Repented

by Sophie Monroe

  “C’mon, I just need to see someone quick.” I followed him and Skylar up the manicured walkway to the red door, which he opened without knocking. “Hello,” he called out, but the place was empty. “Hmmm, that’s odd. I could have sworn someone lived here.” He walked toward the back of the house to where the kitchen was located and picked up an envelope and opened it. It looked like it contained a stack of papers. “That’s right, someone does live here." He reached out and took my hand and placed a key inside my palm and closed it. "You do.”

  What the hell? Is he serious?

  “Shut up,” I told him. "That is not even funny!"

  “I’m dead serious. I bought it for you yesterday. Luckily, the previous owners had already moved and were anxious to get it sold.”

  He seemed so proud of himself.

  “Kev, there’s no way I can accept this. Not after everything that happened, and even then.” I couldn’t help it, the tears started to fall. For most of my life, there was no one to rely on except myself.

  “That’s not all. You know my mom has a few luxury spas, there’s one less than ten minutes from here, and she’s been looking for someone to run it for a while now. It’s yours for the taking, plus you’ll have benefits and paid vacation. It’s time for a fresh start ”

  KEVIN

  Sobbing, she pulled me into a tight embrace.

  “I don’t know how to ever thank you! You changed both our lives forever. Can you pinch me?”

  I reached my hand down and pinched her lightly on the ass causing her to giggle.

  “As much as I would really love to stay and help you get situated, Jake needs me to fly to Michigan and pick up the new tour bus. Then I have to race back to Smithville to have it wrapped and decaled. The next few weeks are going to be hectic, but there's a guest room and I'll expect you to go get a comfy bed to put in it so I can visit. You have my number if you need anything just ask. This is just the beginning. I promise I'll be back." I leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  Skylar came running over after leaving his PSP on the counter and jumped into my arms. "I know you're not my dad, but if I could pick on he'd be just like you."

  I was starting to become emotional since he and I started bonding. Looking over at Kennedy, her eyes were filled with tears. I didn't want to have to leave them as soon as I got them here, but my flight was coming up, and I couldn't miss it. Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out another envelope and handed it to her.

  "There's some money for furniture and stuff in there, and that car isn't a rental, it's yours." I started laughing. Her shocked reaction was epic! "Close your mouth before you start catching flies."

  "Shut up!" She cried.

  "I heard yours was a POS and I can't have my little buddy driving around in something that isn't safe."

  Setting everything down on the counter, I walked over and wrapped my arms around him and picked him up one last time. After putting him down, I motioned for Kennedy to follow me to the door so we could say goodbye.

  "You know I didn't expect or even want any of this from you right?"

  I leaned down and kissed her forehead one last time. "I know, but you deserve it, so enjoy it. If you want the job, my mom's number is in the envelope. Just call her and set up a start date." The honking cab was out front of the house, so we said one last goodbye. For now.

  Just like that, I was on my way back to the fucking airport. Feeling exhausted, I was looking forward to getting back to Smithville and crashing for a week straight. Hopefully, I’d be able to catch some z's on the plane ride. I wished I had more time to help her get settled and visit my folks, but duty called.

  After rushing to the airport, I barely had enough time to make my plane to Michigan. Most of my things that I wanted with me I had already shipped from LA, and at this rate would most likely make it to Smithville before I did. I had my realtor put the apartment on the market. I didn't need a reminder of my failure and honestly, unless it was band related I didn't feel the need to go back there. It was like black hole for my soul.

  After printing my ticket at the kiosk, I hurried over to the security line. I hoped since I only had a carry-on backpack it wouldn’t take long. I’d barely had time to breathe, let alone process what’s transpired the past week. It was eventually going to catch up to me, and I was going to end up crashing. I had worked too long and hard on being positive and optimistic to let this get the best of me. There was no going back to the old me. A person with as many demons as I had couldn’t risk a relapse. I realized I did need to find a happy medium instead.

