Touching Melody (A Forever First Novel)

by RaShelle Workman

  “Maddie, is this assface bothering you?” Kyle grabs Stuart by the shirt and yanks him away.

  “Hey, douche. Watch the shirt. It cost six hundred bucks. That’s probably more than you’ve ever seen all at once.” Stuart readjusts his ugly, too fancy tee shirt, glaring at Kyle. “This isn’t an Alpha party and I’m not a grunt tonight. You, on the other hand, will always be the poor son of a dirty cop.”

  Before I have a chance to be shocked at the way Stuart is talking to Kyle, Kyle punches Stuart in the nose. I hear a distinct crack. Stuart screams and falls back onto me. Kyle grabs him by the collar, lifts him, and punches him again. Stuart's blood sprays across my face, my neck, my sweater, and my hands.

  Someone pulls Kyle off Stuart. “That’s enough, man. Take it easy.” I recognize one of the guys. He was our waiter the other night, and is Kyle’s cousin, Evan.

  A couple of guys I don’t know are helping Stuart. He’s got a hand over his nose. When he speaks he sounds like he’s sporting a serious sinus infection. “If it’s broken, I’ll kill you.”

  Kyle is no longer struggling against his cousin and the other guy. “Back off,” he says, and shoves Evan. They release him and he straightens. I’m surprised by how calm he looks. His breathing is calm. His hands are dangling loosely at his sides. There’s even a slight grin on his lips.

  He takes a step toward Stuart. “I’d like to see you try, little Stewy.” Kyle pokes Stuart in the chest. “I may be the poor son of a dirty cop, but at least I’m not the pussy son of a dirty congressmen.”

  Stuart looks like he wants to say more, but he must have a little sense because he doesn’t. He turns away. The two guys follow him.

  Evan comes up behind Kyle and pats him on the back. “You okay, man?”

  Kyle shakes him off, pushing out a laugh. “Why wouldn’t I be?” He turns his attention to me. Sticks out a hand. I grab it and he pulls me into his arms, kissing me full on the mouth. I want to be glad, but distress bells are pounding inside my head.

  Hoots and hollers go up all over the room. Thick tension, I hadn’t noticed until now, shatters. The air is breathable again.

  Kyle steps back. “We need to get you cleaned up, and then we’re having a shot.”

  “Me? What about you?” I say, wiping at something red next to his mouth. It’s thick, still a little warm, and kind of sticky.

  It hits me like a wrecking ball. It’s blood.

  Blood.

  Blood.

  Blood.

  My mind says it over and over. And I see all the blood pooling under my parents. The way they were lying there like they were sleeping. Except for all the blood underneath them. And I’m shaking. Trembling so much my teeth are chattering.

  “Looks like Maddie’s in shock. What’s wrong, darlin’? Afraid of a little blood?”

  The words ring in my ears, but I can’t focus on anything but the blood. It’s all over my fingers, my hands. I touch my face and feel it there.

  “Shut up, Evan,” I hear Kyle snap.

  “You and your family are nothing but trouble.” Gina’s voice. I think she’s talking to Kyle. I silently pray she doesn’t say more, but she goes on. “Maybe you should just leave her alone. Haven’t you done enough already?”

  I lean into Gina.

  “Hey, Roomie,” she whispers. “Wanna get out of here?”

  “Y-Yes,” I respond.

  “Come on.” She grabs my hand and starts to walk, but I can’t move. I’ve forgotten how to put one foot in front of the other. “Maddie?”

  Someone—Kyle—lifts me into his arms. I want to scream. Beat my hands against his chest. My thinking is no longer rational. I know he just protected me, got in a fight with Stuart, but all I can focus on is the blood.

  His father killed my parents, and it can’t be taken back.

  “What are you doing?” Gina’s voice again.

  “I’ll take her to her room.”

  22

  Maddie

  This is About a Boy

  I sit up with a start. The sun is beating through the windows. Birds are chirping, their nests built on the tiny ledge along the side of our building. For a split second I think I’m late for class. Then I remember it’s Saturday. The clock on the nightstand says nine sixteen.

  Gina is asleep in her bed, her hands tucked under her face.

