“Last night. I didn’t want to interrupt.” I wondered how Kya was doing but tried to push her out of my head.
“You could have joined in,” said Breanna, who seemed like she was in a much better mood.
I gave her a wink. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” The two girls giggled as Jon walked them to the door, and while Breanna gave my best friend a simple kiss on the cheek, he practically stuck his tongue down Mindy’s throat.
He saw them out and then joined me in the kitchen. He wore nothing but his shorts and scratched his chest like he was a bear coming out of hibernation. “I’m starving.”
“I bet you worked up an appetite with those two. I’m proud of you, man. You’re really coming along nicely.”
“I learned from the best, and as it turns out, both of them enjoyed each other’s company as much as mine, so let me tell you thank you, brother. You really left me in a good place.” He grabbed the cereal and milk and poured himself a bowl before sitting with me at the table. “So, what happened with you and Kya Campbell? Am I the only one who got laid last night?”
“Come on, haven’t you any faith in me, man? Of course, I got laid. Do you know she was my first?”
“Wait, that’s the girl who fucked you and then broke your heart?”
“The one and only.”
“Fuck, man. I wish I’d known that. I’d like to meet the woman who created The Legend.” He had called me The Legend because of the way I’d become over the years, not only with my reinvention but my love ‘em and leave ‘em motto.
I got up and tossed my bowl into the sink, causing a loud clatter. “I wouldn’t give her that much credit.”
He grinned. “So, did she break your spirit again?”
I gave him a dead stare. “No, I broke hers.”
“You mean she wanted more than a quick fuck?” He didn’t look like he was buying it.
“She said she wanted to see more of me, but I made up my mind a long time ago that she’d never get another piece of my soul.” I wouldn’t give her the opportunity if she begged for it.
Jon gave me a sideward look. “So you walked away and haven’t thought of her since?”
“Yep, who needs her? Besides, even though she claims she’s not the same as she used to be, why should I believe her?”
“I don’t know. You changed, so maybe she could have too? And I’m not convinced, by the way. You’ve spent the last five years waiting for this revenge of yours, and I bet it was a lot more than just that once you got her horizontal.”
I had liked being close to her, and the sex was amazing, but Kya wasn’t worth the pain I’d felt before. “Nah, I’m over her. It’s not like she’s still worried about it. She’s got thousands, millions, however many fans now to stroke her ego, so she probably already forgot about me again.”
I didn’t believe she’d called my mom asking for my number. It was just a poor excuse for abandoning me all those years ago.
“Well, I’m glad you had a good time. I, for one, think I’ve found the girl for me. Mindy is incredible.”
“And it helps that she likes sharing other chicks, right?”
“That’s not a turn-off, but no, we actually have a lot in common. We talked for hours after Breanna crashed and even made love without her.”
“Made love? That sounds serious.”
“Well, I wanted to show her the tender side of me, you know, since I already baited the hook.”
“Good job, man. She didn’t even run from the house screaming.”
“No, and she insisted that she and Breanna take care of my morning wood. I woke up in heaven, my friend.”
“And you haven’t mentioned the overwhelming fear you have of the bar exam since you came in here, so that’s a plus.”
“Fuck, you had to remind me.”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. I’ll help you study when I get back from my old man’s. I have to pick up some mail.” I grabbed my keys and told him goodbye before heading down to my car.
It was a good day to put the top down, so when I started the car, I did just that. I pulled away from the lot thinking about Kya and how good it had felt to be with her physically. I wouldn’t allow myself to feel the emotions, but they had been an intense battle of wanting to hurt her and wanting to rekindle and give her everything she wouldn’t let me have before. But there was something I felt the moment she mentioned my mother. When the woman had passed away two and a half years ago, Kya wasn’t there. Even though her parents still lived next door, even though her parents surely told her all about my mother’s struggle, I’d never heard a word.
I pulled up at Dad’s house, and even though he had enough money to start over in a much fancier home, he’d kept the house he’d shared with Mom. The only problem was, that day in and day out of coming home without her there had taken a toll on him and made him bitter.
I got out and walked up to the house, knocking and announcing myself as I opened the door, “Hey, Dad, it’s me.”
He didn’t give me a response, as usual, so I went in to find him in his armchair, kicked back in the old recliner as if Mom were still in the kitchen cooking his dinner.
“I graduated yesterday.” I walked to the kitchen and stared across the open concept room to see that he was still unfazed.
“You think I don’t remember?” He barely took his eyes off the game he watched to give me a glance.
“Oh, so you remembered the ceremony but not that you were invited to it?” I didn’t know why I argued with him. Nothing I said was going to sink in or make him understand he’d turned out to be a shitty father.
“Did you set up your bar exam?”
“Yes, Dad, I’m working on it.” I wasn’t the type who put things off, but I could never be good enough in his eyes. He’d never once been proud of me or any of my accomplishments, and even when I won, he always pointed out how the other kid did it better. Pretty soon, he’d be comparing me to Jon.
“As you should be. Instead of being out with your friends. That’s all about to change, you know. I expect you and Jon to work hard and show me I didn’t make a fucking mistake taking the two of you on together.”
