by Joy Eileen
Just as my hands inched up his back under his shirt, he pulled away and shot me a wink. The reality of where we were came crashing back around me, as shouts from the crowd filtered into my hazy brain.
Kill grabbed the microphone while he still held me. "Calm the hell down," he yelled out to the crowd.
The bar settled immediately. They seemed to be enraptured, wanting to know what he would say, and honestly I was among them.
“You all know this beautiful woman here,” he said, kissing me on the cheek as the crowd roared. “I wanted you guys to be the first to know that she has agreed to be mine officially, so hands off,” he shouted, pretending to scowl at the dance floor.
My face burned hot from the cat calls and comments shouted from the crowd. The tension I'd been holding onto faded instantly.
“Sorry ladies,” I said looking out into the sea of people, and catching both sad and evil glares from the girls in the crowd.
“Alright, now get off this stage so I can concentrate and finish this set. I want to get you home and into our bed.”
If I thought my face was red before, it was flaming now. Kill pulled me into him for one more mindblowing kiss before letting me go.
I stumbled offstage, my legs shaking after his announcement and the passion in his last kiss. The cloud I was walking on made it hard to get back to the bar without tripping all over myself.
The supportive people in the crowd gave me hugs, while others voiced their negative opinions loudly as I passed by.
"I can't believe Kill is slumming it with someone like her," was one of the many comments thrown my way. I let all the negativity slide right off me, repelled by my joy.
Ryan reached over the bar to give me a high five. Her enthusiasm made me laugh. “I told you. I'm a romantic at heart,” she explained with a shrug.
Denise ran over and fanned herself dramatically, “That kiss you two had onstage was...”
“Fucking HOT,” Ryan finished for her.
Amy bounced over and wrapped her arms around me. "I think I went into sugar shock. Kill was super sweet onstage." Leave it to Amy to think a searing kiss in front of a bar full of drunks was sweet.
Jessie stomped over. Her face remained stoic as the other girls gave me a play by play of what they’d been thinking when Kill had stopped me.
As soon as their set was over, Kill jumped offstage making his way toward me, barely stopping to talk to his fans. His smoldering eyes never left mine until he finally reached me.
“Hey, Slick.”
“Hey, Killer. That was quite an announcement you made up there,” I said, kissing him on the cheek.
He laughed and pulled me tightly against him. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything sooner. I figured you were going to beat the shit out of me for the way I've been acting in public,” he said, chuckling.
“Well, actually, I was planning on kicking your ass, and fitting you with some cement shoes soon,” Amy said, her face the epitome of seriousness.
Kill laughed, and I elbowed him in the side to get him to stop. “Sorry, I wanted to announce us at Ray’s. They deserve it. I wanted to tell you my plan, but you never brought it up. You had me scared, Slick. I was afraid you didn’t want everyone to know we were together.” He tried to joke, but his clenched jaw told me how much it had bothered him.
I reached out and stroked his cheek, smoothing the tension from it. “I was afraid you didn’t want to be seen with me. Bambi...” I snapped my mouth shut, not wanting to go on.
Ryan glared at me, and I could tell she wanted me to tell Kill what a bitch Bambi had been to me. I shook my head, willing her to keep her mouth shut.
Kill glanced between us, waiting for one of us to continue. Amy abandoned me to go sit with Jet at the table. Jessie walked off to get orders from the thirsty crowd, wanting to grab their last drinks.
“I need to get back to work,” I said, stalking off with my tray.
Kill shadowed me, not allowing me to escape. Everyone asked questions about us, making him impossible to ignore. He answered happily, kissing me and taking my tray, charming everyone.
He's mine, crossed my mind, making my heart swell with happiness. Together, we walked back to the bar to put the orders in. As soon as Ryan scampered off to fill my order, he cornered me against the bar.
“What did Bambi say to you?” he asked, demanding gently with his eyes.
“It was nothing, Killer.”
