Rock Solid? (The Next Generation #1)

by K E Osborn

  It’s nearly lunch time and Aston hasn’t avoided me at all today. He definitely isn’t touchy-feely, but that’s okay because Dad has been watching our every move. When he turns around Aston always looks at me and smiles and I smile back, wondering if he’s thinking about kissing me as much as I’m thinking about kissing him. Dad’s been talking to us all about how well we did at the show and what areas we each need to improve on. He told us that we have another show tomorrow night and that things are going to happen pretty quickly for us, so we need to hold on tight and enjoy the ride. He also slipped in a part about not letting relationships get in the way of the music. I rolled my eyes at that obvious comment about me and Aston. But like I said, I can’t imagine this ending between us, whatever it is.

  “Have a half hour break and we’ll get back into rehearsing,” Dad tells us.

  We all stand up and stretch from the long morning we’ve had in discussions. I look over at Aston and he smiles as everyone stretches and he subtly rubs his hand against mine and a surge shoots straight through my skin and into the very core of me. I giggle slightly as he winks and then I look at Dad, who’s distracted talking to Caleb and I decide to make my move. We have a half hour break, so I’m going to try and get some alone time with Aston.

  “I’m just going to be under the willow tree if anyone wants me. I have a new song to work on,” I say and no one listens except for Aston who nods like he understands. I wait for anyone to acknowledge me, but they are all caught up in their own worlds so I smile at Aston and walk out of the room taking my music notebook and pencil with me.

  I really hope Aston got the message I was sending. Hoping even more that he can get out without Dad asking where he is going. I smile at Mum as I pass her in the kitchen where she’s busy making lunch for us. I’m not sure what she’s cooking, but it smells great. Apparently Mum was appalling at cooking and had no idea how to do anything for herself when Dad met her. I can’t even imagine Mum not knowing how to do everyday stuff. I guess she had to grow up at some stage too. I move to the sliding door and Mum turns around and spots me.

  “Oh, hey sweetheart, how’s it going in there?”

  “Yeah, really good. Dad’s giving us some great pointers,” I say and open the door.

  “Where are you off to?”

  “Dad’s given us a half hour break, so I’m going to work on this song I have in my head under the tree.”

  “Okay, have fun my little creative genius,” she says and I shake my head and chuckle.

  “Hardly, but thanks, Mum. Lunch smells great, by the way,” I say as I walk out the door.

  “Make sure you’re back in time. You know your father likes everything to run smoothly and to schedule,” she calls out and I chuckle.

  “Okay.” I slide the door shut and start the long walk down to the tree.

  With each step, I feel more and more giddy about the fact that Aston might come out here and join me. I can’t wait to kiss him again and to be honest it’s really all I’ve been thinking about today. Before I know it, I’m at the tree and I take up my usual sitting position leaning my back against the trunk. I may as well start looking at my song just in case Aston can’t get out here. I bury my head in my book and get lost in the music notes that are floating off the page and making such beautiful sounds in my head. I realise the hairs on my arms are standing up and that makes me smile.

  “Looks like you’re in the zone,” I hear, being pulled from my musical state. The music notes swirl like a tornado into each other. The colours shine causing a rainbow of notes that flow into one singular destination, then suddenly the magical music notes puff into a cloud of smoke and disappear. What appears in my line of sight is Aston walking toward me and a tingle runs down my spine as I smile brightly.

  “I was, but there’s a completely different zone I’d rather be in right now,” I say and smirk as he leans down and sits next to me.

  “Oh really, and what would that involve?” he asks with an air of playfulness.

  “Well, maybe something involving the tongue.”

  “What something like this?”

  My heart rate spikes as he leans in and softly licks from my neck to the back of my ear and then he bites on my lobe. I close my eyes taking in the feelings engulfing me.

  “Mm-hmm,” I murmur unable to talk.

  “Or maybe this?” he asks and he takes my head in his hands and kisses me softly.

  I open my mouth and let his tongue in and he caresses mine so softly it sends a tingle up and down my spine. I turn my body to meet his and he pulls my leg out from under me and then moves me on top of his lap, so I’m straddling him. He leans his back onto the tree trunk and I lean my chest against his getting as close as I can as we kiss slowly and passionately under our favourite tree.

  His hand is caressing the back of my head while the other travels down my back and then up underneath my shirt as his soft warm hands caress my naked back. His hand hovers over my bra strap, but he doesn’t undo it.

  My stomach is fluttering and the feeling of kissing him is making me so excited that all of my body is pulsing with pleasure. I just need to be closer to him. I don’t know why, but I want to move my hips so I start to grind on top of his lap and he groans and tightens his hand in my hair. The contact is making me start to pant through our kissing which by now is getting hot and heavy. I notice his boner pressing up between my legs and it makes me even more determined to make him feel good.

  I grind on him harder which makes the area between the top of my legs ache so much that I feel like I want to explode. He groans into my mouth and moves his hands to my hips to stop my movements. I’m worried that maybe he doesn’t like what I was doing so I stop kissing and look at him.

  He is smiling happily and panting slightly as I raise an eyebrow at him.

