Once Upon A Rock Star

by Yessi Smith

  His elaborate house. Not mine.

  My brother and sister, not his.

  Holding Ada closer, I lean down to breathe her in, needing her to remind me of who I am.

  A drunk man’s daughter. A forgotten woman’s burden.

  Brandon. He’s everything I’m not. And it’s not just the wealth or fame, although there’s that. It’s his lifestyle. The traveling, the fans, the constant need to be everywhere at once. He wouldn’t watch the kids, but pay someone to do it. He wouldn’t help clean, but hire someone for that as well.

  Our worlds are miles apart. There’s no connecting us.

  Frustrated, I stand up but rather than put Ada back in her stroller, I carry her while I push it back home. That’s where I belong. In a depilated apartment, taking care of kids who are more mine than anyone else’s, waiting for a dad to show up so that he can only leave again in a few months.

  After putting the stroller back in the car, I head for the stairs and startle when a woman calls out my name.

  “You’re Maria, right?” she asks, out of breath. “Brandon told me you were pretty, but damn girl.” Her gaze tracks my body and I shake my head.

  “If this is about photographing his show, I’m not interested.”

  “You can’t back out! He’s already told everyone you’d do it. Called our manager an idiot if he didn’t hire you.” She frowns and reassess me. “You’re gonna make him look bad in front of everyone if you bail on him now.”

  Through a clenched jaw, I grind my teeth. “I never agreed to anything.”

  “He’s a stubborn pain in the ass, but his heart is always in the right place. Speaking of,” she glances behind her, “he asked me to pick up a few things for you.”

  Curious, I follow her across the street and for the hundredth time, Brandon takes my breath away.

  “What is all that?” I ask, pointing at a car full of grocery bags.

  The woman lifts her shoulder. “They’re yours. Oh,” she stops and turns to me, stretching out a hand I take, “I’m Leah, Brandon’s personal slave.”

  Still shocked, I grip Leah’s hand tighter. “He asked you to get all that for me?”

  She nods her head and shrugs a shoulder. “He’s a good-hearted, stubborn, pain in the ass.”

  A whoosh of air explodes from my chest and I laugh through the sudden tears, that I wipe away before they fall.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Tell me you have an elevator.”

  I sniffle and a giggle escapes. “No. Sorry, but let me give Ada to my neighbor and I can take everything up.”

  Ignoring me, she grabs more bags than she can possibly carry and I grab a few with my free hand. Together we climb the stairs to my apartment, me laughing randomly and her shaking her head in amusement. After knocking on my neighbor’s door and leaving Ada with her, I guide us to my apartment. When we reach our door, I notice it’s slightly ajar.

  Drawing my brows down, I motion for Leah to stay outside and go inside alone. A mess welcomes me home.

  Everything is thrown everywhere.

  The cushions on the sofa. The little bit of food Brandon bought us yesterday. The dining room table that’s no longer usable. The coffee table someone knocked over.

  “Dad!” I scream, more angry than worried.

  He stumbles from his bedroom, the one I haven’t stepped into since my mom and he left. Disheveled and reeking of alcohol, he glares at me from across the apartment.

  From behind me, Leah grips my forearm and pulls me back. I shake her off me, stalking toward Dad with all the anger I’ve hidden from him. I walk over our broken coffee table and shove his chest hard. He staggers back a few steps but quickly regains his footing.

  I wait for him to hit me and when his palm makes contact across my face, I take another step to him.

  “You’re worthless,” I spit out. “A worthless piece of shit drunk.”

  He wobbles on his feet as if I physically struck him. The sneer drops and eyes as haunted as my own lock with mine.

  “Leave,” I say. “Don’t ever come back.”

  So much like Gabriel it hurts to witness, he droops his shoulders forward and limps out of his apartment. And I know, just as I’ve always known, we’re not worth the fight.

  Chapter Seven

  Brandon

  Pacing Maria’s apartment, I grip the back of my neck and tug. I should’ve been here with her instead of my assistant. Instead it was Leah who called me to tell me Maria’s apartment had been ransacked. Her home destroyed by her father.