“Well, if it was nothing, then you can tell me,” he said, leaning in to kiss my nose and adding a, “Please.”
The look on his face was too hard to resist, but I decided to negotiate my own terms. “Fine, Killer, I'll tell you, but you can’t make a big deal out of it. Promise me.”
“I can’t promise that. If she said something to you, I need to know about it.”
I shook my head, not caring that we were in the middle of a crowded bar. There was something about Kill that made me forget about the outside world. I tilted forward until my breasts were pushed against his hard chest. The connection caused my imagination to spur into overdrive as I tried to get my way.
“Whatever you're thinking right now, I'm in. But not until you tell me what Bambi said.”
I blushed at how easily he could read my thoughts.
“Drinks are ready, lovebirds,” Ryan said, setting a full tray on the bar.
I hefted the tray before Kill could and went to deliver my orders. Kill kept stride next to me.
“Let me finish my shift, and I'll tell you on the way home, but I want a milkshake.”
“You drive a hard bargain, but you have a deal," he chuckled.
He sauntered off to his table, and I watched his perfect ass encased in his jeans walk away. I subtlety wiped my cheek on my sleeve to make sure I wasn’t drooling.
Kill ended up recruiting the boys to get the bar closed faster. I wasn't sure if he was anxious to find out what Bambi had said, or was a little restless to get me home and into bed. I was hoping for the latter.
Kill kept shooting Bambi curious looks. The girls and I watched as she misinterpreted his attention. She preened around, sticking her chest out and flipping her hair over her shoulder. Ryan and Denise collapsed against the table beside them in hysterics.
"Please, let Ryan tell her why he's staring at her. I'll give you all the tips I earned tonight," Denise begged.
"You two are evil," I said as I watched Ryan's eyes light up at the suggestion.
Jessie had remained unusually quiet, avoiding Van whenever he came near.
“Ready to go, Slick?” Kill asked, slinging his arm around me when the bar was all shut down.
I nodded my head, my anxiety ratcheting up in expectation of the conversation we were going to have. As much as I tried to avoid drama, it seemed to keep popping up. We said goodnight to everyone and went toward the back door. Just when I thought we were in the clear, Bambi sidled up and placed her palm on Kill’s chest. She completely ignored the fact that Kill's arm was over my shoulders.
“When you're done slumming, I won’t hold her against you. Once you regain your senses, I'll be here waiting for you.”
My mouth unhinged and dropped to the recently-swept bar floor. Kill’s arm moved off my shoulder as my brain tried to jumpstart from the shock it had just experienced. I tried to catch his hand and keep it where it lay, but he moved faster than my brain was working. He plucked Bambi’s hand off and dropped it hastily, as if touching her had burned him.
I chanced a look at Kill, wanting to gauge how pissed off he was. His dimples dented deeply into his cheeks, and his face wore a look of disgust. There was nothing I could do for her, not that I wanted to, but his expression told me he was beyond all reason.
“As a matter of fact, I am done slumming.”
Bambi’s face lit up with triumph. For the first time, she acknowledged me by looking at me as if I stood in her place. For a split second, I almost felt sorry for her, but my pity didn't last long.
“I promised your bro
ther I would look after you while he was gone. That's the only reason I’ve been so willing to help you-because I respect Matt. You must’ve been blind if you didn’t see me with all those bar skanks hanging all over me, knowing I was taking them home to warm my bed before Faith came along.”
I flinched when he mentioned the bar skanks. He must have felt it, because he hugged me tightly into his side.
“But remember this; even with all the girls I went home with, you never were and never will be one of them. You need to take a hard look at yourself in the mirror, because you're not a good person. Now, excuse us. I'm taking my girl home, and if I have anything to say about it, she'll be the last girl I ever take home again. Go home and grow the fuck up, Bambi.”
He led me past her, her face turning a brilliant shade of pissed-off-red. Right before we walked out the door, Bambi screamed at our retreating backs, “Fuck you, Kill.”