  I was snapped out of my reverie when the security was apparently gesturing me to put my things into the basket and step through the metal detector. Kicking off my Chucks, I quickly took off my studded belt and tossed everything into a bin pushing it forward. Stepping through the scanner, I managed not to send off the alarms and waited for my things to come to the end of the conveyor.

  After I got my shoes back on, I practically had to sprint to the gate making it with only a few minutes to spare. There wasn’t going to be any other flights there for the rest of the day, so if I missed it I would have been screwed, and Jake would have been super pissed. This tour was coming together super fast, and we weren’t going to have much downtime before hitting the road. We all knew that Guilty Tendencies were going to take off once we got them out there and built their following. Knowing Jake, he wouldn’t stop until they became a household name.

  “Flight 529 to Detroit Metropolitan, Michigan is now boarding. Please line up according to the number on your ticket and wait to be called. We’re now boarding first class and those with special accommodations.”

  Since I was flying first class, I stepped around my fellow passengers and made my way onto the plane. I didn’t always fly first class, but this flight looked like it was full and I was grateful for the ability today. After placing my backpack in the overhead, I slid into the window seat enjoying the comfortable leather surrounded me. It wouldn’t be long before I passed out from exhaustion.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ROOM TO BREATHE

  Driving the tour bus down a two-lane highway in Michigan, the lack of adequate rest was catching up to me big time. Needing a caffeine IV drip to stay awake, Starbucks was the next best thing. Luckily for me, I saw one in the distance.

  My phone started vibrating, falling between the seats as I reached for it. Sliding my hand down, I slipped down further as my fingertips grazed it. At the same time, Starbucks was coming up. I quickly cut across into the right lane and pulled the bus into the parking lot. Next thing I heard was the sound of metal crunching and glass breaking. A beautiful brunette with glasses hopped out of her little Audi and started screaming a string of profanities at me. Jake was going to kill me. I pushed the airbrake button and opened the door descending the stairs.

  “Where did you learn to drive?” She screamed. “Are you fucking kidding me? Look at my fucking car! Gah!”

  I was just going to stand there and wait for her to finish. If I’ve learned anything about women, it’s when they start to rant just let them finish.

  Holding my hands up, as I slowly approached. “I’m so sorry, my phone fell and I was reaching for it. I didn’t see you.”

  “Well maybe if you weren’t driving like a bat out of hell you wouldn’t have smashed into me! Do you have any idea how much this is going cost to get fixed? A lot.”

  “I have insurance.” I sighed, trying to bite back a grin. I could easily take her to Audi and buy her a newer, better one. Jake was going to shit a brick if the bus was all dented up. I examined the front of the bus. Luckily it was just some scratched paint, which was going to get covered anyway.

  Her adorable face was flushed with anger. She finally calmed down enough to look at me. “Listen, I’m sorry for flipping out on you. I’ve worked my ass off for this car, and you really should have been paying better attention. Now I’m going to be late for work. The cops take forever around here.”

  “If yo
u feel comfortable you can just send me the estimate. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of. I promise.”

  She looked hesitantly at me. “How do I know you won’t get your coffee and drive off into the sunset in your giant bus? Are you carting around dead bodies or something in there?”

  “I assure you I’m alone, no bodies and I promise I can and will, pay to fix the damages.” Stepping onto the bus I pulled out my notebook that I carried with me everywhere and wrote down my name, address, phone number and email before handing it to her. “I’m Kevin, by the way.”

  “Bri,” she said taking the paper from my hand. A huge line of honking cars now lined the highway trying to get into the parking lot. “I will hunt you down and hurt you if you screw me over on this, Kevin. Do not summon my inner bitch. She doesn’t play nice.”

  Holding my hands up, “scouts honor.”

  She got into her black Audi and pulled away from the front of the tour bus. The rear passenger corner was smashed up pretty good, but it would be easier just to pay for it rather than deal with the hassle of insurance. As cute as she was, I had to say I was mildly terrified of her. I smiled and laughed to myself as I moved to the back of the parking lot where there was room to park the bus.