“Yes, sir. That’s the intention.” I walked up the stairs to my room and sat on the bed. My mom had kept it just the way I’d left it, and Dad hadn’t bothered to mess with it either. I looked over to the window and remembered all the times I used to sit out on the roof and listen to Kya’s band while I ate sunflower seeds and dreamed of having sex with her. Now, I’d gotten that privilege twice and screwed it up both times.
I heard footsteps, and my father walked into my room. “When are you going to clean this shit out of here?”
“I don’t know. Mom always wanted me to leave it alone. She said I’d always have a home here.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not happening, so you may as well pack up what you want and take the rest of it to storage. Looks like a lot of it could be thrown away, if you ask me.” He walked over and stood in front of my trophies and ribbons, none for anything he’d have called a great achievement. “Who the fuck keeps second-place trophies? So you can be reminded you’re the first loser? Take this shit down.”
“Yeah, I heard you. I can’t do it today, but I’ll come by this next week and get it out of your way.” I wanted to tell him that maybe he could use the room and adopt a son he could be proud of, but I’d had enough of his shit, and if I wanted to keep the peace at work, I’d bite my tongue. I heard my mother’s voice, whispering like a ghost in my memory, choose your battles.
Dad walked over to the mock trial banner. “I remember this. Best thing you ever did with your extra time in high school. Too bad they don’t hand out trophies for that.” He turned and walked over to the window. “I’m thinking of selling the house.”
The reality of his words settled deep and heavy in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t stand to think about anyone else living in my mother’s home. She’d always been so particular about everything, and it had t
aken her years to get everything the way she wanted it. She had done a home improvement project every summer, and since I was out of school, she’d recruited me to help every chance she got. We’d painted nearly every wall, and there was that time we’d installed the wood floor in the kitchen. It was the first time I’d ever heard my mother curse. “I understand, Dad.”
“No, you don’t. You never will.” He started out of the room. “Whatever is left at the end of the week, I’m tossing to the dump.”
I went ahead and went down to the kitchen to get a few garbage bags and made a sweep of things I might want to keep and other things I knew I definitely didn’t want.
When I was on my way out, my father, who had returned to his chair and his game, stopped me. “Make sure you’re on time for work and don’t embarrass me down there. I’ve built that firm around my reputation and my name, and I’m not having you come in to do your usual half-assed job and make me look stupid.”
I was starting to think I should have taken a job elsewhere. It wasn’t like I didn’t have other offers. Of course, none were going to be better than my father’s. His firm was the most prestigious in the state. “Right, Dad. I’ll try to remember not to be such an embarrassment.” I rolled my eyes and headed out to my car, slamming the door behind me for what might be the last time. I threw the bags over the door and into the back and looked up at the door. If I ever have a kid, I will not be a shitty father.
Chapter 6
Kya
I had slept all night in the tour bus, which was still parked behind the venue, even though my parents only lived twenty minutes from here. Most of the out of town bands had done the same, and those who hadn’t stayed in their buses had slept in hotel rooms and partied until the sun came up.
Sadie came dragging in around eight after having spent the night with Stones Hunter and looked at me with a dopey grin as I drank my coffee.
“What?” I asked, knowing she wanted details.
“Nothing. Just can’t believe you didn’t jump at the chance to tell me all about your hookup. I came out and saw this bus a-rockin'.” She moved her hips in a twerking motion.
“You haven’t offered up any saucy stories, either, so I guess we’re even.” Normally, when we met someone new, we’d compare notes, but I didn’t feel like reliving the last moments of the night with Leo.
He had changed, and now he was nothing but a player, an egotistical asshole who I had wasted time thinking about all these years wondering if I’d done the right thing by rejecting him.
She slid into the seat across from me at our little tour bus booth and turned on the Keurig to make her own cup. “Fine, I’ll go first. Stones is incredible. We got our own hotel room, and we talked all night.”
“All night? So, you didn’t hook up with him?” I gave her a sidelong look, and she shook her head.
“Nope. If Stones wants to get with this, he’s going to have to work for it. I’m not a skank like Mona who sleeps with men she barely knows.” She met my eyes and pulled her lips in tight like she regretted her words. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you know your guy?”
I gave a half-hearted laugh. “Yeah, I did. I slept with him before in high school.”
“Wow, an old flame. That’s hot.”
“No. More like the one who got away. He was such a good guy, a little socially awkward and a virgin, so we were at this party just before graduation, and he mentioned how he didn’t want to go to college a virgin. I had a little experience and had always had a little crush on him, so I offered to help him out.”
Sadie picked up her steaming cup and turned off the coffee maker before she took her first sip. “You popped his cherry. Jesus, Kya. So, what happened?”
“Well, he was really hung, and the sex was amazing, but then when it was over, he was so over the moon, he wanted to hook up and be a couple, which scared me to death.”
Sadie brushed her bleached hair back. “You were scared of virgin boy? He must have really been something.” She waggled her brows. “Or was it the big penis?”
