enough to my new schedule, but I guess I wasn’t as good as I thought. He took care of me, and he even got me to agree to do next Tuesday’s show at The Note.”
Van and Kill both had shock registered on their faces.
“How did he talk you into that?” Van asked, looking at Kill in awe.
“I promised to get her a new pair of shoes.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but stopped when Kill raised an eyebrow waiting to see how much I was going to reveal to Van about our weird relationship. I snapped my mouth closed.
“Nice job. You're going to be awesome onstage. We'll practice more tomorrow before you go to work,” Van said, squeezing me tightly.
I held my breath, because his strong arms were trying to force it out of me. I tapped his back, and Kill came up behind me.
“Let her go, Van. She isn’t as strong as you are. I think she might be tapping out.”
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, letting me go.
“Nope, Mr. Snuggles.” I got on my tip toes and kissed his cheek, wondering how Jessie could resist him.
“Alright, let's go,” Kill snapped.
I gave him a questioning look, making his hard expression change to his half-smile right before my eyes.
“Let's go,” I said, wondering what the hell was going through his mind.
“Where are you guys going?” Van asked, going back to lounge on the couch.
“I don’t know. He won’t tell me.”
“Well, let’s get out of here so you can find out,” Kill replied, taking my hand and pulling me toward the garage.
“Have fun,” Van yelled after us. I was barely able to say bye before I was propelled outside.
Kill got in his car after depositing me in the passenger seat, and hit the garage door opener as he started the engine. Jet’s truck was parked right behind us.
“Shit!” he exclaimed, taking the keys out of the ignition. “I'll be right back.” He jogged over to the truck and moved it out of our way.
Back in the car, we drove to our surprise destination. He saw me eyeing his key ring and gave me a half-smirk.
“I took his keys and made a copy. I'm telling you, the thought of having to see him naked again is motivating.”
I was relieved happy-go-lucky Kill was back.
“So, what was that back there?” I asked, knowing I didn’t need to clarify.
His jaw clenched, and his dimple flashed. “It was nothing. I'm sorry. I was being stupid, which for some reason seems to be the status quo when I'm with you.”
I wanted to ask him more, but I didn’t want him to get upset, so I let him have his secrets.
“So, where are we going?” I asked, leaning into the passenger seat and watched the bustling city around me.
“We are going to get you something to eat.”
My stomach growled at the mention of food, and he chuckled at the affirmation he just received.
“What are you in the mood for?” he asked, stopping as the metro passed.
“I’m not sure what I want. Are you craving anything?”
His eyes went to my body, lingering on my legs and making them ache with need. I clenched my legs together, making the pressure even worse. He swallowed hard and returned his eyes to the road.
“Actually, I know where we can go,” he responded with a smile on his face, his voice unable to fully hide the desire he was trying to mask.
I giggled when we pulled into the parking lot of Incredible John’s, which is basically a Chuck E. Cheese on crack.
“Are you up for it?”
“Let’s go, Killer.”
He intertwined our hands, and pulled me into the insanity of the restaurant. After we filled up on the buffet, Kill practically vibrated in his chair,
wanting to go play. I tortured him with the slowest bites in history.
“Come on,” he whined, making me laugh at him.
“Go without me,” I challenged him. I expected him to jump up and run off without a backward glance.
“They have pinball, and I know you want to get your name on that high score. Don’t think I haven’t seen you play at Ray’s when you have a chance.”
At the mention of pinball, I sucked down my drink, while on the move.
“Hell, if I would have known that was going to get you up, I would have mentioned it a while ago.”
He swung his arm around my shoulders and led me into the massive play area. He pointed me toward the empty bank of pinball machines. I kissed him on the cheek before I made my way toward the machine I was about to make my bitch.
Satisfied with my high score, I turned around to see Kill standing behind me with a huge grin on his face.
“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up.
He walked slowly up to me, and stopped when we were just inches from each other.
