Rock Me

by Raven K. Asher

  ****

  After four songs, Marshal stops and holds his hands up to quiet the fans. Once they are quiet enough, he looks at me in question.

  I push back my fears and nod before moving closer to him.

  “We have a little something special planned for you tonight,” Marshal announces before continuing. “You all know that Chloe is talented at playing her guitar, but she also has a talent that she’s kept hidden.”

  He pauses dramatically before speaking again. “This woman can sing.”

  The fans grow excited as I step up next to Marshal while a stagehand runs out with a second microphone on a pole.

  Marshal watches me for a moment before turning his attention towards the crowd. “Are you guys ready to hear her sing?”

  They respond with cheers of encouragement.

  I smile and then lean forward to the microphone. “Don’t hate me if this isn’t what you expect.”

  “They could never hate you, am I right?” Marshal replies.

  The crowd responds with more cheers.

  Once I’m ready, I strum my fingers across my guitar strings. Seconds later, Micah begins playing before Russell joins in.

  Marshal begins singing as he looks towards me.

  When my turn comes, I sing with everything that I have.

  My eyes remain locked with Marshal’s as we sing to each other as if everyone else in the building wasn’t there.

  Halfway through the song, we ditch the second microphone and sing together into one as Marshal holds it between us.

  My heart beats wildly as we move even closer to each other.

  Before I realize it, the song ends, and Marshal and I are left panting for our next breaths as the crowd screams with excitement.

  Without warning, Marshal pushes my guitar to the side before he pulls me snuggly against his body. Seconds later, he presses his lips against mine.

  The shock of what was happening had my head spinning.

  As soon as the shock wears off slightly, I push Marshal away before stepping back.

  Moments later, I glance towards the crowd before I pull the wire from my guitar and then run off of the stage.

  “Chloe…?” Mickie whispers as he steps in front of me as I reach the bottom of the steps.

  When I remain quiet, he places his hands on my shoulders. “You need to get back on stage.”

  “I can’t,” I reply breathlessly.

  Shiloh appears. “What’s going on?”

  “I need someone to play for Chloe.” Mickie breathes out.

  “I’ll do it,” Shiloh replies.

  He gently takes my guitar before placing his hand under my chin. “Take a few minutes to breathe.”

  I nod and then watch as he runs onto the stage.

  Marshal glances towards him and then me before focusing his attention on the crowd. “I don’t know what happened, but it looks like Shiloh will be standing in for Chloe.”

  He looks back at Shiloh in question. “I hope you can play as good as you can sing.”

  “Oh, I can,” Shiloh replies.

  Without another word, Shiloh begins playing along with Russell and Micah.

  I turn and walk down the hallway before Mickie stops me again by placing his hand on my shoulder.

  “What happened out there?” He asks while I turn to face him.

  “He freaking kissed me.” I huff out.

  “And…is that all?” Mickie presses.

  I look up at Mickie. “He kissed me.”

  Mickie sighs. “Are you going to be able to go back on stage?”

  “He kissed me,” I repeat.

  “I take that as a no.” Mickie breathes out.

  After a moment of silence, he motions towards Mitch. “Can you make sure that she gets to the dressing room in one piece?”

  “Of course…” Mitch replies.

  With that, I turn and walk down the hallway with Mitch next to me.

  As we pass a room, Lucas shouts before rushing into the hall. “What are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be on stage?”

  Instead of answering him, I grab the cup from his hand and then swallow its contents with one gulp. I then walk past Lucas and directly to the table where they kept their liquor.

  I grab a bottle and drink straight from it.

  “What’s going on?” Lucas laughs nervously.

  “She ran off stage,” Mitch explains. “Shiloh is playing in her place right now.”

  “Why would she run off stage?” Lucas questions.

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t paying attention.” Mitch answers.

  I turn to face Lucas before lowering the bottle. “He freaking kissed me in front of everyone. He’s never done that before. What the hell was he thinking?”

  “Who…? Shiloh…” Lucas presses.

  I shake my head and laugh. “No. Marshal…Marshal kissed me.”

  Lucas looks at me with a raised brow. “He did?”

  I nod and then take a long drink before laughing again. “Yes, he did. I didn’t even think that he liked me.”

  “From the moment we saw him with you, it was obvious that he was head over heels.” Max chimes in from his seat in the corner of the room.

  “Well, I must be the only person who didn’t see it.” I snort.

  I take another long drink before Lucas snatches the bottle from my hands. “Maybe you should take it easy on that. You don’t want to be drunk by the time he actually gets the chance to explain to you why he did what he did.”

  “I can’t talk to him.” I blurt. “I don’t even know what to say to him.”

  “Getting wasted isn’t going to make anything easier,” Dante stresses as he stands up and then moves closer.

  Silence fills the room for a few moments before I look at Lucas and Dante in question. “Since when did Shiloh know how to play the guitar?”

  Lucas snorts and shakes his head. “He started by playing the guitar. Actually, he can pick up almost any instrument and play without much effort.”

  “I didn’t know.” I breathe out. “I knew next to nothing about him.”