  She’s at peace, I think, noticing how soft her features are without all the stress and worry etched in them.

  I pick up my shower bag and quietly go into the bathroom. Leaning against the sink, I stare at my reflection. I expect to see blood everywhere, but my face is clean. I glance down and realize I’m in my sweatpants and a tee.

  There are two other girls in the bathroom, standing at other sinks, so I don’t freak out. I can’t help wondering how I got out of my blood stained clothes. Then I notice something dried in my hair. I’m guessing its blood.

  I go to an empty shower stall and turn on the water. I wash my hair twice, then once more for good measure, just to make sure I get out all the blood.

  “Maddie! Maddie!” Gina screams.

  I poke my head out. “What’s wrong?”

  She heaves a sigh of relief. “You scared the shit out of me. I woke and you were gone. Why aren’t you still asleep?”

  The other two girls getting ready suddenly decide they’re finished and bolt. One glances at Gina.

  “What are you looking at? Cunt.”

  The other girl lets out an offended huff.

  I stifle a giggle. “I’m almost done. Be out in a sec.” I let the water cascade over my body.

  “Fine. Just hurry. I’m hungry.”

  “For cafeteria food? Or Perky’s?” I can’t help sticking my head outside the shower curtain. Gina rarely eats—ever. Especially not breakfast. When she does eat, it’s usually pastries from the coffee shop, Perky’s, in The Mall. I don’t think she’s ever eaten in the cafeteria.

  She seems to understand my curiosity. “It’s not like I have anything against cafeteria food.”

  “So, cafeteria then?”

  “Why not?” She shrugs. “It could be fun.”

  There’s something going on. I can’t believe she’s suddenly okay with eating in there, unless…

  “This is about a boy,” I say, turning off the water and throwing on my bathrobe.

  She gasps and her eyes get wide. “No it isn’t.”

  But I’ve caught her. And I know I’m right. “What’s his name?”

  She heads into a bathroom stall to pee. I walk over to a sink. Apply some face lotion, take a towel and rub it through my hair. Wipe the mascara residue out from under my eyes. Apply some lip balm. Gina comes out of the bathroom and washes her hands. I walk over and catch her eyes in the mirror’s reflection.

  “Fine. His name is Collin. I met him last night. We were dancing.”

  “Oh, yeah. I saw him.” I run my fingers over my eyebrows. They are everywhere. “So, you gonna meet him in the cafeteria?”

  She flicks me in the face with water. “Not if you don’t get your ass dressed.” She pushes open the bathroom door. I follow.

  The cafeteria is packed. I get a bagel, some cream cheese, and orange juice. Gina gets water and a chocolate muffin. We sit at the little table in the corner. The same one I sat at the first day of class. Gina is nervous. Antsy.

  “See him yet?” I can’t help but be amused. She’s usually so laid back, uncaring. This boy has her flustered. It’s funny.

  Gina shakes her head.

  “I’m going to go get some bacon. Want anything?”

  “No.”

  I cover my mouth, hiding my shock.

  The bacon is in the same area as the eggs, waffles, pancakes, and hash browns. The line is long, but I don’t mind waiting. It gives me the opportunity to think about what happened last night. The way I freaked out.

  Kyle seems to care. He seems like a good person. And I know he didn’t kill my parents. My brain comprehends that, but I can’t seem to convince my hear
t.

  “It’s Maddie, right?” Someone taps me on the shoulder.

  I turn and am face to face with the two girls who came into the cafeteria with Kyle that first day. They are wearing matching outfits again—cheerleader uniforms. I think that explains a lot.

  “Yep.” The line is moving.

  Twin One whispers, “Did he take you into his special room?”

  “Chain you naked and spread eagle to the bed?” asks Twin Two.

  My face scorches with mortification, and I’m not even sure why. “No,” I whisper, keeping my eyes down.

  They both giggle. “I think he did.” Twin One laughs. It sounds more like a cackle.

  “And she liked it.”

  I look up, ignoring the rapid beating of my heart. It isn’t that I’m afraid of these girls. Hardly. It’s only that they are confirming Kyle does things, likes things—sexually—that I don’t understand. “It’s none of your business,” I say, swallowing down some of my irritation.

  “Okay,” Twin One says with a shrug.