Kill stopped her rant before it could get started. “Never going to happen.” He slammed the door firmly closed. I felt the tension rolling off him as we backed out of the parking lot.
“So, do I still get my milkshake?”
He blinked, and I watched his mood shift, the anger melting away. A smile graced his face before he leaned over and gave me a big kiss on my cheek. “Anything you want, Slick.”
"I'll take that," Amy said, confiscating my milkshake when I sat on the couch. She took a big drink, the straw screeching a hollow sound as she did. "It's empty." She pouted, getting up and throwing it away.
"Come on, Candy; let's go get you a milkshake," Jet said, following her to the kitchen.
"Wait for me," Van called out.
"Well, that's one way to clear the house," Kill said, coming up behind me and nibbling on the back of my neck.
I shuddered as he continued kissing down my neck. He picked me up and ran upstairs.
"Are we going to talk about Bambi?" Kill asked as I cuddled into him later.
"I really don't want to."
He inhaled sharply as if he were getting ready to argue with me.
"You put her in her place tonight. It doesn't matter." I couldn't help the smile that formed every time I remembered the look on Bambi's face when Kill told her he wanted me every night.
"About the bar skanks," Kill began, rubbing a hand over his face.
"It's your past, and I really don't want to talk about it. Just like I don't want to talk about mine. It's over, and we are past all that now," I told him, rubbing my hand over his taut stomach.
"I hope you mean that, Slick. Don't let what happened before destroy what we have now."
My stomach pitched forward. Instead of continuing down a road that would most likely lead to a fight, I let my hand trail up his chest, resting it above his heart. The rapid beat pulsed steady under my palm. Leaning up, I kissed him, feeling his heartbeat speed, ending our conversation.
CHAPTER 17
Kill and I were inseparable as the month seemed to be set in hyper-speed. While I studied, he would sit on my bed and strum his guitar or write in his ever-present notebook. We continued our runs, and of course, there were the mandatory practices, which became more grueling as they added more songs for me.
Kill was true to his word and didn’t look at anyone except me. He was still friendly with the fans making them feel special, but would always catch my eye and send me a wink to let me know I was still the only person on his mind.
As much as I fought it, I fell for Kill, hard. Whenever he would make comments about our future together, my heart would skip a beat, and my body yearned for his words to be true.
Van and Jessie were still going strong, mostly because she was so engrossed in school. Her parents backed off from the lectures so she could concentrate on her last year. Van seemed to be taking advantage of their time together and was doing his best to show Jessie how much she meant to him. He took her on romantic dates, surprising her time and again in a desperate attempt to keep her by his side.
Jet and Amy remained captured by their candy-induced love. I surmised that the candy they consumed made their lips so sticky they couldn’t separate for more than a couple of hours. Jet had taken on more guitar students, and his little side business was taking off, keeping both him and Amy away.
With the Tryptophan Torture Fest nearing, D was constantly on his phone making arrangements. The stress of the upcoming show kept him fully occupied.
I stopped reading the notes on my car, stuffing them in the box in my closet along with all the others.
Anytime I saw Trent on campus, I turned the other way. I wasn’t ready to try and be friends again. It was a toxic pattern with him. We would be friends until I did something he didn’t like, and then he would apologize...until the next time he behaved in exactly the same manner.
It reminded me of what my dad had said to me when I apologized during childhood. He’d always told me to think about whether I was really sorry, or if I was saying sorry until next time I made the same mistake. His piece of advice had stuck with me and I needed to start heeding it.
Now that I wasn't hiding my break-up with Jason, conversations with my dad were less stressful. Every now and then he would ask questions, curious about that time in my life. I became a master at changing the subject.
Halloween was on a Thursday, but the boys told Ray they would play half a set, which Ray was ecstatic over. I could almost see the dollar signs in his eyes.
After school let out for the day, the plan was to meet the girls at Ryan’s house to get ready.