  “Miss Chloe, we should probably go to the bus.” Mitch suddenly stresses.

  I nod and then sigh while looking at Dante and Lucas. “I should go.”

  “I’ll walk with you.” Lucas insists.

  Without another word, I walk away from the room with Lucas by my side and Mitch following along closely.

  Chapter 24

  Lying on the bed in the back of the bus, I hold my arm over my eyes as I replay the moment on the stage with Marshal over and over again.

  I couldn’t stop no matter how hard I tried.

  None of it seemed real.

  After everything that had happened with Shiloh, I couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around the thought of actually having a relationship with Marshal.

  Honestly, I doubted that he even wanted that.

  More than likely, Marshal had gotten caught up in the moment. He probably never meant to kiss me and was regretting it even now.

  Part of me regretted it because that moment had just changed everything.

  What happened next could possibly tear our band apart.

  “Do you need anything before I go?” Lucas asks from the doorway.

  He had stayed nearby once we got to the bus because the alcohol that I had consumed had hit me like a ton of bricks. I had barely made it to the bed after the world began spinning.

  I lower my hand to look at him. “I’ll be fine. The guys should be done soon, and Mitch is right outside if I need him.”

  Lucas nods once and then smiles. “By the way, you looked stunning tonight. If I were Marshal, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my hands off of you either.”

  I snort. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He replies with a light laugh. “Goodnight, Chloe.”

  “Goodnight, Lucas,” I reply.

  With that, he walks away.

  Not long after Lucas leaves, the bus fills with the sound of the g
uys.

  “What the hell was that out there, Marshal?” Russell snaps. “What made you think that now was a great time to kiss her and in front of everyone?”

  “I don’t know. I messed up.” Marshal replies.

  And there it was; the truth.

  “Yeah, you did, and it was embarrassing to have her run off of the stage and not come back,” Russell growls out. “We had to play with her damn ex. I don’t know how much worse it could have gotten, but that wasn’t how I wanted the night to go.”

  “Do you think I enjoyed any of that?” Marshal argues.

  Suddenly Micah appears in the doorway. “Uh, hey, guys, Chloe is here.”

  The bus becomes quiet as I smile at Micah.

  Russell rushes back to join Micah in the doorway.

  “Sweetheart, Mickie said that you were in the dressing room.” He states.

  “I never went to the dressing room. I hung out with Lucas, Dante, and Max before I came to the bus to lay down for a little bit.” I reply.

  He nods and then raises his brow. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m drunk.” I snort.

  “Nice…” Micah laughs.

  After a few moments, Marshal pushes past Russell and Micah. He stops in the room to watch me for a few moments before scrubbing his hand over his face.

  “Can we talk, Chloe?” He asks.

  “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m over it. Let’s move on.” I reply while placing my arm back over my eyes.

  “Chloe…” Marshal whispers.

  I lower my arm to glare at him. “I don’t want to talk to you, Marshal.”

  Yes, I was being harsh, but I didn’t want to sit there while he rejected me. My heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

  This way was so much easier for both of us.

  He wouldn’t have to say a word, and I could pretend nothing had ever happened.

  “Just give her some space, Marshal,” Russell instructs.

  Thankfully Marshal listens to Russell. He quietly walks back out of the room, leaving me with just Micah and Russell.

  “How drunk are you?” Russell questions after a moment of silence.

  “Not drunk enough,” I reply as I sit up and move to the edge of the bed.

  I hesitate for a moment before standing up. Without a word, I push past Micah and Russell and then make my way through the bus.

  Marshal watches me curiously as I walk past him and then exit the bus.

  As I walk towards the building, Mitch, Russell, Micah, and Marshal follow along.

  I don’t stop until I find the room where Lucas, Dante, Max, and Shiloh were still enjoying themselves with a few girls.

  Oddly enough, Shiloh was the only one sitting alone.

  “Back for more…?” Lucas hoots.

  I nod and then smile as I walk into the room and then over to the table filled with alcohol. I grab a bottle and then move over to the couch where Shiloh was sitting alone.

  Before he can stop me, I sit on his lap.

  The moment I place the bottle to my lips, the guys walk in.

  “Seriously, Chloe…?” Russell breathes out.

  Instead of saying a word, I take a long drink from the bottle in my hand. Once I pull it away from my lips, Shiloh takes it and then takes a drink.

  “You guys are more than welcome to join us.” Shiloh insists.

  “We’re only here for her,” Russell replies.

  “Well, it doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere soon, so you might as well get comfortable,” Shiloh replies before taking another drink from my bottle.

  Relaxing against Shiloh, I lean my head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He replies softly.

  It takes a little while, but Micah, Marshal, and Russell move into the room and then sit down. Of course, Russell ends up sitting down beside me while Marshal and Micah sit on another couch nearby.

  A few girls try to sit with each of them, but they decline them all.

  Sighing softly, I close my eyes.

  ****

  “Did she fall asleep?” Russell whispers softly, waking me slightly.

  “Yes, she did,” Shiloh replies.