  “But if you ever feel like talking, I’m Beth and this is Baby.” She smacks Twin One on the ass.

  “Got it.” Beth and Baby. I won’t forget their names even if I want to.

  I finally reach the bacon, but it’s gone. Not wanting to leave empty handed, I put a waffle on my plate. Pour syrup over it and head back to the table.

  Collin, the boy Gina is gaga about, is sitting with her. They seem to be deep in conversation. He’s holding her hand, stroking it with his thumb.

  Awwwww, I think, knowing I can’t interrupt them. I search the crowded cafeteria looking for a place to sit. Everything is full. I don’t know anyone. The cheerleaders are sitting at the long table with a bunch of people. They keep glancing my way and whispering.

  “Come on. You can sit with me.” It’s Kyle. I’ve got mixed feelings about seeing him. He heads over to another small table. Two guys are already sitting there. When they see Kyle, they grab their trays and bolt. Kyle sits and then waves me over.

  As I’m sitting, he says, “Glad to see you all cleaned up.”

  “Was it you?” Did you wash my face?”

  He nods. “Yeah, Gina helped though.”

  “And my clothes?”

  “Gina’s idea too.” He holds his hands up in surrender. “I swear I didn’t look. Not even a peek.” His lips are curved up and I know he’s trying not to smile. I shouldn’t be paranoid. He took off my shirt the other night. He’s seen me. It’s just weird to think it happened without my knowledge.

  He touches my hand. “So what happened?”

  I knew he would ask me this, so I’m prepared. “I think it was seeing all the blood. It freaked me out.”

  He nods, takes a bite of toast. Then his face gets serious. “I get the feeling there’s more going on. There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

  It’s true. But I can’t tell him about his dad. What I saw. Even if I wanted to, I can’t make myself say the words. But I need to tell him something. “I-I saw my parents. When they died. I saw all the blood. They were laying in it.” Saying the words aloud makes me sick. But I’ve told him the truth. As much as I can.

  He squeezes my hand. “That makes sense. I’m so sorry. About your parents and last night. I lost my temper. Stuart Morris knows exactly how to push my buttons and I let him. Usually I’m more prepared. But when I saw him mauling you, I lost it.”

  I squeeze back. “He’s awful. Him and his six hundred dollar shirts can suck it for all I care.”

  Kyle laughs. “Agreed.”

  We eat in silence a few minutes. I haven’t had a waffle in a long time. It’s good. When I’m finished I look up. Kyle is watching me, and I wonder how long he’s been doing it.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Just admiring the view.”

  “Thanks,” I say, embarrassed. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  He leans back in his chair. His face is unreadable. “What did Beth and Baby have to say?”

  My face bushes red hot. I can’t help it. “N-Nothing.”

  Kyle crosses his arms. “That you know their names and are blushing a beautiful shade of red tells me that isn’t true.”

  I look away, spinning the fork in the syrup still on my plate. There’s no way in hell I’m telling him what those girls said. I’d sooner die a horrible death than repeat it.

  He rests his chest against the table. I feel it give slightly under his weight. “Your silence speaks volumes, Maddie.”

  I glance at him through my lashes. His ice blue eyes stake me through the heart. He licks his bottom lip, and runs a hand through his hair. He’s beautiful. Sexy. Twin One and Twin Two said he tied them to a bed. Then what? I can’t help but think of myself tied to a bed. My legs spread apart. Naked. Nothing but the scented air touching places I’ve never touched. Am I tied so I can’t move? It seems so dirty.

  My face flushes hotter.

  “Talk to me,” he whispers, playing with my hand.

  I want to. I want to look him in the eyes and tell him everything. But not here. “Can we go somewhere? Want to practice our duet?” My “go to” place.

  He smiles. “It’s Saturday.”

  “And?”

  He shrugs. “Sure. Let’s go.” We stand together. Take our trays and drop them off.

  I glace at the table where Gina and I sat. She isn’t there, and neither is Collin. I pull out my phone to text her, and see she’s already texted me.

  You and Kinky Kyle. Nice! =) I’m spending the day with Collin. Catch you later.

  Be safe.

  Don’t worry, VTG.

  I shake my head.