  It’s all replaceable, and I tell her that, all the while knowing it’s her dad she mourns. He left and took the little bit of security she had with him.

  “I think you and the kids should stay with me tonight,” I say, breaking the silence. My words seem to take up all of the small space around us, making the air crackle and buzz in an electric charge that bounces from Maria to me. “I mean, in one of the suites I rented back at the hotel.”

  She runs her hands over her arms before she wraps herself in a hug. “I still can’t believe you rented the whole top floor. Who does that?” The retort is meant to sound light but falls short.

  “Want me to turn up the heater?”

  “I want you to stop fussing over me. Go back to your band and rehearse or whatever it is you do.”

  “I’d rather stay with you and make sure you and the kids are safe.”

  Her eyes widen for a second before she masks her surprise with distaste. “Somehow we’ve managed to live all these long, long years without you, Rock God. And we’ll manage after you’ve gone to the next city you’re playing in. We’re fine.”

  She waves me away and turns, giving me her back as she walks to a window overlooking a long alleyway. With long strides, I go to her, eating away the distance she’s been trying to put between us since I told her I wanted more than casual sex. I put my arms around her and rest my chin on her shoulder. She stiffens but I don’t make any effort to move. Slowly the tension leaves her body and she leans her back into my embrace.

  “We’re safe here,” she says and I don’t know if she’s trying to reassure herself or me. “I know him and he won’t be back for a while.”

  “I still don’t like it.”

  The front door opens with a loud yank and I spin around, ready to protect her and Ada.

  “What the hell, Maria!” Gabriel shouts from the entrance, dropping his book bag on the carpet.

  “Crap,” Maria says from behind me and runs to her brother. “I can explain.”

  Gabriel’s face drops and for a second I see the kid behind the mask he wears.

  “You weren’t there to pick me up.”

  “I know,” she soothes and hugs him.

  He returns the hug, holding her close. “I thought you’d left too.”

  “No.” She cups his face with both hands. “Not ever. Okay?”

  He nods but takes a step back when he looks at her face. Anger spills from him, making the veins on his neck pop. He turns the full force of his fury on me and I go to him, ready to calm him down.

  “I told you,” he growls.

  Maria takes in a sharp breath and touches the bruise beneath her right eye. A parting present from her dad.

  “Gabe,” she says.

  She moves to grab him but he rushes toward me and tackles my feet. We both fall, making Maria scream. Ada starts to wail in the background and I try to block her out, both of them, so I can restrain Gabriel without hurting him.

  He lands a punch to my chin. My ears ring at the impact. Using my arms and legs, I flip him over, letting him punch and kick me as I maneuver him. When I pin him down, he rears his head up and rams it against my nose.

  Blood trickles but I keep my hold on him until Maria pushes me off her brother and takes my spot sitting on his chest. I give them privacy and take my wounded pride to the kitchen where I try to stop the bleeding. Without much luck, I stuff small wads of paper towel into each nostril only to find the bridge
of my nose also bleeding.

  From the back pocket of my jeans, I take out my phone to text our band manager, Sebastian.

  Think I broke my nose.

  Sitting on the counter, I wait for him to reply, hoping the doctor who travels with us can fix me up instead of going to the emergency room. On my lap, my phone buzzes with an incoming text from Sebastian.

  Your girl finally come to her senses and punch you?

  I grin and reply with a middle finger emoji. No asshole. Her brother did.

  His response is faster this time and I swear I can hear his laugh as clear as if he were standing right beside me. The scrawny kid you told us about?

  Fuck you. ER or hotel?

  When he texts me back to meet him at the hotel, I hop off the counter and quietly make my way back to Maria. Together, Maria and Gabriel huddle on the couch with Ada sleeping in Gabriel’s arms. It’s clear they’ve forgotten about me and although I hate to interrupt them, I don’t want to leave without telling her.

  I clear my throat and both of them jump from the couch.

  “Shit,” Gabriel mutters.

