“I’ll get in trouble.” Britney looked over her shoulder. “We’re not really supposed to mingle with customers.”
Not wanting to let it go, Mackenzie suggested, “How about Brandon blocks their view? I just want a quick feel. I swear.”
Obviously nervous, Britney replied, “OK, but only quick.”
Excited, Brandon jumped out of his chair and stood behind their server. His larger body easily hid hers. He watched as Mackenzie lifted the girl’s top, exposing her push up bra. Then she grabbed hold of both her breasts. His cock grew steadily as seconds ticked by. A fantasy came to him of Mackenzie sucking Britney’s nipples while he fucked them both at once. Quite impossible, but fantasies sometimes are.
“Damn, my dick hurts,” he mumbled when Britney had walked away. Wincing, he shoved a hand into his pants and adjusted his erection. “Fucking keys.” They were digging into his skin from his pocket.
Mackenzie put out a hand. “I can put them in my purse.”
“Thanks.” He handed them over and felt a bit of relief.
Dinner was uneventful. Afterwards, they walked outside and toured the entire complex. Neither of them had a desire to bowl or watch a movie, so they continued to walk. Brandon tugged Mackenzie away from the plaza to where he knew there was another path. They crossed a few streets, cutting across an outdoor parking lot. Brandon exhaled slowly when he saw how perfect the place was. It looked good on the internet, but it was better in person. Dark had fallen, but there were street lamps. The water next to them was calm. The island beyond was lit up nicely. Hand in hand they walked in silence.
Mackenzie checked everything out. It was nothing like Riverwalk by her, which was teaming with life. It was serene almost. A few other couples passed them. Some sat on the benches they passed. When she saw a small fenced in dock, she pulled Brandon in that direction. She stepped up on the bottom of the railing and stared at the water. The sound of it gently lapping the land made her smile.
Brandon put his arms around her, his cheek to hers. The place was perfect. No way could he have chosen better. After a few minutes, he dug into his pocket to get the ring box. His hand shook something fierce. Never had he thought he would want to be married. She changed everything for him.
He stepped back slightly, looking around. No one paid them any mind. Then he slid down, getting on one knee. “Kenzie?”
She turned and her mouth dropped. Terrified, she swallowed, trying to relax. Her eyes darted around. This has to be a prank. He knows better.
“Kenzie?” He opened the box and showed the ring to her. “Mackenzie Winters… Will you marry me?” He couldn’t think of something more clever to say. His heart thudded in his chest as she gawked at him, speechless. Why isn’t she saying anything? His free hand balled into a fist. Get a grip, man.
Breaking out of the memory of her mother falling apart before her eyes, her lips trembled. She tried to talk, but the lump in her throat prevented it. Then tears started to fall.
“Happy tears?” It was stupid to ask, but Brandon was floored by her reaction… Nothing. What the fuck is she thinking?
All of a sudden, she clutched her purse to her body. “No. I can’t,” she cried out and ran away from him. She kept running, heading to her car.
Brandon didn’t move. He was too shocked to believe what had just happened. By the time he realized she was gone, she was out of sight. He put the ring away and started for the car. His feet pounded the concrete as his heart broke. When he reached the parking lot, he saw her racing away, going north. He dropped to his knees, completely overwhelmed.
He stood when several people asked if he was all right. He nodded and headed back to the hotel, alone. The walk did not clear his mind or help him understand. The pain inside him was worse than anything he had ever felt. It was as if she literally ripped his heart from his body and threw it into the river. He didn’t know if he could go on without her. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to.
Her things all over their room were a shock. They hadn’t packed yet. He quickly went to the refrigerator and took out every bottle of alcohol. Then he sat on the couch and finished off two small bottles of liquor. Staring at his phone, he debated on texting her. She wouldn’t answer a text when driving. Instead, he called. No answer. Called again. No answer. Then again. Nothing.
“Please, Tink. Answer,” he shouted after voicemail picked up again. “I need you. Please don’t leave me. I love you.” He started to drink himself into a stupor.
* * *
“Why?” Mackenzie screamed as she merged into traffic on I-75.