  “What?” Kyle asks, glancing over my shoulder.

  “Gina. She’s started calling me,” I pause and pull him down so that I can whisper in his ear, “VTG.”

  He gives me a confused look.

  “It stands for Virgin Tattooed Girl. She finds it hilarious that I’ve got tattoos but haven’t...” I can’t finish.

  Kyle chuckles, wraps his arms around my waist.

  Twin One says, “Get a room.”

  I feel Kyle’s body tense.

  “Let’s get out of here,” I say and wink, hoping that’ll relax him. I think it works because he takes my hand and we walk out of the cafeteria together.

  23

  Maddie

  Do What Comes Naturally

  We practice our duet for thirty minutes. I’m having a hard time concentrating. I thought as soon as we got in the music room, Kyle would demand I tell him what the girls said. He didn’t. Instead we go to work. The duet is sounding great. Kyle plays with such emotion. Sometimes I think my heart will break with the passion radiating from his notes.

  Kyle looks at me. Smiles. “Had enough?”

  I have, but I don’t want to leave this room. When we’re here, together, it’s like nothing else matters. It’s just the music and us.

  “I guess,” I finally say.

  “Come here.” He says the words while quirking his finger at me. It’s the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen. Walking is a challenge because my inner thighs are aching with desire.

  He pats the spot next to him on the piano bench. I sit and do what comes naturally. Play a song I’ve been working on. It’s simple. The right hand plays broken chords while the left keeps the beat. As I’m playing, thoughts of me tied to a bed while Kyle does things to my body. They flash through my head. My face warms. When the last note is finished, Kyle puts a hand over mine.

  “That’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

  “It’s still a work in progress,” I respond, enjoying a contented glow at his compliments.

  We sit like that a second, and then he asks, “What were you thinking about while you were playing? Why were you blushing?”

  I take a deep breath. Time to spill. “I was thinking about you and me in a secret room. I’m tied to the bed, and you’re doing things.” As I speak, my face burns. I’m too embarrassed to look at him, but I’m so
glad I finally said it. Got it out there.

  “Why would you have thoughts like that?” Kyle whispers.

  I look at him then. His features are filled with a strange sadness, his jaws are clenched.

  “Beth and Baby. They said that’s what you did to them.”

  Fury replaces the sadness. He wipes a hand over his face. “What else have you heard?”

  I clear my throat. There’s no reason to backpedal. “I’ve heard you like your sex k-kinky.” I stumble over the last word, humiliated at saying it out loud.

  His features harden further. “Anything else?”

  I get the feeling he’s mad at me, but I’m not sure what I’ve done. “No,” I whisper.

  “No mention of whips and handcuffs?”

  Then I remember I texted him that when I thought I was texting Gina. “Oh, yes, that too.” My stomach is twisting with worry. He’s upset. Angry. I’ve seen what furious Hadleys look like. The end result isn’t pleasant. I slide away, ready to stand, leave him alone. But he grabs me around the waist and pulls me back. “I think we’re through.”

  “We haven’t even started,” he says huskily. Wraps a hand around my neck. Strokes it softly. The movement sends tingles through my body. Shifting, he throws one leg over the bench so he’s straddling it, then pulls me against him, leaning my head against his shoulder.

  The movement takes my breath away. The idea that he wants me causes my body to shudder.

  With both hands he pulls my hair off my shoulders. He takes the ponytail he’s made with my hair and wraps it around a hand, gently pulling my head back so my head is on his thigh.

  I gasp, closing my eyes, allowing my body to feel every delicious sensation.

  He kisses a necklace across my neck. Licks a trail from my ear to my shoulder with his tongue. With both hands I trail up his thighs to his stomach, his chest, and into his hair.

  I shift so that I’m straddling the bench. His eyes are hooded, lusty. His eyes focused on my mouth. I put my legs over his. He pulls me against him, and I wrap my legs so I’m tight against his body. He sucks in a breath, moans. His face is so concentrated. I feel bold and kiss his cheek, his jaw. He raises his head, giving me access to his neck. I copy what he did. Licking and kissing a trail from his ear to his shoulder, forcing his shirt out of the way when I need to. He lets out a growl from deep in the back of his throat.