On the way to my car, I spotted Kill leaning against my door, his sunglasses perched on his nose made him look edible. From all the stares coming his way, I could see I wasn't the only one who thought so. I glided over to him slowly, on a cloud of happiness.
“Well, hello there, Killer. What did I do to deserve your fine ass lounging on my car today?”
He laughed and pulled me to him, kissing me hard. When he moved away my knees were weak, I had to brace my hands on his chest. I stiffened as my eyes roamed over my note-free windshield. Maybe Jason was taking a break for the holiday.
“I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing you until tonight.” He ran his nose over my neck as he spoke.
If my legs weren’t jello before, they certainly were now. I leaned into him and kissed him softly, loving the feel of his mouth on mine.
“You're so sweet."
He placed his finger on my lips, stopping me from saying more. “Don’t spread rumors, Slick. I have a reputation to uphold and you throwing the S word around is going to cramp my style."
I couldn't resist kissing him soundly, loving the way he made me feel. “Your secret's safe with me,” I whispered in his ear before biting it gently, making him groan.
“Thanks, Slick. I knew I could trust you,” he mumbled. “I have another secret for you.” His voice was serious, and the change in demeanor threw me off guard.
“Oh yeah? What's your secret, Killer?” My voice was light, but my shoulders tensed up. I didn't understand how he could go from laughing and joking to staring at me intensely through his sunglasses.
“I've fallen in love-head over your sexy-assed heels, with you.”
I was stunned. Internally, I jumped up and down while melting away at the same time. I must have stared at him for too long, because he began to shift uncomfortably on his feet.
“So... Uhm...” He took the hand splayed across my waist and rubbed at the back of his neck, finally snapping me out of my trance.
“I love you too. I didn’t think my heart would be pieced together enough to ever give it to anyone, especially so soon. But every fragment of my shattered heart belongs to you.”
He smiled, and the tension faded. “And here I thought I was the creative one with words,” he replied, picking me up and swinging me around in a circle.
“I love this girl,” he screamed, scaring a couple who were walking to their cars. They looked over at us as we made complete asses out of ourselves. I think they giggled, but
I was so wrapped up in him, I didn’t pay close attention. Once we were dizzy from spinning and saying those three spellbinding words, I felt complete.
“Alright, Slick. I know you have to go and get ready, but I had to see you first. I've wanted to tell you I love you for a while now, and I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I told you I had more secrets.”
My cheeks strained to accommodate the smile on my face. “I’m glad you told me, Killer. This is going to be the best Halloween ever...but I do need to get going, or Jessie's going to send out a search party.”
I hated leaving him, but if I didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t. He stroked his hand down my cheek before kissing me on the tip of my nose.
“Get out of here, Slick, or I'm going to throw you in my car and ravish you in front of the whole campus, and really give them a lesson on something they'll use later in life.”
I laughed and stood on my tiptoes, kissing him lightly before getting into my car. He knocked on the window, and I rolled it down.
“I love you. Be safe. I'll see you tonight.”
“Love you too. Hey, any chance you'll tell me what you're going to be for Halloween?” I teased, knowing he wouldn't. I stashed my costume at Ryan’s so I could surprise him. Both Kill and Van retaliated by refusing to tell us what they were going to be. It was hilarious how they kept trying to be sneaky, hoping we would cave in to find out their secrets.
He shook his head. "See you tonight, sexy."
I drove all the way to Ryan’s house with the biggest cheeser on my face. While we were getting ready, he texted me.
I can't wait to see you tonight.
I'm going to finish what we
started and ravish you.
Love you.
"Faith, stop smiling. I can't finish your makeup."
"Sorry, Jess," I replied, but couldn't comply.
"Why are you in such a good mood, anyway?"
"Kill told me he loved me today," I answered, my face splitting in two.
Ryan, Amy, and Denise screamed, jumping up and down. They made me go over every word leading up to his confession in meticulous detail.