She couldn’t understand why he thought she changed her mind about marriage. Tears blurred her vision, but she continually wiped them away. Her phone rang, but she ignored it. Then it hit her. She had just ripped Brandon’s heart in two. The look on his face came to her. He was devastated.
“I’m so sorry.”
Gripping the steering wheel, she was sure she lost him. The one good thing in her life. The only one she would ever love. That didn’t make her turn around and go back though. She wasn’t ready for more commitment. Living together was hard enough. However, losing him hurt like a son of a bitch. The ache was almost more than she could bear.
When she almost hit a car because she didn’t see them, she took a deep breath. The tears were making it hard to see in the dark. She steeled herself, letting the pain and anger go. It would still be there when she got home.
Then she said out loud to herself, “I don’t have a home.”
Going back to Jesse’s was too painful. After a three and a half hour trip, she knocked on Terri’s door. There was nowhere else to go. She waited, then knocked again.
“I’m coming. I’m coming,” Terri shouted. “This better be important.” When she opened the door and saw Mackenzie’s face, her anger faded. “Oh my God. What happened?”
Mackenzie stuttered, “I—I left him.” She burst into tears.
“Honey, I’m so sorry.” Terri pulled her inside the apartment and closed the door. “Tell me what happened.”
It took a while for Mackenzie to get it together. She was grateful for the cup of tea Terri handed her. After a few sips she looked up, tears still falling. “He proposed.”
“Really?” Terri let the excitement go fast, realizing her friend had not said yes. “Why’d you turn him down?”
Looking up, sadly, Mackenzie replied, “I just can’t.”
“Dammit, girl.” Terri used her best mother-knows-best tone of voice. “Stop letting your mother rule your life. He loves you. You love him. Take the fucking huge rock and marry the rich bastard!”
Mackenzie stared at her, dumbfounded. “He knows I don’t wanna get married.”
“No.” Terri pointed a finger at her. “He knows you used to be opposed to everything. You both changed. Don’t you dare tell me you can’t see him in your life in 20 years! Don’t fucking lie to me. You need him to live.” She paused. “He must be worried sick. Did he call?”
Nodding, Mackenzie held up her phone that was in her hand.
Terri snatched it away. “I can’t believe you just took off.” She called Brandon. It went right to voicemail. “Brandon, it’s Terri. She’s at my place. She’s OK. Call her again. I’ll make her pick up.” She ended the call and set the phone on the coffee table. “He’s probably sleeping already.”
“Yeah.” Mackenzie knew better. He could never sleep with so much on his mind. She just hoped he was all right.
Moving closer, Terri lifted her hand. “Did you try Jesse?”
“My hand was shaking so bad, I accidentally deleted his number. I can’t find the text I sent him with my number in it, either.” Mackenzie laid her head on Terri’s shoulder again. “Why’d I run?”
“Shh, it’s OK.” Terri wished she knew what to say. “Let him sleep on it.”
Chapter 25
The next morning, Brandon woke up to pounding on the room door. He opened his eyes and groaned. He had a hangover from hell. A loud voice on the other s
ide of the door relentlessly called his name. He slowly stood and stumbled to the door.
“What?” Brandon angrily asked as he yanked it open.
Scott’s mouth dropped. “You’re drunk? What the hell, man?”
“I’m not drunk.” Brandon held the wall as he made his way to the bathroom. But I feel like I’m gonna hurl. He hurried before he puked on the carpet.
Following, Scott watched his best friend drop to the floor before he emptied his stomach into the toilet. “OK. So major hangover. What the hell happened?” He looked around. “Where’s Kenzie?” Her clothes were still there, but a search of their entire suite came up empty. “She leave already?”
Brandon took in a shaky breath. “Yeah.” He didn’t want to think of the night before. His hand moved over his heart, and he closed his eyes. The wound still fresh. I lost her.
“Where’s your phone?” Scott glanced at the surfaces within eyesight. He wanted to call her and ask what happened. Brandon was acting quite strange.
Shrugging, Brandon admitted, “I threw it against the wall. It’s toast.”
