“Did you need something?” I prompted irritation swirling when she moved further into the room and wandered to my closet perusing the selection, running her fingers over the clothes in much the same manner I had earlier.
“This one always looks good on you.” She removed a sleek silver mid-thigh length dress.
“It’s perfect.” The over one shoulder was sexy and the two large embroidered black flowers on the bodice and hem kept it from being too formal. I hugged her and she returned it with her one free arm still clutching her precious wine with the other.
She didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave so I shrugged out of my robe and slipped the dress on opting for a pair of flat sandals with big fake diamonds. I was letting down my hair and fluffing it with my fingers when she came up behind me. Our eyes met in my dresser mirror, hers the same color as my own. Growing up I’d always thought she was so beautiful but I had never noticed how alike in looks we had become. Funny, I didn’t really favor my father at all except for my skin tone.
“You’ve met a boy haven’t you?” She gently turned me around by my shoulders finger curling a tendril close to my temple.
I went still but didn’t say anything in confirmation or denial. I loved my mother but she had a loose tongue, especially when she had been drinking.
Her lips flattened as she continued studying me, fingers running softly over my hair. “I’m sorry I haven’t always been there for you.” Her eyes filled. She was feeling overly emotional. She’d obviously had more to drink than I thought.
I squeezed her hand, the empty one. “It’s ok, mom.” Why did I always feel like the grown up with her? I had ever since she turned into the ghost, floating through life at the house or the restaurant, only a faded image of the vibrant woman she’d once been. “I’m probably going to be late.” I kissed her cheek avoiding looking into her sad eyes and refusing to feel guilty about shutting her out. “I won’t be out all night.” No way did I want a repeat of my father’s wrath. “Don’t wait up for me.”
I didn’t know for sure what I’d find at the party. I just hoped Karen was there. She’d been invited, too. I’d called and left a message on her cell. I hadn’t heard back from her yet. I snagged the clutch from my bed. I might be overdressed for burgers and beer, but I wanted to look my best. I needed the confidence boost.
Chapter Twenty-Three
* * *
Linc
“How many beers is that, dude?” Ash asked loudly over the music and party chatter. He folded his arms over his chest and gave me a parental look. That disapproving buzz killing one.
“Not enough,” I muttered.
“She’s just working.” He frowned. “Lighten up about it already. It’s not like she’s with another guy. And anyway, you only just met her. You need to give her some space.”
All that was true but Ash didn’t realize I’d fallen for her. It sounded crazy but she was my moon, in total control of the ebb and flow of my moods now.
I shrugged noncommittally. My feelings for Simone were too new and raw for me to discuss even with my best friend. “What about you and Karen?” I lifted my chin toward where Simone’s friend sat on a lawn chair surrounded by a legion of admirers. “She keeps looking this way. I think she’s into you, man.”
“Nah, not a girl like her.” Ash followed the direction of my gaze and shook his head. “She can have her pick. I think she’s just spying on you for Simone.”
“Really?” I cocked my head. “Why would she do that?”
“Are you really that dense?” His blue eyes danced with amusement at my expense. “Because Simone’s into you, as dopey over you as you seem to be over her. Anyone can see it.” I froze solid soaking up that possibility, hoping he was right.
“Hey, you ready, Ash?” Dominic bumped fists with my cousin and me.
“Sure,” Ash replied after a moment’s hesitation, a green sheen suddenly misting his skin.
“You guys are certainly pushing hard with this Dirt Dogs shit,” I guessed glancing at the makeshift stage on the concrete patio where Ash’s drum kit and the rest of the instruments and equipment were set up.
“Yeah.” Dominic lifted a shoulder and dropped it. “We gotta pursue other options. Most of us can’t make a living surfing.”
Not that great of a living, I thought. The call with the Billabong rep hadn’t gone all that well. Lots of surfers and not enough sponsor money to go around. It was a good thing I’d saved up every dime of my winnings so far this year and that I had the extra income from Napoli’s. I was going to need it in order to pay for my flight out to the event in Fiji.
“Why don’t you join us for a song?” Ash asked.
“Why not?” Dominic interjected apparently on board with the idea.
“You did a kickass job on ‘Better Man’ when we were messing around the other day.”
“Yeah and I could really use the backup on vocals tonight,” Ash said. “My throat’s feeling a little sore.” Now that he mentioned it I had noticed his voice sounded a little more gravelly than usual.
“Sure. Alright.” I slapped him on the shoulder. I was familiar enough with their set list to help out. Plus I could use the distraction from my obsessing over Mona.
• • •
Simone
I entered through the backyard gate tagging along with a late arriving set of couples. The music was loud and compelling drawing in curious stragglers from the In-N-Out Burger a couple of doors down from Dominic’s house.
There were too many people in front of me for me to see the band but they sounded different than the night before.
I wondered why.
Then I realized.
Lincoln.
Belting out lead vocals on Pearl Jam’s “Better Man”. No tired Eddie Vedder imitator, his interpretation was undeniably appealing. His singing voice was much like his speaking one only richer mic’ed up. And extra sexy without a doubt.