  Shaking my head, trying to get the stupid grin off my face, I made my way inside to get my coffee. After tossing a ton of sugar packets and giving it a quick stir, I was ready to get back on the road. I had about seven hours if I didn’t hit traffic, before I’d make it back to home base. Hopefully, I wouldn’t end up taking out the gate on my way into the driveway.

  I didn’t even take the time to fish my phone out. It was most likely just Jake anyway. I was enjoying the solitude of just me and the road. There was a lot going on in Smithville. Between getting the tour together, the gaggle of kids, budding romances and Derek Sr. living with Granny Jean, they were going to need to rename it Parkerville. That was an idea I was keeping to myself because Jake would find it both intriguing and hilarious enough to do it. If anything, having the band there was definitely helping the economy. Paparazzi and the media were always camping out trying to get shots of Jake and Aubrey out with their brood. You would think they were Brangelina with the amount of magazine covers they’ve snagged. Truth is, I think people found them relatable. They were a modern fairytale. The something from nothing story.

  The thing the media didn’t show was all the blood, sweat and tears that went into getting Battlescars off the ground. And how we were the lucky ones. So many truly great bands will never see the airwaves. It’s certainly not an easy life, and it can take a toll on relationships and families. It's a sacrifice being on the road constantly, but it’s all about staying relevant. If you want to make and keep fans, you need to be constantly putting out new material. You need to constantly engage on social media and be accessible. That's one of the things that set us apart. But being gone touring and a recording was what I thought was a big part of Jake’s decision to break away from the label and start his own. It would allow us full control of what we’re putting out and when, plus keep us closer to home base.

  As the miles passed by, I was finding myself relaxing more. There was something cathartic about driving and the radio playing your favorite songs. The sun was starting to set, and I was going to need to stop for gas soon, again. Tour buses were not known for getting great gas mileage. Normally, when we were on the road, we would have a driver. It wasn’t until the last tour that we started flying, and that was only because of the massive amounts of PR and interviews scheduled after events. The crew would need to leave right from one venue and start driving to the next, while we stayed behind and kept our obligations.

  Reaching to the dash, I turned up the stereo and started singing along to Shinedown’s rendition of Simple Man. It was one of my favorite’s, especially this version. I wasn’t going to let my mind start taking me to dark places just because that was the way the sky was turning. However, it did keep wandering to Bri. I felt horrible about hitting her car, but there was something about her that made me wish it was under different circumstances. Now was not the time for me though. There was too much I needed to sort through before I could even consider getting into another relationship.

  After a few more stops for gas and snacks, I finally pulled up to the gates. It was nearly three in the morning, and my eyes were burning. There was no doubt that as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was going into a coma for at least a day or two. I pressed the code into the keypad and hoped I wouldn’t wake anyone up. I managed to park it somewhat straight in front of the main house. The fact that the driveway was circular didn’t help. I finally phished out my now dead cell, grabbed my backpack and headed toward the guesthouse where I would be calling home.

  The door was unlocked, and the place was immaculate. Thanks to Aubrey no doubt. I immediately went into the kitchen and hoped there was a bottle of water in the fridge. Sure enough, it was stocked with tons of fresh produce and rows of bottled water and juices. He hit the jackpot with her. She was like Wonder Woman. There was nothing she couldn’t do, or wouldn’t attempt. She found time to do everything and then some.

  After taking my shoes off and plugging my phone in, I headed upstairs to shower. I admired the gray and white tile pattern on the wall as steam filled the vast room. The bathroom was huge. The double sink, black vanity sat below the wall length mirror with built in light. The Jacuzzi tub sat at the far end of the bathroom with the shower on the other wall. It was overkill in my opinion, but Jake was ‘go big or go home’ and this was his castle. Well at least part of his fortress. I thought about jerking off, but I was too tired.