“Uh, O-K.” Scott knew by Brandon’s tone that he wasn’t ready to talk. “You need to take a shower.” He helped him up and out of his clothes.
Not caring, Brandon let him. Nothing mattered anymore. He briefly thought about letting Scott fuck him, so he could feel something other than heartache. Then he realized that would bring on another set of problems he didn’t need.
Scott hauled Brandon’s limp body into the shower with him. He tried hard not to look at Brandon’s cock hanging inches from his hand. It was useless. Brandon’s body turned him on as much as Austin’s did. Still in his boxers, Scott moved them both under the cool spray.
“Ah, shit!” Brandon screamed as the water hit him. He tried to push away from Scott, but had no strength. “Let me just die.”
Going still, Scott couldn’t believe his ears. “Dude, what the fuck happened?”
“Nothing.” Brandon struggled uselessly. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Scott sighed. “Fine. You gonna wash yourself, or do I gotta do it?” He reached for the soap, but Brandon stopped him.
“I got it.”
Brandon didn’t want Scott’s hands all over him. Well, more than they already were. He slowly ran the lather over his chest and arms. He stood up straighter, then faltered. Scott was there to catch him. He could think of nothing but Mackenzie as he washed his dick. Her pussy wrapped around him. Her cum flowing over his balls.
When he was sure Brandon was done, Scott grabbed the nearby towel and helped Brandon wrap it around his waist. Then he hauled him to the bed. Luckily, he was able to keep his desire at bay, preventing an erection.
“You need to eat something.” Scott sounded like a mother, and he knew it. However, Brandon needed taking care of. He searched the room for something suitable and came back with a cereal bar and ginger ale. “Take this. Eat slow.”
Brandon just stared at him. “Not hungry.” He looked at the floor, wishing he had more alcohol.
“You guys have a fight?” Scott waited but got nothing. “Miss her already?” Brandon’s lack of response worried him. “Come on. Talk to me.”
Shaking his head was not a good idea. Brandon could taste the bile.
Acting quickly, Scott grabbed a wastebasket just in time. He brushed Brandon’s hair back and saw the pain in his eyes. “I’m here when you’re ready to talk.” He set the trashcan down. “Lay down.”
Brandon complied but knew he would have fallen over anyway if he didn’t. He groaned loudly. His head pounded. His stomach was in knots. He felt worse than he did the night before. Regret crept up on him. Drinking himself stupid was not a good idea. The light was making his headache worse. He covered his eyes with an arm to block it out.
“I’ll tell the guys you need a bit longer.” Scott wrapped the comforter around Brandon, then shut the curtain. “Sleep it off.” He left the room, closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he pulled up Austin’s name in his phone and called him. “Um, slight delay. Brandon’s asleep.”
Austin shook his head. “So? Wake his ass up.”
“I did.” Scott glanced around and found the empty liquor bottles. “Something happened. He’s a mess. He won’t talk.”
Thinking quickly, Austin replied, “I’ll get Jake to carry him to the bus.”
“No. He’s kinda… naked.”
Austin scowled and glared at the phone. “What’d you mean he’s naked? You fucked him when he was…”
“Hell no!” Scott shouted. “I would never do that to him.” He exhaled loudly, annoyed Austin would assume the worst. “He has a hangover. I dragged him in the shower to get him cleaned up. I barely touched him. I promised you I wouldn’t go for Brandon without you there. I’m not about to break that promise. He just needs to recoup a bit. Maybe I’ll get him to talk, and he’ll feel better.”
Eyes closed, Austin was relieved, but felt guilty. “Sorry. I just—I jumped to conclusions. Won’t do it again.”
“I get why.” Scott heard Brandon vomiting again. “I gotta go.” He found Brandon in the bathroom naked, but his face buried in the toilet again. “Anything I can do?” He felt awful that Brandon shut him out, but he did that sometimes.
Brandon grabbed the toilet seat. “Kill me.” He was beyond miserable. “Just kill me.”
Just about 250 miles away, Mackenzie sat at her desk trying to hide her tears. Brandon hadn’t called after Terri left a message. When she called that morning, it went straight to voicemail. He also hadn’t replied to any of her texts. She glanced at her phone. The last text was sent minutes ago.