  “Was I doing it wrong?” I ask and he chuckles and brings his hand up to caress my cheek.

  “No way, baby. You were doing everything right, that’s the problem. It was feeling too good. We should stop and try to work on the song before I strip you naked and your dad finds us,” he says and I giggle.

  I smile because he called me baby and bite my bottom lip. “Wouldn’t that be a joyous occasion,” I joke sarcastically and he leans in kissing my lips quickly and then pulling my legs so I fall off him and back on the ground. I pout and batter my eyelids while he rearranges his dick in his pants.

  “You are going to make this whole going slow thing really hard for me, aren’t you?” he asks and I smile and shake my head.

  “No, I’m fine with going slow. I was just doing what my body was telling me to do. Should I not do that?” I ask and he leans his forehead against mine and takes my hand.

  “No, you can keep doing that, and I’ll just stop us when it gets a bit much for me to handle. I need to take this slowly with you, Lennox. I can’t fuck this up… I won’t,” he says and I lean in and brush my lips against his.

  “Well, you’re doing an excellent job so far, so just keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll be fine.”

  He taps my notebook. “I guess we should do some work?”

  “What, no more kissing?”

  “Maybe after. We need something to show for our time out here,” he says and it suddenly dawns on me.

  “Does Dad know you’re out here?”

  “No. I slipped out while he was talking to Chad and Caleb, but your Mum saw me come out so she’s bound to know.”

  Damn!

  “Oh well, better get to it then,” I say and he moves his legs out wide as he leans back against the tree trunk. I look at him raising an eyebrow wondering what he’s doing.

  “Sit between my legs, I can look at your book over your shoulder and that way I get to hold you for a little while longer.”

  I move to sit in between his legs and he pulls me back so my back is leaning against his chest. I love the feeling of touching him like this. It’s so… romantic? I guess, I don’t really know what romance is, but this sure feels like
it to me. I look back at him over my shoulder and gesture with my lips for another kiss before we get started. He chuckles and quickly pecks my lips and then turns me around. I giggle and open my book to show him the music flowing through my brain.

  “It’s a slow song, like a rock ballad, but I don’t have any lyrics for it yet, just the music,” I say and he rests his chin on my shoulder. I’m enjoying the closeness I feel to him right now. This is what writing a song should always be like.

  “Okay, show me,” he says and I lift up the book to show him my messy scribbles on the page.

  He’s quiet for a little too long and then he starts to hum to the tune I have written down. I love the sound of his voice even though it’s only humming. It’s so deep and it does strange things to my libido if that’s what is happening. I just want to kiss him so badly right now, but we’re taking this slow and I need to concentrate on the music, not on his lips that are right next to my ear. The hot air coming from his nose against my neck is sending goose bumps all the way down my left side. I turn my head slightly so his nose is against my ear and he nuzzles into me obviously knowing I was craving contact. I close my eyes and imagine the notes he’s humming flying through the brightly coloured sky, and I want to be lost in this world forever. The world where Annie and Aston get to be together and be one with the music. This world is perfect. I open my eyes when I realise he’s stopped humming and is chuckling slightly.

  “You doing okay there, Lennox?” he whispers and then bites my ear.

  I clear my throat coming fully back into reality and nod. “Yep,” I say overly high-pitched and then clear my throat again. “Yep,” I repeat in a normal tone.

  He chuckles and wraps his arms around my waist. “Okay, so I’ve been working on some lyrics that I think might go really well with this tune, which is great, by the way.”

  “Do you have them with you?” I ask as I didn’t see him bring out any notebooks or anything with him.

  “Yep, there all in here,” he says and then pats his chest over his heart.

  I smile and nod because I know what it’s like to have music in your heart. We were both brought up with music so we both know how it affects us.

  “Okay, so what’s the name of the song?” I ask and he smirks and exhales like he’s nervous.

  “You Were Always Mine,” he says and I open my eyes wide wondering if this song is going to be about me.

  “Nice name.”

  “Would you like me to sing it to you with your tune in mind?”

  “Yes please.”

  He tightens his arms around my waist. “If you don’t like it, it’s completely fine. I don’t want you to feel pressured into having my lyrics to your—”

  “Just sing the song, Ast,” I interrupt his rambling.

  He chuckles and pulls me back into him so he’s holding me tightly. I lean my head back on his shoulder and just relax in his touch.

  “Okay, here goes,” he says and I close my eyes and prepare to hear his song.

  She’s the greatest person I’ve ever known,

  She lights up my life, in my heart she’s my home.

  I’ve never known the way someone can make you feel,

  The way she does it’s like a spinning wheel.

  She’s been with me all my life, and I guess you could say,

  She makes me feel things that I want to repay.

  She’s my light,

  She’s my home,

  And in a way I’ve known it all along.

  She’s my heart,

  She’s my breath,

  And I must confess,

  I knew you were always mine,

  Mine because our hearts entwine.

  Her eyes make me feel like I’m losing my mind,

  I can’t explain the way they make me blind.

  She takes my breath away like never before,

  And I can’t understand how my emotions are raw.

  I’ve never felt this way, and I hope it stays,

  Because I want to say the things, I’ve needed to say.