  Stepping into the shower, the awesome pressure felt amazing as it massaged my neck. I squeezed a little shampoo in my hand and quickly washed my hair, doing the same with the body wash on my washcloth. After shutting the water off, I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed to the adjoining master bedroom and fell into bed.

  Zach Bailey- Lead singer of GT (Guilty Tendencies)

  It was three in the morning, and I was busy getting my cock sucked by whatshername. I knew I should probably be getting some sleep since we were set for rehearsing tomorrow morning. But goddamn, the things this girl could do with her tongue were something out of a magical porn. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was still reeling over the whole Joss thing. I was happy for her, but at the same time I felt completely fucked over. Don’t get me wrong, it was great for songwriting material, but it still sucked. Especially, because I had no choice except to witness it firsthand all the time.

  Lacing my fingers in her over-dyed bleach blonde hair, I decided I like brunettes with softer hair better. She was hot nonetheless, and that’s what hair dye was for. Her pert ass was bare, except for a flimsy G-string with a floral tattoo scrolling down her side. I heard a noise coming from the other room but didn’t think anything of it, and I was close.

  “I’m gonna cum. If you don’t want to swallow, I suggest you move your head now.” Instead of stopping, she started going double time and massaging my balls lightly with her thumb. I’ve had a lot of blowjobs in my time, and she took the cake and wore the motherfucking crown. Seconds later, I was cumming down her throat as she swallowed proudly.

  I wasn’t normally into reciprocating, but she definitely deserved it. I couldn’t even remember her name she was so fucking good. She looked up at me with a satisfied grin.

  “Damn woman, I may just have to marry you!”

  “Don’t make empty promises Zach Bailey,” she smiled.

  “Get over on the edge of the bed,” I ordered. She started off on a playful foot chase. “Peyton!”

  Sticking her tongue out at me, “come catch me, Bailey.”

  I rounded the chair and caught her by the waist, tossing her over my shoulder. Her green eyes met mine and burned into me. She was stunning. I felt bad for my earlier thoughts. She was apprenticing for Piper at the shop, and we met when I had her do some cover up work for me. She was down to earth, smart and funny. I’ve taken her
out a few times, but today she asked to come cook me dinner and have a night in. I was not expecting the gift that was just bestowed upon me.

  Sitting her down gently on the edge of the bed, I slid her panties off. If they could even be called that, it was more like a few pieces of string tied together. I circled her clit with my thumb and looked up at her perfect perky tits before meeting her eyes again. Those fucking eyes man! They could make me do irrational things. Lowering my head, I slowly licked up her pussy. It was perfect, pink and glistening with excitement. She tasted fucking incredible. Switching between slow and deliberate and fast flicks of the tongue, I went to town. Her legs were shaking as they wrapped around my neck. Adding a finger into her tight pussy, she tightened around me.

  “Come for me, babe.”

  “Fuckkkkkkkkk,” she practically growled. And she did, loudly.

  I was already hard again from the sounds she just made. Reaching for the bowl on the end table, I fetched a condom and cocked an eyebrow at her. All it took was her nod of approval before I had that son of a bitch on and the tip of my cock lined up with her entrance.

  “This is going to change things,” I said looking at her.

  “I know, now stop making me wait,” she purred.

  I loved how bossy she could be. I needed no more assurance, as I gently slid inside her. Everything about Peyton was perfect, a little bit mysterious and desirable. For right now, she was what I needed. Picking up my pace, I admired how her perfect C cups bounced with each thrust. Lowering my head, her rosy nipple taunted me to take it in my mouth. Her nails bit into my shoulder blades as brought her closer to another orgasm.

  As much as love could make sex special, a connection made it explosive. In the month we’ve been hanging out; it’s been pretty effortless. There were never any awkward silences and those fucking eyes man. It’s like they were full of mysteries waiting for me to uncover. I wasn’t in love. I didn't do attachment. I wasn't quite sure what this was. If life’s taught me anything so far, it’s once your attached you’re fucked.