I reached across the small booth and nudged her. “It was him. I’ve known him since I was six. He stopped coming over when I discovered music, and I thought he wasn’t interested. So, by then, I had made my plans around my dream and didn’t want anyone standing in my way.”
“Ouch.” She rubbed her arm to feign injury. “What did you say?”
I sank back in my seat. “I said I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, which was the same thing he said to me last night when I suggested we get reacquainted.”
Sadie’s jaw dropped. “Oh no, he revenge fucked you.”
“Right, and in a very in my face kind of way, which really sucks. I mean, I guess I didn’t think he was capable. He had always been so sweet, but yeah, I’m still bleeding a bit.” I rubbed the tender flesh over my heart.
“Damn. That sucks.” Sadie reached out and took my hand to offer comfort. “Almost as bad as what we have to do next.”
I took another sip from my warm mug. “Which is?”
Sadie gave me an apologetic look. “Fire Mona, hello? Did you forget?”
In honesty, I had forgotten after the previous night’s drama, but I couldn’t put it off any longer. “I guess I need to call a meeting.”
Sadie smiled big and held her chin up high. “Done. And for your information, they’ll all be here any minute. I told them it was important.”
I realized I needed to get my head out of my heart and pay attention to what mattered. “Where did Mona stay last night?”
“I’m not sure, but it wasn’t with Teddy. He was at the party that Stones and I went to before we got our room. Blitz asked about you, by the way. He said there was a manager asking questions about us, and he was supposed to have given them your number. The man said he’s local, so he’d be around.”
“Awesome. Did Blitz say if he’s any good?” It would help if this guy had a solid reputation in the industry. There were too many wannabes as it was. I needed someone who could work well with others to get the best for us.
“Nope, but you can ask him all of that when you call him. But don’t tell him I spent the night with his son. He’s really funny about that shit, and Stones doesn’t want his dad or the band to know.”
“And if I know Blitz, he already knows. He keeps his boys on a tight leash, from what I’d seen and heard.”
Before we could continue the conversation, Liam and Rob came into the bus. “Good morning, ladies,” said Liam. “I brought doughnuts.”
Rob sat on the makeshift couch across from the little booth. “Is Mona here?”
“No. She’s probably going to be fashionably late like that shit she pulled last night.” Liam’s tone showed his distaste for the woman.
“I guess we’re all still in agreement, which is good. It’ll make things a lot easier. I need you guys to have my back for sure.” I knew getting rid of her was the right thing to do, and though I’d never had any problems getting rid of troublesome people in the past, Mona was different. She’d given me a place to stay when I needed it and been there when shit had gone south with my parents. The only reason Sadie hadn’t been around at the time was that she’d been in a relationship, and her controlling asshole of a boyfriend wouldn’t let me stay with them. I just needed to suck it up and stick to business.
“We’re definitely in agreement. We never needed her in the band anyway. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you two are more than enough eye candy, not to mention, you guys actually have talent.” Liam took a seat and kicked his feet up, his heavy, chain-decorated boots resting at the edge of my seat.
The door to the bus opened up, and Mona strolled in carrying her spiked boots in her hand with her hair a mess and something crusty on her shirt. She smelled like a mixture of cigarettes, sweat, and booze, and the circles under her eyes were way too deep for a young woman her age.
“What’s up, bitches? Was that a fucking killer show or what?” Her excitement fell flat in the room. “What’s the proble
m now? Was I late for the meeting?” She leaned against a small partition. “Well, is anyone going to tell me what this is about?”
It was time I spoke up. Being my band, it was my responsibility. “It’s about you, Mona. We just can’t work with you anymore.”
“You’re shitting me, right? I make this band fun. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t know half of these people.”
“Wrong. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still know them, only I wouldn’t know who they were fucking and who has the biggest dick.”
“So now you’re jealous that I get all the guys?”
Liam cleared his throat. “You’re not getting the guys, Mona. They’re getting you. You’re a fucking joke to these guys, and you’re making us look bad.”
“Shut up, Liam. Always the fucking kiss ass. We all know why, too, but Kya’s never going to like you that way.”
Liam laughed and shook his head. “You’re such a bitch.”
Liam and I had been friends forever, but the only love we had in common was music. The guy was like a brother to me, and that kind of loyalty was something people like Mona couldn’t understand.
“Right, I’m a bitch, so I’m just out, just like that?” Mona turned her attention to me. “I was such a bitch to take you in when your parents got sick of your lifestyle and kicked your ass out on the streets.”
“I appreciate you helping, but at the same time, I should have never let you talk me into putting you in the band because of that. You’re not professional, you’re making us look like a joke to the other bands, and you don’t have any respect for us.”
“Why, because I don’t sit around with you before a show? I made it to the stage.”
Rob cleared his throat. “Which you shouldn’t be on.” A hush fell across the room as his words registered. “You don’t have what it takes, Mona. You aren’t serious about your instrument, you barely know how to play it, and half the time you don’t.”
“I’m part of the show. I add flair.” She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “And I do know how to play, thank you. I’ve been playing since I was a kid.”
My One and Only: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 5