  Maria looks at me, her eyes soft and full of worry, while Gabriel sets Ada in her swing.

  “Shit, man,” he says again. “I’m sorry.”

  “Nah,” I wave away his apology. “You were defending your sister. Not a damn thing wrong with that.”

  He drops his head and stares daggers into his shoes. “I thought you hit her.”

  He looks so defeated, so worn out. Without thinking, I hug him, the kind of hug I’ve shared with my best friends – my family and bandmates. He stiffens and I squeeze him tighter. Just when I second guess myself, he lifts a hand and grips the back of my shirt as he digs his face into my shoulder. A sob breaks from him and I hold onto his trembling body.

  It breaks me to hear him like this, to hear Maria’s quiet sniffles beside us, but I hold him until he doesn’t need me to anymore. When his body grows lax, he takes a step back, keeping his attention on the floor. I shove my shoulder into his lightly and grin.

  “You got one hell of a left hook,” I say.

  His eyes dart up to meet mine and he also smiles. “And a good uppercut.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. “Pretty sure you broke my nose, kid.”

  “What?” Maria rushes to me and I let her fuss over my face. Her lips turn down into a familiar scowl and I’m tempted to kiss it off her face. “You should go to the hospital. Yeah, Brandon, you need to go to the hospital. Oh God, please don’t have a broken nose.”

  I snort but wince when it hurts. “It’s fine. I’m going to the hotel…”

  “Yes!” she screams, cutting me off. “You need a change of clothes. You can’t go to the hospital with a bloody shirt. Oh God. Your face, Brandon.”

  “It isn’t my first break,” I lie, trying to hide the pressure building in my nose.

  I really do need to see the doctor. Hopefully she’ll be good to me and give me something for the increasing pain.

  “Okay.” She expels a long breath of air. “I’ll drive you to the hospital. Gabe, you good to stay with Ada?”

  “I’m not going to the hospital, sweetheart.”

  “What? Of course you are. If your nose is broken they need to set it or whatever it is doctors do for broken noses.”

  I graze a finger over her cheek and chin. “You’re cute when you’re nervous.”

  “Brandon,” she huffs.

  “Maria,” I mimic her tone.

  We stare off but I’m the first to break and I have to cut my laughter short when pain radiates from the exertion.

  “We have a doctor that travels with us for this very thing.”

  She arches an eyebrow.

  “Well, not this very thing, but so we don’t have to go to the hospital.”

  “Okay, to the hotel then?”

  “All of us,” I agree. “I don’t want Gabe and Ada here anymore than I want you here. Look.” I point to my nose when she starts to protest. “I have a broken nose and you feel sorry for me, so you’re going to listen to me.”

  “Brandon…”

  “Shhh.” I lift a finger. “Shhhh,” I say again when she opens her mouth to speak.

  Her jaw ticks and I’m pretty sure I hear her teeth grinding.

  “You’re not staying here until I put a security system in.”

  “No, absolutely not. No,” she repeats. “An alarm system will be more expensive than what this apartment is worth. No, Brandon. No.”

  “You really are cute.” I tug her hand. “Grab what you need. We can argue about this on the way.”

  Chapter Eight

  Maria

  Argue. That’s pretty much all we do as I drive his ridiculously expensive car he rented for his short stay to the hotel.

  Because I shouldn’t be driving his car. A car that’s worth more than I’ll ever make in five lifetimes.

  Because we shouldn’t be staying in one of his suites where my coworkers will see us coming in together. Him bloody and beaten and me with my baby sister and teenage brother in tow.

  Because there is no way in hell I’m letting him spend money on an alarm system. Not to install it and certainly not for him to make the monthly payments I can’t afford.

  There’s a line and somewhere between yesterday and today, we’ve crossed it. But no more. No. No, no, no.

  The new line is drawn and this is it. No more crossing it or tip-toeing around it.

  I repeat those words like a mantra as we make our way to Brandon’s floor. And when we get to his suite, I almost bolt out of there while Gabriel hops from one foot to the other in excitement.

  Every member, every single infamous member of Sava Effect is in Brandon’s suite.