  “Now, would someone like to tell me what the hell is going on?” Shiloh then questions quietly, causing his chest to rumble under my ear.

  “I kissed her.” Marshal answers. “I messed up, and now she won’t even speak to me.”

  Shiloh sighs. “Give her time.”

  Everyone grows quiet when I open my eyes to look up at Shiloh. “Can you take me to my bus?”

  “I think it would be better if Russell, Micah, or Marshal took you,” Shiloh replies.

  I groan out dramatically before moving off of his lap. I then slip over to Russell as he holds his arms out for me.

  Once I’m sitting on his lap, I nuzzle my face against his neck. “Take me to bed, Russ.”

  I may have been an emotional mess, but a part of me wanted to make Shiloh and Marshal regret ever pushing me away. I needed to rub it in their faces that someone wanted me no matter what.

  Being with Russell would also chase away the loneliness that I was drowning in.

  “Chloe…” Russell whispers.

  “Just go, Russell.” Marshal sighs. “Take her to the bus.”

  It takes Russell a few moments, but he grunts in response before wrapping his arms around me as he stands up.

  Without a word, he carries me from the room and through the building.

  A few minutes later, he enters the bus and carries me to the back room, where he lays me down on the bed before taking a step back while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

  It was obvious that he didn’t want sex.

  “Just lay with me, Russ.” I breathe out.

  He nods once before closing the door. Seconds later, he moves to the other side of the bed before lying down beside me.

  Rolling onto my side, I snuggle against Russ.

  After just a few minutes, I fall fast asleep.

  Chapter 25

  Morning comes too soon and with it a whole new day filled with loneliness and regrets. First, I regretted drinking, and, second, lying in bed alone wasn’t the way that I thought I’d wake up.

  I had wanted to wake up in Russell’s arms, but he was nowhere to be found.

  Sitting up, I groan softly while closing my eyes.

  My head thumps with pain as I slowly move to sit on the edge of the bed.

  After a few moments, I stand up and then move over to my bags sitting against the wall. Before I did anything, I needed to get out of these stage clothes.

  I pull out my favorite pajamas and then a tee-shirt before stripping out of my current outfit.

  Once I’m dressed again, I step in front of the door. I take a long deep breath and then open the door before walking out of the room.

  I find Russell sleeping peacefully in his cubby, along with Micah. The only one missing was Marshal.

  Sighing softly, I move into the front of the bus.

  Mickie greets me with a smile. “I was beginning to wonder when you’d wake up.”

  He holds out his hands, which held two pills and a large drink in a plastic cup with a straw, towards me. “Take these and drink this. It will help with the hangover.

  I take them gratefully before tossing the pills into my mouth. I then wash it down with the drink.

  As soon as I’m done, I sit down along with Mickie.

  “Do you want to talk about what happened last night?” Mickie questions gently.

  “Not really.” I breathe out. “It’s not going to happen again.”

  Mickie nods. “I hope not. We won’t always be so lucky to have someone to fill in for you. We were lucky that Shiloh just happened to be there and knew our songs.”

  “Where is Marshal?” I ask curiously. “Have you spoken to him?”

  “Marshal is just about to do an interview. They asked for him specifically, so he’s inside getting ready.” Mickie replies before noddin
g towards the building that we were parked near.

  “Oh…” I whisper as I stare absently at the building.

  Before we can say another word Russell and Micah join us.

  “I can’t believe he’s interviewing on his own. Marshal hates it when they don’t include the band.” Micah huffs out as he sits down.

  “Everyone wants to hear from him about what happened at last night’s show,” Mickie explains.

  “Shouldn’t they be asking Chloe what happened?” Russell argues lightly.

  Mickie shrugs. “I guess they’re more interested in Marshal’s story.”

  After a moment, Mickie stands. “You three might as well watch the interview. I’ve got to go back inside to make sure things go smoothly.”

  With that, Mickie leaves the bus while Micah grabs the remote to turn on the television.

  “Which station is this?” Micah asks absently as he looks through the window at the building.

  Moments later, he turns his attention back to the television before scrolling through the channels. Once he finds the correct one, he stops.

  A middle-aged woman with blonde hair and a friendly smile speaks to an unfamiliar woman sitting across from her.

  “I’m afraid that is all the time that we have with Mary.” The lady announces while looking at the camera. “When we return, we’ve got a special guest. Marshal Williams from Cyclone Lies will be joining us.”

  With that, the screen cuts out and then continues with a commercial about a local restaurant.

  “What do you think he’s going to say about last night?” Micah questions Russell.

  “I honestly don’t know what he’ll say,” Russell replies with a sigh.

  Part of me was curious, but the other part was afraid to hear what he would say. I didn’t want to watch as he explained how huge of a mistake he had made by simply kissing me.

  I really didn’t want to hear how meaningless it had been either.

  No matter how much I tried to deny it, that kiss had meant a lot to me.

  Time ticks by at an agonizingly slow pace as we wait for the show with the interviewer to return. When it finally does, I dig my fingers into the arms of the seat that I was sitting in.