“Well, as a friend, I had to make sure nobody was watching you while you made that machine submit.”
My cheeks burned. He laughed at my reaction and put his arm around my shoulder. I tried to push it off, but he kept it firmly over me.
“Sorry, it was adorable though. Come on, I'll let you watch me beat you at air hockey.”
“I’m pretty damn good at air hockey, Killer.”
As we made our way toward an open table, a little boy ran straight into Kill’s leg, sobbing. Kill got down one knee so he could face him.
“Hey, buddy, are you lost?” he asked, soothingly.
The little boy nodded his head, his bottom lip trembling as he tried to hold in his tears.
“My mommy…. I can’t find her.” He sniffled as big alligator tears streamed down his face.
“Ok, let’s see if we can find your mommy. What's her name?” Kill asked, and the little boy looked at him, like he just asked the dumbest question ever.
“Mommy,” he replied, hiccupping as he held back another sob.
Kill smiled throwing me a wink over his shoulder. “Ok, buddy, let’s go find your mommy. This is my friend, and she has special mommy-seeking powers, so it's a good thing you found us.”
The little boy eyed me, trying to determine if I actually had special mommy-seeking skills.
Kill held the little boy’s hand, and I took the other. We hadn’t made it more than two steps when a woman ran up to us, grabbing the little boy and hugging him tightly.
“I told you not to move, Jack. I was so scared.” She picked him up and cuddled him closely.
“Sorry Mommy, I wanted to play the light game,” he said, burying his face in her neck.
“Thank you so much. I only took my eyes off him for a second,” the mom told us, after verifying her little man was safe.
The little boy smiled at me. “She has special powers that find mommies,” he explained, pointing his little chubby finger at me.
Kill chuckled, and pulled me close.
“Thank you so…..Holy shhh….oot,” she exclaimed, changing the word that was going to follow holy when she spotted Jack looking at her. “You're Kill, from the JackholeS. I love your band. I went and watched you a month ago for my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party.” She gushed over Kill’s presence, and Jack watched him with curiosity, as his mommy fawned all over the man who saved him.
“I am. I'm glad you like us,” Kill replied and rubbed Jack’s head. “Alright buddy, stay close to your mommy. I have to go beat this girl at air hockey. It was nice meeting you,” Kill said, as Jack’s mom just stared at him open-mouthed.
I felt sorry for her, understanding exactly how it felt to be caught in the presence of Kill. She giggled and attempted to push her hair behind her ears while holding onto Jack.
“Bye, thank you for finding my mommy,” Jack said, hugging his mommy tightly after he mentioned her name.
“No problem, little buddy.”
With that we were back to the air hockey table. I tried not to stare at Kill. The way he had been with Jack, I was absolutely positive he would be an amazing dad when he found the right girl.
My heart stopped beating, from the pain since I would never be that girl. I could never give him, or anyone else, a baby. I quickly shoved the thought away, not wanting Kill to notice my mood change.
We were tied after four games. Kill glanced down at his phone and looked back at me.
“Ok, Cinderella. I have to get you home so you can get to work on time.” He dropped his arm around my shoulder.
“Come on, I'll beat you later.”
“It’s on. Anytime, I'll take you down,” I taunted back, making him laugh.
As we drove home, we talked about poor little Jack and his mom. When we turned onto the street, I sat up straight in my chair.
“Shit, I forgot to get the boys dinner,” I said, as I mentally went through what I could make in the little time I had before I work.
Kill put his hand on my thigh, and any thoughts I had running through my head went blank from his touch.
“Don’t worry. I text them and let them know I would treat them at Ray’s tonight after practice.”
“You're pretty damn good at this friend thing," I said, and he smiled back at me.
“Yeah. I’m pretty awesome.”
I ran upstairs and changed quickly. The boys were on the couch watching T.V. Amy was in her normal place perched on Jet’s lap, eating a bag of gummy bears.
“Hey, sexy bitch, you better not sing until I get there.”