I pressed in sidestepping and apologizing profusely as I made my way toward him, the last guitar fading out just as I broke through. Ash clapped him on the shoulder. Girls with glittering eyes surrounded the two of them, Dominic and Romeo smiling big with their own impressive entourage. Lincoln hadn’t noticed me yet.
Hands clasped tightly together on the handle of my clutch, my eyes were shining with pride for him. He’d been so fantastic. Everyone else obviously thought so, too. It wasn’t just on the ocean that he excelled. I shook my head brushing off a guy who offered me a solo cup filled with beer. I wasn’t interested in anyone or anything else. I just wanted Lincoln.
“Hey.” Looking pretty in a mint colored top and jeans, Karen smiled and handed me an uncapped bottled water. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I guess you didn’t hear me trying to call you earlier.” I grinned goofily.
“Guess not. The music’s pretty loud. Couldn’t stay away, huh?” She surmised.
I shook my head. “He’s something. Isn’t he?”
“Yeah. Sure. If you’re into that whole hot bohemian surfer god rock star thing, but…” She trailed off her eyes widening slightly.
I shifted to follow the direction of her gaze.
I went utterly still, my anticipatory smile fading away as a million tiny knives stabbed me in the center of my chest as I watched Kit put her hand on Lincoln’s arm. He turned toward her. She went up on her toes kissing the lips I’d tasted just hours ago. All of the knives coalesced into one dagger right though my heart.
“I’ve gotta go.” I spun around and pushed back through the crowd I’d just expended so much effort pressing though before. Every single person seemed intent on hindering my progress. Anguish clenched my stomach making me feel like I might hurl. Tears blurred my eyes. I stumbled and my sandals skidded on an empty paper plate someone had discarded on the grass.
I righted myself on the gate poised to flee when I heard someone call my name. Ash. He caught up to me studying me with a steady assessing gaze. “It’s not what you think.”
“Let me walk you home,” he offered softly.
The pressure of unshed tears behind my eyes, it was on the tip of my tongue to refuse, but it was late. I was dressed in a way that invited attention that I didn’t want anymore. It would be safer to have an escort and I didn’t know where Karen was. There was no way in hell I was going back into the party to find her.
“Thank you, Ash.” I curled my fingers around his corded bicep, leaning heavily on him accepting the offer of his strength and protection but sadly still pining for another’s.
Chapter Twenty-Four
* * *
Linc
“You’re a fuckin’ prick, Lincoln Savage,” Karen spit the words at me, her hazel eyes flashing her ire. “Simone’s too sweet to tell you to your face, but I’m so the hell not. I can’t believe you! Why did you even invite her here tonight if you had plans to be with someone else?” My gut became a heavy lodestone as I felt Kit scooting into me. I quickly pieced the puzzle together realizing Simone must have been at the party, seen me with Kit and reached the wrong conclusion.
“Simone Bianchi?” Kit hissed. “You and Simone.” Her brows rose. “But she’s just a girl.”
I nodded sheepishly. I thought it probably wouldn’t help to point out that Simone was only a year younger than me. “Kit,” I said low when I realized Karen wasn’t going anywhere. Ramon had joined us with a ‘what the hell is going on’ look on his face. He apparently thought Karen needed backup. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea about us.”
“If she’s with you,” her face twisted into something ugly, “then why’d she leave with your cousin?”
Simone and Ash. I didn’t want to believe it. Not for a minute. Just the thought of her with someone else made me insane. “Is that true?” I managed to ask Karen.
She shrugged. She wasn’t going to comfort me. She was sticking to the role of Simone’s protector. If I wasn’t so freaked about the situation, I would’ve been glad that Simone had someone looking out for her in that way.
“Patch,” I called grabbing his arm as he drifted past. Looking addled, he stumbled a bit as he rounded to face me, a chick with him, overfilled cups slopping beer from their unsteady hands. Karen’s eyes narrowed as she watched him sway. “Where’s Ash?”
“He left a minute ago. With your girl.” He grinned stupidly. “She looked hot as shit. Short dress with those legs of hers. Hard to miss.”
Only I had. Because of Kit. Fuck. I slid out my cell. I couldn’t call her since her dad had taken hers away. I hit Ash’s number instead, my heart slamming with irrational jealousy.
• • •
Simone
“Your phone’s ringing,” I told Ash. We had both been quiet as he escorted me home, each lost in our own thoughts. Still I’d been grateful for his company. There had been more than a few leering looks from the drunks downtown before we turned down the suburban side street into my neighborhood.
“Oh yeah.” Slowing his pace, his eyes met mine as he slid his cell out of his front jeans pocket. I got the idea he’d been deliberately ignoring the call. “Hello.” He frowned and I could feel his eyes on me as he listened. We were getting close to my house and the closer we got the more frayed my control over my emotions was becoming with Ash watching me so intently. “Yes she is. I didn’t want her walking home alone…She’s pretty upset. Maybe you should talk to her yourself.” Ash offered me the phone. “It’s Linc.”
“No.” I backed away from the cell as if it were a poisonous viper.