I’m sorry. I should’ve explained. You shocked me. Can we talk about this? Please.
It was already mid-afternoon. She knew the band was heading back to California that day for their last few shows. A million things ran through her mind. If anything ever happened to him, she would be devastated. She wished she had taken Scott’s phone number. He would know why Brandon was ignoring her.
“I know why,” she mumbled.
Travis walked back into their office. “You all right?” He could see she was upset.
“I’m fine.” She stared at her hands. “Don’t worry.”
He knew better than to push. She had a temper at times. “OK. I’ll be back.” He gathered the papers he needed and went back to his meeting.
Mackenzie turned around and looked out the window, letting her tears flow. Her entire body hurt. She couldn’t imagine how Brandon felt. Never had they fought before they got together as a couple. She didn’t know what to do to fix things. Why can’t we go back to where we were?
However, Terri was right. Things had changed, and they couldn’t go back. The women had stayed up talking for hours. She regretted running away instead of talking to Brandon, explaining she wasn’t ready. It was a childish and impulsive move. She had to set things straight, but make him understand she was not ready for marriage.
“Hey, girl.” Terri stood in the doorway. “You up for some coffee?”
Nodding, Mackenzie wiped her tears away and turned around. “Good idea.”
“Still crying?” Terri had rarely seen her emotional. “He’ll call.” She put her arms out when Mackenzie got to her feet. “Come here.”
Mackenzie was grateful for her best friend. “Thanks.” She let Terri hold her as she fought another round of tears. “What if he hates me?”
“He’s hurt,” she assured her. “Let him get over it.”
Chapter 26
Wicked End and crew arrived in San Diego Wednesday in the early afternoon. Brandon was still in his bunk after everything was unpacked. He spent most of the trip there. Scott had tried to get him to talk, but he refused. He just wanted to forget. Forget that the woman he loved left him.
“How could you leave me like that?” he cried out to her, although he didn’t have the balls to call her and ask.
Scott offered his phone multiple times. It wasn’t like he lost her numbe
r. He had it memorized. The problem was he didn’t want her to end it because he wanted a commitment. The look on her face before she fled told him she hated the idea. He couldn’t live the way they were though. Making her his wife was all he could think about.
“Hey, Brandon.” Scott stopped at Brandon’s bunk and opened the curtain. “I got you a new phone.” He held it in front of Brandon’s rapidly blinking eyes.
Blinded by the sudden light, Brandon stared at him. “Why?”
“ ’Cause yours was broken.” Scott rolled his eyes. “I had them salvage what they could from your old one.”
He had gathered the pieces and held onto them. The store there in San Diego worked miracles by transferring all Brandon’s pictures and contacts. He did peek at them. There were some really hot ones. Then he found a video of Brandon fucking some chick while some guy fucked Mackenzie. They both looked familiar, but their faces weren’t clear. The file had a password, so the tech had a hard time copying it, but found a way.
“Thanks.” Brandon took the phone and managed a partial smile.
Scott sighed. “Why won’t you talk to me? Something happened back in Tampa, and it’s eating you up. You need to get it out.”
“Maybe later.” Brandon swiped the screen and found his pictures were stored on a memory card. “What’d I owe you?”
Waving a hand, Scott shook his head. “Nothing, man. I was hoping it would cheer you up.” He put a hand on Brandon’s shoulder. “Just call her. Whatever it is, I know you two can work it out.”
“Maybe.” Brandon wasn’t sure of anything anymore. His phone chirped. It was a text. Then he noticed the voicemail icon was at the top of the screen. He debated on listening to the messages, but was afraid. “When do we go on?” He knew he had been alone quite some time.
Scott checked his watch. “About two hours. You should get up and take a shower.”
“Yeah. I guess.” It was then that he realized; like he told Mackenzie, without her he was just a guitar player. She made him who he was. She held him together. She made life worth living. He met Scott’s concerned gaze. “Don’t expect me to be myself though.”
Sinful Needs (Wicked End Book 2) Page 25