All I could do was roll my eyes at them. Amy launched a gummy bear at me, and by some miracle I caught it and popped in my mouth. She pulled back to launch another one, but I threw my hands up in surrender.
“Ok, I promise I won’t,” I said, and she put her arsenal in her mouth, satisfied with my retreat.
“You're so hot when you're bossy,” Jet said, pulling her face to his, causing all of us to groan.
“Jessie said she would just meet you at work,” Van told me, as I tried to ignore my friend being mauled, and doing some mauling of her own.
“Ok, I have to get going so I won’t be late. I'll see you guys tonight.”
I felt Kill’s presence right before he slung his arm over my shoulder. “You better not sing until we get there,” he growled in my ear, causing goose bumps to rise all over my body, and I cursed him in my head, knowing my nipples were now rock hard.
“I won’t. Don’t miss me too much,” I responded, unlocking my car and throwing my bag inside.
He noticed my new shoes. “I’m not going to miss you, but those shoes are a different story. Fuck, those are hot!”
I got into my car, because if I stood by him any longer I wouldn’t be able to leave. “Thanks for today, Killer, I had fun. See you tonight,” I said as he gave me his stupid half-smile, making me want to tear his clothes off.
He closed my door as I cranked my engine and drove to work, begging my nipples to calm down.
When I got to work, Jason's car was just leaving the spot where he supposedly worked. Instead of feeling the fear I normally felt, anger welled up in its place. This constant reminder he was still lurking in the background was pathetic.
I wanted to laugh in his face, knowing he was stuck in his perfect persona, and I finally had the upper hand. I tamped down my emotions and crazy daydreams of beating him at his own game, and went to work.
Work went smoothly, and I made sure DJ Smoke didn’t add my song to the line-up until Jet came in expressing how fortunate everyone was, he decided to grace them with his presence.
Jessie made a point of ignoring Van, and he watched her like a lost puppy most of the night. When I pulled her aside to ask her if everything was ok, she explained it was harder to see him after talking to her parents. They reminded her of how much they'd been through.
When work was over, my arms were sore fro
m playing air hockey and carrying heavy trays of food all night. After closing up and changing, I dug my keys out of my bag and handed them to Kill, who was at the table, talking with the boys and Catcher.
“Are you ok?” he asked nervously, pulling me to his side.
All of the boys watched me closely, making sure I didn’t pass out in front of them.
“I'm fine. I'm just tired. If you don’t want to drive, I will,” I retorted, pushing him off me and reaching for my keys.
He jerked them away and pulled me back to his side. “Sorry, I told the boys about today, and we're worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine. But I'm ready to go home.”
Kill tensed when I said home, but his face showed no emotion. “Alright, let’s get you home,” he replied, turning me around so we could head out of the bar.
“Night guys,” I yelled out as Kill put his hand up to wave.
Bambi walked out of the breakroom. She plastered on a fake smile as we walked by.
“Have a good night Faith. Night Kill.” She went by us, and I turned my head, trying to see any trace of demon tail or marks to indicate she had been possessed.
“Whatcha looking for, Slick?”
“Trying to see if there's a scar from the exorcism,” I replied, turning my head back as we headed toward my car.
Kill tried to turn his laugh into a cough. We got in the car, and as he drove, I was still trying to puzzle out Bambi’s new attitude. I thought about tonight and realized she hadn’t said anything rude to me.
“What are you thinking about?” Kill asked as I ran through the night again to see if I missed anything.
“I was just thinking how odd it was that Bambi hadn’t said anything mean to me. You don’t think she's sick?” I asked, the only plausible explanation I could think of.
Kill cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. I knew right away he had something to do with Bambi’s new attitude.
“What did you do?”
He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, confirming my suspicions. “Don’t get mad at me, but I talked to her and told her back off.”
I stared at him with my mouth open in shock, pissed he once again rescued me. “I can’t believe you did that,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper since it had to pass by the lump lodged in my throat.