  She’s my light,

  She’s my home,

  And in a way I’ve known it all along.

  She’s my heart,

  She’s my breath,

  And I must confess,

  I knew you were always mine,

  Mine and that’s the bottom line.

  You’re mine until the end of time,

  Like a song that’s being sung sublime,

  I knew you were always mine,

  I knew you were always mine.

  He stops singing and my heart is racing so fast it feels like it’s going to explode out of my chest. I can’t help the tear that falls from my eye, down my cheek and the fat drop lands right on his arm.

  “Shit Lennox, did I make you cry?” he asks holding me tightly and peeking around at me. I quickly wipe my eyes and shake my head reeling from the words that are so obviously about me.

  “Annie talk to me.”

  I swallow a lump in my throat because I just don’t know what to say.

  “Annie please, you’re killing me. Was it that bad?” he asks and I shake my head.

  “No, not at all, Ast. It was beautiful. So damn beautiful. I can’t even…” I pause as a fresh set of tears flow from my eyes.

  “Hey, hey. I’m sorry, please don’t cry,” he says turning me to face him. I lean down and cuddle into his chest as he strokes my hair and nuzzles into me.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for, that was the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard,” I say and I feel his smile against my head as he kisses my hair.

  “Well, I meant every word, Annie.”

  I look up at him and wipe my cheeks.

  “You’re beautiful to me in every way, and I knew you were always mine,” he says and I chuckle at him and smile brightly.

  “So, I’m yours then?” I ask and he leans his forehead against mine.

  “Only if I can be yours,” he replies and I nod and lean in kissing him softly.

  “That’s it then, we’re officially together?” I ask and he smiles wide and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Always baby.”

  I smile then kiss him again softly. He wraps his arms around me and we kiss gently for as long as possible. And right now I’m in my colourful world, where I’m Aston’s girlfriend, and our song is resonating so strongly in my brain, that I don’t want to come down from cloud nine where I’m floating so effortlessly.

  “Annie,” I hear Mum say and I quickly detach my lips from Aston’s and get off his lap as Mum traverses to us under the Willow tree.

  I look at Aston and he smirks knowing we’ve just been busted making out. I sit down next to him and watch her as she smiles.

  “Hey Mum,” I say and she nods.

  “Hi sweetheart, I just thought I’d let you know your father is waiting for you. He’s ready to get back into it in the music room. I thought I’d come and get you before he decided to,” she says and I bite my bottom lip at the thought that Dad could’ve been the one to catch us.

  “Thanks Mum,” I say and Aston nods in agreement.

  We both stand up and dust away the dirt from our butts and turn to walk off.

  Mum grabs my arm. “Can we have a little chat?”

  Aston leans in kissing my cheek. “I’ll see you in there.”

  I hand my notebook to him while Mum smiles.

  “Thanks honey,” she says to Aston.

  “No worries,” he replies and looks back at me and winks before walking off back toward the manor. Mum wraps her arm around my shoulders gently and we start to walk toward the lake.

  “So you and Aston, huh?” Mum asks and I nod, but can’t contain my smile. “So how serious is it between you two?”

  “Well, we agreed to be boyfriend and girlfriend just before you came and got me, but we’re taking things really slow. We were best friends and we don’t want to ruin anything.”

  “You know I was friends with one of my exes before we became
a couple. It didn’t work out for us, but he’s still one of my best friends to this day,” she says and I try to think of Mum’s friends that are male. She really only has one other than the band members.

  I think for a second and then it dawns on me. “Wait, you mean you and Uncle Joseph dated?”

  “Yep, for four years, and it’s only because he broke up with me that I met your father,” she says and I try to figure this all out in my head.

  “But Uncle Joseph is…” I pause trying to piece it together.

  “You can say the word honey, he’s gay. But while we were dating, well for the first year anyway, he didn’t know. That was until he met, Uncle Danny,” she says and I furrow my brows in confusion.

  “But you said you dated for four years. If he knew after one year of dating then…” I pause and she purses her lips.

  “Well, let’s just say he was leading a double life back then. He didn’t want to hurt me, but Danny was his one true love. Eventually, Danny made Joseph chose between me and him, and of course Danny won, but the whole time I never even knew about Danny. Anyway that’s digressing from the issue at hand here,” she says and I nod and look out at the lake where the ducks are swimming happily. “Do I need to talk to you about…” she pauses. I tense up waiting for the words to come, “sex,” she says it like she’s embarrassed, which makes me giggle because I should be the embarrassed one here.

  “No Mum, we’re ages from that happening. I mean we’ve only kissed really and I like I said, we’re taking it really slowly. We don’t want to fuck this up.”

  She shakes her head. “Don’t swear, Annie.”

  “Sorry, Mum.”

  “Well, just know that if you need to talk about anything, at any time, please come to me. I know dealing with men can be confusing and difficult. Especially when you haven’t had any experience with it before. I don’t want you going through this on your own, particularly if you have questions, okay? I’m here for you and Ella, and even though you’re still very young I’ve known for years that this day would come between you and Aston,” Mum says and I smile.