  Tall, well built, expensive men surround me. Their tattoos beg my artist’s eye to explore each one. Royce, the bass player, catches me staring at his forearm and while the others laugh at Brandon’s crooked nose – pretty sure, I even saw one of them high five Gabriel – Royce takes off his shirt and sends me a quick wink.

  “C’mere, babe,” he says, his voice rough and rumbly. “You can get a better look at the ink. Promise I won’t bite, ‘less you want me to.”

  Brandon takes a step between us and sends Royce a warning look.

  “Wow,” I deadpan. “That was clever. So clever, in fact, I’m sure you’re not allowed to write any of the lyrics.”

  Brandon chuckles lightly while the other guys, including Royce, throw their head back in laughter. Slowly, tension melts from my body and I let myself grow at ease in the presence of gods.

  “Bran,” Leah calls from one of the bedrooms. “Doc’s waiting for you.”

  “You good?” Brandon asks me.

  Through dark lashes, I peer up at him and nod.

  “Behave,” he warns his friends.

  They laugh in response.

  While Gabriel talks to the drummer, Isaac, curiosity gets the best of me and I make my way to Royce who leans against the bar, still shirtless.

  “Mind if I take pictures?” I lift my phone.

  “Be better if you used the camera Brandon bought you.”

  A knot forms in my throat. It thickens, making it hard to swallow. “Brandon bought me a camera?”

  “Ah.” He waves me away. “Don’t tell him I ruined the surprise.”

  Unable to speak, I lift my phone and photograph the intricate artwork that extends across his neck to his arms. I take my time examining each one and may have even rested a hand on his pecs in the pretense of looking closer at the art on his chest. Possibly even traced a finger over his abs. Not like he doesn’t know exactly what I was doing.

  And I hope like hell he tells Brandon. Light a fire under his ass so he finally takes me.

  Isaac joins us at the bar and it’s his mermaid ink on his arm that catches my attention the most, though. From what I read in an article, It’s his only tattoo and it’s seductive, sure, but it’s the delicate feminine beauty that lures me in and keeps me captive.


  With long fingers he touches his tattoo. I feel the blood drain from my face when he gives me a knowing smirk.

  How in the hell I’m here standing in a hotel suite with these guys is beyond me. And to think I let Brandon sucker me into photographing their upcoming concert. I know I won’t be able to keep my job long if the guys keep catching me staring at them.

  “Her name’s Jill,” he says looking down at the fascinating artwork of the beautiful siren.

  “Your Sava Effect?” I ask.

  His expression is so endearing I can’t help the lift of my lips and I shoot him a small smile.

  “Maria,” Leah calls from Brandon’s door. “Think you can help in here?”

  I look for Gabriel and when he nods his approval, I say, “Ada should be waking up soon for milk.”

  “Can I feed her?” Isaac asks.

  “Uh.” Gabriel looks to me for guidance and I lift a shoulder. “Yeah, sure, I guess.”

  “Sweet.”

  “They’re good guys,” Leah whispers into my ear. “All a bunch of softies.”

  She holds the door open for me and when I see Brandon, he reaches for me. I take his hand and kiss his sweaty palm. He leans into me and groans.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask the doctor on the other side of the room.

  “He’s being a big baby,” she answers.

  “Go away,” he tells her.

  She laughs. “It was a little bit of blood and an itsy bit of pain. You’ll live, Brandon. I promise.”

  He shoots her the middle finger. Her laughter echoes in the room and I stand to shove her out of the room. His grip on my hand tightens so I kneel in front of him.

  “Lie down, okay? I’ll get you some water, and you just rest. I’ll be right back,” I promise.

  He traces a finger along my cheek. “Leah, grab me some water.”

  “Got it, boss.”

  “You can’t just tell her what to do,” I say.

  “He kind of pays me to be his slave. I thought I told you this when we met.”

  “And I’ve told you slaves don’t get paid.” He takes off his shirt and throws it at Leah’s retreating back. “Stay with me,” he says, his voice so low I can barely hear him.