Lips pressed together, Ash withdrew his outstretched arm. “She doesn’t want to talk, dude. Do you wanna…No, not yet.” An extremely long pause as Ash listened. “I don’t know. I’ll ask her.”
“Mona,” he spoke so softly I had to lean in to hear him. He seemed afraid I would bolt. I was seriously considering it. I just wanted to go to my room to be alone. “Linc wants you to know he’s not with Kit. That he didn’t know she was going to be at the party, and that he hasn’t been with her since the morning you two met. He also wants to know if you’ll let me walk you back to where he is so he can explain in person.”
My heart wanted to latch onto those words, to go to him and let him explain away what had happened. My brain told me facts were facts. I’d seen him with her. He hadn’t tried to avoid the kiss. I should never have let him charm me in the first place. Better to put an end to it now. Why delay the inevitable?
I shook my head. “Tell him no explanations are necessary.” Thinking about him just made my chest ache. “I need to go home.” I pointed to the two story house with the porch light blazing. “That’s it right there. Thanks for walking me. You don’t have to come any further.”
I spun around ignoring Ash’s attempts to call me back. My hurried strides made his voice quickly fade into the background. If only my attachment to Lincoln could be as easy to sever.
The tears I’d held off flooded my eyes. Blindly, I jogged up the porch steps, unlocked the door with my key and entered the foyer.
“Simone.” My father awaited wearing an ominous expression. My mother was behind him concern in her eyes. My father put his cell back to his ear while motioning me into the living room. I complied sitting on the edge of the couch. “Yes she just came in. Thank for calling.”
Dread knitted my muscles into knots.
“That was Kit.” My eyes grew wide.
“She was concerned about you. Says you’ve been hanging around an older boy with a bad reputation. One of our busboys. A surfer.”
Each of his words ratcheted the tension within me higher. All true facts that I couldn’t deny.
“Simone, I can’t begin to express how disappointed I am in you.”
I nodded, dropping my gaze. I had left the house with such high hopes but returned deflated. I knew my father. He wasn’t going to let this go. I was going to lose more than just my cell after this perceived infraction. I was about to lose my freedom.
Chapter Twenty-Five
* * *
Linc
“Yeah that was her father,” I confirmed to Ash. “Asshole just shit canned me.” Predictably, though I doubted Simone had told him anything. I was pretty sure the breadcrumb trail of blame led straight to Kit. She hadn’t tried very hard to hide her jealousy and I hadn’t reacted very well to her second attempt to try to reconcile with me at the party.
By that point I wasn’t in the mood to sugar coat. Separated from her abusive husband or not, I wasn’t interest in Kit anymore.
I just wanted Simone.
And I needed to see her.
I knew I could make her understand and it was eating me up inside that she refused to speak to me. At the restaurant I could have found a way to make her listen but now that I’d been fired that was no longer an option.
“I don’t know what to do.” I eyed my cousin across the small space that separated our twin beds.
Expression sympathetic, he leaned forward and patted my shoulder. “Maybe you could appeal to her through Karen.”
“No.” I shook my head toeing out of my Vans and scooting backward in my bed, resting my shoulders against the wall. “She’s made up her mind about me. I don’t think she was a big fan of how I treated Kit, either. I don’t think there’s much chance at all of her being my advocate.” I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. “Do you think that she’d listen to you?”
“I doubt it. When two girlfriends close ranks that usually puts us guys on the outside.”
“This sucks.” I sighed. Silence descended. It was nearly two in the morning. My aunt and uncle had been asleep when we came in. Th
eir bedroom just across the hall was quiet, their home in a peaceful neighborhood far from the noisy main drag of town. The only sound at the moment besides my heavy defeated breathing was the swish of Ash’s jeans and the jingle of his belt and buckle hitting the floor on his side of the room.
“I’m sorry, Linc.” He switched off his lamp. I opened my eyes to almost complete darkness. His mattress springs squeaked as he settled underneath his covers. “I realize now she means a lot to you. We’ll put our heads together in the morning and figure something out. It’s not like she lives in another country. Her house is just a couple of blocks over.” His shadow moved as he punched his pillow and flopped back down. “Have you and she…”
“Nah, man. It’s not like that. I mean sure I want to go there.” It was all I thought about, but there was something much more to it than just that. I knew how I felt and I was more and more certain every day. But that was something I wanted her to be the first to know and it panicked the hell out of me that I might not get the chance to tell her now. “I’ve never felt like this before,” I admitted low not sure if Ash heard me. There was no response on his side of the room. “It’s almost like I can’t breathe right when we’re apart.”
I didn’t fall asleep until the morning. When I woke up Ash was gone and my way forward with Simone wasn’t any clearer with the birds chirping than it had in the dead of the night.
Ditching the clothes I’d slept in, I slid on a pair of Hurley’s, grabbed a package of chocolate Pop Tarts and my board and wet suit from the hooks in the garage before heading to the beach. I thought better on the water and since she seemed to be a lot like me in that regard I hoped maybe she might find her way there, too.
(Complete Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances #1-5) Page 10
